Let's Talk: Conversation as a Defining Moment for the Communication Discipline

Area of Science:

• Communication studies
• Social psychology
• Human-computer interaction

Background:

• Modern communication often lacks embodied interaction, contributing to issues like loneliness and anxiety.
• Research highlights the impact of social media and digital records on interpersonal connection.
• Embodied conversation, involving physical presence and non-verbal cues, is underutilized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for embodied conversation as a pivotal development in communication studies.
• To review existing research on factors influenced by embodied and disembodied communication.
• To propose pedagogical and research strategies for promoting embodied conversation.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on loneliness, anxiety, empathy, social media, and facial mimicry.
• Analysis of the role of embodied cues in interpersonal communication.
• Synthesis of strategies for integrating embodied conversation into communication research and education.

Main Results:

• Embodied conversation can mitigate negative psychological outcomes associated with digital communication.
• Non-verbal cues and physical presence significantly enhance empathy and compassion.
• Current communication practices often neglect the benefits of embodied interaction.

Conclusions:

• Increased adoption of embodied conversation is crucial for the communication discipline's evolution.
• The communication field should actively promote embodied interaction in research and teaching.
• Reinvigorating 'conversation as cool' through embodied practices can foster stronger social bonds.