Soliya Sessions: Reflection

Participating in this Soliya exchange program has been a completely unique experience. It is one I appreciate all the more for it having been held during a pandemic which keeps us relatively confined to our homes and has taken a vital part of our university experience. I learned a lot from our four sessions this semester.

Question 1: How does the dialogue in Connect Express differ from other types of online communication you are familiar with? Why is it different?

            As I mentioned, this was a unique experience for me. This is due to multiple aspects of the program, the most notable of which being the diversity of the group. It was so interesting  to be able to talk to people from different countries and backgrounds in my age group about various issues. Even if they were trivial, we learned a lot about each other. Finding out that we had a lot of things in common despite our geographical and perhaps cultural differences was surprising, and quite frankly, exciting! The program was different from what I am used to because of how far it reaches. Although I attend a university with people coming from all over the world, it is rare to have the chance to get to know each other and talk like we were able to here.
            Another way the program differed is through the format. While my university does use Zoom as its main platform for classes, conferences, and other college activities, it is usually not in such an interactive way. In most cases, it is primarily used for a lecture whereas the program allowed it to be a much freer dialogue between all of us. It likely helped that our group was so small. This enabled us to discuss things in depth and have productive conversations rather than a superficial back-and-forth on the topics.

Question 2: What did you learn about the type of communicator you are in the digital world? (As a media consumer, content producer, or sharer of content)

            I learned that in the digital world, I am very reserved in my communication depending on my audience. If it is a small audience of friends and acquaintances I am familiar with, then I can produce and share content as I like, but I am supremely uncomfortable with the idea of posting something that just anyone can see. In comparison to my peers in the program, this is a more conservative take on the digital experience. However, the sentiment that it is easier to open up in the digital world the better you know people was shared.

Question 3: What can you do to foster constructive communication both online and in face-to-face interactions?

            The program especially helped me see how I can approach dialogues and discussions in different ways be they online or in real life. If I learned anything from experience, it is that the best way to foster communication is to be open to listening - and not just listening in order to respond, but rather listening to understand. We live in a world full of billions of people with billions of opinions, so to have any sort of productive conversation with any of them, you have to be open to the idea of different perspectives and ways of thinking. As it follows, this entails listening to others’ opinions without judgement.
            Another way to foster constructive communication besides being open to listening to new ideas is to genuinely consider arguments against what you believe and to conduct the following discussion in a manner that does not antagonize anyone. You do not necessarily have to keep your feelings out of it, but you need to treat others with due respect when it comes their turn to share their views.