How Do You Communicate?

What Do Your Habits Say About You?

May 16, 2026

a group of different social media logos — Photo by Mariia Shalabaieva on Unsplash

The way we communicate has changed since the birth of the internet and social media. Three decades ago, the internet existed in someone’s dream, and the Smartphone had not been invented. The computer was a giant machine that was a luxury item.

Technology has evolved since then.

Today, we live in a world where information spreads across continents in the blink of an eye. Yet, human beings are lonelier than ever.

The reason is simple. It’s in the way we communicate with one another. By communicating through a virtual world of videos and instant messaging, individuality through non-verbal cues becomes lost.

Think about it, what’s the first thing you do in the morning? Reach your cell phone, right? I think most of us do, unless you aren’t in the habit of checking your phone every five minutes.

The power of communication hit me when I walked past a drama class in my school. The students were working on “freeze frames,” where the class had to guess what their message was without speaking.

At first the groups chose a freeze frame to do with family. In the next freeze frame, they were asked to introduce a cell phone and the impact it had on the scene.

I found it fascinating to see what the students focused on in that moment, and it made me think.

What do your communication habits say about you? How do you communicate with others?

Do you spend hours scrolling on social media on your cell phone? How much content do you read when there’s so much of it?

What type of messages do you give to those around you compared to those on social media?

Do they differ? Do you speak like you text / type? Do any of us use perfect grammar in instant messaging?

If you have kids, are they online and use instant messaging? Do you monitor what they access and who they communicate with?

Do you have an “Insta-life where you post everything that you do vs your real life?”

I’ve seen all kinds of posts and videos of memes where communication is set up for effect to share life experiences with others. These are funny, addictive and spread fast to influence trends and thoughts.

But some content make me question it.

Do humans really wake up every day with perfect makeup and hair before they go for a run or to the gym? Does everyone enjoy the latest weight-loss smoothies and diets? (I mean really?)

Is any of it real? Or is it literally a “sip & sell” when the camera’s rolling and back on the toast with butter when you’re back in the real world?

Social Media changes how we behave, and many feel pressured to copy and act in the same way. Peer pressure is everywhere among teenagers and young adults where the latest “insta trend” is discussed like law round schools and colleges.

You’re either in the “know,” or you’re not. The ones who are not choosing to join in, are almost outcasts and I find it worrying that so many young people feel pressured to act the same.

Where is the individuality? Where are the flaws and mistakes? Why don’t we celebrate our uniqueness instead of perfection?

Is there such a thing as the perfect human being?

What impact does all of it have on our mental health?

Some people post everything they do from making the perfect breakfast burrito to eating it. Do we really need to see people chewing food on camera to believe that it’s edible?

Where is the fascination coming from watching people do daily tasks?

There’s so much advice out there which is made out to be the stereotypically perfect humans. What we think we should be like, and not what life is like.

Reality vs truth.

Are we getting too much truth? How do we decipher what’s real and what isn’t important? Are the younger generation even equipped to see the difference anymore?

There’s become a visible “age gap” between the internet generation (the people who have grown up with the internet) vs the “old generation,” (those who remember life before the internet).

The 7–38–55 rule

Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Albert Mehrabian from the University of California is known for his publications on verbal vs nonverbal communication.

Mehrabian’s most famous contribution is the “7%, 38%, 55% Rule.” It highlights the varying impact of the meaning of words, tone of voice, and body language to communicate feelings.

Mehrabian said that when humans communicate there are three elements that convey emotions:

7% Meaning of words

38% tone of voice

55% body language

What we say and how we say it matters but our body language does most of the talking. It’s no wonder that social media can feel emotionless even when videos and memes are filled with humor.

Humans crave real connections between people and not just memes and recordings of meaningless content.

We need each other. We need imperfections and flaws in our lives because no one is perfect. Most of all, we need real practice in communicating how we feel because it’s becoming a dying trend.

People misunderstand each other and cause pain and anger without meaning to.

The next time you have a meaningful conversation with someone, think about how they stand, the way they look at you or fix their eyes somewhere else.

Do you notice all the invisible communication clues that people do with their bodies?

That’s the real human behavior.

How do you communicate your feelings to others? Do people understand you?

At the end of the day, we all crave to be seen for who we really are and not just the perfect masks we insist on wearing.

My name is Lizzy. I’m a trauma survivor, a wife, a mom, a teacher, and an author.

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Elizabeth Woods

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