- A new study has revealed the biggest modern communication barriers for Scots
- The survey, conducted by modern hearing specialist Hidden Hearing, revealed that conversing digitally can be a huge barrier, with just under a fifth of Edinburgh adults having fallen out with someone after misreading a text message
- But communication barriers can occur in-person too, with the biggest barriers revealed to be several people talking at once, background noise, struggling with face masks, people talking too quietly or fast – all of which are linked to your ability to hear
- 36 per cent of those from Edinburgh are currently worried about a family member’s hearing, and worry their relationship would suffer if left untreated
- One in ten local adults put off making a call to family members as they are worried about their own, or the other person’s hearing
- GP and medical broadcaster Dr Hilary Jones said, “People want to communicate better, but they aren’t recognising that some of the biggest barriers are linked to hearing loss. When you struggle to hear, communication can become challenging, and feelings of frustration may arise, which is why getting regular hearing tests is so important.”
New research by high street hearing specialist Hidden Hearing has revealed the biggest modern communication barriers – from digital disasters to face masks.
The research revealed that a fifth (18 per cent) of those from Edinburgh have fallen out with someone after misreading text messages, with just one in five also admitting they can spend ‘hours’ puzzling over someone’s wording or tone in a text trying to work out if they are actually annoyed or joking.
Nationally, undetected sarcasm (42 per cent) was revealed as the most common miscommunication, followed by jokes being taken the wrong way (41 per cent) and misunderstanding the tone of the message (36 per cent), leading to one fifth wrongly assuming someone was in a mood with them.
Adults are most likely to over analyse texts and emails from work colleagues (35 per cent), followed by a partner (20 per cent) or a love interest (13 per cent).
Hear this: The biggest communication barriers revealed
But communication barriers don’t just happen digitally, they can occur in-person too, with the biggest barriers being several people talking at once (39 per cent), background noise (39 per cent), face masks (38 per cent), people talking too quietly (37 per cent) or fast (32 per cent) – all of which are linked to hearing loss.
“People want to communicate better, but they aren’t recognising that some of the biggest barriers are linked to hearing loss,” said GP and medical broadcaster Dr Hilary Jones.
“When you struggle to hear, communication can become challenging, and feelings of frustration may arise, which is why being proactive and getting regular hearing tests is so important.”
Additionally, mumbling was revealed to be the most frustrating communication habit (41 per cent) – however thinking someone is mumbling is common sign of hearing loss – so the issue is likely to be with the listener rather than the ‘mumbler’.
The survey revealed that men struggle to hear more than women, with the average male struggling to hear nearly once a day, in comparison to women who have difficulty hearing 273 times a year.
One in three people believe hearing is critical for a conversation to flow, however over 50 per cent of those who experience hearing loss choose not to have their ears tested, highlighting that the issue is being ignored.
Hearing loss: It’s a family matter
More than 2 in 5 (41 per cent) adults put off calling people as they are worried about their own, or the other person’s hearing, with 17 per cent revealing that they have experienced a communication breakdown with a friend or family member because of a hearing loss. Shockingly, 45 per cent of adults’ struggle to hear someone speaking at least four times in a week.
Over one third (35 per cent) of people feel untreated hearing loss is frustrating for everyone involved in the conversation.
When it comes to the best place for conversation to flow – sitting around the family dinner table came up tops, as chosen by a third.
Dr Hilary Jones said, “If you, or a family member, are finding it hard to keep up with conversations when socialising, it may be a sign of hearing loss.
“Taking a hearing test and wearing hearing aids can help you listen better, feel connected and tune into conversations. Hidden Hearing’s 5-minute online hearing test can provide an immediate insight into how well you, or a family member, can hear.”
Time to embrace face-to-face
Nearly one third (31 per cent) of Brits reported feeling frustrated as a result of digital miscommunication, as well as anxious (27 per cent) and stressed (25 per cent). Feelings of anxiety were especially apparent in the younger generation, with 41 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds stressing over a text or email, in comparison to 1 in 10 over 55s.
Nearly one quarter (23 per cent) have waited to say something to someone in person to avoid it being misunderstood over text – even if it meant waiting weeks to have the conversation.
The OnePoll nationwide study of 2,000 adults found that a huge 79 per cent believe face-to-face is the best way to talk to someone, rather than through a gadget, with 41 per cent of adults believing that ‘people these days have lost the art of communication and rely too much on technology.’
The top phrases Brits would most like to hear in person rather than over a phone were ‘I love you’ and ‘Will you marry me?’ – both selected by 44 per cent of respondents. Nearly one third would also much rather be broken up with face-to-face, rather than over the phone.
The main benefits adults find in having conversations in person include being able to look someone in the eyes (51 per cent), paying attention to body language (47 per cent) and finding it easier to note tone (46 per cent).
Dr Hilary Jones explained: “Spending time with your loved ones or friends, especially in-person as opposed to digitally, has a profound positive impact on our mental health and wellbeing, wellbeing”.
“In person communication enables us to understand tone, pay attention to body language, and feel better connected, reducing feelings of frustration, depression and anxiety, shown to be the most common feelings from miscommunication. These feelings can be heightened even more for those who struggle to hear.”
Visit www.hiddenhearing.co.uk to find your nearest clinic or take Hidden Hearing’s free online hearing test.
| The biggest communication barriers Several people talking at once Background noise Face masks People talking too quietly People talking too fast Language barriers Zoning out of the conversation Difference of opinions Misunderstanding or misinterpreting a written message (e.g. email or text) Not understanding jargon or vocabulary Not understanding the tone of voice or intention behind a written message Multi-tasking Hearing problems Fear of how the other person would react Social distancing |
| The best places to communicate At home Around a family dinner table On holiday Outside in nature In a restaurant or café On the sofa On a walk or bike ride Over a shared hobby In bed While drunk Via phone calls While driving At work Via text message In a meeting room |
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