Email as a Means of Communication - Essay Example

The paper "Email as a Means of Communication" is an outstanding example of an essay on journalism and communication. Email is a fundamental means of communication in the present age and is largely employed for exchanging words, ideas, and important business information between two or more parties. It gives innumerable benefits over the alternative sources of information like fax or post in that it is not only cost-effective, but is also a highly prestigious, sober, and refined means of communication that maintains the secrecy and privacy of the communicating parties. Nevertheless, there are certain precautions that must be taken by using email for communication because wrong use of the options it provides an individual with for good may prove extremely detrimental for the individual’s personal and social life. Some of these precautions are discussed below:
One should only reply to the email when one is in the right state of mind and is not overwhelmed with emotions because one can not retreat the message forwarded. An emotionally driven person may overestimate or underestimate his abilities while writing the email which may expose him/her to potential threats. Using email for communication is not always a good idea. Some matters need to be discussed face-to-face. One should not expect the reply of an email to appear immediately as it is sent because the other party may not log in for a day or two or more. Urgent matters have to be discussed either on phone or in person. Email service provides its users with a “reply to all” option using which, an individual can forward a message to all people in the contact list with a single click. This is seldom a useful option but it may be availed unintentionally and inadvertently. In the latter case, the click can jeopardize an individual’s career and relationships.
Email is an excellent means of communication but must be used with precaution in order to maximize the benefits and avoid the accidents.