As someone who studied in the college of communication, I have heard many definitions of the word communication. In school I took six general communication courses as part of my degree requirements. Each of these classes started with a definition of communication, and not one professor used the same one. This scenario speaks to the difficulty of defining and understanding communication.
One of the most common textbook definitions of communication describes it as the process of generating meaning by sending and receiving verbal and nonverbal signals. This is a very basic definition, but it really captures communication as a process of interaction between two beings. Models of communication are based off of the process of a sender and receiver transmitting information.
This is the most basic description of communication, but it leaves a lot to be desired. It mentions the process without mentioning the complications. The problem with communication is not the process, but the mishaps that can occur when the process is disrupted by a distraction, a language barrier, a failure to understand tone/insinuation, etc.
When we think of everything that can go wrong when exchanging information between a sender and a receiver, the concept of communication becomes a lot more messy.
It's important to acknowledge how people like to be communicated with. Affective communication occurs when you understand how different people take in and perceive information. Throughout their lives, people will perceive information different ways. The way a child understands information is vastly different from how an adult would understand the same information. Other things that affect communication are a person's background, upbringing, status and culture. Remember to be mindful of these factors because this is the only way to effectively communicate with others.
- Bria