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desperate to connect to end up in set off give up associate with after all beyond words |
How to Communicate With a Deaf Person
Communicating with a deaf person doesn't have to be as difficult as it might seem. The trick is to be patient, straightforward, and to remember that deaf people communicate visually.
Method 1: Starting Your Conversation
You can do this by moving into the person's field of vision and waving from a polite distance, or by tapping the person gently on the shoulder.
Position yourself carefully. Make sure that the light in the room is shining directly onto your face, and that you're not standing with your back to a light.
Find out how the person prefers to communicate. Some deaf people are better lip-readers than others. Some deaf people may prefer to write back and forth or to use an interpreter. Man interactions between the deaf and the hearing require a combination of these methods.
Method 2: Communicating Through Lip-reading.
Keep your sentences simple and use plain language. The more complex your phrasing and vocabulary, the more likely your deaf companion is to miss something.
When someone else is speaking, don't turn away from the deaf person in your group. You don't have to look at the deaf person while someone else is talking, but try to make sure your face is visible.
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A. Get the person's attention. B. It's important not to talk too quickly. C. Or, they'll miss parts of the conversation. D. If so, it'll make them feel left out of the conversation. E. Stand directly in front of the person, at a normal distance. F. The best way to know which methods are most effective is to ask. G. Try not to be too difficult when using your words in the beginning. |
You see your phone light up from the corner of your eye and quickly reach for it. What started as a simple notification(通知) check snowballs into an hour-long period as you look through rows of notifications and endless social media feeds.
This is by design. Tech companies such as Google and Facebook have spent years working to make consumer technology as addictive as possible. After all, time spent with their products could equal big profits for the company.
However, that's starting to change. Apple takes action with the introduction of tools in its new operating system aimed at informing users to better manage their smartphone usage and parental controls that allow parents to better monitor and control their children's phone time.
Google also offers a "Wind Down" feature to set at bedtime, which automatically puts the phone into "Do Not Disturb". No notifications will show up on your phone, and losing all colour on-screen is certainly a cause to put your phone away.
There are still no clear guidelines on what causes tech addiction, but it's a growing concern likely on the minds of parents everywhere as they see their kids' faces constantly glued inches away from a screen. And everywhere you go, you're all but guaranteed to see people buried in their phones.
Apart from Apple and Google, Facebook deserves a fair amount of blame, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged in a blog post earlier this year. The social network announced plans to roll out changes aimed at making interactions more meaningful.
"By making these changes, I expect the time people spend on Facebook will go down, "Zuckerberg said."But I also expect the time you do spend on Facebook will be more valuable. And if we do the right thing, I believe that will be good for our community and our business over the long term too. "
We've all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on an airplane, surrounded by people who are, like us, deeply focused on their smartphones or, worse, struggling with the uncomfortable silence.
What's the problem? It's possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence. It's more likely that none of us start a conversation because it's awkward and challenging, or we think it's annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it's an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits.
"Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy, but we can't forget that deep relationships wouldn't even exist if it weren't for casual conversation. Small talk is the grease(润滑剂) for social communication, "says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. "Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk, " he explains. "The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them. "
In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at UBC, invited people on their way into a coffee shop. One group was asked to seek out an interaction(互动) with its waiter; the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience. "It's not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband, " says Dunn. "But interactions with peripheral(外围的) members of our social network matter for our well-being also. "
Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging, a bond with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk. "Small talk is the basis of good manners," he says.
Shopaholics
TV. The Internet. The mall. Everywhere we look, we see advertisements that urge us to buy. In today's consumer society, we are under constant pressure to shop. Of course, most people only buy what they need and what they can afford. However, there are some people, called shopaholics, who can't control their desire to spend money and buy things. This kind of addictive behaviour can lead large financial problems, family conflict, and deep unhappiness.
What are the symptoms of a shopaholic? People with this problem often spend hours and hours shopping on the Internet or at the mall. Their closets are full of clothing and jewelry that they have never worn, with the price tags still on them. Their homes may be packed with shopping bags and boxes that they bought but never used. Many shopaholics are aware of their own problems, but when they go to a store, they simply can't resist the urge to buy. Some of them are ashamed of their weakness and try to hide it by storing their purchases in places like the attic(阁楼), where others won't see them.
Psychologists suggest there are several reasons for a shopping addiction. For some people, it is a way of relieving stress. For others, shopping is a way to fight loneliness or depression. For people with low self-esteem, shopping can be a way that they prove their self-worth. Sometimes the problem develops out of boredom. It becomes a replacement for other hobbies and interests, and it helps pass the time. Although shopping can temporarily make people feel good, they often experience feelings of shame and guilt later.
When shopping habits get out of control, people need professional help. They can either see a counselor(顾问) or join an organisation such as Shopaholics Anonymous. Groups like this try to help people understand the reasons for their addiction and learn how to control the urge to shop. Their goal is to help people find ways to fulfill themselves that do not lead to serious debt and troubled lives.
Shopaholics refer to those who are addicted to shopping whether they need something or whether they can afford something. There are several symptoms of shopaholics. They spend too much time shopping and can't resist the desire to buy things, many of which are even never used. Shopaholics do so for different reasons, such as reducing stress, fighting loneliness or depression, proving self-worth, killing boredom or time and so on. Anyhow, professional help is available if necessary.
