How Ham Radio Teaches Young People to Communicate

When I got my amateur radio license at ten years old, communication was still very much a weak spot for me. I was terrified of having a speaking role in the school play, and presentations in front of my class still made me exceptionally nervous.

Now, I really enjoy public speaking, and I have gotten significantly better at it—almost entirely thanks to amateur radio. The hobby has taught me how to communicate articulately and precisely, something that no other extracurricular activity or experience has done.

While I’ve overcome most of my challenges with communication, many of my peers still have issues with good communication skills. As a result, how young people communicate is a frequently discussed topic among older generations. I’ve heard these questions and similar examples countless times:

• “How do young people communicate?”
• “The Snapchat photos they send each other—do those count as communication?”
• “Do young people communicate or do they just sit on their phones?”

While I can’t fully endorse all of my generation’s communication habits (I don’t think I’ll ever catch on to some of the current slang), I must say that despite the basic nature of some of these efforts (for example, half-face Snapchat photos and simply saying “six-seven” accompanied by the hand gesture, of course), they are still forms of communication. But in today’s world, verbal communication remains a very important skill regardless of your age. Amateur radio gives young people the opportunity to engage in more mature and coherent communication.

Part of the problem with young people’s communication is that when interacting with each other, they are (to an extent) forced to fit into the mold of someone their age. They feel like they must use the vocabulary and communication methods of their age group. If they do not, they will almost certainly be made fun of. More importantly, they won’t be able to effectively get their message across.

Amateur radio provides an environment in which young people can communicate with adults and practice articulating their point without using the typical slang words that are necessary in their everyday lives. It allows young people to learn how to communicate by treating the youth of the hobby like adults right out of the gate. For example, young people in amateur radio have numerous opportunities to present at events–opportunities that many other young people do not have.

During my last few years of high school, I noticed that many of my classmates were scared to have a one-on-one conversation with a teacher or even just raise their hands to talk in front of the class. This fear disappears slightly when it comes to sending an email, but a whole new set of problems arise. Many young people today struggle to communicate in contexts that require a protocol to be followed, or that require formal speech to be used. This is where amateur radio can play a role in helping improve these deficits. When having an on-air QSO, the core of the contact is always the same: signal report, location, maybe a name or a number, and then the open opportunity to take the conversation a bit further. This “script” builds the connection between effective and efficient communication, which helps teach young people how to implement that in their daily lives.

Young people can also learn how to interpret social cues from simple on-air interactions. Getting on the air and making contacts itself can be incredibly intimidating at first. To ragchew with someone, you need to be able to read social cues without the benefit of body language. This can be challenging, especially when you’re trying to determine whether you should continue the conversation or cut it off. After getting on-air experience, though, reading subtle social cues becomes almost second nature. These skills can also be applied to in-person social interactions, making them even easier with the addition of body language clues.

With all of this in mind, the next time you criticize a young person’s communication skills, remind yourself that they’re still learning. The criticism may not be entirely wrong, but it’s directed only at young people. Unlike the generations before ours, the culture of communication does not revolve around “proper” communication—rather, it’s centered on efficiency and, occasionally, pop culture. Amateur radio provides an environment in which we can practice communication without screens or emojis. Our energy is much better spent making sure we maintain this environment and keep it inviting to youth rather than criticizing how young people communicate.

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