Chat Box: What Students like to talk about

There was a time when you had a conversation on the telephone or in person and that was the extent of communications. That has all changed with the programming of the chat box. It has most likely become one of the most used tools on the Internet. Every social networking site has one. Almost all the internet service providers offer one in some form or another. Now they are even taking over in the class rooms. So what is a chat box and what do students like to talk about?

Distance learning has become more popular with the busy schedules so many of us have. We go to work during the day, deal with family issues in the evening, and study like crazy at night. The chat box has become the friend of many online students who are trying to earn their degrees.

For the most part the students will open the chat box when there is a question the teacher needs to have answered. At times the student will also be asking the questions. This is just part of how some of the distance learning centers work. The interaction is not face to face, but in the chat box. The conversations can be serious or down right comical. It really all depends on the rapport the students have with the teacher and each other.

There are times when the students like to talk about the assignments. They review results of theories or give opinions on works other students have submitted. Yet the conversations almost always turn personal after a time. One of the first questions that is asked is “Where are you from?”. It seems no matter who we are and how many people we know, we always want to know more. Although the answer is usually some 3,000 miles away destination, it is refreshing to be able to find someone right in your own back yard. In this day of technology, that could be as general as the same side of the country.

Another thing students like to talk about is what they do during their time off. Whether it is going to the club to listen to the new band or watching the latest movies, this is information which is generally being deposited into the local chat boxes everywhere. You may even see some students discussing the newer video games getting ready to be released.

Once the preliminaries are over, the conversations usually turn serious. This is where the discussions can become truly interesting. Students like to voice their opinions. With the chat box they can do it easily without someone interrupting them. The only way to stop an annoying “chatter” is to close the box. The topics can range from the latest fashions to the last bill Congress agreed upon. It really depends on the age group of the students.

Sometimes this does not even hold true. With the political videos being blasted on YouTube and MySpace, even the younger generation has started to form an opinion on the political races going on. You have children following the preliminaries, keeping tally of votes, watching candidates drop out of races, and posting note worthy news casts on their blogs.

Reading the chatbox and hearing what students like to talk about can be a real eye opener. You have to wonder if these new technological geniuses may not be able to teach us a few things.