If you need to discuss upsetting or controversial problems with others, you will use e-mail or text messaging, OR use the telephone or voice-messaging.  The advancement of technology has introduced countless forms of communication. Text messaging and programs like Twitter make it easy to talk with anybody, anywhere. Although technology has made communicating very easy, these forms sometimes are too detached and can lead to many misunderstandings. I still think the best way to have a conversation with someone, especially if it is about a serious topic, is telephone or voice-messaging.   Instant messaging or text messaging are convenient forms of communication, but it is hard to discuss difficult topics over text or instant message. The style of language is so abbreviated that it is hard to tell a person’s tone or mood. For example, I was once chatting with my mother and I responded “OK” when she asked me a very  serious question. I thought my response was fine, but the next day my mother called me very upset. She thought I was angry with her and had been worrying all day about how to talk to me. If we had been talking on the phone, she would have been able to hear that I was not angry.  E-mail is also another form of communication that is useful, but can be troublesome if you are discussing a difficult topic. Sometimes when people are angry, they write a quick and nasty e-mail. This has gotten a lot of people in trouble with their teachers or bosses. One time, my classmate was really upset about a grade she received on a test. She was so upset about it that she sent a very rude e-mail to the teacher. After about an hour, she calmed down and realized she had made a mistake. If she had called or gone to talk to the teacher about the test, she probably would not have used such angry language. Unfortunately, it is too easy to send an e-mail without thinking. The teacher was not pleased with her e-mail, and gave her a week’s detention.  Talking with somebody on the phone, or with voice-messaging, is the best way to solve a problem. When you are speaking with somebody, you can hear the mood in his voice, or see the expression on his face. Using these verbal and physical cues, you can understand his meaning more clearly. Conversations such as politics and  relationships are most successful if done over the phone. This is why people do not propose marriage through e-mail and politicians do not write laws using text messaging. Using the phone also keeps you from getting into trouble by miscommunication or misunderstanding.