TEP Talk - Power Meal: Technology Driving Emotional Intelligence
On the evening of Thursday, August 12, Aubrie Goodson, Senior Chemist at VERO Biotech, led five Tech Square ATL (TSQATL) Social Club community members from Technology Enterprise Park (TEP), Centergy One, Tech Square Research Building (TSRB), and Georgia Tech to have a thoughtful conversation during a Power Meal around the topic of technology driving emotional intelligence.
During the Power Meal, an hour to gather over food and drinks and have thoughtful conversations with other community members, in-person attendees Pritesh Patel (Manufacturing Tech, VERO Biotech), Wei Huang (Test Engineer, VERO Biotech), Eric Black (Graduate Research Assistant, Georgia Tech), Satria “Tio” Priambada (CS System PhD Student, Georgia Tech), Michael Nguyen (CEO, DataTorch) all met at Food Terminal to grab some delicious food and drinks and dive right into conversation, guided by three questions.
QUESTION 1: HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE?
Before truly addressing the topic at hand, everyone first needed to share how they define emotional intelligence. And based on the responses, it’s clear everyone seemed to have their own opinion on what it meant:
Pritesh: “It’s about how you interpret people; how people move.”
Wei: “It’s all about body language.”
Eric: “Your feelings and emotions map your personality.”
Tio: “It’s your ability to control your emotional response and use it effectively.”
Michael: “Different cultures could have a different emotional analysis, because of the way they communicate with body language.”
Aubrie: “It’s the ability to interpret the energy in a room.”
QUESTION 2: HOW HAS TECHNOLOGY INFLUENCED THE WAY WE INTERACT?
Next up was understanding how recent tech has impacted our everyday interactions. In general, Michael believes “There's an advantage that technology provides, allowing those with low emotional intelligence to communicate effectively.” Adding to that was Pritesh, citing that “Technology has actually connected me with more people.”
In this current climate, that couldn’t be more true. With the pandemic redefining socialization, there are maybe platforms out there connecting the masses. From Zoom calls to Facebook Watch Party to “Cloud Raves” to online workout challenges, technology is putting in overtime, helping to bridge the in-person gap with virtual solutions.
On the contrary, there is still an ever-present struggle with remote schooling. “Teachers are seeing negative side effects on students because of being fully remote with technology. The students have a lower amount of interactions with each other, and it could be hindering the youth’s ability to read body language.”
Adding to that notion, Aubrie joined in, stating “I agree, my nephew and niece are not making friends due to not being physically in school.” And his family isn’t alone. Several students have shared their struggles to sustain close ties with friends from afar.
And even though we’re all in this together, some have experienced more compassion and understanding than others. For Tio, he believes “Compassion is missed and decreases with technology.”
Wei echoes this notion. For instance, when it comes to Zoom calls, he worries that simple manners, such as saying “thank you” could come off as disingenuous. Additionally, “People feel like they’re interrupting conversations, so they don’t get the chance to add their opinions. Giving a presentation on video chat could lead to higher anxiety than if you were presenting in person, due to factors of technology and not being able to read body language.”
Michael, however, challenged this thinking, suggesting that “Social status is eliminated on Zoom calls. It provides a more level communication hierarchy when compared to some traditional meetings. With online interactions, people's patience has increased. Everyone understands that some people will have computer troubles joining the meeting.”
Technology hiccups are indeed a factor and despite Eric claiming he’s had some cool virtual experiences allowing for new communication, “There’s still much more to be had.” And Tio couldn’t agree more, sharing that “Yes, something is still missing, even though virtually we have sights and sounds.”
QUESTION 3: WHAT DOES THE FUTURE BRING?
So, what does this all mean, particularly in the years to come? For Tio he thinks “Emotional intelligence will allow individuals to live multiple lives. You can have multiple personalities online, and you can have another in real life.” This idea isn’t new, as we’ve seen in James Cameron’s “Avatar,” and also via the virtual world of Second Life.
The group consensus is overall positive, though. Attendees believe virtual reality (VR) will get better and the Facebook Metaverse may create a new accepted form of communication. There’s hopefulness as well, with everyone believing Neuralink will eventually allow people to transmit emotional feedback digitally, such as during Zoom calls.
What are your thoughts on how technology drives emotional Intelligence? Let us know in the comments below.