We review the characteristics and differences of these two types of communication.
Technology allows synchronous communication, also called synchronous, that is, to occur simultaneously, in real time.
In the past, due to limitations in the scope of information transmission, messages could take weeks or even months to reach their target. This is asynchronous communication.
In this article we will address both types of communication , explaining the differences between them and detailing their advantages and disadvantages.
Synchronous and asynchronous communication, what are they?
Synchronous, or synchronous, communication is the exchange of information in real time, usually via the Internet . This term is widely used when talking about the transmission of information with computers, the CMC (Computer Mediated Communication or Computer Mediated Communication).
The maximum referent of synchronous communication are instant messaging systems, that is, chats, such as WhatsApp or Telegram. This type of medium allows a real conversation to take place between two people, only with the peculiarity that instead of transmitting the information orally, it is done in writing.
Other synchronous communication methods include video calls and voice messages.
On the other hand , we have asynchronous or asynchronous communication, which, as its name suggests, lacks synchrony between two or more people who are having the “conversation”. Communication takes place in a deferred manner, without there being a coincidence in time.
A fairly representative example of this type of communication is letters. A letter can be sent to the other side of the world, and depending on the time it takes to arrive, it will be the temporary distance between the sender and the receiver of the message.
Differences and similarities between these two types of communication
There are substantial differences between these two types of communication.
1. Independence of the place
In both synchronous and asynchronous communication, the sender and receiver of the message can be located in the same physical space or in different ones.
Whether it’s a chat message received immediately or a letter that arrives ten days later, the message will continue to linger regardless of where the recipient is.
2. Time dependency
For synchronous communication to occur, the message must be received immediately or at least shortly after it is issued. Otherwise, it would not be a real synchronous communication.
In contrast, the asynchronous mode implies that there is a significant difference between the time the message was issued by the sender and the time it was received by the receiver.
3. Exclusivity of the text
Synchronous communication does not depend exclusively on the written message to be given. In addition to chats, video calls and the telephone allow this type of communication to take place.
Thus, we can say that synchronous communication can occur in at least three ways: written, visual and oral.
On the other hand, in asynchronous communication it is not common for voice messages or pre-recorded images to be left, despite the fact that it would be theoretically plausible.
The usual thing is to leave the message in writing, since it implies fewer economic resources, such as a sheet of paper and a pen, for this reason it can be said that it is given orally almost exclusively.
4. Paralinguistic aspects
Although both types of communications have certain limitations in terms of paralinguistic aspects, it should be noted that there is a certain graduation.
Asynchronous and synchronous written communication are the ones that most clearly show a significant absence of aspects that cannot be represented in writing, such as gestures, tone of voice, degree of nervousness, among others.
It is true that emoticons can be sent, but these do not necessarily have to indicate the real facial gesture of the person. How many times have we sent a smiley face when we had a poker face in reality?
The telephone, as a means of synchronous communication, makes it possible to identify more paralinguistic aspects such as the tone of voice, prosody and nervousness of the person with whom we are speaking, but we still cannot see their face.
Video calls are perhaps the means that allow the greatest degree of identification of these aspects within synchronous communication. However, it is also not as reliable as having a face-to-face conversation in the same physical space.
5. Degree of conservation of the information
Synchronous communication, especially oral and video calls, has a disadvantage, which is the loss of the conversation.
As if it were a real conversation, the words are carried away by the wind. It may be the case to preserve the multimedia information by recording the telephone conversation or the video call, but in practice this does not happen, since on many occasions it is perceived as unnecessary.
Within the synchronous communication channels, the only one that really allows you to save the files sent is through chats and emails, although certain applications have policies for deleting this information after a while.
In the case of asynchronous communication, such as letters, if the recipient keeps the document, the message will not perish.
6. Dependence and saturation
Lately, new technologies have been acquiring a worse reputation, due to the fact that there have been cases of people addicted to mobile phones.
From a psychological perspective, the fact of constantly receiving a message can act as a stimulus that reinforces a behavior of looking at the mobile all the time.
It is for this reason that synchronous communication presents as another of its disadvantages that of producing, in the most serious cases, health problems, such as mobile addiction itself, irritability and not being able to detach yourself from the mobile for even a second.
In addition, constantly receiving messages can take time away from the person for other matters, which can be a serious intrusion on their life.
In contrast, the asynchronous methods, which are more traditional such as the letter, the only harm they can cause is that the person is expecting to receive the response they expected.
7. Update
Devices such as mobile phones, computers and other new technologies are constantly evolving. Until 10 years ago, whatsapp was a barely used tool and, now, any mobile where this application cannot be downloaded is, for all practical purposes, useless.
Synchronous communication cannot occur if the world is not updated at the same rate as new technologies. This forces people to buy new phones, download and update apps, and have to relearn how messages were sent over and over again.
Instead, the way a letter is written and sent has been exactly the same as it was 2,000 years ago. The only update one can face is the change in post office regulations.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.