Great at Texting, But Freeze When Speaking: What’s Up with Gen Z and Public Speaking?

JurnalPost.com - You have plenty of ideas in your head and express yourself fluently via chat, but suddenly lose your words when you have to speak in public. Perhaps the problem isn't that you can't speak, but that you are too afraid to start.

Have you ever prepared an answer in your head, even imagining how you would deliver it, only for everything to fall apart the moment you are given the chance to speak? Your mouth feels stiff, your heart beats faster, and you end up choosing silence. Yet, once the opportunity has passed, you suddenly think of all the answers you could have given.

This situation might sound familiar, especially for students who frequently deal with presentations, class discussions, or organizational activities. Interestingly, some of us are very expressive when communicating via chat. We can joke, debate, and even convey long-winded opinions. However, when we have to speak directly in front of many people, we suddenly seem to lose our language skills.

So, why is public speaking actually that difficult?

Too Busy Thinking About Other People's Judgments

In my opinion, one of the things that makes public speaking feel intimidating is not just because we aren't good at speaking, but because we are too focused on how others will respond.

Before we start speaking, our minds are already filled with various possibilities. What if I say the wrong thing? What if my opinion is considered strange? What if someone laughs at how I speak? Sometimes, we even imagine failure before we actually try.

In the end, silence feels like the safest option.

Yet, this habit can cause us to miss many opportunities. There are ideas that are actually interesting but never shared. There are questions we want to ask but end up suppressing. There are opportunities to showcase our abilities, but they are passed up just because we are afraid of looking imperfect.

This fear is not something foreign in the world of education. Research by Lintner and Belovecová (2024) discusses public speaking anxiety among university students and the factors associated with it. This shows that anxiety in situations where one must speak in front of others is a relevant issue to address in an academic environment.

However, it is not certain that others notice our mistakes as much as we imagine. Sometimes, we are the ones who are too hard on ourselves.

Comfortable Behind the Screen, Awkward Face-to-Face

Digital life makes communication feel more practical. We can draft messages, delete parts that don't fit, and send them when we feel confident. There is time to think before providing a response.

Direct communication is different. When speaking, we must arrange sentences spontaneously, pay attention to the listener, and adjust our responses to the situation. Everything happens in real-time.

For some people, this condition feels much more challenging than typing a message that can be checked multiple times before being sent.

This does not mean that social media makes Gen Z incapable of speaking. Such an assumption is certainly an oversimplification of the issue. However, the habit of communicating through screens can make some people feel more comfortable expressing themselves through writing than speaking directly.

Moreover, in digital conversations, we have the opportunity to choose words, use emojis, or delay replies when we haven't found the right answer. Meanwhile, in face-to-face communication, a pause that is too long can sometimes make a person even more nervous.

This is where public speaking becomes an important skill to learn. We are not just learning to arrange words, but also getting used to conveying thoughts without relying too much on the opportunity to edit every sentence.

Public Speaking Is Not a Competition for Who Is Most Confident

There is an assumption that people who are good at public speaking must be extroverted, talkative, and always confident. In reality, the ability to speak in public is not that simple.

Quiet people can also be good speakers. Conversely, people who are used to talking are not necessarily able to convey their ideas clearly and in a structured manner.

In my opinion, the essence of public speaking is not about who is the loudest or who attracts the most attention. What is more important is how a person conveys a message so that it can be understood by others.

We also don't have to eliminate nervousness completely. There are people who still feel nervous before a presentation but are still able to deliver their material well.

This means that confidence is not always about not feeling afraid, but about the courage to keep trying even though that fear is still there.

Research by Gallego and his colleagues (2022) also discusses public speaking anxiety through various aspects, including subjective experience, behavior, and physiological responses. This shows that nervousness when speaking is not only related to thoughts but can also be seen through bodily responses.

So, if your hands start to get cold or your voice trembles slightly during a presentation, it doesn't mean you lack the ability to speak. It could be that your body is responding to a situation perceived as stressful.

Start by Daring to Speak, Not Waiting for Perfection

So, how do you start training your public speaking skills?

We don't have to immediately become a speaker appearing in front of hundreds of people. There are many simple steps that can be taken in daily life.

For example, start by daring to express your opinion during group discussions, asking questions when there is material you don't understand, or trying to explain a topic without constantly reading notes.

We can also practice speaking alone in front of a mirror or recording our voice while explaining something. From there, we can find out which parts still need improvement, from the clarity of speech and use of intonation to how to structure an explanation so it is easier to understand.

The National Communication Association (2014) discusses the importance of learning approaches that help students face their fears when speaking in public. Meanwhile, a meta-analysis by Allen, Hunter, and Donohue (1989) examines the effectiveness of various techniques in handling public speaking anxiety.

Both references reinforce the understanding that speaking anxiety is not something that must be accepted without effort for improvement. Communication skills can be developed through appropriate learning and practice.

Just as importantly, don't make one mistake a reason to stop trying.

Mispronouncing a word, losing your train of thought, or feeling nervous during a presentation are experiences that can happen to anyone. We don't have to be great on the first try.

The more often you practice, the more opportunities you have to recognize weaknesses and improve them. The process may not always be easy, but speaking ability can develop if it is continuously honed.

Don't Let Good Ideas Stop in Your Head

In the end, public speaking is not just a skill for getting good grades during presentations. This ability is also related to how we convey ideas, build relationships with others, and take advantage of opportunities that come our way.

In college life, for example, speaking skills can help students express opinions during discussions, explain group assignment results, and participate in organizational activities.

The same applies when entering the workforce. The ability to convey ideas clearly becomes an important asset for communicating with colleagues, attending interviews, or presenting work.

We are allowed to be quiet people. We are allowed to feel nervous. We are also allowed to need more time to arrange words. None of that is a reason to consider yourself incapable.

However, it would be a shame if we kept choosing silence just because we were afraid of making mistakes. Because other people will never know the ideas we have if we never try to convey them.

So, if you have felt like you are great at typing but suddenly lag when you have to speak, maybe it's time to give yourself a chance to try.

There is no need to wait until confidence comes completely. Start with one question, one opinion, or one simple conversation.

The mic might make you nervous, your voice might tremble, but don't let fear make your good ideas just residents of your head.

Because in the end, it's not about how perfectly we speak, but how brave we are to give a voice to what we think.

References

Allen, M., Hunter, J. E., & Donohue, W. A. (1989). Meta-analysis of self-report data on the effectiveness of public speaking anxiety treatment techniques. Communication Education, 38(1), 54–76. DOI: 10.1080/03634528909378740.

Gallego, A., McHugh, L., Villatte, M., & Lappalainen, R. (2022). Measuring Public Speaking Anxiety: Self-report, Behavioral, and Physiological.

Lintner, T., & Belovecová, B. (2024). Demographic predictors of public speaking anxiety among university students. Current Psychology, 43, 25215–25223. DOI: 10.1007/s12144-024-06216-w.

National Communication Association. (2014). Instructor's Corner #1: Teaching Students to Face Their Fears Eases Public Speaking Anxiety.