About Communication Technology

In today’s society, life is a little easier than in previous years. The influence of information technologies is immense, and most people will agree that a future without technology is unfathomable. Communication innovations have had the greatest effect on technological innovation since they have facilitated globalization, social transformation, and the extension of society’s knowledge base. Communication systems have aided globalization, resulting in the advancement of other technologies.
People can connect immediately from one part of the world to other thanks to communication technology. The problem of distance is no longer an impediment. Information is easily transmitted from whatever part of the world. Historically, people had to depend on other avenues such as print media which was only accessible to few. Technology allows people to get real-time news and follow-up events at their comfort as it depicted in the Baron’s book which states, “social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook let users post up-to-the-minute chatter on what they are doing” (Baron 2010). Moreover, getting such news is simpler and ever available given that it depends on tools as personal devices that are often carried by individuals.

Through communication technologies, the economic world has been restructured. Organizations have changed how they work in recent times. Industries can look for areas anywhere in the world where wages are cheaper for parts of a project and communicate with the rest of the team through communication technologies. Research and development have been upgraded, and thus organization uses fewer funds to conduct research for new employees, competitors and products (Kiesler 2014). Initially, research required physical methods such as conducting interviews using papers which were expensive and uneconomic for the organizations. The current research and development processes are automated, and individuals can carry out research with few researchers and resources anywhere in the world thus saving on cost.

Communication technologies enable people to work with others regardless of distance thus leading to improvement of other technologies. People collaborate with others online but may not know the person with whom they are in communication with. This has resulted in tremendous increase in group work and social norms such as trust, work ethic, and hard work. Individuals are independent and can work without supervision for an entire project. Moreover, sharing of information with peers and learning about their shortcomings has led to improved output in work environments. Through communication technologies, the societal behavior has been changed.

Our daily routines have been modified through technology. Social behavior has undergone a transition. The contemporary society is tech savvy, and communication devices are more useful than it was before. Regarding behavior and social norms, the society has been adversely affected (Crowley and Heyer 2015). Currently, people shun interpersonal communication which involves one on one conversation. Individuals are glued on social platforms and their personal devices more than they spend time with their families or spouses. The routines have changed greatly such that envisioning a day without interaction with communication technology is unfathomable. Individuals are more concerned with their emails and social media conversations such that much of their time is spent monitoring the progress of these aspects. The outcome of this habit is increased cases of relationships breakups and family feuds. Baron supports this by stating, “Many young people fill the times they are alone by calling and texting friends” (Baron 2010). However, despite its negative impact on social interactions, the positive outcomes cannot be denied. Through communication technology, the current society is more diverse and multifaceted than the former generation. Personal touch might be marred by increased utilization of communication technology however people learn through various media how to co-exist with others. Information is spontaneous, and there is increased liberty over communication. For instance, people from various backgrounds and status quo use the same communication platforms and gadgets. The commonality enables people to interact and socialize in different platforms that physical platforms wouldn’t allow.

People within the society have changed how they communicate through communication technologies. Communication is faster than it was a decade ago. Initially, it would several days or a whole a month to receive a response to a message. With the current technology, information transmission and sharing are fast and controllable. Users have the freedom to determine when to send or not information to various subjects. The introduction of social media platforms has made real-time communication as essential as telephone calls. For instance, the video calls and live streaming in Facebook and WhatsApp are gaining relevance among users. Moreover, the freedom of receiving and sending information is depicted in the modern communication whereby people schedule their communication activities such as setting messages as spams and listing the senders according to one’s priorities.

Due to communication technologies, people spend most of their time online. The increased activities and platforms in communication are changing how people spend their times. Currently, the society doesn’t consider free time as a moment to bond with friends and playing with family. Most individuals use their time online. There is an affinity to communication gadgets than it is to people. As a result, people would rather talk to their friends online than meeting them in reality. More confidence and fun chatting to people through the social media than it is an actuality. A large percentage of the youths are poor in social interactions because they spend most of their time online and spending less time with their friends. Lastly, communication technologies have changed the amount of knowledge accessible to people thus has played a huge role in the society.

An influx of information has been made available to the people using communication technologies. The community is overwhelmed with information since technology allows generation and access to million copies of information materials. It is also difficult to filter or rather control information put in the social media platform as well as search engines. Thus, the content of these sources might not be authentic due to under regulations. The impact of this freedom is that some information is so damaging to the extent that it spoils habits or behavior of human beings. Through such information, the society is under the siege of corruption and incursion of evil ideologies (Anderson et al. 2014). Children are introduced to information that is beyond their age at tender ages thus getting spoilt while still young. The corrosion and corruption resulting from access to information are also experienced the devastating rate of youths joining terrorist groups. Seidensticker in the article ‘For Better for Worse’ notes that perhaps the current generation is exposed to a broad spectrum of information compared to norms of the past (Seidensticker 2009). However, on the bright side, information influx has been helpful for information distribution. The current society is more knowledgeable and informed that the previous generations. Learning has been eased, and students can learn as many academic and non-relates issues as well.

The number of people involved in information transfer and access has been increased significantly through communication technologies. The matter of distance is no a hindrance in communication. People are easily linked to each other via communication platforms. It doesn’t matter where people are as long as there is network people can communicate. Furthermore, interactions are intensified with the use of highly advanced communication methods such as video conferencing and calls. Through such individuals can relate to other people as if they are physically present. The kind of technology minimizes the barriers attributed to the lack of personal touch. Hanson notes that “the portable features of cell phones influences people’s attitudes and behavior whenever they go and thus affecting their productivity” (Hanson 2007). The statement refers to how often people are contacted and the distinction between time and space which affects their obligation to family, work, and friends.

Communication technologies are observed as vast repositories of information. Communication technologies have been seen to facilitate the capturing, storage, distribution, and retrieval of information. Technology is growing at an overwhelming speed. Each day is an avenue for the introduction of innovation. The changes enhance distribution, storage, and retrieval of information. Due to demand, the three aspects are improved most often to enforce speed and capacity of information. The use of data banks and cloud storage is evidence that communication technology is shifting from just focusing on speed but also size and resolution/clarity of the content.

Communication technologies have played a huge role in technological advancement. By serving as massive repositories of information, people have had the necessary tools for technological advancement. Additionally, communication technologies have aided the creation of virtual teams by enabling communication leading to technological advancement. The overall impact of communication technology is positive in various aspects.

Bibliography

Anderson, Ashley A., Dominique Brossard, Dietram A. Scheufele, Michael A. Xenos, and Peter Ladwig. ”The “Nasty Effect:” Online Incivility and Risk Perceptions of Emerging Technologies.” Journal of Computer‐Mediated Communication 19, no. 3 (2014): 373-387.

Baron, Naomi S. Always On: Language in an Online and Mobile World. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Crowley, David, and Paul Heyer. Communication in History: Technology, Culture, Society. London: Routledge, 2015.

Hanson, Jarice. 24/7: How Cell Phones and the Internet Change the Way We Live, Work, and Play. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007.

Kiesler, Sara. Culture of the Internet. London: Psychology Press, 2014.

Seidensticker, Bob. Futurehype: The Myths of Technology Change. ReadHowYouWant.com, 2009.