Innovation and Technology in Communication
Innovation has changed almost every aspect of our lives. Technology can be primarily viewed as a collection of techniques, skills, methods, as well as processes that develop or change a culture. Among the various sectors that have been affected by technology, the communication industry has experienced the most changes. Communication has become faster, more comfortable, and reliable with the invention of mobile phones as well as Internet accessibility (van der Vegte 2016). What is more, people can reach a wider audience, including people who live overseas within no time. New methods of communication, such as social media networking and video conferencing have also emerged as a result of the advances in technology. This paper will discuss how technology has improved communication.
Reliability and Speed of Communication
First, technology has made communication more reliable and faster. The availability of cell phones has made it possible for people to send text messages and make phone calls, which are received instantly provided there is a good network. Besides, better phones have been developed, such as Android and smartphones, which can connect to the Internet and send emails or even make video calls (van der Vegte 2016). Before the development of mobile phones, people would communicate through letters, and faxes, which were more prone to human manipulation, unlike texts, emails, and calls. Once a text message is sent, it is often received the way it was written, but letters can be opened and read by unintended recipients, which further breaches privacy. What is more, old means of communication would take time before reaching the recipient and before receiving the feedback. As such, the entire flow of communication was slow and so were the day-to-day activities. Today, messages and emails are reliable ways to conduct international businesses or talk to friends who live overseas. What is more, electronic communication has opened new business opportunities in the global platform.
The Impact of Social Media Networking
Currently, online communication has taken the world by storm since many people are now using social media platforms to network and to make new friends. Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Snap Chat, just to mention a few social media networking sites have millions of users who share all forms of information for various purposes (Duggan et al. 2015). For instance, many people have opened Facebook, and Integral pages, which contain pictures and information regarding their businesses and this attracts new customers both locally and internationally. A significant number of businesses are now using social media to market them, which has proven to be effective. Before social media was invented, it would require businessmen and women to travel to a country where they want to invest in and do a market analysis, but technology has changed this. Nevertheless, most of the social media platforms are used to communicate with strangers or rather make new friends. This has transformed the society as dating sites have become popular and it is easy to find partners online. Moreover, individuals get to interact and know about each other's culture without necessarily being there in person. Social media platforms also enable one to attract as many followers as one would want, which eventually helps the society because it keeps people updated on the events happening all around the world (Jensen 2002).
Sharing Information with a Larger Audience
Technology has also changed communication in the sense that one can now share information with a large audience at a go. Online communication, such as through video conferencing has become more reliable especially in the corporate world. Video conferencing includes sharing of sound or video information between at least two individuals over an Internet through video conferencing programming. A video conference is more efficient than a telephone call since it is visual and it enables you someone to see the outward appearances/facial expression and the non-verbal communication of the other party (Lee 2012). The education sector has also benefitted from online communication, and most people are now taking online classes while at the same time, working. In workplaces, online communication through emails can is faster, easier, and one email can be sent to all the workers.
Information Overload
Even though technology has improved communication in many ways, it hinders effective communication by causing information overload. Information overload also known as intoxication or in obesity occurs when there is too much information making it difficult for a person to understand an issue and make a decision (Soucek, and Moser, 2010). As information that we receive has increased in our lives today, we find ourselves stressed due to the pressure, distractions and interruptions brought about by this information, and this hinders how we make our decisions.
Conclusion
Overall, technology has improved communication in various ways. First, with the invention of mobile phones, communication has become more reliable and faster since people can send texts and make calls which are received instantly. Besides, new forms of communication, such as social networking have developed as a result of technological advancements, and they improve the communication circle both locally and internationally. With technological improvements, one can also communicate with a larger audience. However, the main drawback regarding technology on communication is that it has resulted in information overload.
References
Duggan, M., Ellison, N.B., Lampe, C., Lenhart, A. and Madden, M., 2015. Social Media Update 2014. Pew Research Center, January 2015.
Jensen, K., 2002. The social origins and uses of media and communication research. Handbook of media and communications research: qualitative and quantitative methodologies, pp.273-293.
Lee, E.A. and Messerschmitt, D.G., 2012. Digital communication. Springer Science " Business Media.
Soucek, R. and Moser, K., 2010. Coping with information overload in email communication: Evaluation of a training intervention. Computers in Human Behavior, 26(6), pp.1458-1466.
van der Vegte, W.F., 2016, August. Taking Advantage of Data Generated by Products: Trends, Opportunities and Challenges. In ASME 2016 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (pp. V01BT02A025-V01BT02A025). American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
