How do we communicate on a personal level in such an impersonal way?
“We are all so much together, but we are all dying of loneliness.”
Albert Schweitzer
Technology has become ubiquitous in our society, and it is continually altering the way we live our lives.
From how we work at home & offices to travel, eat, and entertain ourselves, technology has become an integral part of our day.
However, the aspect of our lives that has been most impacted is likely how we interact with each other.
The way we communicate and exchange information has drastically changed in a concise amount of time.
We still exchange stories and gossip about rumors, but now we do so globally. These changes have been for both better and worse. Still, they have unequivocally impacted the way we interact with the people in our lives.
The journey into electronic communication began in the 18th century, with the introduction of the electric telegraph.
The electric telegraph was invented in the 1800’s and possibly frightened the hell out of the person receiving the first Morse code. This invention marked a stepping stone and a new era in the world of communication.
The success of the telegraph gave way to another two great inventions; Telephone and Radio. The very fact of being able to speak to someone hundreds of miles or kilometers away was as bizarre then as being able to see a holographic image of a friend would be now.
These two astonishing technology pieces were quickly followed by Television, and the rest they say is history.
All these technologies drastically changed communication and made it easier and faster for people to exchange information to stay abreast of happening worldwide.
The radio would communicate the declarations of war against Nazi Germany. TV would bring in a new form of youth rebellion against a staid and unchanging adult hegemony.
But near the end of the 1900s, there came the even more mind-blowing and connected, an always-on phenomenon of cell phones and the internet.
These two technological innovations took the whole world by storm, taking communication to the next level. We no longer find out about a significant world event days after it has occurred, but we find out in mere minutes.
An embedded reporter in a squad of soldiers can bring the second information to viewers back home, sitting their nice comfy chairs eating their breakfast or dinner.
Cell phone and the internet has amplified the rate at which we communicate with the world around us. Developments such as instant messaging, text messages, e-mail, social media networks, chat rooms, instant messaging, and video conferencing et al, have allowed people worldwide to connect with each other at breakneck speeds.
The development has made it possible for people, irrespective of geographical location, to get in touch with each other quickly for both business and emergency needs at affordable rates.
Many benefits come with advancing communication systems, such as staying in contact with family members and friends in far-flung reaches of the globe. Or even to show different cultures and peoples the way they are in their own environments.
However, some argue that over-reliance on technology to communicate with one another has its disadvantages. These communication methods may lock you to an ever-increasing flow of information, creating a dependency on technology and reducing social interaction in person and other physical activities.
Paradoxically, however, this increase in social media and social interaction from the safety of one’s own house has brought its benefits in terms of reduced petty crime, casual street violence, and vandalism.
his is due to people not needing to leave their own areas to socialize with friends. However, we are certainly seeing a new breed of horrible people in cyberbullying and cyber terrorizing people.
“Invisible threads are the strongest ties.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
Furthermore, addiction to technology, the internet, and cell phone communication can lead to different anxiety disorders.
A feeling of loneliness and isolation, which may dilute the bonds that hold us together. This writer, however, thinks that there are many shades of grey in terms of this subject.
Although everything has both a positive and negative impact, technology’s impact on the communication process has too great a reach to be considered a bad thing. This writer most definitely thinks that the positives outweigh the negatives.
The bonds that held us together are too strong to break with new modes of technology. I once read an article about the evolution of the human brain.
he primitive or lower brain has had many hundreds of thousands of years to evolve, while the pre-frontal cortex has only bee active for tens of thousands of years. Our base instincts are still incredibly strong and can often override our more enlightened parts of the brain. Think about a university professor losing his shit over a parking ticket or other such small inconvenience.
The only time technology can be a problem is when it becomes the only mode of connection, making more traditional family members feel isolated, i.e., using Skype to communicate with a computer illiterate elder.
However, the speed of such advances far outstrips the need to worry about people not being able to catch up. This is because as newer ways of communication become available, the need for the generation behind to catch up becomes more prominent and necessary, giving people an impetuous to learn more or be left behind.
Communication technology brings business partners, friends, and family members together in a significant way; there are no barriers. If you want to convey something urgently to someone, the most recent and fastest communication forms are always used.
ideo conferencing, social media chats and instant messaging also help to strengthen relationships. These facilities will enable you to keep in touch with old contacts and maintain relationships at an affordable rate.
Concerning business, video conferencing, and instant modes of communication can result in an increase in profit and a boost to general working and living standards. This is incredibly prevalent in today’s pandemic world.
By switching over to the use of VoIP systems, businesses can save considerable amounts of money and act in minutes or seconds rather than hours or days.
his results in new developments in business and scientific breakthroughs, etc.
The low cost, or even lack of price, will make you call more and care less about tariffs.
Calls made on VoIP are either at a reduced cost or completely free of charge. Calls made from PC to PC are usually free, while calls from PC to phone lines, either mobile or land, attract relatively low tariffs.
In conclusion, the speed at which the process of communication has picked up has had unforeseen consequences.