The development of technology has considerably improved our lifestyles. It has made its impact felt on each and every aspect of life, also on the communication techniques. The development of communication has seen huge progress; from the symbols (oldest means of communication) to the latest swanky mobiles! Each century has seen a new addition to the ever-growing list of means of communication. The invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell in the year 1875 was the first technological invention that impacted communication in humans to a massive extent. Other subsequent inventions like that of the Internet, cell phones, etc., further eased and changed the communication process.
Impact / Effects of Technology on Communication
Everything has both a positive and negative impact, and the impact of technology on the communication process also comes as mixed baggage. In this article, we would be discussing the impact of popular technological elements like emails, telephones, cell phones, etc., on our means of communication. Mobiles and the Internet are literally the basic necessities these days. A majority of us would feel something missing in life, if there were no mobiles or Internet (Agreed?).
Take the daily routine of a person in this tech-savvy world. The day begins with a “good morning message” on social networking sites and ends with a “goodnight” on the same website. The social networking sites are a world in themselves, like a virtual world! There is the incessant use of mobiles and the Internet for communication, the whole day. To ease the communication process, there are modes like emails, teleconferencing, video conferencing, networking sites, etc., among other tools. Mobiles, emails, and social networking sites are the most popular means of communication among the current generation. In the coming paragraphs, let’s discuss the impact of these technology-backed communication devices on our communication ways.
Positive Impact of Technology on Communication
Technology has transformed the once big and far world into a tiny global village. Thanks to technology, we now have the power to communicate with anybody on the other side of the world (see: benefits of technology). The points below summarize the positive effects of technology on communication.
- No barriers: Communication is now easy; in case of situations when you want to convey something urgently to someone, mobiles and emails come in handy.
- Strengthened relations: Communication has made it easy to keep in touch with old contacts, and has also helped strengthen relationships.
- Better solutions: Communication has brought the world closer and promoted exchange of thoughts to find better solutions to any problem.
- E-schools: Technological elements of communication like video-conferencing has made it possible to give best education to students via expert faculty on the web.
- Impact on relations: Finding someone to date was never so easy, thanks to the dating and chatting websites! No one would disagree if I say – Technology is the rational behind the success of long distance relationships. Video chats and social networking sites have played a big role in keeping people in touch.
- Development: Last but not least. Technological elements of communication have promoted faster decision-making, and led to the development and progress of the world. Video conferencing has played a considerate role in promoting faster decision-making. Most of the businesses depend on technology for communication.
Negative Impact of Technology on Communication
Most negative effect of technology – the charm of the good old world is missing. The letters, and lengthy face-to-face conversations have gone away, and have been replaced by texting or chatting. See the below given points for details.
- Impact on interpersonal communication: The current generation lacks essential interpersonal skills (the ability to express the ideas and thoughts to others face-to-face). A major reason for this tendency is increased frequency of communication through texting and chatting on websites.
- Effect on nonverbal communication: Technological means of communication has also affected nonverbal communication. Lack of face-to-face interaction has reduced the nonverbal grasping power of individuals.
- Near yet far: Teenagers especially are always hooked to the social networking sites. They are more close to online friends, but the gap between parents and kids has increased considerably. The communication is missing, parents are not technology savvy and not used to the communication styles of their kids, and this has increased the generation gap.
- Reduced social interactions: Consider the socializing among people. Life has changed a lot; there are no social meetings and get-togethers (the frequency has reduced). People are more bothered about their online life rather than the real social life.
- Has led to many addictions: People have literally become addicted to the Internet and cell phones, and this addiction has led to many anxiety disorders. People addicted to the Internet feel lonely and isolated.
- Malicious motives: Many people abuse the social networking sites and communicate to unsuspecting beings pretending someone else. This tendency of people has done more harm than good.
This was all about the impact of communication on technology. As you can see, the impact is both positive and negative. But logically thinking, technology has bettered the communication process and has done negligible harm. The positive points of the technological elements of communication cover up the negative points. It all depends on how we use these means; use the technological means of communication for sane purposes, and don’t abuse the technology for malicious motives. If this happens, technology will then prove to be a complete boon to mankind!
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