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How Technology impacts communication

In the modern world, communication has become easier due to technology. Unfortunately, personal communication among individuals has been reduced. Moreover, the use of computers is favored when people want to communicate, and it is normally done in the comfort of one’s home. It is a fact that communication and technology go hand in hand. Since the internet was introduced, communication science has advanced to new levels. There is a need to know the extent, which technology has influenced personal contact (Olsen, 2012.1). People have become obsessed with using their computers to communicate and have forgotten how to interact with people face to face.

This paper seeks to give a critical analysis concerning technology and its impact on communication. At the same time, find out the benefits as well as disadvantages that have been brought about by technology in terms of communication.

Critical analysis on how personal communication has been affected by advancements in technology.

The introduction of social websites such as twitter and Facebook has made people communicates with ease. Those who utilize the networking sites, constantly update their status in an attempt to communicate with others. According to research, as compared to twenty years back, the social circles sizes in America have reduced (Ford, 2012, 1). This evidence is obtained from people lives that were self reported, and the numbers are extremely high. The latter is according to research conducted by the American Life Project and the Pew Internet. Moreover, they found out that people who prefer using computers at home are more social, as compared to those who do not. Also, the former has high chances of going to cafes and parks, and this is after 2512 individuals were interviewed (Ford, 2012, 1).

Most people prefer to communicate while using their computers at home due to the advantages, which exist. Internet connectivity is available in many American homes and thus makes it easy to communicate. Rather than having to travel and meet up with people, which is often expensive, people prefer to chat or send emails. One can easily communicate with others regardless of where they are in the globe, in a short time span (Tapscott, 2008.45). Communication costs have reduced drastically, and communication speed increased due to the internet. For example, the use of video conferencing makes it easy to communicate during real time. In turn, people have become addicted to using computers at home and thus, losing out on socializing through personal contact.

Quality is another feature why most people prefer to communicate using computers as it provides vast knowledge to the user. Tasks such as finding out what a certain word means in a foreign language are obtained just by clicking a mouse. Furthermore, communication retrieval and storage is easy due to technology (Olsen, 2012.1). In contrast, the latter is often difficult to achieve when engaging in verbal communication. The internet makes it easy to avoid contacting people all the time for the purpose of clearing doubts. One will conveniently use their computers at home without having to walk around asking people for the information they need.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it seems that people have benefited from technological advancements, which have influenced communication. Personal communication might be reduced as people prefer communicating through devices that are at home. Fortunately, many physical barriers have been eradicated and in turn, reduced expenses that would have been incurred through travelling. Indeed, communication has improved due to technology, as many people are able to communicate.

Work Cited

Olsen. Stephanie. Does Technology Reduce Social Isolation. The New York Times. HYPERLINK “http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/does-technology-reduce-social-isolation/” http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/does-technology-reduce-social-isolation/ on January 12 2012.

Tapscott, Don. Grown up Digital: How the Net Generation is changing your world. New York: Mc-Graw Hill, 2008.Print.

Ford, Martin. Technology making jobs obsolete. Econ future. HYPERLINK “http://econfuture.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/technology-making-jobs-obsolete/” http://econfuture.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/technology-making-jobs-obsolete/ on December 7 2012.