Technology and Everything Else

Technology and everything else

Do you remember when you could go to a restaurant and have a conversation with the person you are sitting with? Not anymore, thanks in large part to advancements in technology. Take a glance around a restaurant and you’ll be hard-pressed to find people who don’t have their heads down using their cell phones to text, Tweet, or update their Facebook statuses—all while sharing a meal with others at their table.(Keller, 2013). We are so consumed with what is going on in our “cyber” lives that we sometimes forget to look at what is going on in our real lives. Our culture has been changed and some may say for the good while others may say for the worse. According to Paul Booth, PhD, an assistant professor of media and cinema studies in the College of Communication at DePaul University in Chicago, social media certainly affects how we engage with one another across all venues and ages. “There has been a shift in the way we communicate; rather than face-to-face interaction, we’re tending to prefer mediated communication,” he says. “We’d rather e-mail than meet; we’d rather text than talk on the phone.” (Keller, 2013). Communicating via e-mail or text is easier than face to face. Technology has allowed for people to hide behind devices, it has created platforms where free speech is expected and it creates opportunities for people to interact with others all around the world. Because of this, we expect to have everything at the touch of our finger and we don't want to wait for it. People fear that the current generations are not utilizing their brains as much and that we are relying too much on our devices. We’re becoming more focused on quick fun — such as a game of Angry Birds on the iPhone — than on reading books or magazines. Researchers found the rapid pace of technology can lead to more nimble thinking, but that “trends are leading to a future in which most people are shallow consumers of information. A lot of things that are really valuable take time,” Worthy said. “But immediate gratification is the default response. It’s difficult to overcome those urges and be patient and wait for things to come over time” (Muther, 2013). Without technology, we wouldn't have the ability to take online courses, we wouldn't be able to communicate with family as well as we do and we wouldn't be able to stay informed and up to date with everything that is going on in the world. Technology really has played a huge role in our lives and it has drastically changed the way we talk, the way we write, and the way in which we receive information. We don't want to wait for the news, we want the news NOW!.

Keller, M. (2013, June). Social Media and Interpersonal Communication. Retrieved from http://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/051313p10.shtml

Muther, C. (2013, February 2). The growing culture of impatience, where instant gratification makes us crave more instant gratification - The Boston Globe. Retrieved from https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/style/2013/02/01/the-growing-culture-impatience-where-instant-gratification-makes-crave-more-instant-gratification/q8tWDNGeJB2mm45fQxtTQP/story.html

Just Google IT Blog #2 Week 7

Just “GOOGLE” It

My how technology has changed us. Social media has transformed how we communicate, it has changed how we view news and it has created a sense of urgency for everyone in today’s world. The internet has changed how we research and it has created a platform where we can find anything at anytime without hesitation. With Google, nothing is off limits. We are living in an accelerated culture. Information moves at a rapid pace, and we are inundated with a daily deluge of content. The marrying of social media, digital and mobile technologies has facilitated this acceleration. In a tremendously short period of time, social media has transformed the way in which we live, work and play. Consider that the average mobile user checks his or her phone more than 100 times a day, and Facebook 14 times a day. The directive “Just Google it” has become part of the lexicon (Kruh, 2014). Everyone has a smart phone today, everyone has the internet and everyone is always “plugged” in. We read and get our news from our devices or platforms, we text or message to communicate and we browse, share or like to make a point and tell someone that we agree. Social media is everywhere, it impacts everyone and it really has changed the way that we live. It has altered the way we engage and communicate ideas. It has significantly redefined our relationships with people and communities, both local and abroad, and has forever changed the way we do business. These changes are not evolutionary, but revolutionary. People need to move with this transformation, not avoid it.

Today’s technologies will soon be out of date, and will have evolved into something new tomorrow (Kruh, 2014).  Because of the how much information a platform like google can store and because no topic is off limits, Google seems to be the main “hub” for people when trying to learn and figure something out. The phrase “Just Google It” has been used for a long time as I remember when I was in school years ago, when we asked a question our teachers would say that we could always Google it. We can learn, discover and create anything we want with Google and Google is known throughout the world. When someone has a question, they say Google it, when a news story breaks and you want more info, they say Google it. Technology has allowed Google to thrive and it has impacted the way we receive news and information and it has changed the way we communicate.

Kruh, W. (2014, June 29). Social media have changed how we communicate ideas - The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/careers-leadership/social-media-have-changed-how-we-communicate-ideas/article19385666/

Technologies Impact on Society and Culture Blog # 2

From Paper to Internet, Writing has evolved.

I am someone who has always enjoyed writing. I remember writing rough draft after rough draft in middle school only to re-write it again in Pen to make it professional. The ability to manual see my changes and to create a story really resonated with me. I liked to physically write because it kept me engaged and made me cognizant of everything I was creating. Today, technology has greatly impacted the way we write as it has changed the concepts and the structure in which we were accustomed to. With the internet, the  ease with which we delete or expand, cut and paste, add or subtract might have resulted in the loss of thought and introspection that previous generations of writers put into their work. The act of putting pen to paper requires thought — hence all the writing and discussion of the fear of a blank page. Even writing in pencil is far more of a commitment to the work than simply tapping away at your keyboard (Fetzer. 2014). We used to spend loads of hours researching, preparing, sharpening, writing and rewriting, double checking and even erasing, just to make sure what we wrote was perfect.

Today, we punch keys on the keyboard, string sentences together and can quickly delete or revise and even fact check in a matter of minutes. Platforms such as social media have impacted the written word as well  I feel as though we are venturing into a world where full sentences are going by the wayside and being replaced with hashtags and character limits. Everything you read on the internet today ,consists of some sort of abbreviation or a snip it of an actual story. People don't seem to be taking the time to really put an effort into what is being written and are instead quickly just writing what they feel as quickly as possible. Today, written words already hold a dominant place in our society. They are the primary way we generate, communicate and store ideas. Look at our laws (the Constitution), moral code (the Bible) and culture (books, lyrics, movies, newspapers, plays, television).But the landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. Writing is being reshaped in four exciting ways. More people are writing more frequently and in more formats. There are more than 2 billion email users; 180 million blogs; 400 million daily tweets; and 8.6 trillion SMS annual text messages (Budig & Heap, 2013). Because technology allows for so many different platforms, writing is becoming easier. Texting has allowed for shortcuts such as spelling and acronyms, email has altered the path of memo’s and ideas and blogging has opened opportunities for people to speak their mind without ever having to really answer any questions. Stories, articles, news updates, etc can all be received in a matter of minutes due to the speed of the internet, whereas years ago, we didn't receive updates until days later because everything had to be hand written. Without technology, I fear that writing and how we communicate would be stale and there wouldn’t be as many creative ideas or platforms to incorporate our thoughts.

To see how Texting affects teens and everyone today, go to: http://www.medicaldaily.com/can-texting-ruin-childs-grammar-and-spelling-impact-learning-write-cell-phone-288950

Budig, G., & Heaps, A. (2013, August 7). Are we in the middle of a writing revolution? Column. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/08/07/writing-revolution-digital-technology-column/2621353/

Fetzer, D. (2014, August 20). How Technology Affects the Way We Write | LitReactor. Retrieved from https://litreactor.com/columns/how-technology-affects-the-way-we-write

The Role of Cell Phones In Regards To Communication

Technology is everywhere and is always improving. Cell phones are becoming personal assistants and computers are becoming libraries. People no longer physically talk about their emotions, they don't ask questions and they don't generally speak face to face. Instead, people always seem to be interested in what their phone is showing them. What people lose, when they are always using technology is that emotional aspect of face to face communication. That ability to understand and catalogue emotions is more important than ever since the advent of the Internet, social media and texting. When Marc Brackett was growing up, there was no Facebook for venting, no emoji catalog to illustrate his feelings, no online community to listen. But in an age with more methods than ever to talk online, researchers are now studying whether this is changing the way people communicate (Johnson, 2014). It wouldn't be fair to say that technology has no bearing on our lives and that without technology people wouldn't be as smart as they are today.

Because of how easy it is to connect online and to connect with other people using all sources of technology, people are really becoming weaker when it comes to how they communicate. Researchers are finding that people communicate more often with family and friends because of technology, but the quality of that communication may be weaker. Kids who spend more time engaging with a screen than with other kids or adults can struggle to understand emotion, create strong relationships or become more dependent on others (Johnson, 2014). Because of the impact that technology is having, communicators now need to factor in all aspects of technology and they need to understand how what they say impacts their audience.

The evolution of technology is really an interesting aspect for communicators. It is the responsibility of communicators to read, listen, and see what is important and how to adapt to each technological advancement. The video below is a brief excerpt of the evolution of technology.

▶ 2:01

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoX6mOg2EZQ

Mar 30, 2014 - Uploaded by Amit Ramesh

The video takes you on a journey from 1964 to the present, showing old technologies and their progression until ...

Johnson, C. (2014, August 29). Face time vs. screen time: The technological impact on communication | Deseret News National. Retrieved from http://national.deseretnews.com/article/2235/face-time-vs-screen-time-the-technological-impact-on-communication.html

Social Media in regards to communication

The biggest impact of technology that has affected the way we communicate is that of social media. With top Social Networks like Facebook And YouTube both exceeding a billion monthly active users it has completely redefined the way we build and maintain relationships. Further it has found its way into our offices, living rooms and even at our dinner tables; it has even become our preferred way of meeting people for intimate relationships (Newman, 2014). Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram have all transformed the way we view information and they have all created a platform where everyone can share anything they want, whenever they want. Social media is everywhere and there is no escaping it.

`Today, people seem to focus more on their cell phones and/or tablets when communicating instead of the actual person they are sitting across from. Internet-based social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook allow people to communicate with friends, family, colleagues and even complete strangers in an online forum. These sites allow people to share information and photos with others, regardless of the physical miles that otherwise may have prevented them from doing so (Orth, n.d). It is crazy to think how quickly technology has advanced over the years. Before social media, we were extremely limited in our means to interact with others and we were limited largely to the people that we knew in-person. There were things we (those my age and older) had to deal with that millennials do not have to – your significant other’s parent answering the phone when you called, waiting for a letter in the mail, waiting a week to get your pictures that you sent off to be developed, and so on (Edwards, 2015). To understand more about how Social media impacts communiation go to :http://millennialceo.com/social-media/social-media-changed-communicate/

Edwards, M. (2015, March 17). How Social Media Has Changed How We Communicate - Millennial CEO. Retrieved from http://millennialceo.com/social-media/social-media-changed-communicate/

Newman, D. (2014, May 13). 4 Technology Trends Disrupting How We Communicate - Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/danielnewman/2014/05/13/4-technology-trends-disrupting-how-we-communicate/

Orth, M. (n.d.). Technology & How We Communicate | Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/technology-communicate-27322.html

How Plugged In are we Really?

Technology has impacted many things that we do on a day to day basis. When it come to communications, it has really changed the way we communicate and has changed the way communicators do their jobs.  The advancements of technology such as phones, tablets, laptops, etc have enhanced the ability for communicators to do their job. Because of how quickly information can be shared in today's society, it is imperative for communicators to understand what they are trying to say and how they need to present it. With platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and just the internet itself, communicators are able to spread news quickly and conviently. Email has played an important role in communication and just about every device today has some form of email template that people can stay connected to.

The internet and social media have made the role of communication easier and more efficient. By being able to log on from anywhere at anytime and connect with someone around the globe in a matter of minutes, shows how technology has changed the way we interact. It seems that no longer are people sitting down and chatting anymore, instead they always seem to just be plugged in to whatever is in front of them. Without technology, it almost feels as though communicators have to work double. Technology makes it easier to navigate around different platforms, it makes it easier to reach out to others and allows for stories and information to spread rapidly with a click of a button. Technology is who we are today. It is constant change, it is a sense of reality and it provides us with joy and happiness when we need it.