Closing thoughts

 Digital technologies have changed and impacted virtually every facet of human life, including how we learn, work, conduct businesses, and even out political processes. The capacity of digital technology to change lives, economies, cultures, and societies is universally accepted. From the development of mobile phones to the advent of the internet, digital technology disruptions have enhanced the field of communication, making it easier for people to create and access content seamlessly. This includes the ability to control communications and make interpersonal communications more effortless.

Communication has grown increasingly visual, and specifically more video-based, as a result of digital technologies. The development of mobile gadgets with advanced camera features, coupled with high-speed internet, has enabled the instant transmission of breaking news and global events to millions of people. This means news and information containing more details than previously possible can travel faster and cover more distance. For example, information about and video from the Beirut explosion reached millions worldwide within minutes of the blast in the Lebanese capital, killing more than 200 people.

Digital technologies have also provided new resources to help individuals socialize in the workplace and develop new skills. This is especially important for communication professionals, including journalists and reporters, whose productivity is hinged on staying connected with colleagues. These tools have also made learning new skills easier by making resources more accessible.

We go together like Apple and Music

Before iTunes, music was different. Buying a song meant walking into a brick-and-mortar store and buying a physical record or CD. All of that has changed.

iTunes not only made it easier to find the music you wanted to hear, but it also made it easier to buy. Today we're used to digital content marketplaces, like the App Store and the Google Play Store, but that idea of centralizing and distributing content entirely online started with iTunes. It helped us transition from an analog music world to today's digital music landscape.

With iTunes, you no longer had to buy a whole album to hear a single song. That meant you could get the songs you wanted and get them for a lot less money. Consumers loved it. But because so many people were starting to buy individual songs and ignoring albums, the music industry was forced to adapt. That meant releasing more singles and shifting the focus away from albums and longer projects.

Netflix and Kill...the entertainment industry

 This article outlines how the streaming service Netflix made its initial foray into original programming and its impact on how modern consumers watch television.

Netflix fitted into the world’s cultural lexicon; “Netflix and chill” became part of common parlance in the same way that “Google” transitioned from a noun to a verb. Suddenly, Netflix had become part of modern online life like eBay, Apple, and cat videos on YouTube.

Influential or Disruptive?

In business theory, disruptive innovation is innovation that creates a new market and value network or enters at the bottom of an existing market and eventually displaces established market-leading firms, products, and alliances.  

This video and this article describes disruptive innovation and focuses on how large companies can be taken down by smaller companies with cheaper, simpler products that better fit the consumer’s wants or needs.

Communication Impact

Technology has transformed the way we communicate and do business forever. It is our most helpful tool and is constantly being updated with new devices, programs, or platforms. Businesses must utilize communication with these tools in order to be successful because of how much society relies on technology. Communication was primarily through landlines and desktops, and now there are smartphones and laptops, allowing us to work seamlessly while traveling, remotely, or in the office. Nevertheless, most importantly, technology has changed the way we communicate with our clients and each other.

McGoun, C., & Savage, J. (2012). Technology, culture and communication. Routledge

A timeline of communication

In the past 50 years, technology has been responsible for many changes in how we communicate. Many of the changes have taken place in the media and the speed at which we communicate. Some essential means of communication have not changed: thoughtfulness, clarity of expression, and good listening 

Over the last ten years, technology has made many powerful changes in communication, some good and some not as good. Here are some changes that have played a big part in the change.

1. Communication abundance - It is less costly to have live, interactive conversations using many types of media, which include Skype. The downside of this is that it is so cheap as to the point of being free; people do not seem to give it much thought when communicating this way.

2. Asynchronous conversations - The advantage of using email is that it gives you time to think about what you have written before you hit the send button. Writing letters had become a lost art, so to speak, when many people used to keep letters they received as keepsakes. Now we fire off emails without thinking or editing them, as many people read an email and delete it as if it is unimportant.

3. Less face time - We have become more reliant on mobile devices that we have far fewer face-to-face conversations with people. When speaking face-to-face, people tend to stop to think about what they are saying before they say it or at least stop and correct what they just said to clarify it.

4. Self-Expression unleashed - Because of such things as blogs, Twitter, and many other social media sites, practically anybody can find an audience for what they want to say. While Twitter is an excellent site for getting information out during a disaster, it can also become a place for haters who want to spew their hatred

Technology has done amazing things for communication in our society but has also created some unfortunate issues. Technology has changed the landscape of face-to-face interaction; we do not need it as much anymore. However, creating a personal connection in business is essential, and sometimes only communicating through technology can appear impersonal. Body language and tone of voice are essential parts of interacting with one another but can be ‘lost in translation when communicating virtually. It is essential to use technology to communicate in the preferred way and method of your client, but if you can meet them face to face, in the safest manner possible.

Reference

 Krug, G. (2012). Communication, Technology and Cultural Change.

Remember when?

How long has it been since you have written a check for anything or used a telephone book to look up a phone number? With the introduction of smartphones, they became a source of portable technology and an accessory we carry with us everywhere we go. When was the last time you carried a camera with you to take a picture? Now we always have a camera with us on our smartphones. 

Technology has changed social relationships in the way that many people now spend their free time staring at their smartphones instead of having a face-to-face conversation with the person who is many times sitting right across the table from them.

Technology has had a significant impact on business many times, allowing working people to be able to focus more on their skills in order to complete their job more professionally and to be able to communicate instantly with colleagues both in other states and countries. 

The technological advances in the past decade mean that almost every person has a smartphone or a computer. This means many employees can utilize their devices in the workplace to improve their in-office work or even work remotely.

Also, because of this factor, many companies have implemented policies for employees and allowed them to bring their own devices to work and use them to work from home as well. This situation can improve employee productivity by being able to use their own devices from any location. Nevertheless, this can also pose problems regarding data breaches and information security. That is why it is essential for your company's IT department or vendor and the management team to assess and implement some review or management of the devices to prevent unauthorized use or potential security risks. Using personal technology can benefit your company if appropriately managed with regular audits of devices.

Reference

 McGoun, C., & Savage, J. (2012). Technology, culture and communication. Routledge.