Communication is the one key element of life that sets human beings apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. The human ability to communicate at a very refined standard has enabled us to build civilizations and to develop advanced technologies. Technology has undoubtedly advanced throughout the years and with particular groundbreaking inventions such as the Internet, smartphones and tablets our ability to effectively communicate in a formal and detailed manner has deteriorated. The means of communicating across the globe is now easily achieved with the touch of a button or the click of a mouse, with this effectiveness however comes the issue of the world, as we know it decreasing due to the rapid growth of technology. The traditional ways of socializing and expressing oneself in great detail are becoming a thing of the past and are rapidly being replaced by the growing technologically advanced products available to the every day consumer. It is argued that communication through technological means has its advantages such as speed and convenience but the disadvantages cannot be neglected, such as language misinterpretation and absence of context. Additionally it creates a digital division between members of communities, thus constructing a sense of isolation between family, friends and work colleagues.
With mobile phones, computer tablets and laptops growing in popularity with school students in particular, there are growing concerns for the use of grammar and punctuation techniques in schools or essentially lack of. Solomon Ali Dansieh (2011) writes “There is no doubt that text messaging has some impacts on the way children talk and write – some negative; others positive depending on the content and context.” The use of SMS me...
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...cial networking web sites like Facebook or MySpace. These sites not only form huge distractions to people's everyday lives but has also ultimately replaced direct socializing.
It is abundantly clear that communication technology has made people less effective communicators. Despite known advantages (i.e. how quick and easy technology can be used to interact with people across the globe) it is unfortunately beginning to replace face-to-face interactions. As more people turn to computer screens instead of one another the art of conversation weakens and facial expressions become a troublesome task. It not only causes digital divisions between third world countries and its citizens but also isolates users. Physical social interactions are heavily effected by technology and shouldn’t be over shadowed; communication is a specific attribute to the human civilization.
From walkmans to CD players to iPods, technology has evolved over the succession of the years; humans have taken extensive steps towards a technological transformation that has revolutionized the manner in which several individuals communicate with one another. Likewise, various humans have opted for more modern methods to connect and contact their loved ones such as speaking on a cell phone, video chatting, e-mailing, instant messaging, and conversing through social media. With these contemporary methods of communication, global interaction has now been facilitated and easily accessible; conversing with individuals from across the world is as transparent and prompt as speaking with individuals within the same city. Nonetheless, these technological
Text messaging is a technology that contributes to the great decline of the English language. The English language is often butchered through the use of text messaging. In Orwell’s essay, he states “An effect can become a cause, reinforcing the original cause and producing the same effect in an intensified form” (446). Main stream society is too lazy to correct any grammar and punctuation in a text message, leading to the assumption that it is not important, after all it is only a text message. Thus, this shows the English language is in decline, when society is to lazy to take a few extra second to correct spelling and punctuation errors . One would not be able to write the same way in an academic essay as they would in a text message. If one would do so, that student would receive an F. No English teacher, or for that matter any teacher, would be thrilled nor impressed reading an essay filled with these common texting erors.
Our reliance on technology is slowly turning us into metaphorical cyborgs, and we are beginning to lose our social skills and our own identity. Nevertheless, technology has made a tremendous impact to our very own lives including the way we communicate with one other. Technology has improved the transition to the way we communicate; however our lives have consequently become more impersonal. Despite providing us with more effective ways to communicate with others, technology has also harmed our ability to communicate with individuals face to face.
Working thesis: The advancements in technology have caused the social norms of society to adapt to its rapid change, by becoming captivated to its simple access; which is effecting the way we communicate and act.
“A recent study by experts at Coventry University in the UK has found strong positive links between the use of text language and the skills underlying success in Standard English in pre-teenage children” (Crystal). Teens score higher on their tests due to abbreviating in text messages. “Also, interestingly enough, the age at which they received their first phone correlates with their aptitude test grades: the younger the child received the phone, the higher the grade” (Crystal). “the children who were the best at using textisms were also found to be the better spellers and writers (childres, texts, and English,). Text messaging is potentially used to teach language, instead of ruin language.
Texting, techspeak, and tweens: The relationship between text messaging and English grammar skills by Drew P. Cingel and S. Shyam Sundar (2012), is an article that discusses the connection between text messaging in adolescents and poor English grammar skills (Cingel & Sundar, 2012). Cingel started the study as a student investigating the effect of texting on grammar skills, after receiving text messages from his nieces, which were incomprehensible. (2012, July 26). Cingel combined with S. Shyam Sundar, a distinguished Professor of Communication and Co-director of the Penn State Media Effects Research Laboratory. The journal is ranked internationally and peer-reviewed, and is a seminal source that has contributed strongly to its’ field. These findings contribute significantly to the body of knowledge in terms of data and practical application. Demonstrated within this journal is a suitable methodology, a strong argument with reliable evidence, and a relevant writing style and structure.
The humane natural tendency to communicate is the pivotal link of understanding that connects us to one another, from one generation to the next. The various approaches of communication, in which we socialise to connect with others, have evolved drastically over the years, enhancing forms of contact and changing the structural mechanisms of the social community that allow us to effortlessly and efficiently communicate. From the traditional ink and paper, to the telegrapher, over millenniums, the progressive incorporation of technological devices within contemporary society has led to the notion of the ‘information revolution’, also known as the ‘information age’, that suggests that we are in the midst of a
In this generation many physical social interactions have been replaced with technology. Think about the ways you personally communicate with friends and family today, and compare it with how people communicated with one another 50 years ago. No longer does one have to verbally speak with a friend or family member from a landline telephone, go to the person’s home, or send a letter in the mail to communicate. Some people even use technology to communicate within the same household, or even more unusual in the same room. With a press of a button and a quick dance of the fingers on a keyboard a text message can be sent. This is one of many modern conveniences that makes keeping in contact, and communicating with friends and family a quick and easy task, but often limited to 140 characters, full of abbreviations and emoticons, text messaging lacks the emotion and complexity that verbal and physical communication provide. Even video chat has its own downfall. Sure you have full verbal communication and a visual of the person’s face, but the aspect of physical...
In today’s society, Technology is the main player in the way we communicate. Cell phones and social media made the communication easier for people to contact each other. It extends time less to connect between long distance friends. Also, it helps people to spread and enlarge circle of friendships around the world. However, people are losing the way of face-to-face conversation. Sherry Turkle is an expert on culture and therapy, mobile technology, social networking, and sociable robotics argued in her article “the flight from conversation” how using technology can affect our behavior in conversation.
In the article “The Flight from Conversation” which describes the effects of technology on human interactions, Sherry Turkle argues, “WE live in a technological universe in which we are always communicating. And yet we have sacrificed conversation for mere connection”. Many others would agree with Turkle; technology and its advances through new devices and social media takes away face-to-face conversation. Her idea of being “alone together” in this world is evidently true as many people can connect with one another through technology, altering relationships to adjust to their own lives. Despite Turkle’s opposition, I believe that technology makes our lives easier to manage. There are numerous forms of social media platforms and handheld devices
With 80% of Americans using internet, and that 80% spending an average of 17 hours a week online (each), according to the 2009 Digital Future Report, we are online more than ever before. People can't go a few hours let alone a whole day without checking their emails, social media, text messages and other networking tools. The average teen today deals with more than 3,700 texts in just a month. The use of technology to communicate is making face to face conversations a thing of the past. We have now become a society that is almost completely dependent on our technology to communicate. While technology can be helpful by making communication faster and easier, but when it becomes our main form of conversation it becomes harmful to our communication and social skills. Technological communication interferes with our ability to convey our ideas clearly. Technology can harm our communication skills by making us become unfamiliar with regular everyday human interactions, which can make it difficult for people to speak publicly. Technology can also harm our ability to deal with conflict. These days it is easier to h...
“We barely have time to pause and reflect these days on how far communicating through technology has progressed. Without even taking a deep breath, we’ve transitioned from email to chat to blogs to social networks and more recently to twitter” (Alan 2007). Communicating with technology has changed in many different ways. We usually “get in touch” with people through technology rather than speaking with them face to face. The most popular way people discuss things, with another individual, is through our phones. Phones have been around way before I was born in 1996, but throughout the years, they have developed a phone called a “smart phone”. The smart phone has all kinds of new things that we can use to socialize with our peers. On these new phones, we can connect with our friends or family on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Technology has also developed Skype, a place you can talk with people on the computer with instant voice and video for hours. The new communication changes have changed drastically from the new advances made in technology through our smart phones, social networking sites, and Skype.
Communication is one of the most important factors in our lives. It dictates the relationships formed with the individuals in personal and professional lives. Effective communication provides a foundation for trust and respect to grow. It also helps better understand a person and the context of the conversation. Individuals often believe that their communication skills are much better than what they actually are. Communication appears effortless; however, much of what two people discuss gets misunderstood, thus leading to conflicts and distress. To communicate effectively, one must understand the emotion behind the information being said. Knowing how to communicate effectively can improve relationships one has at home, work and in social affairs. Understanding communication skills such as; listening, non-verbal communication and managing stress can help better the relationships one has with others.
Technology has changed the way society has interacted with one another. While technology has allowed society countless means of social interactions that weren’t possible 50 years ago, and has allowed people to sustain long-distance friendships that would have otherwise ended, the fact remains that technology is still taking over human interaction. Many may argue that this change has been positive. However, there are those who believe that this is one of the numerous social disasters when it comes to technology. It is believed that the changes are ruining the quality of social interaction that we all need as human beings. It’s getting to the point where people are relying more and more on technology as a way to communicate with their friends
People in the present society have turned from the use of the old means of communication to the more advanced and technological ways of communicating. Technology has made it easier for people to communicate in a faster, efficient, and cost saving means through the introduction of the communication channels. The world has turned out to be the centre for technology with different technologies emerging daily as the people continue to develop from time to time to cope with the growing technology. The benefits of adopting the communication technology are explained in this article which shows why people do not function without technology.