Impact of Technology – Communication
Impact of technology – communication
Change:
* There’s been a movement away from face-to-face meetings / communication. Instead, people and businesses use video conferencing, Elluminate (incorporates chat and presentation conferencing facilities) and virtual conferencing (Second Life). * Technology is more portable and people have and expect constant access to the internet. * Communication is virtually instantaneous (compare email versus snailmail). * Communication is less rigid and less inclined to conform to traditional standards and rules. It’s less formal. Mistakes are common. Acronyms are also common.
Benefits:
* Speed / time – money can be saved because it’s much quicker to move information around. * Cost – it feels free to send an email (although it isn’t); it’s certainly cheaper than phone calls. Video conferencing saves money on flights and accommodation. * Online communication brings families / friends together across distances. * Education – it’s accessible and there’s lots of free information. * Community – it can reduce isolation and provide support systems for people who need it. * It’s available 24 / 7. People can do shopping / banking / chat at any time they like. They can communicate with people on the other side of the world while everyone in their own country is asleep.
Issues:
* Reliance on technology – people don’t bother learning to spell because they use spell-checker etc… * Loss of face-to-face may mean loss of some communication skills and loss of the personal touch. * There are risks attached to the unknown / hidden elements on the internet (you don’t necessarily know who you are talking to). * Reliability of information – everyone’s posting so just because something’s on the web doesn’t mean it’s reliable. * Viruses, fraud and identity theft are all risks for people using the internet. * There are costs associated with
Change:
* There’s been a movement away from face-to-face meetings / communication. Instead, people and businesses use video conferencing, Elluminate (incorporates chat and presentation conferencing facilities) and virtual conferencing (Second Life). * Technology is more portable and people have and expect constant access to the internet. * Communication is virtually instantaneous (compare email versus snailmail). * Communication is less rigid and less inclined to conform to traditional standards and rules. It’s less formal. Mistakes are common. Acronyms are also common.
Benefits:
* Speed / time – money can be saved because it’s much quicker to move information around. * Cost – it feels free to send an email (although it isn’t); it’s certainly cheaper than phone calls. Video conferencing saves money on flights and accommodation. * Online communication brings families / friends together across distances. * Education – it’s accessible and there’s lots of free information. * Community – it can reduce isolation and provide support systems for people who need it. * It’s available 24 / 7. People can do shopping / banking / chat at any time they like. They can communicate with people on the other side of the world while everyone in their own country is asleep.
Issues:
* Reliance on technology – people don’t bother learning to spell because they use spell-checker etc… * Loss of face-to-face may mean loss of some communication skills and loss of the personal touch. * There are risks attached to the unknown / hidden elements on the internet (you don’t necessarily know who you are talking to). * Reliability of information – everyone’s posting so just because something’s on the web doesn’t mean it’s reliable. * Viruses, fraud and identity theft are all risks for people using the internet. * There are costs associated with