Anthony Knox Interview - Essay Example

?Anthony Knox Interview 08 April Interviewer: AB [AB] Interviewee: Anthony Knox [AK] AB: Describe how technology has affected your life? AK: Forpeople from my generation, the highly dynamic force of technology has totally shifted the way we used to live our lives. It is safe to say that for most part, technology has affected the lives of people for the better by not only facilitating us but by also bringing us closer together than ever before. Every person in the age that I was born in used to write letters to each other prior to the introduction of enthralling communication technologies like telegraph, telephone, or e-mail. Technology has and still is evolving so fast that it has left people utterly spellbound by the comfort added to a common man’s life. Personally, advancements in technology have helped me live my life extremely conveniently than I was living prior to the invention of television, cameras, and computers/laptops, etc. AB: What was the first technology that you used? Was that a common product in that time? AK: The first technology that I remember using with most enthusiasm was a wireless radio which was particularly special in the sense that it operated on FM programming which made it better than other radios most other people owned around me which used the AM method. FM radio technology was developed as an alternative to AM because it could transmit signals on any frequency. At the time I got one FM radio for myself in 1961, this technology was newly introduced and very few people owned it so it was not quite a common product in that time. But yes, FM radio technology became rapidly popular during the 1960s and very soon it began to be recognized as public’s choicest medium for listening to rock music or classical plays. AB: Can you describe the first impression of your first touch with that technology? AK: Because the wireless FM radio technology I just mentioned was new at the time I bought it and not many people around me had one of the kind then, so naturally I felt extremely lucky, blessed, and enthralled because it was such an exceptionally modern and convenient medium of listening to music, dramas, and educational programs. At the time I first came across this prized technology, it was the fastest medium for communicating news of the day and the first choice of people like me who were unfortunate enough to get a television. However, only a handful people of my age possessed the kind of radio I had for myself in 1961 which made me quite distinguished among my friends and the memories of how we friends used to get together to listen to the classical music broadcasted on the radio are just priceless. AB: How did the media change? For better or worse? AK: Not long after commercial television stations were made available in the market during late 1940s, radio technology took hold of the people throughout the 1960s and onwards. While the technology continued to attract gifted inventors from all over the world, one after another riveting change in media got introduced at more affordable prices which revolutionized people’s lives for the better. Also, there were huge payoffs like myriad technology advancements brought people closer by turning the world into a global village and bridging distances. Many tasks which otherwise consumed many hours began to be completed in a matter of minutes and one can access the entire world through the internet while sitting at one place. AB: How did you communicate with your family or relatives in overseas in the past? How about now? AK: There is no comparison between the way I and other people of my generation used to communicate with family and relatives living abroad in the past and in the present. In the past, the means of communication with family and friends were extremely slow, time-consuming, taxing, and literally wore people out. In contrast, communication media now are unbelievably fast, liberating, rewarding, and facile. Now people do not have to wait for months for the letters written by them to reach their dear ones thanks to instant messaging, e-mails, and Skype technologies. I perfectly remember how my father used to write long letters to my grandfather who lived far away in another country and waited for months for a reply in contrast to how my grandson now from Germany and I communicate live with each other via Skype. AB: How did the telegraph work? Was it expensive? AK: The telegraph is one of the exceptionally respected and important inventions in the world because it made it possible to connect people from around the globe instantaneously. Letters took so long to reach the people they were addressed to and by the time they reached, months passed in between made most information irrelevant. But with advancements made in telegraph technology, transmission of complex messages across great distances was made ever more efficient. Prior to introduction of the telephone and the internet, people were connected via telegraphs. Only the initial versions of telegraph which were used before and during early 1900s were expensive because they required a high number of operating towers and could transmit only about a few words per minute. AB: Do you think the mass society changed the world or the world has changed the mass society? AK: With the success of mass society and rapid advancements in mass media starting early on in the 20th century, I would say the world changed drastically in response. The rise of mass society and growth of mass media inflicted profound effects on people around the world. Changes in media have distinguished us from our ancestors in how we live our lives and interact with others. These changes specially picked up momentum in the 20th century which produced undeniable influences on the society and culture also. Thanks to the revolution of technology and changes in media, today we live in a mass society which has changed the world for the better because it has introduced new horizons and possibilities which were not imaginable in the past, say before 1920s. AB: How did the international communication change? AK: The nature of international communication kept changing during the 20th century and still is having passed through many different phases. It all started with telegraph in the 19th century and given its speed in conveying messages across international borders, it readily became the choicest means of communication and expanded international trade. Following the advent of telegraph, various notable newspaper agencies began to operate internationally. Then, wireless radio broadcasting got introduced which played a significant role both during WWI and WWII domestically and internationally. Later, television, world news, the internet, and mobile phones also facilitated international communication. Satellite technology in the 20th century also revolutionized international communication which especially benefited Australia. Modernization of international communication definitely sped up the globalisation process. Essay Discuss and evaluate the changing use of media from your interviewee’s perspective and the impact such changes have had on his/her life This much is evident from the interview of Mr. Anthony Knox that changes in media have very effectively remained successful in revolutionizing the human life for better for most of the part. The vivacious technological storm is as energetic and powerful today as it was in the 19th or 20th century and continues to reduce distances between people around the globe. Changes in media have helped to facilitate education, communication, and entertainment while smartly modifying societies and cultures also. While there are countless advantages offered by such changes, truth is that there are some cons also brought along with the age of technology which need to be pointed out and scrutinized. As a result of emerging mass media, “people are bound together are relatively weak social institutions now” (Baran & Davis 2011: 64). Before industrialization, globalisation, and mass society took hold of the world, there were less impersonal relationships between people than there are now because certain needs which brought people together have been extinguished by technology. Mr. Know mentioned in his interview that his memories of him and his friends frequently getting together to listen to music broadcasted on radio are prized and indescribable, but in the present times everyone has personal television or home theatre system at home which eliminates the need to get together for the purpose of entertainment. This added to the fact that competition at work in the present age is ever crueler and demanding really leaves professional people with little time to develop close ties in the community. Changes in media have developed a mass society in which nearly every person is highly facilitated but a little alone due to lack of close relationships which fuel mind and body. Myriad societal evils like depression, marriage breakups, crime, and underground mafia have never been as vibrant and thriving as they are today among the individuals of our mass society. However, it is a juvenile practice to blame technology for all the stress, depression, and other innumerable complications found in the mass society today because the real problem is not with the machines, but how people use them. However, technology and changes in media have made human life so convenient that not a single person is ready or prepared to spend one day without using various technologies like television, mobile phone, internet, or computer just because of some disadvantages. Many companies today do not accept the orthodox method of walk-in applications which has enabled people scattered around the world to apply for jobs in other countries without the hassle of travelling back and forth which efficiently saves both time and money. People submit their job applications online today while sitting at their homes for which in old times, they had to cover large distances which not only consumed time but also made travelling expenses unbearable. The entire world is at one’s doorstep with the help of internet technology because from paying bills and giving job interviews to watching international news live and attending schools, people today are capable of doing everything without having to do so much as moving from one room to another. However, there is always this persistent danger of mass society that “large numbers of completely strange individuals frequently come together” (Scott cited in Abcarian 1971: 214). So, many people find solace in the internet for meeting with other people online and building relationships. It is interesting that personal relationships have been transformed into cyber relationships by the advancements in communicating media as a result of which countless conventional practices and traditions in different parts of the world are dissolved. Travelling long distances to attend schools in order to further learning was a conventional tradition in the past times when people had no access to computer or internet, but this culture is no longer patent now because many people choose to enroll in various programs online in order to save time and work part-time. All the books for which students previously had to go to the libraries can now be accessed online while enjoying the comfortable atmosphere of home. These changes explain why advancements in technology and media have opened new possibilities for humans which could not have been even managed by people who lived in old times. It is clear from Mr. Knox’s interview that changes in media produced undeniable impact on the way he lived his life prior to various technologies like internet, mobile phones, television, computer etc. became popular and afterwards. He described how people in the age he was born in had the habit of writing letters to each other and how they used to wait for the response for months at a time because they had no other choice as telegraph was also expensive at that time and allowed transmission of messages based on just a few words per minute. It is clear that modern means of communication like computers, iPads, iPhones, laptops, and the internet have totally removed distances between people and enabled them to communicate online like they are in one room. Japan is distinguished for introducing one after another amazing technologies which leaves people spellbound and lazier than ever because nearly everything can be done now without having to go anywhere by pressing a few buttons. Japanese engineers are even busy in the process of creating high-tech robots to replace teachers. It was only recently that people used to print pictures out from the film rolls of their cameras but with the soaring popularity of digital cameras in the 21st century, this practice has also dissolved because pictures can be directly transferred from cameras to the computers and transmitted across the world via the internet technology in a matter of seconds. Mr. Knox clearly remembers how his father used to write letters to his grandfather living in another country and how in the present times due to giant leaps in media technology, he is able to communicate online with his grandson without having to wait for even a second to hear a reply. Though the ideas and plans for many modern media like Wi-Fi were around in the 20th century, but the actual devices that made the implementation of technology possible were not easily available until long after. Despite the fact that the concept of wireless data networks is not really old, it is claimed that “the basic technology was created during World War II” (Hempstead & Worthington 2005: 653) by two Austrians. Despite that fact that human life is made more facilitated than ever due to improved changes in media, it is often argued that people have become lazier than ever as a result. Human population has fallen prone to sedentary lifestyle raising the incidence of obesity and cardiovascular diseases. A large percentage of youth believes that “technology makes people lazier [74%], makes people more isolated [65%], and causes people to waste time [68%]” (Pew cited in Salkowitz 2008: 101). Changed living patterns due to swiftly changing and evolving technology have fostered convenience at the price of heightened sluggishness. Mr. Knox described how through instant messaging and e-mails, people can connect online no matter wherever they are and construct relationships without having to practically meet with the other person. From letters and telegraph to telephones and paper thin laptops, changes in communicating media have introduced people to a level of life that was not imaginable in old times. There was no concept of smart phones in the 90s which only a few years back gained soaring popularity and people got hooked on these complex devices which are capable of acting as computers, searching the internet, capturing moments, and exchanging e-mails. Literally every function of life can be performed in seconds with the help of smartphones making older technologies like radio, telegraph, landline phones, and desktop computers a part of the past and modifying cultural patterns worldwide. Previously, people did not have significant awareness about different political functions performed by the state authorities. Changes in media have changed all that and now people have higher awareness and more pronounced opinion than ever before because every little thing done by political parties can be readily accessed by Youtube, Yahoo, Google or other search engines. This suggestion that technology has reached its limits is only an understatement and empty mockery because there is no end to the journey of technology which continues to evolve at a steady pace changing orthodox traditions and replacing them with modernized practices. It is evident from Mr. Knox’s description that changes in media form no hidden reality because these changes or advancements were and continue to be frenetic, mind-boggling, astounding, and swift. It is a reality that only three decades ago, an average person relied on newspapers distributed in his/her area in order to become familiar with most recent national and international information. Televisions also offered only a handful of channels (maximum 5) leaving people with little choice to see programs they wished for. This was due to absence of satellite or cable technology which revolutionized society and way of living after made available on a wide scale. Today, the popularity once enjoyed by traditional newspapers has shifted towards online blogging because the strength of this medium is that it “allows people to read information that supports their worldview and to share views with like-minded individuals” (Thompson cited in Tremayne 2012: 179). The most spellbound technology of all- the Internet gained popularity in the 90s with the help of which an average person was allowed access to millions of websites and blogs at minimal cost. Libraries which once used to be fraught with students now rarely ever witness a mass of public because basically, the entire world’s information can be made available at broadband speeds by typing a few words. Countless video clips, movies, and songs can be downloaded from the internet while in old times, people as Mr. Knox mentioned had to rely on radios for entertainment and education purposes which offered low sound quality and no picture. It is not even anymore necessary to possess a television to watch the entire world’s televisions channels because internet allows streaming signals from all television stations at swift speeds. Such technologies and changes in media may appear to be perfectly normal and ordinary for anyone born in the present generation but for people from Mr. Knox generation, these changes are not just anything normal but extremely astounding, perplexing, and unbelievable. This is because those people like Mr. Knox born somewhere between 1920s and 1940s have practically witnessed how life used to be prior to invention of different technologies and when they compare the living practices, cultures, traditions, and societal patterns of those times with present times, they are left utterly mystified, spellbound, and even confused by the prodigious and stupendous contrast. Mr. Knox mentioned early on in the interview that wise investments made in technology led to huge payoffs like removal of distances, easy education, heightened awareness, and fast life. This is absolutely true because though continuously evolving technology has revolutionized human life in multiple different ways by promoting globalisation, it has also contributed to the high rate of cross-border crimes (Bassey & Oshita 2010: 305). Transnational crime networks are easier to engineer now than ever before because criminals can communicate with each other instantly through messaging and live communication. Suicide bombers and terrorists now make use of high level of technology and fastest means of communication to implement smart criminal strategies engineered by them which has established a state of fear and insecurity in the world. Landline telephones were once rarely available and not everyone had access to them because they were expensive and no better means of communication were yet invented. However, landline telephones are rarely used by the people now with the advent of smartphones people began taking advantage of the faster means of communication for both good and bad reasons. This means that the influence of technology is unmistakable in every walk of life. From the introduction of Microsoft Windows to Apple iPods and from rarely available landline telephones to hugely accessible smartphones, changes in media have definitely transformed the way people used to live their lives and perform different functions. These riveting developments have made life incredibly easier because everything is at the distance of a few clicks and everything from shopping, making real estate deals, education to ordering food can be done on the internet without moving anywhere. Not anything in life is devoid of downsides and it is also undeniable that with advancements in technology, psychological issues and stress have picked momentum mostly due to misuse of technology. References Baran, SJ & Davis, DK 2011, Mass Communication Theory: Foundations, Ferment and Future, Cengage Learning, USA. Bassey, CO & Oshita, OO 2010, Governance and Border Security in Africa, African Books Collective, UK. Hempstead, CA & Worthington, WE 2005, Encyclopedia of 20th-century technology: M-Z, index, Volume 2, Taylor & Francis, Great Britain. Salkowitz, R 2008, Generation Blend: Managing Across the Technology Age Gap, John Wiley & Sons, USA. Scott, JP 1971, ‘Synthesis and Implications: Social Control in a Mass Society’, in G. Abcarian (ed.), Social Control and Social Change, University of Chicago Press, USA, pp. 191-221. Tremayne, M 2012, Blogging, Citizenship, and the Future of Media, Routledge, NYC. Read More