New Methods of Human Communication and Their Importance - Essay Example

? New Methods of Human Communication and their Importance number New Methods of Human Communication and their Importance Newer methods of communication are introduced to the human race in every era. Despite whether one has anything to communicate or not, these methods of communication continue to proliferate, changing the lives of people forever. The conceptions of communication have changed and this has been accompanied by a change in the lifestyles of people. The pace of the lives of people is the most affected by the changes in the different modes of communication that we see around us today. The extent of these changes can be realized when we look back at the times when the telephone was not a very common appliance in the lives of people, a time that was not very long back in the past. Today, communication to a great extent occurs through technological means. The existence of the mobile phone and social networking websites has made the world smaller and communications easier. However, the question remains as to whether there has actually been an increase in the amount that people talk to each other because of such inventions. Has communication between people increased as a result of the improvement in systems of communications? On the other hand, one also needs to look into the question as to whether the modern methods of communication that are present today have actually improved communication between people or whether the whole affair is a misconception or a mirage. This paper shall look into these questions and attempt to facilitate a discussion of the matter. With the introduction of the telephone, it became possible for people to communicate events and activities over long distances. Due to high costs and limited availability, the use of the telephone was limited during its initial stages but later, its use became widespread. The use of the letter reduced and there were many feelings and emotions that were left uncommunicated as a result. The written word could carry a lot of nuances in passages that a conversation on the telephone could not. Letters were written with deliberation and time was consumed during the composition of letters, unlike the conversations that are heard on telephones. The lack of speed in the delivery of letters had its own charm that the telephone could not replicate. There are often representations of people who are unable to communicate over the telephone in popular culture that indicate that the speed of communication in some cases kills the thought that goes behind communication. It is with the introduction of newer methods of communication all over the world that theories regarding the inadequacy of language and methods of communication came to be proposed by many thinkers. While this may seem like a paradox, proximity between the communicants can lead to an alienation between them. On the other hand, conversations on the telephone and especially on the mobile phone have a certain spontaneity associated with them that is natural to the manner in which it is used. While it may obviously not have the polish of a conversation carried on through letters, one is allowed to scream and lisp over the phone in a manner that is quite unimaginable in a conversation of letters. It also enables people to know where the other is, immediately, if one has made a plan to go to a certain place with other people. The opportunity to vent one’s anger is infinitely more effectively employable over a phone conversation that any other means of communication. Thus, one can see that with the invention of newer methods of communication, there are newer forms of information that are created and newer content that is modified so as to be placed in the framework of the new forms. Thus, it is not as if people do not communicate more, but both the forms and the content of communication has changed in the world of today. This is owing to the proliferation of newer methods of communication, the mobile phone being one of them. In many situations, the pace of a conversation is important and the fact that the message reaches another person and that person gets to know that the message has arrived, is important. Thus, the importance of the mobile phone in the improvement of communication between human beings cannot be ignored in a discussion of human communications. The form of the e-mail combines both the speed of the telephone call and like the letter, it is a written form of communication. This means that it is able to convey the ideas and emotions that are only present in a letter and not in any other form of communication. One may say that a handwritten letter has a different charm of its own, the practical utility of the e-mail cannot be discounted. It has improved the speed of official and casual conversations between people when they wish to express feelings that are to be deliberated upon and articulated in an intense manner. They can also lend a tone of formality to a conversation that is not official and hence, is sometimes the ideal way to distance people from oneself without causing an embarrassing situation. It may sometimes, also aggravate situations, though, if the tone of an e-mail is not taken care of. In official communications, if one is not careful to maintain a formal tone, many problems may arise leading to a situation where one may not have to send any more official mail. The speed of such mail also means that once sent, one may not be able to retrieve the mail and thus, great care needs to be taken in order to avoid mishaps. The increase in trade and commerce at a global level and scale also means that there is more to be communicated between people and e-mails are a fast and efficient way of doing so. With an increase in the number of groups that each nation state houses within itself, there are several problems that countries deal with today. Problems that people and communities have with democratic and especially non-democratic institutions can be understood better by the international community and other communities in the same state through the use of social networking sites that are probably the newest method f communicating with people. This method of communication has the potential to communicate with a large number of people and the access in most cases is easy. People are able to access content on these websites without any problem and this results in an easy transfer of information. When one has to communicate not just with another person but with a large group of people in a single instance, such forms of communication are desirable. Such forms of communications can be used in case one has to pass information to a group as small as a class to a group as large as a nation or even bigger. In most cases, laws are effectively framed to kill any voice of dissent that appears in traditional form of the media such as newspapers and television (which too are very important and effective methods of communication). However, laws for censorship of the internet are not always as strict within a country since it is a global phenomenon and no single country has the power to control the entire internet. There is also a logistical difficulty that arises when censorship has to be practiced on millions of web pages. The importance of networking lies in the fact that it enables collective action against a tyrannical authority or power that should not be tolerated. The defeat of such powers occurs only when the different sections of a country are able to unite under a single banner. The power of social networking sites is that they unite people of different backgrounds. People belonging to different class and racial backgrounds can be brought together for a popular movement that seeks to serve the cause of the nation. The unifying effect of such website should be seen as an increase in the communications between different people as it has enabled a reduction in the distances between such people. The effect of such unifications was seen in the Arab Spring, when various revolutions were carried out against tyrannical regimes through the power of social networking sites and telephones. The examples that have been set by these movements have brought about, apart from the obvious political revolutions, a revolution in the field of communication between people. This has also led to an improvement in the relations between different communities and a reduction in the gaps in communication between these communities. The establishment of a peaceful world in a scenario where different communities and races have come together is possible only through better methods of communication. These are offered by the new methods of communication that are offered by technology. The importance of speed in today’s world also need not be emphasized too much as the fast pace is demanded by a globalised world economy. The improvement in communications in the world is an important development in today’s world. Read More