Communication Technologies - Report Example

Communication Technologies Name Institution Course Lecturer Date Sublime communication technologies An account of communication technologies proves that, a particular technology in communication arises from its predecessors or previous communication technology. The development of communication technology offers greater possibilities to offer and share knowledge and information. For instance, television came out from radio, radio out of telegraphy, telegraphy from letter writing while computers and Internet has taken all the previous aspects of the past media converging them together to emerge as a superior mode of communication technology today. Currently, digital communication has been an interesting phenomenon that involves the process where people create, distribute and store information. The abilities of the digital technology transcend the analogue modems that were used in information recording and dissemination. Ultimately, digitization has promoted media convergence making communication more powerful and interesting. The facilitated process has worked in remediation in that; one media form is adapted by the new form. Communication is then extended and makes use of different media channels. The process of remediation has allowed communication to evolve and shift with audiences and users becoming more and more familiar with how media form and content reworks. This essay present the possibilities of communication technology by proposing that; the present media technologies- telecommunications and Internet carries with them a long history and characteristics of their precursors technologies, in turn, the history of the present will also point forward and impact the history of the future (Giblett, 2008). Their theory of communication According to Giblett (2008), the genealogy of communication technologies can be presented in chronological order. New communication technologies take after the characteristics of the previous technologies. In recent decades, the world has experienced information generation and explosion rather than information revolution. There is an explosion in content and the quantity of information, the modes of expressing it as well as technologies to deliver information. Convergence was not a recent phenomenon and an innovation of 1990s but has been a norm that can be traced during railway and telegraphy technologies. On the other hand, divergence has also been a norm since one mode like telegraphy was faster technology in communication than railway. Simply, the theory of communication involves two aspects- information and technologies where the history of the present sprang from the past and the history of present will go to the future. Basically, communication is transportation of messages. Communication technologies developed out of the need for transportation. As railway technology developed, communication and transportation was one common thing. However, the advent of telegraphy developed communication as transportation of messages. Communication diverged from transportation since it was separated from time and place. However, there was a physical connection between a sender and a receiver through a telegraph wire. Radio developed and eliminated the need for the physical and vulnerable connection making communication invisible and reliant on electromagnetic signals. The development of satellites improved communication making it instantaneous as widely separated places were enjoined. Major concepts and contribution Remediation and convergence have been the major concepts in this book. These are two closely related concepts but very different indeed. Remediation is a process where new media technologies remedy or improve upon prior technologies. A formal logic can be observed by how new media have refashioned the prior media forms. Some of the most important aspects of new media are immediacy and hypermediacy. However, remediation has a long history and reveals practices of different groups of people at different times. The logic of the past has then been carried to the present with each development manifesting a significantly different and greater diversity. Remediation has been rooted in the central and cultural assumptions of immediacy and hypermedia. The characteristics and practices of the contemporary media offer us a lens with which we can focus on the history of remediation. Convergence is another important concept in understanding communication technologies. Communication technology is revealed as having that tendency of bring different technological systems together or evolving towards a similar task. New technologies take over from prior technologies performing the same task in an advanced manner. Convergence does not diminish the role of the past technologies. However, it takes over its role in the new technologies making one technology to perform distinct and different roles. Media convergence has developed into a critical part of people’s life and development of technology in different operations and platforms like television, mobile communication and Internet have offered audiences with bigger and multiple choices. Media technologies have also been made easier as convergence bring in opportunities making media a better experience. Convergence has promoted communication to be more interactive than it used to be before. Convergence can be traced from where it evolved and it has been a means of driving change as it brings the past fragmented technologies over the centuries. This has led to massive technological change to meet the increased needs of communication. Most current media have grown and taken after the pre-existing technologies leading to modern mass media and reaching diverse or large audience. Continuous change has promoted a shift from analogue modes. Media technologies like text, film, television, print, telephone, computing and audio capabilities have all been joined where in the past they were separate. Communication technology offers very interesting components to a society serving an effective representation of cultural, social, political and educational aspects pertaining to audience. Over the years, human have invented many devices yet the innovation have only converged past technological capabilities to be effective to present lifestyle. Individual technical devices have evolved to another where a device like mobile phone merges television and computer technology. It has gone from phoning, to text communication, messaging as in Facebook, twitter, use Internet, watch television, listen to radio, play games, record a video as they have evolved into 3D technology. Theoretical approaches Through Giblett (2008) approach, we get the concept of media determinism where communication technologies carry content that ultimately change human perception of their world and practices in it. Communication technologies are given prominence as determining consciousness and bringing social changes. The idea of communication technologies seem feasible and thus matters in influencing design, production, usage, marketing as well as foreseen and unforeseen consequences. When the author indicates that the present communication technologies will shape the future, he gives it a central place in human lives. Communication technologies appear to have intrinsic properties that generally influence changes in communicating and understanding. Technologies influences communication, interacting and thinking as well as the processes of crating knowledge. Communication technologies are seen to transform areas of work, business, education, entertainment, leisure and family life. The way communication technologies are use can shape relations, place and time and affect activities in public or private, work or non-work spaces. For instance, in the past, work was done in particular place but presently, it is possible to use private places and spaces differently. A good example is the possibility of working at home through the use of computer and the Internet. Communication technologies are a way of creating knowledge and it through it that there has been rise of ‘global village’ (Bijker, 2010). These technologies have promoted immediacy of content as well as well as meaning across separated geographical locations. The diffusion of Internet have in turn allowed the society to use social media and networking to fulfill the dream of democratic participation, and access to limitless and free information. As Leonardi (2011) points out, despite the prominence given to the existing communication technology, it is good to see human determinism as part of the present development. Technology does not develop by its own. Human participants are not just blank slate but messages are inscribed to them, impact on their thoughts, perception and opening more opportunities to thinking and contributing. The foreseen and unforeseen is not created by communication technologies but communication technologies are means through which the foreseen and unforeseen is actualized. Though, the present possibilities allow and promote particular way of thinking and innovation. The emerging human needs in the nature promote them to see more possibilities and innovate further. Development comes out the limitation in the places and spaces. Ultimately, what Giblett (2008) proposes as convergence and mediation have emerged out of needs to promote better experience and lifestyle. It can be seen that, the development of communication technologies has been gradual and human have adapted them to suit a particular need at different times. What used to be fragmented and served distinct purpose have been brought together to provide a concrete experience and offer greater choice to human. The reason to account human aspects more in contributing to development of communication technologies rather than communication technologies determining human direction is that, human uses a variety of knowledge and skills and invent ways to deliver content. To support this claim, what Giblett (2008) has revealed is that consequent communication technologies did not develop at the same place. Every new communication technology can be traced back to it locality or place of origin. On the other hand, new communication technologies did not develop at the same time. In every case, there were early adopters and those who followed. The diversity, inclusion, partnership and collaboration can thus be seen as contributing to development and creation of communication technologies. Technological determinism is a major principle that emerges and simplifying cultural and social aspects of relations in the society. The theory identifies technology advances as a catalytic element towards social evolution. Introduction of a new technology and advancement of previously present technology lead the society to adapt or change according to technology characteristic and uses. As described, technological determinism studies both historical aspects and sociological aspects of technology as well as its effect on society. Technology has powerful regulations in the societies which is stripped of its free will and conform to technology needs. In Giblett (2008), communication technology is taken as inevitable progress. Inevitability aspects regarding technology can then mean that technology progress can lead to inevitable human progress. From Giblett (2008) perspective, human actions are seen to be determine or being caused by communication technologies. People are seen to take behaviors through unconscious desires and influences of their environment. In turn, it intends to propose that people are not responsible for the development of the communication technology but communication technologies are self-perpetuating in nature. Media is depicted to have authority over human where they do not see any need to challenge or change it. Human are dependent on communication technologies and most of their actions are caused by external forces of communication technologies. Human choices are influenced by external forces. Communication technologies development is predictable since it is caused by something- it springs from the past capabilities. Ultimately, communication technologies are depicted as both cause and effect as it defines itself and forges new experience. It eliminates the fact that human are free. Human are depicted as object in the worlds being determined by communication technologies. Their choices are minimal when placed alongside communication technologies. Time is an objective aspect of communication technologies that can be looked at to show fixed sequence of events as they have occurred over time. However, communication technologies do not have any objective time that capture the duration a certain media experience can last. All technologies have a fleeting nature, always evolving and moving towards an endless direction. Theoretical approach for the Project: comparing and contrasting approaches However, there need to be another way of looking at the determinism in a loose manner that views interaction between social circumstance and technology. As much as we acknowledge the guiding force of communication technology, we also have to regard society responsibilities to the final outcome of the situation. The viewpoint of contemporary communication technology can create a huge development in different parts of the world allowing individuals to access freely and participate in political and public systems. Free choices define humanity and human experience. Technology cannot advance on its own but must take into consideration the conscious desires and human responsibility for social purpose. Communication technologies must take into account the social purpose and that means human can challenge and change attitudes about a technology as they reason (Bijker, 2010). Technology determinism is kind of a false assumption. However, when social evolution is taken into account, it can be obvious that both are correlated. Human control their free actions and are quite responsible. As long as technology appears to have a continued mode of evolution, it cannot undermine the conscious choices towards social change. Realism of society in different regions is taken into account when adopting certain technologies. Technological determinism cannot fully explain the underlying relationship between technology and society as it lack in flexibility (Giblett, 2008). A good example is looking at how advances in technology have been taken in Arab world and Asian countries like China. There has been much censorship of Internet content as well as regulation of uses of media platforms like TV. The reason communication technology adoption and performance in some countries is limited can be a good point to consider social evolution and how it correlates with technological advancement. Such countries have not been influenced by communication technologies in a way that technological trends overtake reasoning and choices. Differences and similarities between the two approaches Both approaches are similar in that communication technologies influence the society bringing changes through potential benefits of learning and communicating. Social networks enable human to explore diverse interests at a global scale. For instance, Internet has made it possible to communicate, collaborate and learn in simple and quick way. In turn, human are no longer limited as they were in the past as they can contribute and participate in different arena of life through the use of communication technologies. On the other hand, social evolution leads to the development of communication technologies. The needs, desires and capacity to foreseen future events influence man to exploit different capabilities of existing technologies and develop it further to meet the needs and improve the lifestyle (Stahl, 2011). The differences in approaches spring from the fact that, technological development seem to have its own drive into an indeterminate end due to its nature of taking over the prior technology. That is an extreme claim which gives communication technologies prominence over human conscious choice to development. On the other hand, social evolution shows the inter-dependence between technology and human desires and directions. Human are seen to consciously develop and take communication technologies to advance a specified need and cause an ultimate experience. Social evolution takes into consideration of both aspects and out the correlation, it is possible to see the cause and effect. The resultant interrelation can show how human and technology have emerged, the way they presently co-exist and predict future outcomes (Stahl, 2011). Communication technologies must be taken together with the user and uses and none should take over the other. The dominant viewpoint is that human have influenced technological development and in turn, communication technologies have promoted better human experience. Human perceptions and needs differ in time and space and human mental capacities are reshaped to continue existing on the earth. Therefore, interaction between human and communication technology have shaped the modern world. References Bijker, W. E. (2010). How is technology made?—That is the question!.Cambridge Journal of Economics, 34(1), 63-76. Giblett, R. J. (2008). Sublime communication technologies. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan. Leonardi, P. M. (2011). When Flexible Routines Meet Flexible Technologies: Affordance, Constraint, and the Imbrication of Human and Material Agencies.MIS quarterly, 35(1). Stahl, B. C. (2011). What does the future hold? A critical view of emerging information and communication technologies and their social consequences. InResearching the Future in Information Systems (pp. 59-76). 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