Communication Technology and Its Impact on Social Interaction - Research Paper Example

Communication Technology and Its Impact on Social Interaction With technological advancements, communications between individuals have actually taken another dimension of existence. People have plenty of modes for communication than ever before. Communications have been improved both in speed and in multiparty communication. The choice that people have employed in communication depends on the accessibility and affordability of the present technology especially the use of computers. These have changed many people’s habits and styles. The only worries that have befallen the communication and technology industry are weather the quality of communication is increasing or decreasing. Technology has been able to develop working conditions in all industries, personal interactions have been shaped and more so the aspect of the social networking through social sites has taken over the communication industry.1 This topic tries to expound on the technology employed in communication from a social interaction perspective. This process does not precisely refer to face to face interaction but as opposed to technology, mediated interaction. In another case, the main aim of this study is to try and explain why the degree of collective innovation within the work communities has decreased and the way work place interactions have become more functional. The need to expand new competences caused social tensions and conflicts. On the other hand, the introductions of technology seem to have been the long awaited answer to people’s problems. These problems are like information problem solving that was elicited in a hoc way and took place mainly evolving, but in some cases also stable, social networks. In this case, the information communication technology has both the negative and positive effects on the users. Especilly the emergence of Email as a medium of convaying masseges from one person to the other via the use of mobile phones and computers.2 Technology development especially the use of emails and Nature of Office Work Technology has changed the nature and conditions of work both in the offices and out in the fields. Although technology facilitates information transport and extensions of social networks, both inside and outside organizations it reduces face to face interactions. Employees spent most of their times on computers using emails to pass information fron one part to the other rather than with their fellow colleagues. With the concern, of social welfares within a work field communication technology has led to poor communication within workers. In addition to this reduction of face to face social interaction the level of social support and belief also goes down. As the result of this, it leads to an exceedingly poor worker to worker relationships.3this is because most people prefer using emails on their personal computers rather than face to face communication. Social Networking sites such as MySpace, Twitter and Facebook, have taken over social networking industries for the past few years. Both young and old people have become captives of this bubonic plague used differently with people, to satisfy their needs. Some people use them as; advertising sites, keeping in touch with friends and relatives and more so, updating others of what is going on in others minds to help reach out to the public. Yes, we are members of these social networking sites, and we can not run from the truth. What concerns pople most is the way this sites have also gotten themselves involved in the use of emails. It is evident that even this sites use email to help reach may and they also have their weg paes that can be accesed by the use of Emails. With the sites, through either emails or informations displayed in emails, someone has no way of confirming that the information posted on their walls is inaccurate. This is because individuals posts what is in their minds. These posts are open to be seen with all of the people that we befriend. The information posted, might paint either a negative or positive picture in the minds of the viewer. Some may like it or not. In most occasions, the post tells an individual a lot about the other person. We look for jobs day in and out, and some of us have jobs. When we are using these sites, we have to be conscious of what we post. And more so emails can be a good media of us passing our messages to the public if used apropriately. This is because we do not know the reaction the employers will give to post and what will be their reaction towards them. We should be more focused in using these sites with positive minds because it might be a way of advertising oneself positively, and through that someone can be able to get jobs. In contrary to getting a job, the site can be a steeping stone to individuals downfall. A person can lose a job through the posts if they give a negative impression maybe towards your job, your fellow employees or to your employer.4 The evolution of Information communication technology (ICT) repeatedly is seen as two distinct spheres that aremistakenly is thought-out as as separate. As the use of email grows In significance, it is obvious that commercial application and, use of technology represents both political economic and social spheres that overlap each other. Many communities oftenly focus more on the means than the end results of technology. That is the service they can use and leverage to improve on their daily life. To give a hint of this lets look at it in the perspective of technical possibilities economic viability and the social acceptability.5 Access emails via internets on our personal computers, is actually transforming the world as it has become a necessity in advanced economies. A person is able to access materials online thus acquiring substantial information and financial advantage. Some of the advantages that those with internet have are; availability of online information at any time, reduced costs through online transactions, such as renewing permits, paying bills or working from home and reduced costs of services such as travel or use of online auctions, and in most cases people are able to get the feedbeck via Emails. With this many people who like short cuts will find it easier to transact business through via emails rather than face to face transactions. This appears to be an easy way of communication, but it limits the two groups of personal negotiations and in some cases the deals transacted online might not be from a trusted person.6 The death of distance proclaimed by the economists in 1995 states that the distance does not matter. The conquering of of distance die to technology has been an advantage to many in terms of costs due efficient access to people and information worldwide. The death of distance, however, it makes a person to miss many of the nuances of the structure and the characteristics of the electronic interaction. Distance is not an issue to those in affluent countries, or working in information industries, or those with business or personal reason to contact others. Those whom distance does not matter only account to a fraction of the wolds population. For many of the words inhabitants, distance remains a key factor in communication. This is also caused by lack of knowledge on technology thus causing many people unable to access internets or manage their Emails. More often than ever, the concept of death of distance is the mistaken assumption that it also refers to the declining importance of place. Low costs in electronic interruptions have made it easier, or people to keep in touch with each other. This has been effective as people can, communicate to each other by the use of telephones and mobile phones through Email and or media call. Nowadays it has become normal for those who visit medical places, shops, and even hotels and all the bills transacted online and information concerning their accounts accesed via the Emails.This gives a clear indication that the transaction takes place might not need a recipient.the Process in done computably with the recipient far from the receiver but getting feedback on time via the use of emails. Diffusion innovation is theoretical perspective that focuses on the adoption of new ideas, practices and technologies. According to Rogers, perception about the attributes can facilitate the rate at which a new idea is adopted. To be specific innovation is adopted to people with positive minds if; people believe that they offer an advantage over what exists if they are compatible with the potential users existing values, experience, and needs if they are perceived as being fairly easy to understand and use, if users can try them before they commit to purchase and if users can easily observe their use by others. Communication channels only becomes effective if they are effective and convey many different type of information such as visual, oral and non verbal. Social presence is when a person is able to feel the presence of the other person. But it gives the definition of the user perspective. For example, when using the desktop conferencing over Webcam may be perceived as a way of projecting a grater degree of social presence of conferencing. This is because of the ability to see others image via the emails. This is because of emails having been modified to an extend of having chat rooms in them.7 Conclusion It is evident that as the technology changes it creates grater importance on knowledge of work. Communities face varying experiences. Technology has undoubtedly shaped the social interactions of people. So, it is beneficial if we keep ourselves updated with the manifestations about the social interactions and create opportunities for others to interact with them too. This is because the world is dynamic and we have to keep pace with it. It will be good if we try to look at both the positive and the negative effects of what we do over those social sites especially via the use of emails, and how technology affects us a whole. This is because technology can kill or build individuals dignity in places of work or wherever the place we in at the moment. Bibliography David J, Atkin. Communication Technology And Social Change: Theory And Implications. London: Routledge, 2007. Eugene E. Loos, Leslie Haddon,E.A. Mante Meijer. The Social Dynamics of Information and Communication Technology. New York: Ashgate Publishing, 2008. Kenneth E. Corey, Mark I. Wilson. Urban And Regional Technology Planning: Planning Practice in the Global Knowledge Economy. New York: aylor & Francis, 2006. Read More