Today's Communication

The new age of technology has had a large impact on how we communicate. The first developments were letters that were sent many miles to communicate over long distances. This meant that people did not have to be face to face to discuss ideas or to receive messages. The next development was the telephone that revolutionized communication over large distances. This meant that communication between two people was now a quick and easy process. No longer did you have to see the person to be able to hear their voice. In today’s world we have a number of new communication tools such as cell phones, text messaging, internet messaging services and community websites such as Facebook. A more recent trend in my life has been the use of text messaging through my cell phone. No longer do I find myself calling friends, instead I text message them to find out what they are doing. I find this odd because the cell phone was created in order for people to talk through voice communication and not text. It has evolved as a communication tool and today I see more people typing messages on their phones then talking on them. There is defiantly less face to face communication today then there was in the past. Everyone owns a cell phone and if they don’t then they have a computer which they use to communicate with their closest friends. You no longer have to be in the presence of your friends to get the latest news on their lives. This seems very convenient but it means there is less personal interaction. You can talk with close friends for long periods of time over the internet but is this form of communication valid in comparison to true personal interaction. It defiantly is a form of communication between two people but I would not put it on the same level as a true sit down discussion. The emotions and facial expressions that can be seen in real life can only be impersonated on a computer or cell phone. I think the communication technology will continue develop and more convenient forms will be created. It is important to get back to the personal level of communication because that facet of today’s world is quickly disappearing to the age of technology.