Wherever you go, you just hear the word “COMMUNICATION”! But, have you wondered where is communication and what exactly is it? If not, this article might be a quick start for you to rethink the phrase. Communication is all around us, helping us in different forms, and different needs, and almost every single day of our lives. It is so vital that we cannot think of a day without making a phone call or chatting with our loved ones. So, for those who are interested in knowing more about communication technology, here it is.
What is Communication Technology
Communication Technology, also known as Information Technology is the incorporation of technology into communication practices. It is the transfer of information or messages among people and/or machines with the use of technology. It refers to all the technology that is used to handle telecommunications, broadcast media, and network-based systems.
To put it into simple words, when you convey something orally or through other natural practices, it is called communication. When you use manmade technology to convey messages to other people or machines, it is called communication technology. Communication technology also encompasses the tools that are used to send, receive, and process information.
Communication is nothing but the exchange of information from one source to another source. It includes talking, signaling, messaging, and lots more. Now the next question is, “Where is communication?”.
Actually speaking, communication is “EVERYWHERE”!! If you are taking a stroll down the street, look at your friend and wave your hand, that’s communication. If a street vendor passes your home yelling, “Buy a kilo of apples for 100”, that’s again communication. Or if you are in your class and your principal announces something on the loudspeaker, there comes communication again!
So fundamentally, communication is omnipresent. It is of various forms and kinds. Communication can be made in several ways. One such way of communication is called “COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY”.
There are also many types of communication technology. Simple examples of communication technology include – Sending a text message to your friend, your dad watching the news broadcasted on a television, listening to songs on the radio, or even sharing your photo on Instagram!
Why is Communication Technology Important?
Everyone is busy in today’s rapidly moving world. People don’t have time to do anything! They find simpler solutions for everything they have to do. At this rate, how would they find time to communicate with others? So they’ve found techniques to simplify even that!
Technology is the one thing that connects everything and everyone around us. Technology serves everyone – right from a toddler to a dying man. So man used this technology to communicate with other beings.
Communication Technology is one of the simplest, easily accessible, and widely used communication methods these days. It is absolutely necessary to learn to use technology to communicate with others. It has grown to such an extent that people almost can’t even imagine communication without technology.
Not only this, communication technology provides a wide range of facilities for people. They find it easier to communicate over technology than through oral or written communication. It also helps you reach a greater audience when compared to traditional communication practices.
Examples of Communication Technology
Human beings are an extensively communicative bunch of organisms. Advances in communication technology have made it cheaper and simpler to transfer information across the globe. As mentioned before, communication technology is everywhere.
Communication Technology can be compared to the air we breathe. It is everywhere. Everyone uses it. We know it’s there everywhere, but we just don’t realize it. The use of communication technology dates back to a few centuries and it has been used widely since then.
- The earliest forms of communication technology are the tricks and methods that people used to send messages over a long distance – they perhaps used to beat drums, send smoke signals, and even megaphones to transmit messages over a wider area, where human voice cannot reach. They also made use of electric communication devices like telegraphs, walkie-talkies, telephones, pagers, fax machines, and wireless radios.
- The latter half of the twentieth century gave rise to the information age and the rapid development of several information systems such as computers. This period saw the greatest transition from analog to digital forms of communication. This caused a great change in the method of communication people used – letters were gradually replaced by e-mails and telephones were replaced by mobile phones.
- After this period, the world saw its greatest transformation – the birth of the World Wide Web (The Internet). All communications were made possible with a single mouse click! All possible utilities were packed inside a single computer or mobile phone.
Even to this day, communication technology continues to dazzle us. More and more advancements in communication technology are introduced every day and we are now moving towards an age of artificial intelligence and machine learning! With that being said, here are some of the examples of communication technology:
1. Social Media
There is no introduction required for social media as we see it today. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram, are all helping billions of people all around the globe to connect and communicate with each other. Except for the fact that these social media platforms earn by displaying ads (which resulted in a lot of privacy concerns recently), the services are being provided for “free”.
Messaging someone you love, conducting meetings with your colleagues, etc. is extremely easy using these social networks. So it can be considered as one of the most important examples of communication technology.
2. Email
Almost everyone has an email address. The providers can be different, but the purpose is the same, to communicate over the electronic mail system. It is extremely easy to use, is free of cost, and can be created as many as you would like to. The most popular email providers such as Gmail facilitate billions of emails every single day. So, no need to mention the number if all of them are combined.
3. Smartphones
Considering smartphones as a single Communication Technology can be such an underestimation. Smartphones can be used for several purposes, including the above two. It can be used to send emails, access social media platforms and the internet, make phone calls, send SMS, and several other things that can be considered as a subcategory of communication technology.
Applications of Communication Technology
Communication technology has set its foot in every possible field in one way or another. We can even say that it is hard to find a field that it hasn’t set its foot on! Let us discuss some of its applications in various fields. These are the applications of communication technology:
Education
The education industry is indeed a huge one. It is used by people who fall under a broad age range. Communication technology plays an important role in education too! There are millions of educational resources on the internet – blogs, tutorials, course videos, and a lot more. Even schools make use of smart screens to teach students in a more engaging way.
During the current pandemic situation, communication technology plays a major role in educating students. They made use of video conferencing and online test portals to enhance their knowledge.
Healthcare
Communication technology has become extremely important in healthcare. It is widely used to notify doctors in case of emergencies. Also, critical care units have devices that alert healthcare professionals in case something goes wrong. These are extra-sensitive information and can cause serious problems when not transferred at the right time.
Further, there are a lot of wearable devices such as the smartwatch and the smart band, which help you keep track of your body conditions such as body sugar and pressure levels.
Gaming
The gaming industry is a rapidly growing one. More people are into video games lately and multiple communication technologies have been incorporated into games. Several features such as live chat, international competitions, and live multiplayer are used in new-age gaming.
Thus, communication technology has become one of the basic essentials that we need to survive! We can’t even think of living without communication technology. Mainly after the development of social media, people find it very easy to connect with people across the world, hence the famous saying, “The world is such a small place!”.
Recent trends and future predictions in Communication Technology
Communication is a necessity in society. It has a vital role to play in our lives. With technological advancements, the scope and width of communication have also evolved over the years. We have gone from mailing letters to using electronic mail and instant messaging. In fact, communication has made the globe feel much smaller than ever. However, it is not the end of the road for communication technology, as the future holds more improvements.
Although traditional modern communication technology such as email still holds importance, especially in the professional scene where almost 62% of companies use it as the primary form of communication, there have been recent changes that will open the way for much more nuanced technology such as AI and automated communication.
Even social media is at the forefront of this rampant onset of technological advancements and is expecting huge changes, as depicted in the following video. After that, we will also discuss the recent trends and future predictions for communication.
1. AI in communication
We are already seeing the impact of AI-powered chatbots and how they are integrated into communication. Using AI can help with personalized communication and much more efficient interaction. Furthermore, it can be used to collect data from said communication and use it to improve itself in the future.
2. NLP
NLP is a technique used in AI-powered chatbots that makes them much more intelligent. Over the years, personal assistants such as Alexa, Siri, and others have made huge strides. NLP allows them to be more efficient in task handling, as they can communicate with great finesse.
3. Data Analytics in communication
The role of data and analytics in communication has become more important as more companies have started streamlining their customer service. Many companies are in the process of creating omnichannel communication that is backed by data-driven decisions and communication metric analysis.
4. Rising VR and AR technology
VR or AR technology is the next phase in general communication. It can be used to create a metaverse that can facilitate virtual communication, making it more immersive and interactive. It will not only help professionals with virtual meetings and collaboration projects but also revolutionize how common people communicate on the web.
Advantages of communication technology
The growth of communication technology has proven itself a boon with distinct advantages, such as:
- It can help us save time and money, as we can communicate with someone far away in mere seconds. The rate and range of data transfer have improved tenfold in the last decade or so.
- It has become much easier to deliver information anywhere on the globe.
- Long-distance communication has become the norm.
- With technological advancements, cables and wires are becoming obsolete, allowing us mobility and freedom in communication.
- Mass communication has never been easier. Internet-based communication services, aka social media, have a much wider reach. This is a big benefit of mass communication.
Disadvantages of Communication Technology
Sadly, this advancement also brings with it certain glaring disadvantages, which are as follows:
- The ease of texting and online chats has made people more unaware of social constructs, as they can behave inappropriately.
- Online chatting and texts have also reduced our language finesse and clarity, allowing more errors, which aren’t acceptable in a formal setting.
- Communication technology is done in the public sphere; hence, it can cause privacy issues, no matter the platform you seek.
- Even communication devices such as a smartphone can be used for tracking and spying on you, making them a threat to your security.
- Since the internet has allowed the world to become much smaller, it has resulted in many cultures being influenced by others and becoming obsolete.
- Communication modes such as online messaging and social media breed social isolation and mental health issues.
- Online communication or text-based communication lacks the nuance of body language and vocal inflections, making it confusing and thus increasing the chance for misinterpretation.
Comparing various communication technologies
The following table compares various communication modes and technologies:
| Features | Instant Messaging | Social Media | Voice calls | Internet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed | Fast | Very Fast | Very Fast | Fast | Fast |
| Multimedia Support | Varied | Text and multimedia | Text and multimedia | Voice | Varied |
| Privacy and security | Encryption available | Encryption available | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Reach | Broad | Limited | Broad | Limited | Broad |
| Cost | Very cheap | Very cheap | Very cheap | Varies | Varies |
| Direction | Unidirectional | Bidirectional | En masse | Bidirectional | En masse |