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What is your opinion on the advancement of technology when it comes to communication?
Do you like the advancement of technology so far? What do you think some pros and cons are when it comes to communication via technology?
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13 answers
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Chirayu’s Answer
Here is my perspective -
Pros: Increased access to communication because with the proliferation of smartphones and the internet, people can communicate with others from almost anywhere in the world, at any time, breaking down physical and geographical barriers. More modes of communication as technology has brought about new forms of communication such as instant messaging, video calls, and social media, providing greater flexibility and options for people to communicate with each other. Lastly, improved efficiency since communication through technology often happens in real-time, making it faster and more efficient compared to traditional methods.
Cons: Decreased face-to-face communication as technology provides more ways to communicate without being physically present, face-to-face communication has become less common, potentially leading to decreased social skills and emotional intelligence. Overreliance on technology for communication can lead to addiction and loss of balance in one's life. The convenience and reach of technology can also make it easier for personal information to be intercepted or misused.
Pros: Increased access to communication because with the proliferation of smartphones and the internet, people can communicate with others from almost anywhere in the world, at any time, breaking down physical and geographical barriers. More modes of communication as technology has brought about new forms of communication such as instant messaging, video calls, and social media, providing greater flexibility and options for people to communicate with each other. Lastly, improved efficiency since communication through technology often happens in real-time, making it faster and more efficient compared to traditional methods.
Cons: Decreased face-to-face communication as technology provides more ways to communicate without being physically present, face-to-face communication has become less common, potentially leading to decreased social skills and emotional intelligence. Overreliance on technology for communication can lead to addiction and loss of balance in one's life. The convenience and reach of technology can also make it easier for personal information to be intercepted or misused.
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Robert’s Answer
The advancement of technology is evolving at a rapid pace. We constantly see new inventions, advancements, and changes. This can be both positive and negative. As technology advances it gives the world more access to information. It provides easier and quicker communication. The problem with the ever growing and extremely fast pace of growth is that it can easily alienate those who are behind the curve. The things we believe are easy or come as second nature as we have grown up with it, can be troubling for those that haven't. This can create barriers between those that know how and those that don't. Working in a technology field I see many instances where simple technological tasks can render someone lost and confused. As the entire world advances in technology a lot of those behind the curve will be left behind. This is my biggest dislike about the advancements is how quickly others can and will have less opportunity without access or training. I believe there is a huge need for additional training and assistance for this group and hope we see that before it is too late.
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Carl’s Answer
Wow, Cody, that is a very insightful question. I see a few of my Verizon co-workers have chimed in on this question so I'll try not to repeat some of their points. I'm a project manager at Verizon. Some of the projects I've worked on have totally changed the game for technology in communications. We now offer wireless broadband service. This was not a reality when I entered this industry 24 years ago. This has bridged the digital divide, allowing rural areas that traditionally didn't have the infrastructure for broadband service to be included in the many benefits that high-speed internet offers. Many jobs that required people to be in person can be done remotely because of advances in technology. For many jurisdictions, that widens the pool of talent they can employ. I'm sure people will touch on some of the drawbacks of this technology. Yes, it can eliminate some of the personal touches of face-to-face interactions. Admittedly, the culture has changed in many work environments with the increase in remote and hybrid work environments. With that said, it also allows more participation. I've been able to participate in activities sponsored by the professional organization I belong to simply because virtual options are available. Overall, I'm excited about the evolution of technology in communications. There is a lot more to come that will enhance all of our experiences.
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Michael’s Answer
Good question Cody! Technology is great. I love the stuff. I work in telecom and technology is an essential part of the business. That said, technology is trying to recreate something that in it's organic form cannot be made better. Just as a space heater is to a campfire, communication via a technology medium will only be a facsimile of in person communication. The point is that technology has given us ways to have communication when in person is not possible or is impractical, but it can never replace it.
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Terrell’s Answer
The advancement of technology when it comes to communication, has evolved over time. In the beginning there were symbols, or markings utilized.
We evolve all the time building on where we started to where we are currently. Look how telephones have changed over the years.
I mean we have come a long way from smoke signal, telegraphs, acoustic telephone- to cell phones. We basically build upon what we know works and just add something to simplify the lines of communication. However, the more recent communication with video calls, is good however sometimes you still need that face-to-face interaction with people to feel whole. It's like how the wheel started we evolve and adapt based on the needs.
We evolve all the time building on where we started to where we are currently. Look how telephones have changed over the years.
I mean we have come a long way from smoke signal, telegraphs, acoustic telephone- to cell phones. We basically build upon what we know works and just add something to simplify the lines of communication. However, the more recent communication with video calls, is good however sometimes you still need that face-to-face interaction with people to feel whole. It's like how the wheel started we evolve and adapt based on the needs.
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Tyler’s Answer
This was answered as a group by PagerDuty employees:
Pros:
* Makes it easier for people to stay connected when there's a physical distance barrier
* Can help lighten the mood and keep entertained
* In a work setting, can help to speed up communications and promote efficiency
* Can help to foster collaboration in a work environment, particularly for asynchronous collaboration
* Can help people in remote geographical regions access content/information that they wouldn't be able to access otherwise
Cons:
* Becomes easy to substitute face-to-face interactions with digital communication
* Shortened attention spans because you have the ability to quickly communicate/text and abbreviate things
* Conditions you against using proper grammar and spelling
* Information overload - constantly being over-stimulated with excess communication
* Technology gaps create skill/knowledge gaps in areas that are underserved
* Technology doesn't always scale with age, making it difficult for older generations to adopt
Pros:
* Makes it easier for people to stay connected when there's a physical distance barrier
* Can help lighten the mood and keep entertained
* In a work setting, can help to speed up communications and promote efficiency
* Can help to foster collaboration in a work environment, particularly for asynchronous collaboration
* Can help people in remote geographical regions access content/information that they wouldn't be able to access otherwise
Cons:
* Becomes easy to substitute face-to-face interactions with digital communication
* Shortened attention spans because you have the ability to quickly communicate/text and abbreviate things
* Conditions you against using proper grammar and spelling
* Information overload - constantly being over-stimulated with excess communication
* Technology gaps create skill/knowledge gaps in areas that are underserved
* Technology doesn't always scale with age, making it difficult for older generations to adopt
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Pedro’s Answer
Technology is developing faster and faster every moment. This is also because a good part of it is about communication, thus creating a feedback loop that grows the system and further interconnects it. It's a snowball effect and it's actually becoming a huge, unstoppable avalanche (actually a huge catastrophe may stop it). So, like it or not, you have to go with it. So, enjoy the ride and make the most of it ;) If possible try to help steering away from catastrophe...
As a river rushing down a mountain, this isn't entirely random or chaotic, so the more people understand what's going on and what are the options, the more it becomes possible that we can push for a good path. Effective, binding communication is key, so we all need to learn together how to use technology to improve our communication in a way that we can develop each person as much as possible and make it so everybody can effectively put the best of themselves to work for all of us. developmentalism
Get to know the IDGs - Inner Development Goals https://www.innerdevelopmentgoals.org/
Learn as much as you can, learn to collaborate - develop yourself and help developing others
Make people development your top priority and lead by example
As a river rushing down a mountain, this isn't entirely random or chaotic, so the more people understand what's going on and what are the options, the more it becomes possible that we can push for a good path. Effective, binding communication is key, so we all need to learn together how to use technology to improve our communication in a way that we can develop each person as much as possible and make it so everybody can effectively put the best of themselves to work for all of us. developmentalism
Pedro recommends the following next steps:
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Brett’s Answer
Technology is always changing, and connecting people at a vast rate. Not only in your home with more machine to machine applications (Ex. smart refrigerators ordering groceries off of Amazon), but also creating efficiencies for Businesses. Post-Covid a lot of businesses have created more and more remote working jobs. This is possible with technology ever increasing such as (VOIP, Virtual Platforms, Integrated Chat functions, Teams for Mobile, etc.)
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Amanda’s Answer
Technology is constantly changing. There are many pros & cons. In the workforce specifically, it is helpful to communicate with people over video conferences. Many vendors that companies work with are not local so it is helpful to put a name to a face. In a normal office setting, there is less human interaction than before. Instead of walking over to someone's desk to ask a question, people are sending a chat or an email. Technology has haltered us from increasing our social interactions.
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Leonard’s Answer
Technology has totally shifted technology, especially social media. As a communications practitioner, we would typically work with our clients to draft a press release, send it to the editors who track their industry, and follow it up with a phone call. With technology, that evolved into using email to share you're clients' pitch. But with the advent of social media, it's all about influence and social reputation sharing your value proposition and getting engagement. It's also about content strategy and sharing content that connects with your target audience for that content.
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david’s Answer
Interesting question which could take hundreds of pages to discuss, and this has nothing to do, as I see it, with a career choice. However, to answer briefly, technology has changed society to a high degree in past 40 years, much of it due to changes in communication options. Consider we have the internet, the world wide web, chat, podcasts, email, and social media (such as Facebook, Instagram, etc), all due to technology. People carry phones with them that do far more than support voice communications. The future will continue in this mode, introducing capabilities that are yet to be discovered.
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Tiffiny’s Answer
Many of my other Verizon colleagues have answered this but I shall add my perspective I work as a product owner supporting software enhancements for our global engineering teams to better deliver our products faster to our customers.
Video conferencing and communication tools such as slack have made cross timezone communications easier and more inclusive.
The advantages are definitely the ability to work from home or anywhere with a good internet connection which can free people from the time and expense of commuting.
The cons as previously mentioned are it can lead to an always "on" lifestyle for work but also in your private life leaving little time for real downtime.
Also there are so many ways to connect now it can be overwhelming to keep up, for some people it's a full time job keeping their socials up to date and ensuring they present a perfect version of themselves.
What I'm excited to see in the future is real time translation of speech between different languages and a movement away from influencers and a return to using communication tools to arrange in person meet ups.
Video conferencing and communication tools such as slack have made cross timezone communications easier and more inclusive.
The advantages are definitely the ability to work from home or anywhere with a good internet connection which can free people from the time and expense of commuting.
The cons as previously mentioned are it can lead to an always "on" lifestyle for work but also in your private life leaving little time for real downtime.
Also there are so many ways to connect now it can be overwhelming to keep up, for some people it's a full time job keeping their socials up to date and ensuring they present a perfect version of themselves.
What I'm excited to see in the future is real time translation of speech between different languages and a movement away from influencers and a return to using communication tools to arrange in person meet ups.
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Mohammad’s Answer
This is a great question Cody and controversial one in the same time! In my opinion, Advancement in technology and specially in communications is a natural thing as humans always thrive to make their life more easy and to reach each other no matter the distance between them is. This is started from the invention of the wired communication and the famous first call by Graham Bell with the first words "Mr. Watson--come here--I want to see you" and up till today Ultra wide band technologies which I'm working it myself being part of Verizon. However, I also believe that the use of this technology need to be regulated and controlled as it could impact our privacy and information safety. Also it had it's affect on our face to face communication and our culture in general. I think advancement in communication technology is a necessity but we need to keep the balance while using it specially for the children and young users!