Communication in the digital world
In my previous blog post I reflected on an interview with ESPN and NFL player Aaron Rogers. Aaron noticed that the majority of his teammates off the field during A NFL pre-season camp were heavily dependent on their mobile phones. (Wilde, 2016) He explained in the interview that the players were harder to communicate and interact with, in contrast to previous seasons. Aaron an experienced campaigner brought it upon himself to breakdown that barrier and made a goal to get to know every single player. Using this example, I believe this is one of the impacts of using digital communication devices. These advancements of Communication technology have enabled people around the world to connect with each other. This is truly remarkable accomplishment however little is known how the presence of these devices in public/social settings has affected how we interact with each other in person. (Przybylski and Weinstein, 2012,) Explore this theory and conduct a series of social experiments. The first experiment examined the general effects of mobile phone presence on relational processes and the second experiment investigated these dynamics for people having a casual and meaningful interactions. Both experiments indicated that the mobile phone communication devices such as phones can, by their sheer presence, paradoxically hold the potential to facilitate as well as disrupt human interaction and bonding. From my personal experience I see this, go for a walk in a busy city or catch a train and observe how many people are connected to phones/tablets and laptops, Digital technology and communication is quite extraordinary.
I don’t want to bash technology and list all the negatives because on the flip side of the coin the way technology has positively impacted on the way we communicate is truly incredible. If you take step back in reflect on how technology has changed during your life, it is quite a feat. Specifically, Social media devices such as Messenger, YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter. etc, these devices have allowed people around the world to connect with each other. They allow people to have a voice, freedom of speech, share feelings, thoughts, ideas, interests to people, business ideas etc.
The world is becoming digitalized and of course there are ethical considerations that surround communication technology. Cyber bullying, hate speech, threats are problems within social media. People need to be aware and educated on their digital footprint when posting things online as it may offend others or effect their own reputation. There is difference between freedom of speech and hate speech/threats and using social media as a platform can tarnish people’s respectability and lead to many consequences in the present and future.
Przybylski, A. K., & Weinstein, N. (2012). Can you connect with me now? How the presence of mobile communication technology influences face-to-face conversation quality. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 30(3), 237–246. doi:10.1177/0265407512453827
Wilde, J. (2016, August 30). In technology-driven world, Aaron Rodgers strives for more face time, less FaceTime. Retrieved August 31, 2016, from ESPN, http://www.espn.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/75246/in-technology-driven-world-aaron-rodgers-strives-for-more-face-time-less-facetime
