What are public communication technologies?
And why do we care?
First, let’s start with understanding what each of these words means.
First — public: concerning people as a whole. Communication: exchanging information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium. And lastly, technology: the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.
Okay, great. We understand each of these words as individual units. But, together, as a whole? These three words refer to both the technology that allows the public to exchange information and the systems that uphold it.
It is easy to think of technology as only those items consisting of wires and motherboards: laptops, smartwatches, your dog’s microchip.
However, since these technologies facilitate the exchange of information they also include newspapers, Facebook and the sign outside of your favorite bar.
These technologies are not new, although our definition of them is ever-expanding.
As technologies enter our world they either add on incrementally to already existing technologies (i.e., tablets) or shake everything up (i.e., television).
We live in a technology environment that steadily fluctuates between the two.
It can feel like a sort of technology whiplash as we try to keep up with the latest tech and understand how to use it.
For example, different platforms take on their own “personalities” forcing the consumer to stay familiar with the “proper” usage. You would likely never post the same thing on Twitter as you would on Instagram.
To stay relevant in this environment, you need to understand the subtleties of the technology.
To make matters more complicated: everything is connected, allowing us an ease of transmitting information that has never existed before.
In order to digest the craziness that makes up the right half of the above timeline, I think it is helpful to view this world through the lens of a “Communication Technology Ecosystem.”
Communication Technology Ecosystem
When you think of an ecosystem you likely imagine the peaceful interaction between plants, birds and water.
The communication ecosystem, although not referring to plants, does take into account interactions of many different levels.
We can understand this ecosystem by using an iPhone as a subject.
At the core of the ecosystem lies the “tangible”: the hardware (i.e., your phone), the software (i.e., the system that helps your phone run; iOS), and the content (i.e., apps, text messages).
Surrounding this center is the organizational infrastructure, or in other words, the process of creating and delivering the phone to you. Both the manufacturing facilities in China and Apple Stores fall into this middle ring.
In order for this ecosystem to operate, a social system must support it.
For example, there is a social expectation that everyone has a phone — encouraging those that do not have one to do so.
Lastly, the triangle cutting through all of the layers is you — the individual user. This technology is meaningful because you use it. This product is created because you demand it.
In order to understand the impact a technology like an iPhone has had, one must consider it within this ecosystem.
iPhones have not just changed the way you communicate with your friends or take photos, they have had an impact on the entire ecosystem.
The Importance of Studying These Technologies
If you choose to study these technologies you must look backwards. Taking a look at older examples of new technologies allows both media researchers and current consumers the chance to predict what the future communication technology ecosystem might look like.
These older technologies have allowed media researchers to develop theories that provide an understanding of how technologies are adopted. Other theories help us understand why people choose to use technologies. Others illuminate how people learn how to act socially through exposure to media.
Media researchers then use these theories to inform future studies. Each of these studies provides us with another brick in the “understanding how people use media” wall.
These technologies also reflect the status of our society.
The way we interact with them, the way they phase in and out of use, the way they dictate our actions — all of these factors are a meaningful reflection of our culture.
Think about it: the television shows that were broadcast in the 1950s reflected a cross-section of (certain parts) of American society. These shows have shaped, for many, their expectations of what a good, American life looks like.
Some of the shows broadcast today, on the other hand, reflect a more realistic, diverse cross-section of America. These shows also reflect the desire of many in our country to be accepting and embrace our status as a melting pot.
To study technology allows us to understand our society.
To study communication technologies allows us to understand how we connect as a society. These connections, or lack thereof, are what provide a social structure for the continuation of our society.
In an increasingly globalized world, with new ideas and inventions no longer inhibited by geographic barriers, we need to understand the pathways that allow information to flow.
This Blog
Every other week I will post to this blog to discuss a component within the sphere of public communication technologies (next up: electronic mass media!). There will be a couple of times I post other items, like book reviews or academic article reviews.
I learn best when applying theoretical concepts to modern-day examples and will try to do the same when writing.
There is no reason these theories and frameworks should be reserved for only academics to understand and ponder. We can all benefit from a critical look at how our society is structured and how we play a role in either sustaining these structures or breaking them down.
I hope this blog can serve this purpose for you!
References:
Grant, A.E., & Meadows, J.H. (Eds.) (2018). Communication Technology Update and Fundamentals. New York, NY: Routledge.
