Impact of Technology on Communication
Show an understanding of how changes in technology impact on the way humans communicate and the ethical issues that surround these change
Impact of communication
Have you ever stopped to consider how much you rely on technology on a daily basis? If you feel shocked and even horrified at yourself when you stopped to think, you are not the only one.
Technology as a form of communication has taken over as social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat. Texting, talking, and even face to face are all experienced online nowadays; decreasing the amount of human interaction. People heavily rely on technology these days, that it is affecting the way we communicate with others face to face. With a mobile phone at their fingertips, people would rather hide behind their screens and communicate than face to face communication. Unknowingly people are becoming less social, interactive and outgoing (Walker, Brittany 2014).
Ethical issues
The main ethical issues regarding technology these days include cyberbullying and online privacy. With the accessibility for online communication to be quick and seamless to use, cyberbullying has increased, due to the lack of consequence enforced on social media. A strategy to uphold a responsible online interaction is to ask yourself “Is it true?”, “Is it helpful?”, “Is it inspiring?”, “Is it necessary?” and “Is it Kind?” (COMM140, 2016). With more people frequently posting about their lives to friends on social media, it challenges the ethical issue of privacy in the digital space. Many people can easily access the personal information, such as phone number, address, or pictures of someone through social media accounts. The next time before you post use the Granny Rule; “If you wouldn’t like your grandma to see it then don’t post it (COMM140, 2016).”
- Ning
References
Walker, Brittany (2014) “The positive and negative impacts technology has on our daily lives”. Retrieved from: https://www.uwplatt.edu/icet-news/positive-and-negative-impacts-technology-has-our-daily-lives
COMM140, Lecture 3 (2016) “Personal Learning Networks” Retrieved from: https://leo.acu.edu.au/pluginfile.php/1771133/mod_book/chapter/56184/COMM140_Week3_PLN.pdf
