Technology is a term that has been used to refer to the new innovations and inventions of the use of the resources that are within us. Technological advancements have great effects on society today. It has allowed many economies to rise up economically and also raised the living status of most individuals in society. Technology affects the values of society since it challenges traditional norms. Technological effects can be very useful while others can have very adverse effects. The technological innovation that has had a great impact on the United States society is the technology within the communication field. This points to the invention of telephones, cell phones, computers the internet, electronic mails, fax machines, video conferencing among others (Sandra J, 2008, p15).
Technology within the communication sector has come to solve the undying need of people to communicate. It has broken the barriers of communication both locally and internationally. With mobile phone technology, the issues of lack of communication due to distance are ruled out. Previously people used to spend a lot of time together communicating but today a phone call away solves issues no matter the distance (Bartlett, 2005, p18). The internet on the other hand has become a great source of information globally. Today almost every detail of what goes around the societies is found on the internet. It is a very essential tool of communication today. Other uses of the internet include leisure, socializing, research work, and also school work. With the internet, one can establish a lot of individual and also social networks. It is also used by people like tourists to find different places for leisure, used by students for academic purposes, for shopping among other uses. Many people have gone online to solve most of the social problems.
The use of communication technology has come to increase the speed of communication. This has resulted in various changes within modern organizations. There is improved performance since the time and space constraints for communicating different issues have been resolved. It has come to play a very big role in establishing and maintaining social relations. There is also easy access to information as opposed to getting written literature in the libraries. The volume of communication between individuals has increased since the different methods of communication enable cheap and readily available means of communication (Krug, 2006, p27). This makes the planning of different issues and also decision making be fast.
Technological advancements always come with negative effects on society. Communication technology in our society has had its negative effects too. One of the most immediate negative effects is that it has replaced the traditional means of communication and this has affected the cultural norms and believes of societies today. It has greatly reduced the need for a face to face communication. This has increased the chances of isolation since you can easily communicate through the machines. The internet as a source of information has a lot of negative effects especially those related to fraud, scams, and easy access of pornography to minors. Other effects include the cases of congestion since so many people are demanding the service at the same time. This may reduce chances of access leading to a lot of inconveniences and also disrupting the organizational relations. Other negative effects include environmental pollution, replacing human labor, and depletion of natural resources (Rogers, 2007, p21).
In conclusion, communication technology has been greatly appreciated by society today. The innovations within this sector will continue over time since generation gaps are always satisfied with the new inventions. For example, the mobile phone is continuously being improved with new features. The mobile phone will soon not only be a means of communication but also a channel of financial transaction. Technology within this field is always evolving as new demands arise in the market. Its effects within society will always be present within us (Bartlett, 2005, p24).
References
EM Rogers (2007). Communication technology: The new media in society. New York Free press.
Eugene R. Bartlett (2005). Communications Technology. McGraw Hill Publishers
Gary J Krug (2006). Communication, Technology and Cultural Change. Sage Publications Ltd
Sandra J (2008). Ethnicity, place, and communication technology. Journal of Information Technology & People. Emerald Group Publishing Limited.