While I’ve covered some of the ways that new communication services like various uses of the Internet, or cell phones have made daily communication with our friends and families easier – there are a few more ways I’d like to share with you.
Another interesting aspect of this convenient communication is video chatting. I have friends that use Skype to video-chat with friends and family all around the world. Friends whose husbands are stationed in other countries and can’t chat on cell phones very often have used video chatting. Sometimes I can iChat with my best friend when he’s on a late shift in the middle of the night, and keep him company on breaks. We’ve used videophones at my house to talk to my grandma and Uncle, so they can see us while we’re chatting. Who would have thought that eventually we’d be able to see our loved ones while we talked to them thousands of miles away. This seems to be really convenient when people want to share excitement over awesome events happening in their lives, as well. I’ve watched people be able to use their laptops in airports, cafes, or libraries to chat online with friends or family. In locations like these where it may be hard to have a conversation out loud on the phone because it could be distracting to those around us, using Internet services to communicate is very convenient because it doesn’t disturb the surrounding customers, and people can still have conversations they want. It’s really nice when I’ve wanted to take a study break in the library, or the coffee shop and want to talk to someone for a few minutes without bothering the rest of my group.
Other positive aspects of new communication technology include how reliable and easy it is to use. The great thing about these new communication technology services is that there are multiple ways to reach someone through them. Perhaps you have friends that don’t sign into certain accounts very often, but they do use others. So, if your friend never uses MySpace and doesn’t respond to the message you left them there, you might have better luck with their Facebook account, or Twitter. Some people use separate e-mail addresses for work, and personal use. Most social media and communication services on the Internet have pretty simple interfaces. I have seen people who don’t use computers very often, set up their own Facebook or AIM accounts with little assistance. Most cell phones now have the ability to use instant messengers, or even e-mails on the phone, toot! Because of the easiness of using these services the barrier is a little bit lower (if people can afford to pay the cell phone bill, or have accessibility to the Internet). I have seen young people and old people a like use these services, with ease and enjoyment. When I first started using Facebook the only other people I communicated with through the service, were other college students. Over the years the scope of Facebook has changed. My mom even has her own Facebook account now, and has been able to use it to get in touch with old high school friends, family friends around the country and even just another way to talk with me when I’m up here at school.
Another press release from Pew Internet & American Life Project about connectedness and cell phone use and online experiences, noted support of these communication technologies: “Overall, respondents in this survey see much upside and little downside in the way new technologies have affected the quality of their communications with others” (2008). The article also expressed how helpful cell phones were for families to touch base with one another, and “coordinate family life on the fly during their busy lives” (2008). One more important idea the article addresses is the social activity of people using the Internet for communication. Some worry that this harms social interaction away from the computer, or decreases it, but the article explained: “Internet users socialize just as frequently as non-users. Indeed, even intense internet users (i.e. those who go online from home several times a day) are no less likely to socialize with friends than those who go online less frequently and those who do not go online at all” (2008). This seems to be a really positive result of communication technology, despite some people’s worries. It’s good to know that it doesn’t change the likeliness of actual face-to-face interaction among people.
That sure sounds like a lot of positive advantages created through the use of new communication technology to interact with our friends and family! Of course, wherever there is a positive, someone can find a negative. Coming up soon: what are the negative aspects of communication technology? Is the glass really half empty? You decide after reading my next entry!
Reference:
Fox, S. (2008, December 24). The new connectedness. Retrieved from: http://www.pewinternet.org/Commentary/2008/December/The-New-Connectedness.aspx
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