How Technology Influences Communication

Do you remember when the mail system was the main way to communicate long distance? Of course not, the advent of the phone changed everything. Quick communication before that was expensive and frustrating, and now it just gets easier and easier.

History

• The electric telegraph was invented in the 1800s, followed quickly by the telephone; radio was right on its heals and television quickly followed. Near the end of the 1900s cell phones, the Internet and blogs came into being in quick succession. Each of these technologies drastically changed communication, making it easier and faster.

Product Reviews

• Technology affects how fast word of mouth, regarding products, is spread. Searching for interesting products and then using the Internet to talk to others about it has made this type of communication more important to a product's success.

Instant Breadth

• The largest change is the speed and the sheer mass of people that can be reached via new technologies. Email, texting and online social networks all allow people to share more than ever before; for example, the average user of a popular social network has 120 friends that are updated instantly of the smallest details. Technology continues to increase the amount of people with which we can communicate and shows no sign of stopping.