Communication is an integral part of society, without which it cannot exist. People share information both verbally using words and sounds and non-verbally using emotions, facial expressions, and gestures. Human relations can be described as a collection of various tools for transmitting information. Access to data is a crucial characteristic of individuals’ motivation to embrace a particular communication paradigm. For example, the transformation of attitudes towards digital or technological channels opens up the limitless potential for receiving messages and letters, regardless of geographic location. This factor is a point of contact between generations since people began to use an image, not identity, when interacting. Thus, communication has changed over the years due to the emergence of innovative ways of transmitting data and diversification of the ways of representing the user online and over the phone.
The modern world is characterized by complete access to multichannel businesses and information systems. People are increasingly using virtual correspondence, online calls, and e-mail for everyday interaction. It has become an integral part of the professional and personal spheres of life in which individuals rely on their smartphones as communicators. Nevertheless, such a paradigm of data transmission did not always exist, and previous generations used radically different delivery methods. I talked with my parents and learned how they made social contacts twenty years ago and what values were pursued. I expected to hear obvious arguments, such as the prevalence of live dialogue and nominally limited communication due to the few devices available. The answers partly coincided with the assumptions, but they were more detailed and more related to interpersonal relationships and psychology than technology.
The first change is that people have become less careful about each other. It happened because access to information and its transmission channels became more open. My mother reported that she had noticed a separation of contacts in recent years. For example, an individual types a Facebook message to a friend while a professional conference occurs. This person apparently should be involved in the lecture material and participate in discussions or provide a report on a specific topic. However, the separation of contacts and Facebook’s use as a form of informal communication distracts the individual from both professional activities and does not allow a full-fledged dialogue with a friend online. My mother’s experience reminded me of Sherry Turkle’s speech in which a similar kind of communication change was provided. The author reported that people deliberately use additional connection forms to respond to the temporary loneliness experienced at certain times in their lives (Turkle, 2012). Thus, access to multifunctional technology and various communication channels gives people the ability to maintain a dialogue with a comprehensive contact list continually, but it also minimizes their value.
Information in the modern world is replacing the factor of intimacy in the life of each person. It is no secret that every human has unique character traits, worldview, and plans. These elements are essential for gradual development and psychological maturation. Besides, privacy includes romantic and companionship, single thoughts, religious preferences, and many other concepts that the individual chooses. Communication today deliberately diminishes these options’ value, forcing a person to share them for social approval. My father provided this argument based on personal observation on social media. People today are eager to post on Instagram or Facebook about their career positions, the museum’s interior, and new clothes. All this is done for the contact list to see these changes and react to them. Thus, modern communication has influenced the framework of privacy, which ceases to exist with the constant race for audience attention.
A third way that times have changed was to favor standardization and service speed over human contact emotion. I noticed this factor in my friends more than once, as they began to value capitalist advantages more than general social benefits. For example, the usual pizza delivery order has been transformed into a few clicks in an online application with notes that allow the supplier to bring food without calls and communication. It is a standard process in the modern world, as people are increasingly abandoning unnecessary conversations and correspondence in the approval of automated systems. This argument has been reaffirmed numerous times and could have indicated an increasing role of privacy and personal boundaries in society. However, it is instead a desire to get the product one needs without stress quickly. Thus, the transformation of communication today occurs with a decrease in people’s involvement in live contact to minimize additional psychological stress in everyday life.
The transformation of information transmission channels has penetrated everyday life and has become its fundamental characteristic. A short interview with my parents and observation of friends’ behavior made me understand that people have changed their attitude towards dialogue and correspondence on a subconscious level. Society prefers online ordering and delivery to minimize contacts with service providers. On the other hand, people communicate with their friends in messengers when their participation is critical. It leads to the fact that privacy is becoming a term from the past, while modern users share personal information online to gain approval and create the illusion of popularity. However, the takeaway from this reflection is that virtual chats and social media make us more lonely in real life.
Reference
Turkle, S. (2012). Connected, but alone? [Video]. TED Conferences. Web.