Technology Changing Our Culture

                         

Technology has changed our culture so much that we do not even do things the way we used to. For example, before technology advancements when you were picking someone up from their house you would knock on the door when you arrived. Now you just shoot the person a text and they come right now. Before technological advancements business people would have meetings face-to-face and now this can be done through e-mail or even video chat. Technological advancements are great and have made our lives so much easier, but can this be a bad thing as well? You cannot even sit and have a relaxing dinner with friends without one of their cell phones going off. People also rely on cell phones so much that we don't know how to do normal things without them. Like remember someone's phone number or drive from point A to point B,

Based on the quote above, this could very well be true for our culture. People do not interact like they used to because of our advancements in technology. In an article by Heather Kizziar (n.d.) she states, "Most people want to put their headphones in and listen to music rather than listening to another person. Videogames isolate all things from the world. Most people prefer technology today, just because that is all they know" (p. 1). We have steered away from social interaction making our culture anti-social in some ways. 

Although there are negative effects for every situation, technology has done a lot for our culture. We can get things done way more quickly and efficiently with the use of technology. It is used in the work field and for personal use as well. Charlie Gilkey (2015) says, "As much as technology is created from the fabric of our culture, technology also creates the fabric of our culture" (p. 1). At this point in our culture I would say that we need technology and it is here to stay.

                           

References

1)                  Gilkey, C. (2015, April 21). Technology and Culture Influence Each Other - Productive Flourishing. Retrieved July 10, 2016, from http://www.productiveflourishing.com/technology-and-culture-influence-each-other/

2)                   Kizziar, H. (n.d.). How Technology has Affected Our Culture. Retrieved July 10, 2016, from http://www.teenink.com/hot_topics/what_matters/article/507629/How-Technology-has-Affected-Our-Culture/                      

How Technology has Changed Society's Expectations of Mass Media

There is a lot that is expected of the mass media field since technology has made so many advancements. The people want information NOW! Technology is so quick that as soon as something happens, it can be reported about instantly. This is why the expectations of mass media from society has been altered since the advancements in technology. In an article by Mihaela Sterian (2016) she states, "The social and cultural context of the human society is increasingly complex and amplified by multimedia" (p. 1). Our society is based upon technology and mass media. This is why the expectations of mass media have been so high. Mass media is under a magnifying glass from the people in our society.

The expectations are going to continue to grow because now the population is used to getting all of their information immediately. Before advancements in technology people would wait until they got home to watch the news on television or even listen to it on the radio. Now that majority of people have cell phones with multiple applications, they can find out what is going on whenever they feel like it. 

Mass media has even changed the way some fields of work are performed. The public relations for example has has high expectations from the people since advancements in technology were created. Public relations professionals no longer have to do press releases (they could if they wanted to), but can just put out an email blast or information on the company's website. Michael Kent and Adam Saffer (2014) write, "New technology has dramatically expanded over the past decade. New features on websites, powerful mobile devices, and the subsequent restructuring of news services have dramatically changed the profession" (p.1). They are referring to the profession of public relations. Technological advancements have been extremely beneficial to this profession. 

References

1)                 Kent, M. L., & Saffer, A. J. (2014). A Delphi study of the future of new technology research in public relations. Public Relations Review, 40(3), 568-576. doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2014.02.008

2)                 Sterian, M. (2016). The Influence of Mass-Media on the Basic Personality. Euromentor Journal, 7(1), 33-39. Retrieved June 05, 2016, from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/docview/1784859669?pq-origsite=summon&accountid=3783

Technology's Advancement in Mass Media

Mass media has advanced since the introduction of technology into the field. Technology has made things more simple and it gets the work done a lot more quickly than it used to. In an article by Shannon Webster (n.d.) she writes, "The ability to communicate clearly and effectively is one of the skills that businesses look for in employees. The use of technology can be a great help to people in communicating, reducing the time it takes" (p. 1). In the mass media field, workers are able to produce information significantly faster than they used to before the introduction of technology. In past 20 years technology has grown so quickly.

In the video "Advancements in Technology" (2013) it shows all that technology has accomplished since the 1900's. It is amazing to see how much we have done over the past century in regards to technology. Technology has been a huge help with mass media. I'm sure technology will continue to make advances and our lives will continue to become easier over time.

References

1)                   Khan, H. (2013, May 13). Advancements In Technology. Retrieved July 10, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuCOThqyRx0

2)                   Webster, S. (n.d.). What Are the Positive & Negative Effects of Using Technology to Communicate? Retrieved June 05, 2016, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/positive-negative-effects-using-technology-communicate-21241.html

Training Needed

Now that communicators are having such a hard time maintaining their positions. There is more training needed for them. Older communicators need to come up to speed on technology in order to hold their positions and not be replaced by a younger, more technology savvy contender.

Communicators need to hold more skills than they used to in order to maintain their jobs in the communications field. The catch about this is that the communicators need both old skills and new skills. Someone who is completely technology savvy might be great to communicate online, but what if they need to communicate with someone face-to-face. Communicators are needed who have both the skills of an old communicator and a new one. Carolyn Bazzini (2010) says the communicators who incorporate the "best mix of communication-related disciplines and media" and put that together with their interpersonal skills will succeed (p. 1). This author states that new and old skills are required for the communicator to succeed. Nancy Painter (2014), spoke with a few different people regarding what communicators need, they stated, "Everyone is a communicator" (p. 1). People need to add the value to the job because the technology is going to be there for everyone. Technology is not the only thing needed to add value to the communications field.

References

1)               Bazzini, C. (2010, June 15). What Skills Will the Communicators of the Future Need to Have? Retrieved June 05, 2016, from https://www.questia.com/magazine/1G1-226362546/what-skills-will-the-communicators-of-the-future-need
2)                 Painter, N. (2014, July 30). Effective Communications and HR: Making the Connection. Retrieved June 19, 2016, from http://www.hrvoice.org/effective-communications-and-hr-making-the-connection/

Can This Change Be Bad?

Yes, the use of technology has improved the lives of communicators everywhere. Can this use of technology also be a bad thing for communicators? Well of course in every situation there are positives and negatives.

Communicators have been helped by technology so much, but there can also be a downfall to this use of technology, Young communicators are more adapted to technology because they were brought up with it from an early age. Communicators that have been in the field for decades are not so lucky. Older communicators need to come up to date on the technology in order to hold their position in the field. Any young communicator can come in and steal their job if they are more qualified and familiar with technology.

There are also other ways in which technology can have a negative effect. Ray Hiebert (2005) stated, "We’ve already seen examples of a new kind of warfare that uses new technologies as its weapons for the public mind and sphere. In the March 2004 train bombing in Madrid, the terrorists used mobile phones to detonate the bombs" (p. 4). Communications through technology can be way behind our reach in this example.

Also technology can give a false sense of communication. Communicators may be communicating with people, but are they actually getting through to the person they are targeting. Many people today have an account on a social media site and have many friends. These so called friends do not necessarily know anything about you or your intentions. This is why the work of communicators can be hindered by the use of technology. As you have watched in the attached link, you can see how technology might not be as great as we all think.







References

1)              Hiebert, R. E. (2005). Commentary: New technologies, public relations, and democracy. Public Relations Review, 31(1), 1-9. doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2004.11.001
2)              I. (2014, May 06). Technology is Destroying the Quality of Human Interaction. Retrieved June 19, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2V9-3ZwnIU

How Technology Has Changed the Work of Communicators

Through the use of technology, it has changed the way communicators communicate. There is no longer a severe need for people to talk or communicate face-to-face. Especially because the business world is at such a fast pace and done all over the world. Communicators need to be fully literate through technology in order to gain a position in the communications field. Even in the education system, technology is used to keep all parties in the loop and update them on information. Tom Halligan (2010) writes, "Camden County College (CCC), one of the largest community colleges in New Jersey, uses Web sites, e-mail, e-newsletters, and social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to engage alumni and keep them involved in the college community" (p. 1). All the communications are done with technology which has changed the work of original communicators.




Technology has actually changed the work of communicators for the better. It has made the life of communicators significantly easier. Technology is so fast and less time-consuming that communicators can spread more information in a faster amount of time. Hemangi Harankhedkar (2015) states, "The development of technology has considerably improved our lifestyle. It has made its impact felt on each and every aspect of life, including communication techniques. The development of communication has seen huge progress" (p. 1). The life of a communicator has improved through the use of technology.





References
1)                  Halligan, T. (2010, February). The Social Media Evolution. Community College Journal, 80(4), 30-33. Retrieved June 05, 2016, from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/docview/207590402?pq-origsite=summon&accountid=3783
2)                   Harankhedkar, H. (2016, March 25). Impact of Technology on Communication. Retrieved June 05, 2016, from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/impact-of-technology-on-communication.html