The evolution of technology in communication
Humankind has always used technology to communicate. The ways in which technology is used today looks very different from how it was tens of thousands of years ago. The term “technology” is often considered synonymous with being “modern”, “mechanical” or even “digital.” However, this is not a useful notion as it’s too narrow and restrictive. The word technology actually means the “application of specific knowledge for practical purposes” or the “application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life.”
Student activity! With a partner(s) can you think of 8 examples of how people have used technology over the ages to communicate? Try and name 2 examples from the following time periods:
- Ancient humans
- 19th Century
- Late 20th Century
- 21st Century
The illustrations below show some of the empirical key uses of technology to aid in effective communication
Look at the following images and talk to your partner(s) about the following types of communication technology. What are they? How were they used? After you have talked, click on the images to reveal some information about each.
Fig. 1. Ancient man created smoke signals to mark territory and warn of danger over distance.
Fig. 2. European cave drawings circa 30,000 BC. Drawings were a way of depicting the key events that occurred and a form of creative expression.
Fig. 3. The ancient Egyptians used Hieroglyphics circa 3500 BC for sacred writings.
Fig. 4. Since 600 BC, carrier pigeons were routinely used during war time to deliver messages. Below, a “war pigeon” delivers a message in Europe circa 1915.
Fig. 5. The telegraph was invented in 1840. It was the first electronic telecommunications solution for long distance communication.
Fig. 6. The telephone was invented in 1849, and the first telephone line was constructed in 1878.
Fig. 7. The internet sent its first message in 1969 and the World Wide Web as we now know it was created in 1990.
Fig. 8. The mobile or cellular phone was first invented in 1973 by Motorola. It weighed 2.4lbs and had a maximum talk time of 30 minutes and took 10 hours to recharge.
Fig. 9. High speed internet was created in 1999. It increased the speed at which data was uploaded and downloaded.
Fig. 10. Smart phones, (multi purpose mobile computing devices) were developed in the early 2000’s. In 2007, Apple's iphone set the new standard for touch screen personal device technology.
Contemporary communication technology
Modern technology, in particular high speed Internet, has revolutionized the way in which organizations and professionals communicate. Internal and external communication between employees, supply chains, stakeholder engagement, marketing, professional services, and public relations is highly dependant on technological solutions including:
| Activity | Technology | Previous methods |
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| Recruiting & selecting employees |
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| Work planning |
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| Meetings |
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| Marketing |
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| Sales |
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| Accounting |
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| Payments and expenses |
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| News and information sharing |
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Benefits of technology in communication
Advances in modern technology have transformed communication and generated significant improvements to efficiency, effectiveness, and innovation. Technological innovation has made communication fast, global, accessible, and cheaper. Some of the major advantages that modern technology has produced are:
- Real time interaction and exchange of information
- Remote interactions
- Security
- Reduced environmental impact
- Social engagement
- Increased customer relationships
- Decreased costs and increased profit
- Versatility and responsiveness
Drawbacks / limitations technology has on communications
The sum total benefit modern technology has on communication is felt on a daily basis for organizations and professionals. Individuals and teams are now connected with their customers and stakeholders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week across the globe. While this level of connection and responsiveness can be beneficial to businesses, there are also disadvantages and limitations to real-time and remote connectivity. Some of these drawbacks are:
- The health and wellness of people can be decreased.
- People find reduced boundaries between “work time” and “personal time.”
- There is increased expectation to be always available and contactable.
- Everyone is a spokesperson, a news reporter, and a camera operator. Public relations are no longer solely the remit of public relation and press specialists.
- Branding and corporate identity can be more difficult to manage.
- Without visiting other countries and being immersed in their culture, customs, and ways of life, it is more difficult to fully appreciate and empathize with diverse cultures.
- Cultural misunderstandings
- Communication via email, instant messaging apps, and social media platforms can have reduced context, and miscommunications can occur.
- People tend to be more forward and less compassionate remotely than face-to face.
- While technology brings a lot of security, it is also susceptible to security breaches of information.
- Propaganda and disinformation occur more often and have wider and more damaging effects.
The future of communications
Technological innovations during the last 60 years and again since the introduction of high speed Internet in 1999 have been unprecedented and unpredictable. Year after year, technological capabilities and speed increase, and costs decline. It is therefore extremely difficult to predict what the future of communications will look like.
When the Covid-19 pandemic spread during early 2020, organizations and professionals increasingly relied on high tech solutions including video conferencing and remote working capabilities to keep operating. It is predicted that remote work and working from home will continue and become business as usual.
It is expected that the world's reliance on increasing high speed Internet connectivity will be a fundamental feature of the future. The percentage of the world's population with access to high speed Internet and smart devices will increase. The investment, resources, and infrastructure to enable this is extensive and likely to be funded by private enterprise.
Due to the increase in production, population, and travel, the Earth has been warming rapidly, and there is an urgent and compelling need for change. Increased remote communication and its associated reduction in air and road transport have quickly made a quantified improvement on the planet's environmental health.
The future of communications will be exciting and as life-altering as the progress achieved in the last 200 years. Augmented and virtual reality technologies are maturing rapidly. Holograms may further reduce the need for travel and researchers and scientists are confident that they will soon have developed the technology for person to person thought transfer.