Communication In The Pre-Digital Age

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Most people believe that we are currently in the golden of communication. I would argue however, communication was far more effective in the pre-digital age. The ability for people to be able to effectively communicate with each other has been a critical component in the growth and advancement of human civilization. Communication allows people to convey ideas, thoughts, news, etc. For communication to be effective, it is critical that the thoughts and ideas are accurately conveyed. If messages are misinterpreted or misunderstood, there is a breakdown in communication.
Throughout the course of history, communication methods have changed greatly. It used to be that communication was either through the spoken word to small groups of people or writing letters to others. Over time, technologies have allowed individuals to reach larger and larger audiences, first through the printed press/newspapers and then …show more content…

Before the digital age, it took time for people to receive and respond to the limited variations of communication. This in turn, allowed them to create a more thoughtful response. Today, when you receive a message and don’t respond immediately it might even be considered as rude. This pressure for instantaneous responses leads to less thought out and detailed responses. This has had the impact of decreasing people 's expectations for what constitutes acceptable communication. Additionally, it is also increasingly difficult to convey emotions or feelings such as sarcasm or tone through a simple text message. This has had the unfortunate consequence of people feeling the need to be constantly on their phone/in touch. Modern communication technologies have had a negative impact on the quality of our daily lives by the increased pressure to always be