Technology (unchanged)

R U READY 4 THIS?

Suzan, 3,000 text messages?

NY! R u s? (No way! Are you serious?)

Sean, a thousand messages?

Ugh…

And you, grandma, you are old enough to know it!

MYOB, will ya? (Mind you own business, will you?)

Mom, who could you be texting?

IDK! My BFF Rose! (I don’t know! My best friend forever, Rose!)

(commercial, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySR3hpieiQc)

A total mess for a foreigner with professional English training, this commercial’s content is nothing but normal for a great majority of Americans. Chopping the words in text messaging or in online chats is one of many effects new technologies have on our lives. Like any medication, technology cures some needs of our society, side-effecting others.

Computers and electronic networks have revolutionized communication. Without having to bother with stamps, envelopes, and the delay in postal mail (called "snail mail" by electronic mail enthusiasts), millions of people interact via e-mail. Cell phones, beloved by some and despised by others, have accompanied college students. They have become more than luxurious accessories. PCs are not as new anymore. Macintosh laptops have taken over the minds of younger generations, who come to be a target-group for marketing companies. The expansion of “the digital world” also implies dependence on new technologies.

“We are, in some sense, entirely dependent on technology. If the computer in your car breaks down, your car won’t run again unless you get a new computer. If your internet stops working at home, you can’t do your homework. The libraries do not contain as much information as internet,” says John Johnson, the head of Management Information Systems Department.

In an era as mobile as today technology raises expectations of people.

“People are expected to communicate faster because if you wait for two days to get a response to your email, it’s not very time-efficient.”

New technologies facilitate businesses and “speed-up communication” as well as allow for a bigger group of communicators.

“In some research you find that there is a difference in performance in terms of whether the team does its job more quickly or does a higher quality job when you are face-to-face versus when you are on a distributed pattern but that’s really become the old way of looking at things because in businesses we usually don’t have the option of bringing people together,” says Kathy Chudoba, an associate professor in MIS department.

“So organizations today don’t say we would have higher performance if we met face-to-face than we do. That just doesn’t work in today’s environment so what organizations think is how to have the best of situation when people aren’t always face-to-face. Having new technologies, using emails, making phone calls and teleconferences, helps them share experiences and make the most of it.”

During her research on “Distributed Work and Global Virtual Teams”, Chudoba found that people tend to make erroneous assumptions when they don’t see each other face-to-face. For example, if one sends out an email to someone and does not receive a respond, one does not know whether they didn’t respond because they are working on the problem or whether they are “blowing you off.”

With the society becoming more technology-driven, some people fear the long-term accumulative effects. Some of the main concerns are the declining face-to-face communication skills, social-psychological factors and language protection.

Social psychological effects of computer communication have been studied by comparing computer-mediated communication with face-to-face communication. Unlike face-to-face communication the medium in computer-mediated communication is primarily textual.

Despite the fact, that computer-mediated communication is easier and faster, there are no nonverbal cues to embellish meaning, says Bradford “J” Hall, department head of the Department of Languages, Philosophy and Speech Communication. “Online social networking is a nice addition to speech communication but it will never become a substitute.”

Not only can the absence of cues hamper communication efficiency, but it seems to create impression of anonymity and lack of awareness of the social context. The border between people allows them to say things that they would not say otherwise or hide the ‘’unwanted’’ emotions.

“If you are biting your fingers, when waiting for an answer, the person on the other side of the screen doesn’t see it. This makes it easier to talk about things if you are shy. Online chats encourage you be brave,” says Aldo Gomera, a senior in MIS, who admits that he himself is online 24 hours a day. “I have a PDA. My computer is online all the time so I can reply to my emails instantly and be in touch with friends who are thousands of miles away.”

Another major concern about increased online networking is language protection. Abbreviations in text messaging and online chatting have become a great part of everyday language. People, especially college students, transmit the online language to everyday language.

“It’s “hip” to use these abbreviations. I use them all the time, like LOL (laughing out loud), BRB (be right back) or ROFL (rolling on the floor laughing). I think it’s something that younger kids do and it may pass as they get older,” says Tim Yandeepit, a junior in Linguistics.

As “the digital world expands” we need more technology in order to create newer technology. When we create a new microprocessor we need a computer to create the next one. When is time to stop? Or should we stop at some point are questions to be answered by the society.