In Mark Poster's Postmodern Virtualities, he compares the birth of new technologies as forms of communication to the emergence of urban culture in the Middle Ages. This comparison to a revolutionary time is bold, but I agree; in this day and age, we are relearning how to communicate as we gain access to new ways to do so.
In the Middle Ages, long time systems of communication had to be set aside in order for trade and the exchange of goods to happen. The way in which people had conversations, as well as the way in which they did or did not interact with strangers, all began to revolve around the necessity for trade and the tools it brought with it.
This is exactly what has happened over the past few decades and that continues to happen today. We are restructuring how we communicate with each other, from personal interactions to business conversations and relationships. In the past month, I've texted friends across the country, sent a video to someone in Germany, had a video interview for an internship over Skype, and live streamed a play through of a video game. All of these technologies have come about and been refined in my lifetime.
As more types of technology arise, we learned how to communicate with them in a societal sense, even more so than in a technological aspect. There are forms of communication for different settings; you wouldn't email a friend to ask them to dinner, you'd text them, and you wouldn't text your boss about a shift, you'd email them.
But how do the functions of technology get decided? I think it largely has to do with the intimacy of who you're communicating with.
When I was younger, I would email a friend to ask them to dinner, because texting wasn't commonly accessible and email was the most intimate form of communication I had. I would have called my boss about a shift, not emailed, because phone calls were the most formal way to reach someone. I couldn't have imagined Skyping an employer for an interview, Skype was reserved for talking to long distance friends, but nowadays, that's what FaceTime is for, because I can do it instantly from my phone. Skype requires a computer setup, a username, and makes the most sense for a business conversation.
As technology evolves and presents us with new ways to communicate, I believe that the functions of specific technologies will continue to shift based on what becomes available. Just as trade influenced communication and relationships of the Middle Ages, so will technology in our modern day and age.
In the Middle Ages, long time systems of communication had to be set aside in order for trade and the exchange of goods to happen. The way in which people had conversations, as well as the way in which they did or did not interact with strangers, all began to revolve around the necessity for trade and the tools it brought with it.
This is exactly what has happened over the past few decades and that continues to happen today. We are restructuring how we communicate with each other, from personal interactions to business conversations and relationships. In the past month, I've texted friends across the country, sent a video to someone in Germany, had a video interview for an internship over Skype, and live streamed a play through of a video game. All of these technologies have come about and been refined in my lifetime.
As more types of technology arise, we learned how to communicate with them in a societal sense, even more so than in a technological aspect. There are forms of communication for different settings; you wouldn't email a friend to ask them to dinner, you'd text them, and you wouldn't text your boss about a shift, you'd email them.
But how do the functions of technology get decided? I think it largely has to do with the intimacy of who you're communicating with.
When I was younger, I would email a friend to ask them to dinner, because texting wasn't commonly accessible and email was the most intimate form of communication I had. I would have called my boss about a shift, not emailed, because phone calls were the most formal way to reach someone. I couldn't have imagined Skyping an employer for an interview, Skype was reserved for talking to long distance friends, but nowadays, that's what FaceTime is for, because I can do it instantly from my phone. Skype requires a computer setup, a username, and makes the most sense for a business conversation.
As technology evolves and presents us with new ways to communicate, I believe that the functions of specific technologies will continue to shift based on what becomes available. Just as trade influenced communication and relationships of the Middle Ages, so will technology in our modern day and age.
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