Questions and Answers on Communications Devices and Methods - Paper Example

Have modern communications devices and methods posed any problems for our society today?

Modern communication devices such as smartphones and computers are gradually affecting the process of socializing CITATION McG12 \l 1033 (McGrath). While the process of reaching out to many people has been made easy, the technologies erode strong social relations. Most teenagers spend a lot of time on these gadgets rather than physical socialization. It is also evident that the increased use of social media platforms has eroded social values that were easily controlled whenever people associated physically. For instance, social media has been proven to sexualize children at a faster rate than before. Modern communication approaches using technology exposes children to a wide range of information which guardians or parents can hardly control. The teenager would prefer spending a whole day on social media while in the comfort of their rooms. This change in behavior not only has risks to social health, physical health, and mental health.

What dynamic forms of communication are lost when we do NOT communicate face-to-face?

Whenever people choose not to engage in face to face communication, some dynamics forms of communication are lost CITATION Nat14 \l 1033 (Zeitel-Bank). One of the major aspects that are eroded or likely to be eroded by the ICT is interpersonal communication skills. To understand this point, it will be important to review the critical points linked to face-to-face communication. A face-to-face communication process entails three basic elements which are feelings, message and motivation. These are skills that can only be gained through an apprenticeship in that people learn from doing as well as from others. This implies that addiction to online communication can negatively affect the acquisition of these basic skills. It is paramount to acknowledge that techniques used to communicate on social media platforms are different from the techniques used in face-to-face communication.

The increasing connections with communication technology gadgets such as mobile phones have been linked to the dissociative disorder. These options in of communication tend to dissociate individuals from the societal fabrics. As a result, people only become reliant on online communication due to their mental orientation which can also be regarded as a mental disorder. Most people attached to the social media platforms would prefer to use these platforms even when chatting with people in the same room. Today, it is not surprising to witness everybody on a commuter train or bus busy on communicating using their phones rather than face-to-face with the people sitting next to them. The technology has reduced the socializing ability of people, and this has serious repercussions to the current and future generations. As a result, many people who avoid face-to-face communication become shy and unable to integrate into the society.

Have there been changes in our ability to listen? Changes in our attention span?

Lack of face-to-face communication also affects other important skills such as listening and attention. Whenever people take a lot of time on computers and cell phones, they make use of the sense of sight more often than other senses. This is different from face to face communication that incorporates the sense of sight and sense of hearing. Whenever people are unable to use these senses in different situations, emotions, and communication process, the ability to listen is compromised. Lack of face-to-face communication can make a person lose patience in the listening process. The attention span is greatly impaired since the mind is used to interacting with machines and not people. Basic communication skills such as turn-taking have been greatly affected due to the reduced concentration span. The preferences of communicating have changed and influenced the way people pay attention to face-to-face communication.

Works Cited

BIBLIOGRAPHY McGrath, Siobhan. "The impact of new media technologies on social interaction in the household." SO303H Electronic Culture and Social Change (2012).

Zeitel-Bank, Natascha. "Social media and its effects on individual an social systems." International Conference 2014 (2014): 1183-1190.