In the last ten years or so, many new and newly outdated forms of communication have managed to affect society in one way or another. The internet has made communication instant and instantly interactive. Society can now get it's news at the moment it happens. But not only can people instantly get news, they also have the ability to comment as it's reported. Let me give you an example.
A couple of days ago, a double murder suicide took place just across the street from my house. In fact, it happened just 15 minutes after I left my house that evening. As I was driving to class I received a text message from a friend informing me of the incident. When I arrived home, just before 10 p.m., the three major network affiliates were already at the scene ready to go live. After watching the story on tv, I quickly ran to my computer to find the story was also online. Some of the web sites even had comments from readers already, with replies to those comments.
I can remember when I had to literally rush home from work, or make sure I scheduled time to be home and watch the news, seeing as to how I wasn't an avid newspaper reader. Now there's no reason to have to rush home or even put it in my schedule. I can simply sit at my computer and go to any station's web site to follow up on all the latest news.
It still amazes me how fast we can get our news, but what's even more amazing is how younger people don't realize that this kind of technology was not possible 20 years ago. The world is only moving forward at a high velocity. We've gone from moveable type allowing the masses to distribute news to far off regions, to wireless internet where you no longer have to leave your seat to get news from around the globe.
In the last few years, technology made internet communication wireless, allowing people to use their laptops to access the internet anywhere a hot spot was available. Soon after, people were able to access the world wide web via their telephones, enabling people to send emails and access to limited internet capabilities. Just a couple of years ago, Apple introduced the I-Phone, allowing people to not only to make phone calls, but to access the internet even faster than previous mobile devices, and allowing more sophisticated internet searches than prior mobile devices had allowed.
As a society, I'm sure we all know communication via the internet will only advance further. Once I complete this blog post, I can only imagine how fast and how many readers will comment on it. If I get a comment immediately, it only proves what I've discussed. It's an interactive discussion board. Someone will comment, and if I wish, I can go back and comment on their comment. I do welcome everyone's input. So now I ask, what do you think the future of internet communication holds for us?
Image Source: Apparent Double Murder-Suicide Victims Identified. Tim Gerber/ksat.com. http://www.ksat.com/2009/0127/18570043_240X180.jpg
wow.. that is outrageous... is the family okay?
ReplyDeleteRae, I'm just now looking at your comment/inquiry six years later. I apologize for the delay. That family was not ok. Three gentlemen lived there. The shooter committed suicide after shooting and killing both his son, and elderly father. It was a tragedy.
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