Evolution of Communication: Shirky II

Communication is such an interesting form of human interaction. We communicate in so many different ways. . .words, actions, body language, writing, etc. These are only some of the more "common" ways of communicating. However, our forms of communication continue to evolve.

"Once something becomes ordinary, it's hard to remember what life what like without it" (Shirky 156). Shirky makes this statement regarding communication, namely email. Nowadays most American's feel that they need to be "connected" at all times. This connectivity is typically achieved through the Internet. Now that the American culture has experienced the Internet and some of it's capabilities, it seems crazy to live life without it or without something even better. After all, isn't that just the type of quest that Maslow's Hierarchy of needs suggests we are on?

Back the the World Wide Web. On the Internet people can communicate via email. This means they don't have to be in the same room or even in the same time zone to have a conversation. There doesn't need to be any face to face interaction or even any vocal use. Unless of course someone is communicating via a program which requires a web cam. . . .such as Skype. However, email truly is an amazing concept. But it doesn't stop there.

What's a even more advanced version of emailing? Texting. The use of text messenging is becoming a popular way of communicating. With this method people don't even need to go to a traditional desktop or laptop computer to send a message to someone. They can simply use their mobile phone devices to send snippets of messages to one another.

This has changed the way we communicate with one another drastically. There need not be any further waiting by the phone for an important call. We can simply go about our lives and check our voice messages, text messages, and emails as we please. Of course, this leisure view of communication technology isn't truly how it works for most folks. Most seem fairly attached to their communication devices to the point where they interrupt other activities. We've all seen it. People obnoxiously chatting away, caught up in seemingly nonsensical, irrelevant and unnecessary conversations while shopping for groceries, at work, walking the dog, at family dinners, and on and on and on.

Our communication has evolved to the point where we no longer need to interrupt our daily activities to chat with someone or wait for a call - no, now that we have the convenience of mobile communication, we choose to be interrupted. Funny how that worked out.