Technology influence on communication

posted May 5, 2021, 9:13 AM by Laurel Palli ‎(2023)‎

It’s evident that we live in an era where digital technology is rapidly expanding. In 2010 45% of adults were on social media. However in 2020, 2.9 billion people (72% of adults) were on social media. By 2025, 4.41 billion people are expected to be on social media. Along with person-to-person messages sent from both the common SMS texting and other messaging apps, we are fundamentally altering the way we interact and connect with one another.

Currently, approximately 70% of Americans believe digital technology is beneficial for our relationships. While we can’t prove that is true, we can be sure that these more modern communication technologies aren’t going to disappear. So how does this affect our interactions? Where do we go from here?

Communities have always been central to our relationships, and with digital technology people can build communities across the globe. Social media sites such as Twitter have given space for like-minded people to share ideas, whether it’s talking about a TV show or developing political movements. Sites like this have been especially important to traditionally marginalized groups. It plays a vital role in the creation of protests, movements, and support networks. An example of this is the LGBT community. Studies reveal LGBT youth have considerably more online friends than non-LGBT youth, with 50% of LGBT respondents reporting at least one close online friend, compared with only 19% of non-LGBT youth. People who may have once felt isolated from others can now find and be a part of a community.

Technology, such as mobile phones and social networking also helps many people stay in touch with those who may have lost contact with one another. In fact, a recent survey of Americans revealed that only 11% of those surveyed had actually seen any of their online friends in person over the prior 3 months.The pandemic may have affected this data due to quarantine and safety measures. Digital technology has changed the way we establish and maintain relationships that “friending” is now a regularly used verb.

Looking into the future, we can see projected numbers for networking apps, however as technology is always changing there may be new means of communicating. While it's uncertain what it is today it could be some form of technology that can help remove language barriers which allows people from all over the world to communicate with one another.