Extending Communication (#2)
It comes as no surprise that we live in a world influenced by choices. From kitchen countertop swatches to the flavor shot in your espresso, we are constantly being indirectly asked to make decisions. Even the way we communicate involves a preference. For many, communication may still be considered an interaction that only occurs in the company of another party. The progression of communication begs to differ.
Since the introduction of the telegraph in 1844, communication has transformed the way we interact. The development process of instant communication has pushed forward opening many doors for social networks to develop, giving its users various avenues to explore. The evolution of the cell phone is eagerly developing to become the “remote control for your life” (Hirschhorn, qtd. in Rheingold, 11).
The most fascinating phenomenon about the cell phone is not the accessibility it provides to our social networks but in the way it provides that accessibility. There is no doubt that the cell phone is paving the way for us to stay connected to our social environments. Take into account that on average most of us live busy lives. In order to balance the hustle and bustle of everyday life, there is a need to stay connected to the outside world. One way that cell phone functionality is making this easier is by way of text messaging. Text messaging, or SMS, provides users with a way to stay connected when making a phone call is not an option.
Mizuko Ito, an anthropologist, investigated “how identity and place are produced through and within digital media infrastructures” (Ito, Rheingold, 4). This study was conducted by observing the way the youth of Tokyo maintained interaction with their peers. What Ito found was that text messaging, among this group, gave them access to another world. A world that allowed them to converse in the physical and digital world at the same time. The popularity of text messaging allows its users to stay connected to their peers while enabling them to be in two places at once.
Above and beyond being a catalyst for communication, text messaging bridges the gap between time and space. By digitally connecting us to each other Rheingold acknowledges that being present in a physical form is not necessary with the aid of text messaging:
As long as people participated in the shared communications of the group, they seemed to be considered by others to be present (Rheingold, 6).
According to Rheingold, “The unexpected success of texting was also a sign that people were once again appropriating a communication technology for social purposes, as they had done with voice telephony and with Minitel in France, where the chat tool was literally stolen from operators by the users, and with email, where it was the driving force behind the growth of the landlocked Internet” (Rheingold, 15).
According to an article in USA Today, “Teens, techies and other early adopters leading the charge to text say it’s a great way to communicate when they are too busy to talk or when making a call would be rude or impractical. Parents keep tabs on kids. Business people silently check facts in meetings. Young professionals’ text-flirt at concerts. And teens gossip with friends, anytime, anywhere” (usatoday.com).
The article also goes on to quote Rheingold, “Communications behavior is filling parts of our time that used to be idle or devoted to talking to strangers or noticing parts of the world that we’re not going to notice as much anymore. That has an impact on individuals as well as on cities. More and more, people are walking down the street communicating with people who are somewhere else “(Rheingold, qtd. in usatoday.com).
Even though text messaging may never replace making and receiving phones calls, it sure has made its mark in society among all groups. As long as we have a need to be filled and a technology to fill it; the future of how we communicate may always be changing. But one thing will always stand true, “That’s what humans do: We come up with new ways to communicate and new ways to build civilizations” (Rheingold, qtd. in usatoday.com).
Citations:
Rheingold, H. Smart Mobs.
New York: Perseus, 2002.
Kornblum, Janet (2003) Tapping into text messaging (Electronic version) USA TODAYhttp://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-06-02-text-me-main_x.htm
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