Opinion of James Carey about Modern Day Communication - Essay Example

?Question According to James Carey, "communication is a symbolic process whereby reality is produced, maintained, repaired and transformed." Two important dimensions characterize this statement. The first of which is the confirmation of the long established norm that communication is a symbolic process, wherein thoughts, ideas, emotions and reality itself are expressed through symbolic forms. People communicate and the social processes transpire through signs that are created and used in human interactions. Secondly, there is the point that communication is not merely about the process it describes by which people express meanings. Rather, communication is about the creation of what is real in a community at a given period of time. Crucial to these claims is the position that communication could refer to the most common and the most mundane. This is Carey's way of using the cultural approach to defining and explaining what communication is. This is the case in the sense that human daily activities collectively constitute the meanings and the reality that we perceive. The Mobile Texting Phenomenon To demonstrate Carey’s position, there is the case of the use of short messaging system (SMS) in mobile phones. If one examines how people communicate through this platform closely, one will find a uniquely different lexicon employed. "How are you?" becomes "hw r u?" or "You are late." becomes "u r l8". Words are radically shortened by redacting words or substituting figures to represent sounds in order to accommodate the restrictions posed by the messaging service. Cell phones usually allow only 160 characters per message. According to Lindholm, Keinonen and Kiljander (2003), “in advanced phone markets, as in Scandinavia, Germany, or the Philippines, a whole new culture has been born around text messages as a response to the limitations 160 characters impose.” (p115) This is in addition to other variables like the way the messaging application and interface are designed and the way people interact with it. An excellent example to demonstrate the above points is the use of the so-called "emoticons", symbols that convey emotions. For instance, there is the case of the smiley, :-) an emoticon used to express how pleased one is, or an agreement or a greeting depending on the context of the conversation. The resulting communication process and symbols start to create a reality for people that eventually form collectivities that emerge as social, cultural, and even political forces and even institutions. The severely shortened language, for one, has triggered an attitude among people today to prefer simple, fast and mobile way of doing things. Blogs or online journals became popular way back but it never achieved the degree of wide usage that Twitter has achieved today. Dubbed as a micro blogging platform, Twitter lets users use its service to publish details about people's daily lives in short, concise and uncomplicated manner, not unlike the way people would "SMS" or "text" others. This is in contrast to the way users are required to publish elaborate and detailed messages in traditional blogs like Blogger or Wordpress. The implication of this development in the context of communication and the manner by which it could shape reality is the way it affects behaviors. People become increasingly impatient with details and this is reflected in the way they conduct their affairs and what they expect from their interactions with others. The significance of the SMS phenomenon can also be described from a critical point of view. For example, Patajo-Legasto (2010) argued that mobile phones stifle literacy and young people’s ability to communicate in the real world in real time by “wrecking havoc on spelling and grammar, and its erosion, in tandem with mindless computer games and Internet chat rooms.” (p410) Several other problems and criticisms were outlined. For instance, Clark and Brody stated: Part of the anxiety surrounding texting arises from its perceived tendency to disrupt protocols of recognition and accountability. Parents are disconnected from their children, who in turn defy parental authority. Cheating is symptomatic of the inability of teachers to monitor students’ cell phone use. And the spread of rumors and gossip, along with irreverent jokes, means that the sending of messages readily gives in without… weighing their consequences or veracity. (p406) If the above claims and criticisms have valid claims, then changes are also transpiring even if they are on the negative side. Transformations are felt by individual, group and community realities. The mundane, the trivial, and inconsequential that permeate many communities with the use of mobile phone and SMS create new realities such as how young people supposedly become increasingly dumb and gullible. Rather than promote communication, texting supposedly obstructs it, cultivating a kind of stupidity unheard of in the past, which is claimed to be evidenced by the increasing gullibility of people to believe the marketing ploys of cell phone manufacturers and service providers. (Clark and Brody, p406) Whatever the case is, the fact remains that the current landscape underscores the increasing integration of technology and machines in human interactions and relationships. The Internet, mobile phones, and computers - these mechanisms become necessary for people in order to communicate. Carey's observation can be applied in this context. SMS, Twitter and the Internet became preferable for people because they are simpler, faster and easier to use. This is also the explanation behind the popularity of the Internet. With one click, an individual can accomplish several tasks. The change in the communication process affects reality because people now become more distant from each other in their interactions. Sandwiched within the traditional communication process, we have now mobile phones, computers and several gadgets in the transfer of messages between sender and receiver. SMS, Twitter, and Social Realities Carey is adamant on the importance of communication in the way we express and, hence, convey our knowledge and attitude towards reality, which supposedly happens through systems such as art, media, religion and belief systems. It is crucial in the way reality gets defined. But before all these cultural and social institutions and systems, we have the trivialities of the daily activities and the most mundane. These variables are foundations by which new norms and belief systems are constructed. It is in this area wherein SMS, Twitter and technology has worked themselves up to the level of importance they enjoy today. In the beginning, people were delighted about the novelty of having to send a short message and a smiley to a friend or a love one. But today, mobile messaging is already a very important medium of communication. Twitter was just a tool for friends, students or nerds in the past to update each other with what is happening with their lives. But today, it is used by business organizations to market and build brands; politicians use it to reach out to their constituents, some governments even use it as a platform for their programs. The above examples were explained in the context of the modern world, wherein high technology in mobile phones and mobile communication is no longer nothing new. Each day a technological innovation in telephony and information technology in general emerges. Consider, then, the case of some countries in Africa. Unlike in much of the world today, mobile telephony in the continent was only recently introduced. According to Ekine (2009), back in 2007 only about 30 percent of the African population has access to mobile phones. (px) What will happen if suddenly the rest of the peoples in the continent were exposed to mobile technology? The manner, by which they communicate, especially with the cheap and easy SMS tool, could revolutionize the way they communicate and live. The impact of such development on society, culture, politics and human interaction in many African communities will most likely be dramatic. It will create several realities that will start from the simple fact that people suddenly became closer to each other – keeping tabs of their daily activities and being updated with what is happening with their lives and their community. The degree of effect can be demonstrated in the example of the Philippines. This country is not like much in Africa because it belongs to the developing world, not exactly mired in poverty and does not actually lag behind in the area of information and communication technology. In 1998, mobile phone users, using the SMS tool, suddenly became a social force that helped topple a government. Through mobile communication, a mass of people was effectively and swiftly mobilized in a series of peaceful demonstrations dubbed as EDSA II in Manila, that finally pressured the sitting president, Joseph Estrada, to give up power. (Alampay 2009, p40) The dynamics of this development is interesting. First, it was found that most of the participants in the sudden demonstration were young people, those who own mobile phones and have used text messaging to disseminate information and rally participants to their cause. Here, Carey’s theory is highlighted. Young people in the Philippines and elsewhere are never considered to be a powerful political force. But with ouster of a president, a reality emerged – that young people not only can act in order to be heard but also can swiftly mobilize into a political force. To say that mobile communication or SMS is responsible for the emergence of this new reality is not an exaggeration at all. Related Literature Several academic works have been undertaken exploring this theme. For instance, Paul Clark (2010) in his work Stormy Skies devoted a significant portion of discourse on social media. Tremendous insights are offered, particularly in the processes, mechanisms and platforms involved. The investigation underscored the distinction with regards to how social media and traditional media affect how knowledge, information and opinion are disseminated and accepted. Then, there is also Scott’s research on Twitter. He found that popular Twitter could actually tie with stronger personal relationship in a two-way comparison because it is easier to facilitate and that a word or phrase are instantaneously communicated to numerous Twitter followers. The breakdown of Twitter users, including other relevant figures that could help this research acquire more insight on how technology could help create, shape and modify reality, is contained in Kwak et al.’s (2010) studies on the microblogging website. The works of authors, Ling and Pedersen (2005) and Campbell and Ling (2011), focused on the way mobile phones and its SMS platform can depict modern communication norms and as well as its impact on the way people act towards each other. Ling, for instance, explored the way SMS renegotiate the social sphere. (pp. 296) I also found the work of Manuel Castells (2007) helpful in understanding the new and potential realities that the advances of telephony could help create. Some of them were already outlined such as mobile entertainment. (p109) Specific cases wherein mobile phones and SMS played important part in social change and creating new realities are cited in the work of Clark and Brody. Their investigation extensively covered important upheavals across the globe that are caused in part by mobile communication. Patajo-Legasto’s work on the case of the Philippines provided deeper insights with regards to the dynamics of how SMS or texting created new social realities. Conclusion All in all, what Carey has been saying makes a lot of sense. Through communication, a reality can be created, then, depending on the circumstances, it could be modified or changed. In addition, what others call mundane and insignificant texts in communication messages are in fact crucial in the way norms and realities are created. The fact is that they are the smaller parts of the collectivities that eventually drive change and establish new realities. Communication as a creator of reality, however, is not entirely true in all cases. There are realities that are given and are independent regardless of how or when they are perceived. There are truths that exist even without our conceptions of it or our recognition or acknowledgement of it. There are also realities that have been constant throughout the years. What this means is that Carey’s position on reality and communication, at least for this writer, is only applicable in the sociological context. References Alampay, E 2009, Living the Information Society in Asia. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. Campbell, S and Ling, R 2011, Mobile Communication: Bringing Us Together and Tearing Us Apart. New York: Transaction Publishers. Castells, M 2007, Mobile communication and society: a global perspective. MIT Press. Clark, P 2010, Stormy Skies. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Clark, H and Brody, D 2009, Design studies: a reader. New York: Berg. Ekine, S 2009, SMS uprising: mobile phone activism in Africa. Oxford: Pambazuka Press. Kwak, J, Deng, R and Won, Y 2010, Information Security, Practice and Experience. Berlin: Springer. Lindholm, C, Keinonen, T and Kiljander, H 2003, Mobile usability: how Nokia changed the face of the mobile phone. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Ling, R and Pedersen, P 2005, Mobile communications: re-negotiation of the social sphere. London: Springer-Verlag. McLuhan, M 1964, The Medium is the Message, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. London: Routledge Patajo-Legasto, P 2010, Philippine studies: have we gone beyond St. Louis? Manila: UP Press. Read More