Changes in Communication Technology Impacting The Possibility of a Global Society - Essay Example

Changes in Communication Technology Impacting the Possibility of a Global Society Introduction: The use of communication technology particularly the use of internet has rapidly increased in the recent times. The internet seems to have a significant participation in different aspects of the lives of a human being. It is an essential part of the regular lives of human beings in the present times, be it for the use of communicating to people, to shop online, or even in the manner in which a revolution can be spread in a region. The importance and the use of the internet as the modern means of communication have been significantly realized by the young generation as well as every other individual who has the knowledge of the use of the internet (Shimojo, 2005, p.85). It can be reflected that the information and communication technologies being used in the present times reflect a contributive characteristic in the development of a society. This is primarily because the advanced technology provides with newer and innovative measures to communicate knowledge and information. The Arab Spring or the Arab awakening presents to a great extent the level in which the communication technology or the use of the social networking sites have contributed in the revolution being spread among the individuals. The current study focuses on the changing use of communication technology impacting the possibility of a global society, taking into reference the incident of the Arab Spring. The Media and its Development: Over the period of time on and from the 1980s, the communication and the media industry have been found to be have modified to a great extent. The media has now become a global instrument of communication reaching over the different parts of the world commercially. Not only is the media performing towards communicating to the world, but the global effects of the media and the communication technology have significant impacts on the societal issues related to the economics and politics of any country or nation. The media has an extensive role to play in the democratic revolutions occurring in different corners of the world. They bring into the focus of the entire community the different information in relation to the revolution (Herman & McChesney, 2001, pp.1-4). Thus the improved and advanced role of the media in the present generation can be understood to be efficient enough to communicate issues to individuals strongly such that they can be motivated and encouraged to take part in the revolution or any related steps for the good of the nation. The modification and advancement of the media and the industry over the years have been found to have certain positive implications on the society. Different cultures tend to mix up and combine their opinions and views towards the right measures for a nation. The media acts as the voice for the societies to reach out to each other. Moreover, several values and principles can also be shared in between the different parts of the world with the proper use of the media and the technology of communication. Over the years, the technologies used for the purpose of communicating have also been changing and becoming more advanced. The newspapers, radio and television broadcasts were used to be the primary sources of communication of the media (Herman & McChesney, 2001, p.8). Today the internet has taken a huge space being a fast and easier means of communication among the individuals. The social networking sites prove to be highly demanding as well as seem to be a part of the regular lives where one can communicate anything in fractions of seconds to other individuals. The changes in development of the media and communications industry also bring about different challenges. With the advancement, increases the competition between the different communicating mediums and sources. However since the importance of the media has been realized the communication and media companies are more focused towards providing their consumers with better facilities and meet their needs and demands (Home Office, 2009, pp.18-19). Thus the development of media and the means of communication have not only been enhanced over the years and more in the recent times, but the common people are taking full advantage of the facilities made available to them. Communicating Media and the Modern World and Society: Along with the development and advancements in the communication technologies and the use of media in the present times, also significant is the impact or the implication that media has on the modern society which can be positive in some cases while negative in certain other situations as well. For instance it has been obtained that the television medium presenting different shows related crimes and offenses might not always be fully in tune with the actual scenario of the lives of human beings. Individuals who are not aware of the actual and true cases are generally found to have a dependency on what they are presented through the media (Dill, 2009, pp.10-12). Thus from the above instance it can be realized that the media has an extensive influence on the lives of human beings. This in turn influences the societal issues as well. Since a society constitutes different individuals who are dependent on the media and the communication channels, this facilitates the passage of messages from one corner of the world to the other. The modifications and the changes reflected in the presentation and use of media have also clearly affected the theory related to communication and technology. In the modern society, the knowledge of information and the use of media can be found to be more associated with the internet facilities and the social networking between individuals. Earlier, the communication of the information was found to be more important than the source but now the internet has taken a major place in the media and communications industry and in impacting the behavior and reactions of a society. The use of advanced technology is found to mould the way in which individuals think and place their opinions regarding any issue, particularly with respect to political, economic and democratic issues of a nation (Holmes, 2005, pp.1-2). The modern world and hence the societies are thus dependent on the communication channels and are significantly influenced by the media and their presentations. The Arab Spring and the Media: The awakening in Arab reflects the revolutions and the unrest among the Middle East people who led to certain revolts and protests for the rules of the government leading to the fall of the governance as well as loss of political positions (Joshi, 2011). The reference of Arab Spring or the above mentioned awakening is relevant in the current study since it reflects the way the communication technology and the media played an active role in the revolutionary thoughts being spread and leading to the mass unrest in the nation. At the same time it also reflects that the media or the communication technology has not been able to create a global society or a society that could mean every individual following a single philosophy as part of its societal rules. The following section of the report would reveal how the communications technology has modified over the years and how this could be seen in the case of the Arab awakening. The Arab Spring has been so rigorous such that alterations in the ruling governments have been found to occur as a consequence of the protests. There occurred unrests in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia and the protests have been so severe that guarantee of stable democracies in these regions have become doubtful. Moreover the impacts on the political environment seem to be long-lasting as significantly influenced by the society’s revolutions and protests. The awakening in the Arab also presented the fact that people were no longer prepared to accept the way their governments were ruling on them, and that now they were no longer indifferent. The entire community was united and demanded alterations in the ruling system of the nation (Pollack, 2011, pp.6-7). The uprising that initiated in 2010 thus reflects the tremendous involvement of the entire nation towards a common cause. With the initiation of the protests, the media also made its participation significantly by spreading the news from one corner to another within and outside the nation. Thus the individuals got encouraged and more indulged and involved in greater numbers in the protests. During the time of the awakening in the Arab countries, the news and the journalism proved to be highly significant and efficient. The changes in the technology reflected since the earlier journalism would have made use of sources like the video clippings through YouTube in order to reach out to the individuals. Contrary to such measures, in the recent times, the use of social networking has been found to be more relevant and significant. The contents that have been used also present friendly and socially acceptable coverage of the news. Such social networking sites also enable the posting of different videos with tags thus making it easier and faster for the countrymen to see and understand what their country has been going through all the while, and participate accordingly. The social media have proved to be more effective and efficient than the traditional measures or means of communication. Today’s youth wish to achieve what they want in less time. Moreover the social media networking proves to be a platform to carry on with the revolutionary measures and decide on them through the online process supported by the internet (Al abdallah, 2011). The communication and media industry has changed to an extent that in the case of the Arab Spring, it has also been obtained that the use of mobile phones has been extensively done for the purpose of capturing the footages of the protests and the unrests prevailing in the countries. The use of phones having camera has increased over the years that has been reflected through the photojournalism. Footages could be viewed through the help of such mobile phones that decreased the value of the media like the television (Batty, 2011). It can be realized that mobile phones are easy to handle and carry along. If such a medium of communication can provide with the features of capturing photos and videos of such severe social issues such that they can be presented to the countrymen, it is understandable that the mobile phones would become a popular means of communication and media. The social networking sites like the twitter, facebook and others have proved to be highly significant in the spread of the uprising in the Arab countries that had initially started in Tunisia. The networking sited enabled to promote the causes of the protests and how the initiatives had been undertaken. It has been observed that the levels of interaction among individuals are far easier and faster in regard to the social networking sites. It is through such sites that the protestors have been able to communicate to each other and make plans for the different necessary steps for the uprising as well as gathering greater number of individuals for the cause. Apart from the direct communication, photos and videos can also be posted in such sites thus reflecting more on the presentation of the protests to the world and particularly to the countrymen whose support was required (World Development book case study: the role of social networking in the Arab Spring, 2011). An Analytical Overview: The emerging significance of the use of the advanced technology of communication and media can be realized in the present times where not only personal matters are shared through the mobile phones or social networking sites, but these sources of media technology are also being utilized in the political and democratic issues in a nation. The reference of the Arab Spring clearly reflects that the revolutionary measures had been initiated in Tunisia. As the message got passed from one corner to another the revolution started spreading. This spreading of the message and the revolutions was duly contributed by the advanced communication technologies or the social networking sites. However, the one issue that still remains in the context of the changing communications technology is that the media and the communications in the modern world has not been able to create or reflect on the possibility of a global society. It can be realized that the communications technology and the use of the more advanced sources and means of media and communications enabled the spread of the revolution across the Arab countries, but it can also be seen that the revolutions have been associated with the Arab countries only. Even the entire world has been able to learn about the protests and the unrests through the media and the communication sources. However that has not meant the entire world to become united or participate in the same cause and follow a single thought for the entire world’s politics. Thus the changing and advanced media and communications technology has not provided with the possibility of a global society. Conclusion: The study has been focused on the changing and advanced use of the media and communications technology in the modern world. It has been reflected from the study that over the years, the use of the media has changed and incorporated newer methods and technologies for the purpose of reaching out to the common masses of people. The Arab Spring presents a scenario which proves how the communication technology has been able to spread the revolutions and the measures of the protests across the Arab countries that ultimately led to severe manipulations in the posts and positions of the governments and the political scenario. However the study also reveals that even though the media and the communications technology have been able to contribute immensely in the spread of news and views of masses of people, yet it has not been able to lead to the possibility of a global society where people all around the world would follow a single ideology. References 1) Al abdallah, M. (2011), What the Arab Spring taught journalists about social media in 2011, IJNET, available at: http://ijnet.org/blog/what-arab-spring-taught-journalists-2011 (accessed on December 31, 2011) 2) Batty, D. (2011), Arab spring leads surge in events captured on cameraphones, guardian, available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/29/arab-spring-captured-on-cameraphones (accessed on December 31, 2011) 3) Dill, K.E. (2009), How fantasy becomes reality: seeing through media influence, Oxford: Oxford University Press 4) Herman, E.S. & R.W. McChesney (2001), The global media: the new missionaries of corporate capitalism, London: Continuum International Publishing Group 5) Holmes, D. (2005), Communication theory: media, technology and society, London: SAGE 6) Home Office (2009), Protecting the Public in a Changing Communications Environment, London: The Stationary Office 7) Joshi, S. (December 28, 2011). Arab Spring: The revolution has only just begun, The Telegraph, available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/8980784/Arab-Spring-the-revolution-has-only-just-begun.html (accessed on December 31, 2011) 8) Pollack, K.M. (2011), The Arab Awakening: America and the Transformation of the Middle East, Massachusetts: Brookings Institution Press 9) Shimojo, S. (2005), Web and communication technologies and internet-related social issues -- HSI 2005: 3rd International Conference on Human.Society@Internet, Tokyo, Japan, July 27-29, 2005: proceedings, Basel: Birkhauser 10) World Development book case study: the role of social networking in the Arab Spring (2011), newint, available at: http://www.newint.org/books/reference/world-development/case-studies/social-networking-in-the-arab-spring/ (accessed on December 31, 2011) Read More