Communication Expectations and How They Have Changed

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I feel like I am stuck in between two different generations, and two different ways of life. As a part of the digital advancement I take full advantage of all the digital resources presented to me. However, I also grew up long enough without all the social media that I understand the importance of face-to-face personal communication. The world my parents and grandparents grew up in is far different than the world my teenage brother is currently growing up in. I sit and think of my generation and it is almost as if we are the transitional generation between the two opposites. One world revolved around a slower paced yet more personal society and the other is now a faced paced, on demand, high speed, get what I want when I want it, but more virtual society. I admit many people in my age group fall into both generations depending on which behaviors they adapted in the world we grew up in, but as for myself, I find that I am in a place that neither my parents nor brother completely understand.
Our world has constantly changed since the beginning of time, but it is now changing more rapidly than ever before. This rapid change is due to the increased amount of technology and digital access that we have in devices small enough to fit into our pocket. While these great technological advances have furthered many aspects of our lives and improved much of society in general, there are some areas that have been negatively changed due to the influence of the digital world. W. Bernard Carlson, a professor of technology at the University of Virginia said, “Along with language, religion and social structure, technology is part of the culture of a given people and perhaps more than any other element, is used to shape and illustrate a so...

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...r when it is convenient, and we focus more on the quantity of our communication rather than the quality. If this trend continues, we will soon find ourselves in an anti-social world of our own creation, where the only interaction we have is through a screen.

Works Cited

Crystal, C. (2006, Mar 31). How has technology changed history? W. Bernard Carlson counts the ways. Retrieved from http://www.virginia.edu/insideuva/2006/06/technology_change.html
Fox, K. (2001). Evolution, alienation and gossip. The role of mobile telecommunications in the 21st century. Oxford: Social Issues Research Center.
Ludden, J. (2010, Apr 20). Teen texting soars; will social skills suffer?. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126117811
Wichtner-Zoia, Y. (2013, Jan 10). Listening – the key to meaningful communication. Retrieved from http://msue.anr.msu.edu

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