Communication and new technologies

Communication and new technologies

Communication is a procedure that involves information and thoughts being exchanged between people. The entire process involves a sender who encodes a message, which is transmitted to the receiver who decodes it. The process of communication has improved over time with the invention of new technologies. These innovations have led to the process being faster and more effective. This has in turn improved how people socialize, as their interactions have been made more frequent. The social network theory postulates that: there exists a pattern of connection among people. This pattern influences their social behavior and communication. Some studies have described social network theory in terms of nodes and ties. Nodes represent the human beings present in the networks, and ties are the bonds present within the human beings. Therefore, many ties connect few nodes. Thus, a social network is a simple map that incorporates both ties and nodes that are studied together. Thus, the more people interact on a daily basis the more probable it is for them to be connected to each other. If a person has many face-to-face interactions, they have more friends compared to a person who does not have many face-to-face interactions (Prell, 20).

From the social network theory, it has been found that an extrovert will have more friends than an introvert. This is because an outgoing person will tend to have so many interactions leading them to network. In this process, they will end up have many friends. A person who goes out to clubs and other social gatherings will therefore have more friends. In addition, when we consider the case of an introvert, he or she will have minimal interaction with people and thereby have a small circle of friends. Therefore, in the cases of studying an introvert and an extrovert it has been found that the social network theory applies without a doubt.

This theory has been strengthened with the use of innovations in communication. The more gadgets that have been created to ease the communication process the more interactions have been made. The use of mobile phones has made people have access to each more easily and faster. People from far ends of the earth can exchange messages at the touch of a button. The uses of social media sites such as Facebook and twitter have made people to not only reconnect through the internet, but also expand and maintain their social networks. This has proved that technology has not only eased communication, but has also strengthened it. Though it has cut down the face-to-face interaction, it has also enhanced other forms of communication.

What draws me to this theory is that it incorporates a number of forms of communication. It not only looks at the traditional part of communication that is one on one interaction but also the modern forms. It shows how human beings have evolved into social beings that interact with each other everywhere. It shows how the innovations in communications have been incorporated in the social life to improve ways in which people relate to each other. For instance, even companies have taken up social media to enhance their networks. They have come up with an informal way in which the working class can come together, associate, connect and come up with ideas that can build them. The information gathered can be used to come up with better ideas to improve their respective industries. Also as a bonus, they can be able to check what competition is doing and come up with ways of deterring or counteracting it.

The theory helps me to understand that through social interactions, one forges bonds that last a lifetime. When people meet and interact, they find a common ground that makes them bond and naturally. The power of social network theory comes from how different it is from traditional sociological studies. This theory produces an alternative view of how the attributes that an individual portrays are not as powerful as the relationships and ties that they forge on a daily basis. This theory has helped to explain many phenomena that are associated with the how individuals relate to one another. It shows how individuals have left little room for individuality as they have a number of avenues to interact. Clearly, the more individuals interact in social forums, the more they are likely to interact using the different mediums they have at their disposal.

From my own experience, it is clear that outgoing people tend to have more connections than an introvert does. Take for instance a celebrity has more followers on social media than an ordinary person does. People who prefer to put themselves in the limelight will stand to get more network connections than people who keep to themselves. Though some experts argue that this theory undermines the use of face-to-face interaction, it is important to know that this form of communication is becoming extremely popular. When used together with other forms it brings out the best of communication. This is because people use the form of communication that best suits the message they are trying to convey. This is dictated by the social needs and lifestyles that a human being enjoys (Alberts and Martin, 7)

Works Cited

Alberts, Jess K, Thomas K. Nakayama, and Judith N. Martin. Human Communication in Society. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2007. Print.

Prell, Christina. Social Network Analysis: History, Theory & Methodology. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2012. Print.

Friedkin, Noah E, and Eugene C. Johnsen. Social Influence Network Theory: A Sociological Examination of Small Group Dynamics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Print