Category: Effective Communication

‘Imagine’ presents the argument by John Lennon that world peace is a necessity. This song has become a large part of pop culture, Lennon proves his argument through the use of several different examples of throughout history. He uses rhetorical strategies like ethos, pathos, and logos. ‘Imagine’ is a song about a better world, he sings of peace, equality, and love.

The song’s lyrics contain several references to war, such as “imagine there’s no countries/ it isn’t hard to do/ nothing to kill or die for”. This line shows Lennon’s opposition to war and fighting. Because Lennon was such a well-known musician and was known for being vocal about his opinions, the release of this song made his political views, even more, acknowledged. This feeling from the fans reflects Lennon’s strong sense of ethos. Because they gave and still give Lennon support and promote it so positively, it strengthens his legitimacy. On another note, he again establishes ethos in one of the later stanzas. The line “imagine no possessions/ I wonder if you can” at first seems very contradictory.

The language that Lennon uses in ‘Imagine’ is very straightforward, yet at the same time holds ambiguities. Throughout the song, he suggests that the listener should “imagine” what he envisions, and hopes that he can convince them to then also share them. The repetitive line “you may say I’m a dreamer… but I’m not the only one” is seemingly very open-ended. However, this ambiguity only adds to Lennon’s ethos. It shows his confidence in the fact that he can change the world with his music.

In the first stanza, the opening line of the song alone is very powerful: “Imagine there’s no heaven, it’s easy if you try, no hell below us, above us only sky”. This evokes much thought from the audience and invites them to think of a world that is foreign to them, and then to imagine the consequences of said changes. Therefore, this creates a strong sense of pathos.

Lennon adds to this sense of friendship and togetherness later in the song with the short phrase “a brotherhood of man”. This creates a bond between Lennon and his audience, the phrase is easily applicable to life because it strives to unite humanity as one, rather than dividing it by wars and other man-made difficulties, according to Lennon. His ability to have such relatable lyrics also contributes to his strong sense of pathos, because it creates a feeling of unity. One of Lennon’s most powerful rhetorical strategies in ‘Imagine’ is his sense of pathos.

John Lennon’s rhetorical argument vying for world peace in his song ‘Imagine’ is very effective. Lennon’s argument is effective because it is applicable in many areas other than world peace, and all generations and types of people can relate to his argument. All of the song’s components correlate to successfully relate his argument to the world. John Lennon was an incredible musician and used his talents to argue his views in his works, and ‘Imagine’ is a great example of how music can truly impact society.

Effective communication with patients impacts clinical outcome and patient satisfaction. We measure the rate at which medical professionals use to target communication elements with patients and association of element use with patient satisfaction.

Poor communication among care team members and with patients, family members, and post-acute care facilities discharge can result in confusion around follow-up care and medications potentially leading to unnecessary readmissions (for example, re-exposing in radiology department) and preventable malpractice litigation.

In one study using six years of data from nearly 3,000 acute care hospitals, researchers determined that communication between caregivers and patients has the largest impact on reducing readmissions. Specifically, the results indicate that a health care organization would, on average, reduce its readmission rate by 5% if it were to prioritize patient communication in addition to complying with evidence-based standards of care.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Communication is the key of the development of an organization. It makes patients feel valued, cared for, and creates better working environment. It can be learned and improved. Effective communication skills are fundamental to success; by mastering the art of communication, we increase each level of performance in our life. If we communicate, we can manage, but if we communicate skillfully, we can do miracles in our family relationships, in business and in friendships.

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Medical Institutions stated that poor communication is the biggest cause of medication errors, treatment delays, and surgical errors, and the second most common root cause of surgical and postoperative events and fatal falls. 44,000 to 98,000 people are killed each year in the United States due to medical errors.

Interpersonal communication refers to the process of information exchange between people in social interactions. This information is extensive and includes aspects such as thoughts, values and feelings. If the exchange of information can be understood and accepted by the communication between the two parties, such communication is effective.

To become a successful communicator requires developing skills in listening, observing, speaking, and writing.

MODES OF COMMUNICATION

Communication can be categorized as verbal. A healthcare professional should be aware of the vocabulary using with a patient, it should be clear with an appropriate language. Humor helps relax and open up conversations but must avoid sex, diseases, age, and cultural slurs.

Another type of communication is the nonverbal communication, it could be by a gesture, posture, visual contact, oral, facial expression or/and body language.

Since battery is the most common tort in the healthcare field, a healthcare professional should be very careful about how to touch a patient either for positioning purposes or for emotional support.

For example; geriatric patients should be treated with more compassion and empathy, using clear language, and dedicate more time to listen to them and explain them what they are going to experience. While for pediatric patients, the health care professional should be at their eye level, so they feel more comfortable and secured.

According to Dr. Albert Mehrabian’s 7-38-55% Rule “Elements of personal communication: 7% spoken words- 38% voice/tone – 55% body language”.

LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AND ETHIC DIVERSITY

Language, culture and ethnic diversity are always intertwined as having a clear understanding and finding value for cultural diversity is the key factor to ending racism.

A particular language from a particular group of people is what points out to their culture and ethnic diversity. Interacting in a language that is understood by all always mean that one has a full understanding of the culture and ethnic diversity surrounding them. Culture is a consequence of human interaction through the art of communication in which their ethnic diversity is manifested. To interact with each other language that is understood by all is a requirement though some terms and phrases used in communication sometimes appear to be offensive and insensitive.

Culture is said to be a product of the human mind which is defined as propaganda and sustained through language. The relationship between language and culture is also symbolic as language is the encoding factor of the values and norms shaping the culture of a given society. Language also changes our culture and the meaning of our traditions which include our habits. The changes in our cultures are as a result of the interactions and communication with different people from different cultures and ethnic diversity. Our way of talking is also influenced with language as our perspective of the tones used always depends on a particular language (Koppelman, K. L., 2017).

Another important factor in health care is that the professional should treat all the patients equally, no matter what are their race, color, age or origin. Nondiscrimination will assist some of the most vulnerable groups and will help them gain equal access to health care and health insurance.

Lastly, our perspective about a certain event depends on the language used to determine whether it has taken place or yet to take place.

PATIENT CARE AND SAFETY

By educating patients and giving them clear and specific instructions, health care providers and facilities can reduce medical errors and increase patient loyalty and satisfaction, which indirectly influences the operational bottom line.

One of the most important things, that communication has a big role in it, is patients transferring and moving. By explaining the procedure to the patient and approximately how long it will take to complete the exam, health care providers reduce chances of medical errors of exams. It also reduces the chances of injury to the patients and themselves, by knowing how to use the right body mechanism.

Conclusion

Communication in the healthcare organizations is very important. A health care provider is the source of sending the message to the patient, by using clear, simple language at all times. Each patient procedure requires a different application of skills, thus, using a critical thinking and being able to complete each assessment in a timely manner, while meeting the unique needs of each patient, is the criterion for an excellent health care provider, with quality and high level of value to be good enough to serve its purpose (Dutton, Andrea, 2019).

On the other hand, if the patient, as a receiver of this message, justifies or establishes as true, he/she validates and confirms it. Once a feedback is received, it indicates that the message was delivered and was perceived correctly or incorrectly.

Introduction

“Communication is deeply intertwined with the human existence. It is an integral part of it. One cannot think of human life without communication” (UKEssays, 2018). Everyone communicates every day, whether it is face-to-face, digitally, calls or messages. No-one can live without communication, small insignificant things that people usually ignore such as gestures and emotions are also communication. Communication is done every day and somehow, communication barriers are still a thing and usually happen during a communication between people of different cultures, beliefs, point-of-view, group of peoples and languages.

Nonverbal communication

Some communications are not verbal, or also called as non-verbal communication. “Nonverbal communication cues – the way you listen, look, move, and react – tell the person you’re communicating with whether or not you care, if you’re being truthful, and how well you’re listening.” (Segal, 2018) Nonverbal communication is often forgotten by the sender when delivering a message but is usually received by the receiver without realizing and that’s what creates the impression of the other person.

Phases of Communication Process

In every communication, steps are usually not thought about because what generally is known about the communication process is just that it is the process of sending and receiving information. But there are actually phases in order to do communication effectively which are usually not realized by most people. Those phases are Sender, Encode, Message, Channel, Decode, Receiver, and Feedback are usually the steps that most conversation goes through.

Sender

“In the communication process, the sender is the individual who initiates a message and is also called the communicator or source of communication.” (Nordquist, 2019) In this phase, a sender has a thought about something that he/she wanted to share with others, in this case the individual that is going to be told the thought is the receiver. The sender required to fully acknowledge the sender condition in able to complete the output of the message.

Encode

“In order to convey meaning, the sender must begin encoding, which means translating information into a message in the form of symbols that represent ideas or concepts. This process translates the ideas or concepts into the coded message that will be communicates.” (Baiden, 2018)

Encoding is the process of turning thoughts into communication. It means convert the ideas into words or gestures. It is also important to consider the choice of words used so that what the sender meant is what the receiver perceived it to be.

Message

Message is basically the product of the encode process and will be delivered to the receiver via the chosen channel. The message is the form that the thought of the sender came out. The message includes verbal and non-verbal. As a same message between the sender and the receiver will have a different understanding, this may cause by the concept of each individual or the sender provide some non-essential information.

Channel

According to (BusinessDictionary, 2020), communication channel is a medium through which a message is transmitted to its intended audience. Immediacy of the feedback, how formal the conversation is and the content of the message are some of the things to be considered when choosing a channel. Some examples of channels that are often used day-to-day are: face-to-face, messaging, email, letter, writing and telephone.

Decode

This stage is actually in a way the reverse of encode stage. It is to capture and decode what the message is. As written in a blog post by (Pascal, 2018), the important things in order to do this stage well is to be able to listen well by training one’s listening skills because due “to mobile devices keeping us in permanent contact with everything that’s happening worldwide, we are living in the age of distraction. Julian Treasure argues that we are losing our listening skills” and also by avoiding distractions such as phones and irrelevant browser tabs.

Receiver

Or this stage can also be called the meaning stage as the receiver tries to understand the meaning of the message, or at least that is what it is supposed to be. “The person to whom a message is directed is called the receiver or the interpreter. To comprehend the information from the sender, the receiver must first be able to receive the sender’s information and then decode or interpret it.” (Nordquist, 2019). This individual might have a different idea on the subject of communication and that is why most miscommunication can happen.

Feedback

Created when the receiver receives the message sent by the sender, feedback can be anything from responding to the statement or question made by the sender or confirming whether what the receiver get is what the sender meant. An effective communication usually includes a lot of responses as it indicates understanding and an effort to understand further.

Nonverbal communication among cultures

Nonverbal communication is sending message without the direct use of voice for example: body language, postures and gestures, body movement and tone of your voice. Everyone does it unknowingly but is easily observed by others. In different culture, common nonverbal cues such as putting one’s hand a certain way can have a very different meaning.

Eye contact

“In most Western cultures, eye contact is considered to be a good thing. It demonstrates attentiveness, confidence and honesty” (SilverSageMagazine, 2019). Meanwhile in Asia, the Middle East, Hispanic cultures and Native American cultures, eye contact are usually considered as a bad manner or a sign of aggression. In the most of the Eastern cultures, women show having eye contact with men as it as a sexual interest. “In some cultures, staring at someone is normal but, in most cultures, staring is considered rude” (SilverSageMagazine, 2019).

One example in most of the Asian country, staring at a person is considered as challenging them. As that it will be more polite to look at people in a brief eye contact in most situations. But in western country like the US, having a good eye contact mean showing interest of someone, hence in another way if avoid eye contact would show lack of confidence or disrespect for the person.

Physical contact

“Touching is something we do every day, whether it involves patting someone on the back or giving someone a hug to show that we care. While touching is one of our most important senses, we are often not aware of the affect that touch has on others” (EverydayHealth, 2017). Touching is one of the first communication method that one learned since birth and is one of the most basic forms of communication.

An example of physical contact is professional touch which is referring to the touch in professional settings such as a handshake. “The handshake is a form of touch often used in professional settings, and although it seems innocent, it can convey many things about the relationship between two people,” (EverydayHealth, 2017) which can be different in different cultures for example in the western culture it is just a firm handshake while in some Asian cultures are usually softer and sometimes accompanied with a slight bow.

Another example of professional touch is a pat on the back which signifies encouragement or support and usually done by one in power or that have authority such as the boss in a company to the employees.

Hand gestures

“Hand gestures are an integral part of communication, particularly if we are speaking in a foreign language. They are a great way of making sure we’re getting our point across and underpin what we’re trying to say.” (Miller, 2018) Although it is convenient to use hand gestures, there are also some “risks” such as when communicating with people that is from another country or culture, the same hand gesture can mean a different thing in other cultures.

One of the examples are the V sign or the peace sign, in western culture it meant peace or victory. But in other culture, if gestured with the palm facing a certain way can mean a bad thing an example is “the one that caused George W. Bush some problems when he flashed it to an Australian crowd with the palm facing inward, which is a major insult” (Miller, 2018).

The other hand gesture that have other meaning in different culture is OK sign, or to be more specific it is the gesture where the index finger touches the thumb making a circle while the rest of the fingers open, it looks normal to most of the people and means an OK, meanwhile Brazil it is considered a rude sign, even worse than a middle finger.

Conclusion

Communication plays an important role in everyday life. It can take place verbally or nonverbally, verbally means that the message is sent through voice while nonverbally can occur in many ways such as eye contact, physical contact, and hand signal which people usually do without realizing but the receiver usually got it. There are 7 steps in communication, or specifically the 7 steps in an effective communication, which are Sender, Encode, Message, Channel, Decode, Receiver, and Feedback.

Communication can also be done nonverbally such as through eye contact, physical contact, and hand gesture which all can have a different meaning in different culture and can lead to misunderstanding.

References

1. Baiden, P. (2018). What is encoding in communication process? Retrieved February 11, 2020, from https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_is_encoding_in_communication_process
2. BusinessDictionary. (2020). What is communication channel? definition and meaning. Retrieved February 11, 2020, from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/communication-channel.html
3. EverydayHealth. (2017). The Impact Of Touching Behavior. Retrieved February 24, 2020, from https://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/impact-touching-behavior/
4. Miller, C. (2018). The Meaning of Hand Gestures Around the World. Retrieved February 25, 2020, from https://englishlive.ef.com/blog/english-in-the-real-world/hand-gestures/
5. Nordquist, R. (2019). Definition and Examples of Senders in Communication . Retrieved February 11, 2020, from https://www.thoughtco.com/sender-communication-1691943
6. Pascal. (2018). The 6 Streamlined Stages of the Communication Process. Retrieved February 18, 2020, from https://www.userlike.com/en/blog/communication-process
7. Segal, J. (2018). Nonverbal Communication. Retrieved February 20, 2020, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships-communication/nonverbal-communication.htm
8. SilverSageMagazine. (2019). Top 8 Differences in Nonverbal Communication Across Cultures . Retrieved February 23, 2020, from https://www.silversagemag.com/top-8-differences-nonverbal-communication-across-cultures/
9. UKEssays. (2018, November). Importance of Communication in Daily Life. Retrieved February 20, 2020, from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-language/communication-is-integral-to-human-life-english-language-essay.php?vref=1

Connecting with people is something that makes us happy. We are, by nature, a social species. Our brains release ‘feel-good’ hormones, such as oxytocin, when we have positive interactions with others. A study published in 2002, by Barbara L. Fredrickson and Thomas Joiner states that, “Nursing social relationships enhance happiness because spending time with friends or colleagues builds positive emotions—a key component of happiness.”

But that requires good communication skills. But how do we know we’re communicating in an effective way? How do we know if we’re oversharing or not sharing enough? These questions can be difficult to answer. They’re even harder to answer if you’re trying to communicate your needs, whether they be emotional, physical, psychological.

You need to know what you want before you can communicate with others. That can be scary. A lot of us like to please everyone around us, and explaining to them what we really want can go against that. Sometimes it’s just easier to not say anything at all rather than upset or burden those we care about.

But that way of thinking will only bring problems down the line. And it’s not what any healthy relationship should be built upon.

What is Effective Communication?

During any type of communication, there are two sides involved. There’s a sender and a receiver. One side has to send a message, either verbal or nonverbal, and the other side has to decode that message.

As human beings, we’re subjective when it comes to decoding messages. So rarely does a piece of communication get an objective or unbiased response. In 1981, Friedemann Schulz von Thun introduced a model on which all communication is based upon. Every piece of communication has 4 sides, similar to a Rubik’s cube.

• Fact (a statement or data)
• Self-revealing (information about the sender)
• Relationship (information regarding how the sender and receiver get along)
• Appeal (how the sender tries to influence the receiver)

Every single you communicate, you never put the same emphasis on all 4 parts of your message. Sometimes it’s more factual if you’re discussing a work or school project. Other times it’s more ‘relationship’ if you’re with your partner, friends, or family.

Problems start when the receiver uses one of those “ears” (fact, self-revealing, relationship, appeal) more than the others. Misguided decoding of what we communicate is the number one factor in break-ups, divorce, getting fired – you name it.

Things go sour quickly when we convince ourselves of something the sender may not have wanted to convey at all. The essence of any effective communication is realizing that we hear may not what the sender is trying to get across to us at all.

The Ways to Communicate Your Needs Effectively

We’ve put together the 5 main points for effective communication.

Start with ‘I’ instead of ‘You’

We usually tend to start our sentences with ‘You’. This leads to the receiver becoming defensive because it sounds like you’re blaming them. Then an argument ensues.

To avoid this scenario, start your sentences with ‘I’. Many believe the word ‘I’ means you’re self-serving. But the opposite is true. It helps explain exactly what you mean in an unambiguous way. It’s one of the most constructive, effective ways to begin a conversation.

Speak calmly and clearly

It’s easy to raise your voice when you feel you’re not being heard. But it’s counterintuitive. Don’t let impatience or annoyance creep into your voice. The receiver will only hear your tone, not your actual words.

Every time you feel your tone is becoming accusatory or patronizing, take a breath and slow down. Tell yourself that the only way to get your message across effectively is to stay calm.

The second part is speaking clearly. This means organizing what you want to say in a simple, straightforward fashion. It eliminates straying into other topics and losing track of what you really want to say. Also, using vague language can lead to misunderstanding. That’s exactly what you’re trying to avoid.

Stop apologizing

Having needs and communicating these needs doesn’t make you a selfish person. You have to be confident and stand up for what you want and require of others. Telling others what you want in a constructive way makes you a healthy, normal individual.

Another trap we tend to fall in is over-explaining and justifying our needs. That isn’t effective communication at all. It also sends the message that you’re not really confident with what you want or why you want it. Choose words that convey your inner-strength and confidence.

Be positive

Instead of starting with “Don’t”, try a more positive approach. Using positive language gives a more effective approach to getting things done. This is a great way to avoid negative reactions from the receiver.

Studies show that if you convey your message in the negative, it sends a subliminal command to not do what you asked. If you want someone to do something, get to their subconscious faster by using positive commands. They attract their attention in a more desirable way.

Really listen

Many of our communication troubles start because we don’t listen to one another. Each side is trying to get their point across, or maybe to prove they’re right, without giving a chance for a response.

Sometimes we don’t mean it. We’re busy, we’re swamped with responsibilities and things we have to do, so we multi-task. But multi-tasking is another word for not paying attention when someone’s talking to you. M. Scott Peck, the famous psychologist and best-selling author, says, “You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time.”

Here are some ways you can become an ‘active listener’.

• Be attentive. Convey some nonverbal involvement (nodding, eye-to-eye contact, etc.)
• Avoid being judgmental
• Don’t let your mind wander

A Final Note

It’s important to remember that communicating your needs is important for any healthy relationship. The trick is how to convey your thoughts and feelings.

First, make sure you know what you want. Next, use calm and clear words to avoid being misunderstood in any way. Finally, learn how to use positive language to get your message across.

With over 4 billion users active on the internet as of 2019, it is safe to say that the internet is a big part of our culture. The internet gave people so many ways to communicate and connect with each other. This brought masses of diversity and ideas to social media. With people expressing their ideas, it is easier to convince others into believing their ideas too. Social media can change our beliefs in almost an instant. Because of the immense amounts of information on the internet, people are doing more research now than ever before. Social media has the power to change our beliefs, and it does not matter whether those beliefs are true or not. The internet has backup for every theory and opinion ever made. The internet is full of fake news and fake science, which can be easily made to be very persuasive. Several people on the internet have been persuaded by fake news and online forums to believe in something they would have even never thought of. Not only can the internet make people believe in such theories, but it can also cause movements and bring awareness to certain topics. The internet can change beliefs and bring awareness, and it has shaped our culture into what it is today.

Many people today believe that the Earth is flat. A common name for people who believe there is a flat Earth is “flat-earthers.” In a survey conducted by YouGov, there were 8,215 adults who were questioned. Overall, the research suggested that 84% of Americans believe the world is round. 5% believe the world is round, but are skeptical about it. 2% believe the world is flat, but are skeptical about it. Another 2% believe the world is flat, and 7% were not sure (live science). According to an article done by The Guardian, researchers say that YouTube is a big reason why people are believing in flat-earth. In an interview with 30 people attending the Flat Earthers annual conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, people were asked how they started to believe in a flat earth. All but one of the 30 said they initially did not consider Earth to be flat two years ago but changed their minds after watching videos promoting these theories on YouTube.In a YouTube video done by BuzzFeed News, they interviewed several flat-earthers to understand why they became flat-earthers (youtube). Many people admitted that they initially thought the theory of a flat Earth was crazy, however as they got deeper into the internet, it started to sound less crazy. In one interview, a person was asked how they got into the flat-earth theory, they said that after watching many flat-earth YouTube videos, it just started to make sense. As previously said, Only 2% of people fully believe that we live on a flat earth. Somehow, those people made themselves widely known, and soon more people joined this belief. This is all thanks to the internet, where people can connect and communicate with each other easily. It is very easy to spread new ideas and form a community. The internet can bring masses of people together faster than ever before.

In the past, people thought we were on a solid flat Earth until new sources from philosophers and scientists such as Pythagoras and Aristotle proved it was not. With millions of sources proving that the Earth is round, how do people still believe that the Earth is flat? An excerpt of “Realization: from seeing to understanding: the origins of art” explains how the mind can believe such conspiracy theories, “It’s a strange trait of human minds that while knowledge can be superseded, it can’t consciously be unlearnt. We might forget we know something, or pretend that we don’t know it, but we can’t shake off new understanding.” The mind is a powerful thing, but it can easily be persuaded. With all of the information on the internet, anything is possible.

Many people believe that vaccines that prevent diseases such as chickenpox, HPV, and whooping cough are actually harmful. In a YouTube video on a channel called Jubilee, there was a discussion between people who were anti-vaccine and pro-vaccine. Each group was able to talk about their side and how they reached a final conclusion about this matter. The people that were anti-vaccine were mostly mothers who wanted to do research on the internet to make sure that it was the right thing for their child. Researching on the internet, they were able to reach a final conclusion that vaccines were not safe enough. According to perinatal psychiatrist Rachel Shmuts, DO, the spread of negativity towards vaccines is a phenomenon deeply rooted in human psychology and further amplified by social media). In a recent online survey, conducted by The Harris Poll, more than 2,000 American adults were asked if they did not trust vaccines. The results showed that more than 2 in 5 adults say something has caused them to doubt the safety of vaccines. Like all pharmaceutical drugs, there can be risks to taking vaccinations such as redness and soreness at the injection site or fever and allergic reactions. It is highly encouraged by doctors and the CDC that people take vaccinations, however, people look towards the internet and research to reach a final conclusion, where there can be a lot of fake news.

A paper was published by Andrew Wakefield in February 1998 in The Lancet that brought up a lot of questions about the safety of vaccines. In the experiment, a group of parents brought 12 children to a hospital in North London where they were given the MMR vaccine. Within 14 days, eight of the families said their children developed first signs of autism and inflammatory bowel disease. This paper alarmed many people, causing many to stop vaccinating their children. The internet was able to expose this paper to a lot of people and cause fear. Even though it had such a big impact, it was later investigated by the medical authorities, and Wakefield was found guilty of serious professional misconduct. The news that it was fake and unethical did not get as much attention as the paper did. This resulted in people still believing it was true and seeing it as a scientific source. Unfortunately, fake news gets a lot more attention than actual scientific sources, causing panic and misinformed parents. This proves that the internet can cause panic and change beliefs very quickly.

Not only can the internet lead us to believe some crazy theories, but it can also bring awareness to a lot of topics, such as #BlackLivesMatter. In response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman, three Black organizers, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi, started a political movement called Black Lives Matter. The project is now a member-led global network with more than 40 chapters (herstory). Its goal is to provoke change against violence and systemic racism towards black people. The hashtag started on Twitter after Garza, Cullors, and Tometi posted the hashtag, where it spread across the internet like wildfire. Many activists had heard about the Black Lives Matter movement through social media apps such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

“Twitter, Facebook, and social media platforms are really ground zero for focusing attention,” said Charlton McIlwain, a New York University professor and co-author of the study “Beyond the Hashtags: #Ferguson, #BlackLivesMatter and the Online Struggle for Offline Justice,”(). In this study, it was evaluated whether social media was the big drive for this movement. To determine this, 40.8 million tweets, over 100,000 web links, and 40 interviews with Black Lives Matter activists and allies were analyzed. The results determined that social media was critical at the start of this movement. Protestors were able to spread their own stories and messages without the help of mainstream news outlets. The study also determined that social media was used to educate, bring forward a message, and cause change against systemic racism towards Black people.

#WomensMarch was started by Teresa Shook when she posted on Facebook that a pro-women’s march was needed during this time. The post got a lot of positivity, but when she realized no one was starting a march, she decided to start her own. A few dozen friends said they would come to the march, where overnight, 10,000 people RSVP’d to the event which would become the Women’s March in Washington. “It was an out-of-body experience, to look out and see that sea of pink bodies,” Shook said. “We knew it would be a fairly large turnout, but no one knew for sure that the numbers would be, so to see that in reality was just mind-boggling”. Shook was surprised by the huge turnout the march made, and it all happened because of a post made online. The internet can quickly spread information and quickly start movements overnight. Not only did it start in Washington, but it went worldwide and all across the country. From L.A. to New York, there were an estimated 4.1 million people in the march, making it the largest protest in U.S. history. Through social media, Shook was able to get worldwide attention and was able to find a lot of people who thought like her. She could not have started it at a more perfect time.

Many were sharing their experience in the Women’s March using the hashtag #WhyIMarch. The hashtag also went viral with thousands of pictures at the Women’s March. Elizabeth Brass, a Design Manager at Amplify Relations and Reno, NV Marcher posted on Twitter, “The power of social media helped this march gain so much traction because it brought so many like-minded people together to show our commitment to stand up for equal rights for everyone.” Social media had a big impact on the Women’s March movement, with thousands of posts under the hashtag #WomensMarch. Without social media, this movement would not have been as big as it was.

The internet can help start a lot of movements, and it can also help fundraisers. After the tragic shooting in Las Vegas, a GoFundMe page was started by Clark County Commission Chair Steve Sisolak and Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo. In 7 days, over 10 million dollars were raised, with over 83,000 donors. This is a great example of how much the internet can impact fundraisers such as this one. One donor from Jim Murren and MGM Resorts International even donated 3 million dollars (MONEY). The GoFundMe page was able to reach its goal of 500,000 and a great quantity more. This GoFundMe page got a lot of attention because of people who shared it online, where it eventually reached a shoutout on The Ellen Degeneres Show.

One big reason why people can become so passionate about certain topics is because of confirmation bias. When someone has confirmed what their beliefs are, it can be hard to persuade them into believing something else. When people do research on a certain topic, they will have what is called confirmation bias, which is the tendency to only interpret information that further confirms their beliefs. For example, one person is opposed to gun control and the other is for gun control. Each person will only look for sources that further confirm their beliefs. They may also both look at one source and interpret it in different ways so it aligns with their beliefs. Confirmation bias is important when researching online, and most people are not aware of it. When people like a certain idea, they will go out of their way to believing that it is true. In a study to test confirmation bias called, “Neural Bases of Motivated Reasoning: An fMRI Study of Emotional Constraints on Partisan Political Judgment in the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election,” participants with strong opinions about the candidates in the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election. When presented with contradictory statements by their respective candidates, the participants had inaccurate judgments. From this study, it was apparent that confirmation bias had a strong influence on judgment. Because of confirmation bias, it can be hard to change judgment once someone believes in a concept. The internet is filled with biased news. It can easily convince people to believe in certain concepts and movements, and further strengthen them because of confirmation bias.

ABSTRACT

We are a digital savvy generation and information plays a vital role today. The latest digital tools and techniques of communication have bought many pleasing changes and developments in our lives. Digital communication has bridged the distance between languages which has given various ways of success for many others. It has blurred the lines between urban-rural, rich-poor, educated-uneducated etc. and has built opportunities for everyone in a democratic way. This paper gives a broad overview of the existential communication aspects and its better prospects looking into futuristic communication methods.

INTRODUCTION

New emergent technologies have changed the way we work and communicate. Exchange of information is a basic need of human beings and new technologies are offering novel tools for this very purpose. In today’s day to day scenario, communication is the key required by everyone be it through apps like twitter, what’s app etc. or through conventional emails the need for communication is a must. However critics claim that this progression in technology is a bane. They argue that we are getting overloaded by information. We must realise that it is not the ‘fault’ of technology if we feel overloaded by information but we should learn that how we can change the way we use technology to communicate, in order to make it more effective, more human and more meaningful.

AGE OF EXPRESSIVENESS

A leading international web marketing agency has identified following current digital-communication trends for online communications and social media. These trends are: (i) Multi-screen world (ii) More talks via images (iii) Self documentation (iv) More push-button curation, particularly on mobile devices (v) Online communications channels continue to get more and more short-lived (vi) Computers know more about you than you think. The digital communication is based on shared values. Using internet and social media has become a must have skill for new generation. If we disregard the individual features of social media websites – tweets, likes, shares, pokes, posts, nudges and so on, we are left with a digital platform with an inexhaustible capacity to host conversations. Every time we publish information on the internet, we are effectively starting a conversation, because people can respond or react to it. However, we are also speaking to a vast, unknown audience and it is easy to get lost in the crowd. Very recently, it was predicted that the ‘social platforms’ would not only be used for socializing but for business purposes as well. Mobile phones would enable the mobility by enabling the kind of flexibility that goes hand in-hand with the digital workplace. Corporate brands would be out and individual employees as brands would be in. Users would no more accept the new tools of social communication but would develop new techniques on prevalent communication tools.

LANGUAGES HAVE LOST THEIR SHEEN IN DIGITAL AGE

For many years now, the so called ‘down gradation’ of the English language has become very evident and duly acknowledge. The language used by the generation X and Y is perceivable ‘different’ and mostly unacceptable to the generation of older professionals. But a language cannot ‘die’ as long as people speak it. The changes that languages normally go through is usually an inevitable process and by and large healthy as well. The English language is known for its propensity and capacity to evolve. Many other languages like the French are not. However, all human languages are rule-governed, and logical. Variations between different groups of speakers in the same language are normal and even at times predictable; and situations like these are result of and in turn result in cockneys and dialects. This is a phenomenon that happens across the globe. Consequently, speakers employ and enjoy a variety of speech forms and styles in response to changing social settings. Most of our attitudes about language are based upon social rather than linguistic judgments. It is also being observed that the human obsession to look and feel young often leads to older people assuming emerging trends especially in terms of verbalization and stylistics. Through Twitter, Facebook and texting, young people create their own language because they don’t want to sound like ‘stuffy adults’. What is perhaps worrisome is the need of and trend of adults mimicking teen-speak. They are using slang words and ignoring grammar. Their language is deteriorating. They are lowering the bar. Our language is flying off at all tangents, without the anchor of a solid foundation. Examples of text speak in common use include LOL for laugh out loud and I luv u instead of I love you. New slangs are coming up like tweet, troll, selfie etc.

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE OF MULTIMEDIA IS EMERGING

Engaging into digital communication is an irony. On the one hand one learns to use social media to express well. On the other, the medium itself hosts heated debates on the pitfalls of using social media. Therefore, it is only natural for us to be hesitant of the internet as a resource for professional development. This anxiety is further exacerbated by the fact that there are no fixed methods for using social media. We can train people to tweet, but the skills of this army of Twitter users will become redundant with the launch of the next website that captures everyone’s imagination. Digital content needs to be created with the understanding that anything in a digital format can end up anywhere. We should develop a new universal language of communication based upon pictures. This ancient art of expression through picture of ancient hunters never had the opportunity to go viral. There are no language barriers with images. As the world grows smaller, thanks to technology, people from all over the globe can chat with images that translate into a universal tongue. Do you speak only Mandarin? No problem, you can now communicate with someone who speaks only English. Take a picture and reply. Sergey Brin, Google’s co-founder, had an epiphany about the simplicity of communication through images while wearing Google Glass, the company’s controversial high-tech glasses. Mr. Brin said he was eating a meal while wearing Glass when he received a text message asking what he was doing. He snapped a picture with his glasses and replied with the photo of his surroundings.

Looking Ahead to Future Communication

Augmented reality

Future communication is vividly supported by augmented reality. In this, you can see the world through a technological overview. This could be something basic like a smartphone there are several augmented-reality applications already available for some phones. Another possible approach is through augmented-reality glasses. In either case, you can view the world around you and see real-time digital information about what you’re seeing.

The classic example of augmented reality is the restaurant review. You could stand in front of a restaurant and, through an augmented-reality system, read customer reviews or view the daily specials without ever walking inside. But the applications don’t have to stop with locations. Augmented-reality systems might extend to people as well. Imagine looking at a stranger and seeing that person’s name, Facebook profile, Twitter handle and other information. Clearly, augmented reality systems will raise concerns about privacy and safety, but such systems are already in development.

Light-fidelity

Li-Fi is a light communication system that is capable of transmitting data at high speeds over visible, ultraviolet spectrums. In its present state, only led lights can be used for the transmission of visible light.

In terms of its usage the technology is similar to wifi – the key technical difference being that Wi-Fi uses radio frequency to transmit data. Using light to transmit data allows Li-Fi to offer several advantages, most notably a wider band width channel, the ability to safely function in areas otherwise susceptible to electromagnetic interference (e.g. airplane, hospitals, military), and offering higher transmission speeds.] The technology is actively being developed by several organizations across the globe.

Conclusion

So in today’s scenario, communication is very vital and there are several ways to develop the way we communicate like augmented reality, vehicle ad-hoc network communications, Light fidelity etc. these broad ways of communication enhances the user communication system and makes it more efficient, smoother and stable. It is also secure. It should enable us to use the social digital landscape for reflection and conversations. This capacity of ours exchange the ideas on the basis of shared values makes us the individual agents of change.

Reference

1. Niket Mehta Assistant Professor, Dept. of Animation and Multimedia Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, Noida Campus, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.
2. Suparna Dutta Associate Professor (Humanities), Dept. of Management Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, Noida Campus, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Introduction

Communication is the exchange of information/ ideas or messages between parties who have a mutual interest. This can occur through the different types or methods of communication either verbally (using sound) or non-verbally (e.g. use of gestures, facial expressions eye contact).

(O’ Toole, 2016) states that here are many reasons why we communicate. According to O’toole, we communicate to meet our physical, identity, instrumental or relational needs. However, it is a common occurrence for messages to be passed across between a sender and a receiver, but they fail to understand each other. (O’Toole )2016 alludes that for effective communication to occur, there must be a mutual understanding of the message between the sender and the receiver. If we are to meet the above stated needs. It is imperative to note, that sometimes a breakdown of communication or ineffective communication occurs due to factors that are beyond the control of the sender or receiver. These factors could either be external or internal.

In this report, we shall look at some of the barriers for effective communication for people living with disabilities what we can do to communicate effectively so that their needs are met.

World Health Organisation defines a disability as limitation that causes an individual not to be able to participate fully in everyday activities due to an impairment that is either physical, cognitive, neurological or imputed impairment. (‘Disabilities’, n.d.). According to the Australian Network on Disability, over 4 million people in Australia have some form of disability. That’s 1 in 5 people. (‘Disability Statistics’, n.d.)

While people with disabilities may have complex needs due to their impairments, their basic human right to express themselves and be understood must be met according to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with disabilities (UNCRPD). (‘Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) | United Nations Enable’, n.d.) While there has been commendable progress to reducing and eliminating barriers for people with disabilities in terms of accessibility, employment and empowering them, there is still a lot of barriers when it comes to communicating effectively with people with disabilities. Imagine how your world would be if you are not able to communicate? This is the case for most people living with disabilities, which greatly affects their quality of life. While there are many barriers that affect communication for people living with disabilities ranging from physical to environmental or attitudinal barriers. In this report we will look at the attitudinal barriers that focus on the “disability “and not the person.

Barriers to effective communication

Negative or condescending attitudes- Most people with disabilities are treated as superhuman when they do everyday tasks such as getting milk from the shops. They are just as capable and as independent as everyone else even though they have adapted a different way of doing things with skills that they have developed.

Ignorance and assumptions- People assume that the person with a certain disability is incompetent or incapable of understanding due to their disability. For example, people assume that they are unable to make decisions because they cannot express themselves verbally.

Fear of making mistakes or offending the person with the disability- With the societal narrative that exists towards people with disability, it is perceived to be a daunting experience to communicate with a person who has a disability for the first time. Consequently, most people avoid contact with person who has a disability by thinking they might do or say something that might offend the person with the disability.

Patronising the person with the disabilities- When an adult with disability is asked a question that concerns them whilst in the company of another person, most people assume they can’t speak for themselves and speak on their behalf without consulting them or offer help when they have not requested for the help.

Blanket assumptions- The notion that just because an individual has one disability, then he must be totally impaired. E.g. some people speak loudly to a blind person by assuming they can’t hear well just because they can’t see.

From the above observations, its imperative that we address these barriers and have strategies that would help us communicate effectively with people living with disabilities.

Strategies for effective communication

Respect- Individuals must act in a manner that acknowledges the worth of the other person regardless of their disability and treats them as you would any other human being. O’Toole,2016, P.157). When faced with decision making, accord them extra time as you would anyone else, who can verbalise that they need more time to decide. Speak to the person directly and don’t talk about them as if they are not there.

Wait for consent- While its perfectly okay to offer anyone assistance, just like you would anyone else, you must wait for your help to be accepted by the person with the disability. You must also ask, if you are not sure on how to assist, that way the individual feels listened to and can communicate their needs in an accurate and personalised manner. Whether its offering to push a wheelchair or lead someone who is blind. You must ask if they need your help.

Ask questions- Don’t be afraid to ask if you are not sure. For example, if a person has a disability and is unable to communicate verbally, ask them how they prefer to communicate. They might say they use an Alternative communication aid or a communication device. Don’t assume and use sign language if you haven’t clarified their preferred method of communication if you don’t know.

Clarify when you don’t understand- For example some people with speech impairments might find it difficult to articulate words clearly. Ask them to repeat gain if you don’t understand. Don’t pretend to understand as this can be patronizing.

Bearing in mind the complex communication needs that people living with disability may have, there are reasonable adjustments that have been made for people living with disabilities in terms of resources that aid in effective communication. I will just name a few resources that people with disabilities would need are;

Alternative and Augmentative communication- These are aids that so not need human speech. For example, AUSLAN (Australian Sign Language etc appropriate to the different types of disability .Education and information on resources for the family and friends or support staff for people living with disabilities to be able to understand and communicate effectively with them and address the communication barriers.

Conclusion

Everyone has a right and need to express themselves and be listened to and understood. People with disabilities are no exception. Availing adaptive resources for people with complex communication needs will aid in breaking down communication barriers and cause effective communication to occur. This will in turn enrich the quality of life and general wellbeing for people living with disabilities.

Bibliography

1. Disability Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.and.org.au/pages/disability-statistics.html
2. Disabilities. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/topics/disabilities/en/
3. O’ Toole, G. (2016). Communication Core interpersonal skills for health professionals (3rd ed., pp. 3,4,5,7). New South Wales: Elsevier.
4. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) | United Nations Enable. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html

Com-mu-ni-ca-tion. Noun. “a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior.”(Merriam Webster. 2019) Communication is vital for any organization to thrive successfully. The flow of communication starting from the sender through the message to the receiver needs to be a smooth transition to get anything accomplished. This can get complicated when we are dealing with high-stress and high-impact situations. Communication in emergency management is the glue that enables emergency responders to be where they need to be in order to prepare, mitigate and respond to catastrophic incidents that happen worldwide. Often, communication has presented issues for the emergency management industry and it is up to us to streamline our communicative practices to ensure we are fulfilling our mission for the greater good of our communities when they need us. Communication over the years in this field has caused some major mishaps when it comes to emergency responding. It is the piece of the puzzle that enables us to plan and execute accordingly. It is imperative that we have effective communication in order to reach out to the necessary entities that are needed to assist at a moment’s notice. The mission of emergency management can be adversely affected by communication mishaps during an incident or disaster, especially in the response phase.

Emergency managers have a great responsibility to ensure they are able to respond efficiently to any emergency that may take place. Our job is to confidently deliver a level of response within hours, days, months, and maybe even years after an incident has taken place. If this is failed on any part, those matters will be questioned. Managers need to be able to contact local, state, and federal entities to notify them of what may be taking place or need to take place in their areas of responsibility. Information will need to be disseminated accordingly before any action can be taken. Communication is the foundation for emergency management and in recent years, there have been repercussions for failed communication. According to the Critical Emergency Management Discipline, emergency managers should always look to provide timely public and private notifications, warnings, and evacuation messages during an ongoing disaster. (A Critical Emergency Management Discipline, 2019) A prime example of where we failed was the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Due to a lack of streamlined communication, federal entities did not respond quickly enough to help that suffering community and those around it. Communication with essential personnel became strained due to failed cell towers and inoperable landlines. Satellite communications were low due to the high capacity of emergency responder communication that was already taking place. “Hurricane Katrina posed strenuous challenges to the implantation of martial law and curfews” (Dupepe, 2013). Social media was not yet as prevalent and text messaging was inadequate due to severe delays. Case studies of incidents and natural disasters within the last 25 years have proven to have had some type of communication deficiency that slowed the response efforts of emergency managers. Hurricane Katrina showed us how a lack of communication can have lasting effects on a community and its ability to be resilient as well as restore the community. The only effective communication function available at that time were functional offsite command centers getting updates from stakeholders.

“There was what the military would call a lack of “situational awareness” at all levels. This was not due to lack of information—the whole world could see the storm’s aftermath, but these vivid images streamed in from unofficial open sources, not as messages flowing through approved channels from authorized officials,” (Alan D. Campen, December 2005). As a result of the poor flow of communication, it was deemed necessary to focus on the nation’s weak and inefficient information infrastructure. It also urged the legislative branch to refocus their Homeland Security Act in which they developed an initiative to enhance emergency communications capabilities among first responders. We must ensure that we streamline this issue so we can maintain the mission of emergency management. How can we mitigate this communication issue and prevent it from causing issues in the future? I urge that establish solid communications capabilities that can withstand any emergency or disaster situation. Along with a clear and consistent message, emergency managers need to have an awareness of time. If too much time goes by without any recurring information or updates, miscommunication and incorrect assumptions may arise.

Social Media has proven itself to be one of the fastest and most efficient ways to get information out. Emergency managers need to keep up with technological advances in order to ensure they have various flows of communication in a crisis. Social media is one of those notable outlets. It can hit a great amount people in a short amount of time. We also may need to think of an outlet on a larger scale such as the use of an Emergency Alert System (EAS). Emergency managers need to understand what communication is necessary and equal to the crisis (Eastern Kentucky University, 2018). With keeping our communication practices on a large scale, we must also realize that timeliness is very important as well. Getting as many recurring messages out with updates, emergency mitigations, and other pertinent information can help reduce misleading information and assumptions.

These are just some simple solutions that can be used to prevent future discrepancies from happening. As more approach more hurricane season in the future years, our main focus should be communicated at all times. We cannot hold on streamlining our communication procedures until the crisis arises. It is imperative to maximize all communication capabilities as much as possible.

References

1. 5 Communication Tips to Help Emergency Managers Succeed. (2018, November 29). Retrieved from https://safetymanagement.eku.edu/blog/5-communication-tips-to-help-emergency-managers-succeed/
2. Communication. (n.d.). Retrieved April 3, 2019, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communication
3. Communications: A Critical Emergency Management Discipline. (n.d.). Retrieved April 3, 2019, from https://d4htechnologies.com/blog/20150706-communications-a-critical-emergency-management-discipline
4. Dupepe. (2013). Home | FEMA.gov. Retrieved April 3, 2019, from http://www.fema.gov/
5. Hurricane Katrina Represents A Failure to Communicate. (2015, January 16). Retrieved April 3, 2019, from https://www.afcea.org/content/hurricane-katrina-represents-failure-communicate
6. Lieberman, & I., J. (2005, September 29). S.1725 – 109th Congress (2005-2006): Assure Emergency and Interoperable Communications for First Responders Act of 2005. Retrieved from https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/1725

Recently, a myriad of setbacks have emerged in organization’s workforce due to changes caused by industrialization, economy shift and technological advancement (Ilgen,1994), as a result, organizations seek to annul the effect of this dynamic conditions by utilizing teams in their work mechanism (Lawler, Mohrman, & Benson, 2001), and as such, a team is seen to have a higher ability in handling complex tasks than individuals towards the attainment of the organization’s goal and competitive advantage (Campbell, 1988; Sundstrom, De Meuse, & Futrell, 1990).

Due to these changes, research has verified the factors that supports the effectiveness of teams’ rapid development (Wang, Waldman, & Zhang, 2014). A dominant finding within teams’ literature is the indispensable nature of team communication towards the attainment of an effective team performance (Marks, Zaccaro, & Mathieu, 2000; Warkentin & Beranek, 1999).

Mesmer-Magnus and colleagues carried out two analysis pertaining to the extent to which information is being shared by a team member to another, as well as, the extent to which teams members share information among themselves irrespective of the amount of information each team member possess (Mesmer-Magnus & DeChurch, 2009; Mesmer-Magnus, DeChurch, Jimenez-Rodriguez, Wildman, & Shuffler, 2011). However, these two ways of sharing information turned out to significantly and positively correlate to team performance.

Even though several team communication methods have been used in making teams perform effectively, but it is yet to be affirmed whether these methods affect team performance. However, this research gap can be addressed by seeking more understanding pertaining to the connection between team effective communication and team performance (Marlow, Lacerenza, Paoletti, Burke, & Salas, 2018).

Team communication can be defined as an exchange of information, through verbal and nonverbal among the members of a team (Adams, 2007; Mesmer- Magnus & DeChurch, 2009). Specifically, effective communication is posited to enhance team performance by facilitating and enhancing critical team processes, such as coordination and strategy formulation (Marks, Mathieu, & Zaccaro, 2001).

There is a huge need for a team to establish a common understanding and effectively communicate information concerning the tasks to be performed as well as what the team expectation (Mathieu, Heffner, Goodwin, Salas, & Cannon- Bowers, 2000).

Following the attendance of class sessions, our team figured out that there’s an urgent need to improve on the pattern of communication within the group. This has also helped team members communicate their ideas effectively without hold back ideas and information that would serve a core recipe towards the team performance and the accomplishment of the team’s objective.

REFERENCE

1. Butchibabu, A., Sparano-Huiban, C., Sonenberg, L., & Shah, J. (2016). Implicit Coordination
2. Strategies for Effective Team Communication. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 58(4), 595-610. doi:10.1177/0018720816639712
3. Marlow, S. L., Lacerenza, C. N., Paoletti, J., Burke, C. S., & Salas, E. (2018). Does team communication represent a one-size-fits-all approach?: A meta-analysis of team communication and performance. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 144, 145-170. doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2017.08.001

How often do you rely on technology to communicate with other people? Technology has quickly advanced and is a major technique of common communication in this era. This sudden advancement and adoption has arose the question, Has technology positively or negatively impacted our ability to communicate with one another? Cell phones, television, radios, and several other versions of the technology have opened the world to hundreds of ways to communicate, but the most common is social media. A 2020 statistic states that 85.8 percent of the United States population accessed the internet from anywhere via any device. This statistic is expected to increase to 87.2 percent by 2025.

Due to technology rapidly becoming a part of everything used in the majority of the world including communication, technology has positively affected our ability to communicate with each other. Technology has made it possible to communicate with virtually anyone in the world at any given time. There are over a hundred social media platforms that are used specifically for communication. This number continues to increase as more platforms are developed and released for the public`s use. The top five most popular social media apps used for communication are Facebook with 2.23 billion monthly active users, YouTube with 1.9 billion monthly active users, WhatsApp with 1.5 billion monthly active users, Messenger with 1.3 billion monthly active users, and Instagram with 1 billion monthly active users. To oppose this, some people believe that the overuse of technology for communication can lead to social anxiety. A study at the University of Pennsylvania showed increased levels of loneliness in high usage of social media which can be a contributing factor to anxiety and depression; however, technology allows people who suffer from social anxiety to communicate with less pressure than they would typically be affected by in a face-to-face conversation.

In an article posted by Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, this test was graphed showing the massive decrease in the high social anxiety group`s anxiety levels from real-life conversation to online conversation.

Due to the multiple platforms of communication that technology opens to everyone, information and news worldwide can be accessed instantaneously. Through the use of television, radios, cell phones, emails, podcasts, and social networks 44 percent of Americans say they get news through one or more internet mobile digital sources. To contradict this, some people believe that technology creates the ability to rapidly share fake news worldwide due to the multiple platforms of communication that anyone can access. Technology had advanced communication to the point where anyone can interact with news andor rumors making it extremely difficult to decipher between what is real and what is fake. After conducting research, researchers concluded that the average fake news story spread to 1,500 users in 10 hours. The verified story took nearly 60 hours to reach the same amount of people. On average, the false stories reached about 35 percent more people, added the researcher. Sadly, fake news can not be avoided due to a lack of fact-checking and dishonesty; however, the ability to communicate quickly has proven to be physically lifesaving. In 2017, the United States alone experienced 15 natural disasters that each cost at least $1 billion in damages. During these disasters, technology was a constant use of communication. It gave emergency response crews a way to develop a plan of action, help stranded survivors communicate that they were in trouble, and get updated information to family and friends as fast as possible.

One final way technology has positively affected our ability to communicate with one another is through the use of dating sites and apps. There are currently more than 1,500 different dating app sites for anyone around the world to communicate through. According to Nielsen data, one in ten American adults spend more than one hour on a dating app site daily. To contradict this, some people believe that communicating through dating sites is dangerous because of fake profiles and predators. According to Kaspersky.com, the main finding while researching the dangers of dating app sites is false information and identities. Averagely, 57 percent of online daters lie to one another about their name, appearance, marital status, location, andor age. According to a report from Factual, 10 percent of online daters are sex offenders and approximately 25 percent of rapists are finding their victims through dating app sites. There are many dangers of dating through technology; however, it has led to thousands of successful relationships worldwide. According to The Knot 2019 Jewelry and Engagement study, 22 percent of couples meet online and end up becoming engaged. Of the couples that were surveyed, less than six percent of those who met online got divorced, while the break-up rate for marriages found offline was almost eight percent.

In conclusion, technology has and continues to positively affect our ability to communicate with one another in multiple ways. Technology is continuously advancing and will continue to further increase our ability to communicate in the future. Cellphones, television, radios, podcasts, emails, and several other devices used to communicate make it possible to communicate with people who are across the world in seconds. In emergencies, technology has become vital for communication to make sure everyone is safe and can receive help if needed. Finally, technology opens a whole new world to try and find love for people who have struggled previously. While you`re reading this paper, think of how much you use technology to communicate with others and if you could imagine a world of communication without technology.

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