“Living in a Digital Age: Technology’s Impact on Communications”, is the theme of the exhibit. The various artifacts presented in this exhibit will demonstrate the effects of technology on today’s communication. Looking at the evolution of technology and surge of various modes of communication that have appeared from the first telephone to social media and smart phones.
The materials used in the exhibit range from inventions such as the telephone, letters, and fax machines to demonstrate the introduction of technology that paved the way. Demonstrating advancements in tech, the introduction of the internet with its inclusion of email and instant messaging that brought about radical change in how we communicated in the post-industrial revolution. The final artifact(s) will include the social media explosion and the way it has influenced how we communicate now. Smartphones have given everyone the power to communicate anywhere and at any time.
The exhibit will showcase technology’s influence on how we communicate. It will put on display the natural progression of communication technology and the societal impacts. Social media has risen to the forefront of how we communicate with one another now. Twenty years ago, this technology did not even exist. The vast differences in how we have communicated with each other has changed rapidly with each generation. From our grandparents to our parents to us, there have been major leaps in technology that have impacted our daily lives. Worldwide communication is assessable to anyone in contemporary society due to these technological advancements.
This exhibit will be able to display key moments of technological advancements within the communications field. How this impacted the way communication was conducted with each advancement. From the ability to talk to someone on the other side of the world to the morality of exposure to social media. From the inception of the internet to how its impact on how everything is done today, these advancements in technology have changed the way we communicate. Hopefully the exhibit will shed light on the positive and negative impacts of the technology. The digital age has ushered in new and innovative ways of how we communicate.
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| Telegraph (1832 - 85) The electrical telegraph was a messaging system, used from the 1840s until the late 20th century. It was the first electrical telecommunications system that was developed to communicate messages faster than basic transportation. Western Union had laid the first transcontinental telegraph line, making it the first nationwide telegraph company. Rather than taking weeks to be delivered by horse-and-carriage mail carts, pieces of news could be exchanged between telegraph stations almost instantly. The telegraph also had a profound economic effect, allowing money to be “wired” across great distances.
On March 7, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell received the first
patent for an “apparatus for transmitting vocal or other sounds
telegraphically,” that would later be named the telephone. On March 10, 1876, Bell
and his assistant, Thomas Watson, made the first successfully transmitted
message. The telephone had a huge impact, it made business more efficient,
it provided a way to communicate effectively over vast distances. It led to
instant communications around the world through the expansion of the network. First radio broadcast The first radio transmission was made from a temporary station set up by Guglielmo Marconi in 1895 on the Isle of Wight. Wireless signals began to emerge as an effective form of communication. Radio stations seem to always be accessible, even when phone and satellite connections fail. The technology has become a reliable staple in both homes and vehicles. Radio could be heard worldwide and thus connectivity and communication grew as information spread. First television broadcast (Jan 1926) Television has played a pivotal role in the socialization of
the 20th and 21st centuries. Television enables one-way communication between
the sender and the receiver. This gives the sender the ability to persuade,
entertain, inform, and empower the audience. This influence on society whether
good or bad, has shaped societies for over 80 years. Television is the one of
the world's most powerful means of communication.  Computers have changed how society does things from the way
we conduct business, learning, socializing, and even how we play. All aspects
of modern society utilize computers because of its ability to manipulate and
store data. The first personal computer that was fully assembled and offered
for sale on the general market was Apple I. Computers have become an appliance
that provide entertainment as well as information.  Fiber Optic Cable Fiber optic cables are used to transmit cable signals. It can transmit data over long distances and supports much of the world’s internet, cable, and telecommunications. In September 2012, NTT Japan demonstrated a single fiber cable that was able to transfer 1 petabit per second (1015bits/s) over 50 kilometers. The ability to transmit large amounts of data at high speeds has seen the expansion and performance of the internet. Networking between computers has seen a decrease in transfer time across networks which makes the transfer of files and information smoother. Fiber optics have been vital in the implementation and creation of high-speed internet and streaming services.  Social Media People around the world use social media to share information and make connections. Social media allows users to communicate with friends and family and be entertained. It facilitates sharing and expression through communities and virtual networks. It has made it easy for businesses to reach out to a wider customer base and improve customer loyalty through different programs. Social media has impacted politics drastically. It is where most people get their news; in some cases, this is before the media houses do. It is the medium that gives the easiest access to political and other news. The ability to livestream has changed the way that media is consumed and distributed.  iPhone 12 Pro MAX The cellphone and it's offshoot, smartphone is a display of how technology evolves. Cell phones were created as a portable means of communication. It's inception has almost eliminated the telephone due to its convenience. Combine that with the power of a personal computer (PC) and we see how far modern communications tech has evolved. Billions of smartphones are sold yearly and the trend shows no signs of slowing down. Everything that needed a separate tool/machine to operate has been combined in a sleek high speed tool. From browsing the internet, to streaming movies and media, to email and chat, to online gaming, the smartphone does it all. People feel "naked" if their phones aren't with them, to a fault that society cannot run without them. Video Chat Video conferencing concept was first introduced in the 1870s
as an extension of audio devices. The first actual video telephone was
developed in the late 1920s with the AT&T Company, and the company first
experimented with video telephones in 1927. Video conferencing allows
face-to-face communication without having to leave the work space. With the
COVID pandemic restricting face-to-face communication, video chat has emerged
as the go to resource for conducting everything that evolves direct
communication. It also serves as a way to communicate visually with friends and
family that cannot be together. It even facilitates the dating scene as two
people can “see” each other as they talk. Virtual classrooms are held where
students and teachers can learn in a safe environment or compensate for the
location/time differences. Augmented Reality (AR): The future of Communication Tech... Augmented Reality (AR) technology is a technology that
combines virtual information with the real world. The technical means it uses
include Multimedia, 3D-Modelling, Real-time Tracking and Registration,
Intelligent Interaction, Sensing and more. This technology is in its infancy
with application mostly used in mobile gaming (Pokemon Go, etc.). This interactive
form of communication has the potential to change how everything is done.
Operations can be performed in real time, with patient and doctor not even in
the same room! Television and media will be able to fully immerse consumers in
virtual advertisement worlds that play on all the senses. Imagine video chat
with AR capability where one could feel touch or even smell. The possibilities are
endless, only bound to the imagination of its creators/users. References Chen, Y. (2019). An overview of augmented reality technology. Journal of Physics. Retrieved from https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/1237/2/022082/pdf#:~:text=Augmented%20Reality%20(AR)%20technology%20is,Intelligent%20Interaction%2C%20Sensing%20and%20more. Boston University College of Communication. (n.d.). Will Video Conferencing Become The Preferred Communication Tool?. BU.com. retrieved from https://sites.bu.edu/cmcs/2017/11/16/will-video-conferencing-become-the-preferred-communication-tool/ Saurel, S. (2020, February 10). The impact of social media on our society. media update.com. Retrieved from https://www.mediaupdate.co.za/social/147946/the-impact-of-social-media-on-our-society Design Spark. (2018, September 6). 9 Uses of Fiber Optic Cables. DesignSpark.com. Retrieved from https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/9-uses-of-fiber-optic-cables#:~:text=Fibre%20optic%20cables%20transmit%20large,flexible%2C%20and%20carry%20more%20data. "The History, Development, and Importance of Personal Computers." Science and Its Times: Understanding the Social Significance of Scientific Discovery. . Retrieved February 28, 2022 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/history-development-and-importance-personal-computers Cha, J. (n.d.) Television use in the 21st century: An exploration of television and social television use in a multiplatform environment. first monday. Retrieved from https://firstmonday.org/article/view/6112/5199 Radio Fidelity. (n.d.) When was the radio invented? The rise of radio & how it changed the world. Radiofidelity.com. Retrieved from https://radiofidelity.com/when-was-the-radio-invented/ Smithsonian. (2012, March 6). Alexander Graham Bell’s Large Box Telephone. Smithsonian.com. Retrieved from https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/snapshot/alexander-graham-bells-large-box-telephone History.com Editors (2009, November 9). Morse Code & the Telegraph. History.com. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/telegraph |
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