Evolution of Communication

Human social interaction has always been mediated by technology. Beginning with the first purposeful use of primitive tools, the mastery of fire, communication by scratching in the dust, cave paintings, and even the construction and evolution of language have been inextricable intertwined with human behavior, social grouping, and the development of a concept of community.

The way teachers and learners interact evolved with the introduction of the chalkboard—and with pencil and paper for that matter. Changes in the ways in which individuals and groups interact influences the nature of friendships, networks and communities.

Friendship is a fluid, dynamic, personally meaningful cognitive as well as affective conceptualization. I think most of us that are reading/participating in this conversation feel that we have friends we have never met face-to-face. So, yes, I think the nature as well as the meaningfulness of interpersonal relationships is indeed changing.

It’s active and social, and perhaps an extension of the coach-potato phenomenon. Plus the screen is the kind of shiny, musical bauble, and we humans are attracted to.

What is sure is that communication will keep changing.

As an “older generation” who observes (while teaching) the younger generation, I am noticing a pattern of differences that has less to do with age and more with the kind of mind a person has. I think that many of the people who take strongly to communication using a computer and the web appear to be A.D.D. or Aspergers. What was a “disability” may actually be a different kind of mind, more suitable to this new communication (and learning and working) environment.

There is no way that these technologies could “not” affect not only our “opportunities for communication”, but (over time), our habits and desires, the quantity and quality of our conversations and our thoughts and, inevitably and subtly, our culture and the future of the species. We cannot possibly KNOW exactly what changes will occur, until not only have the changes occurred, but someone has noticed it and documented it. Then, of course, the “meta-conversation” (such as this paper and the comments ) itself will affect the conversation, and how we approach new technologies, etc. etc.

It’s exciting, isn’t it?

It is a br@ve new world… In case of online communities and networks, once they are created, what really keeps them “alive”? How can the available applications give us the sense of belonging?

Younger people will become old at some point probably there will be specific communities for certain age groups that will communicate with different tools and languages / slangs..