Can We Survive?

I believe we as a society have come too far to look back at a time without technology, and say those were the better days. Why? Because we rely on technologies too much. We have formed an addiction to it, but not all addictions are bad. Right? Yes, not all are bad, but can be if not used wisely. That's exactly what internet falls under. Using internet technologies for work; to expand it , and make it better, to communicate with people you thought you never would with confidence is all great. But then the need to do everything online in the workplace, and not knowing how to do it without internet, or not being able to talk to the same person you talked to online , now face to face, are all examples of bad addictions to technologies. Technologies are great, and will make our future better than what it is, but remember its only technologies, its only internet, its only a cellphone, its only a laptop, its not life.

 

Instant Messaging!

This video is discussing the world of instant messaging in the workplace, and the benefits behind it. Instant messaging has proven itself to be very efficient and fast. Things such as files, reports, and requests can be send over instant messaging to each other in the work environment. Communication is available at any moment with anybody in the office.

The only negativity instant messaging can provide is the distraction of other things such as personal messages, and the ability to know how to use it properly.

Power of Media

In our new generation we have to use technology at work, everyone is using it, so why not us? Workplaces are now required to use social media to be able to compete in the new market. Facebook and twitter accounts have become a everyday thing for workplaces to have to advertise themselves to the public.

Evolution of Communication

This video is a great example of the many changes communication has over time and how industries have evolved with it.

Disadvantages of Communication Technology in the Workplace

There is no Interpersonal communication left in between employees, and employers. Everything being electronic prevents people to be able to communication with actual words. There is the stress with technology, such as old employees who didn't have to have excess use of computers before, but now they are faced with the obstacle of learning new technologies. Then there is the stress of employees learning new updates on computers and programs, which also increases the company’s budgets with training costs. Training is important for new technologies which take a good amount of time and money. Another is when sometimes employees are replaced with computers or technologies which the workplace doesn't require as many employees as before. Then the part where employees take advantage of the new technologies available to them for there own use , and not the companies. 

Benefits of Communication Technology in the Workplace

New technologies have been able to improve communication because there is no longer the limitation of phone only, there are more than one way to connect with each employee and co-workers. Also clients are able to connect from around the world, not just local anymore. Technology is able to improve training, recruiting and hiring in the workplace. The internet is able to identify employers with knowledge about the employee which is not available to them in person. Future employees are able to find information about the workplace they are applying to. There is efficiency in work in the workforce, working is done faster, and the flow is smoother without hassles. Files can be saved and accessed on the computer, instead of actual files which take up space, harder to locate at times, and save on the cost of paper and printing costs. Employees are able to work at home which decreases office space and time in the workforce.Technologies also save on travel costs because workplaces can have video conferencing between companies in different countries. There is a chance of expanding and global recognition in the international market which in return benefits a countries economy.  

Communication Technology Impact in the Workplace

Communication is now between cellphones and emails, and not person to person. This option lets employee’s contact to each other at all times. The workplace is in a functioned manner with the new technologies. New technologies have made websites and online advertising available to those who are around the world. The market has increased by huge numbers, now there is online communication in workplace between customers and employees. Companies are able to expand their business based on the fact that employees can now connect with customers at a different level which was not possible before to achieve. Employees are now able to work from home; the amount of office space is able to decrease due to this fact. Jobs are available which were not there before such as IT departments for the new technologies that are used in the workplace. Due to new technologies more than 785 000 new jobs will be added from 2008 to 2018. 

Changes in Communications in the Workplace

From talking in person to each other and doing presentations in front of many board members or companies to today emailing each other back and forth , and having presentations through webcams and video conferencing. Communication has certainly changed in workplaces. Before communication was strong due to the fact that it was face to face conversations or voice to voice through phone but now it is computer screen to computer screen. Face to face communications were able to provide a person with confidence and ability to interact with people you don’t know. Now there isn’t a need to interact personal because of the new technologies available to people in workplaces. There is nothing personal in workplaces anymore it’s all about the context. Work related relationships are affected because of gap in communication in workers. Communicating through emails and messages takes away the emotional values of the context, meaning there is no space for interpersonal communication. For example if there is a communication gap like this, then there is no trust or confidence in each other for the employer and employee. The work level improves through these new communication technologies but there is a loss of the actual reason for communication, which is to convey more than just the context. 

  

Changes in Technologies in the Workplace

Amazing new technologies are introduced into the workplace daily. They help connect the world in a way which was not possible before. Workplaces were limited to do business with those only in the same country. But now programs such as Skype, MSN which let you chat and video conference with anyone around the world with the same technology has abled workplaces to expand their business. Now a business can be viewed by anyone in the world as long as the business has a published website on the internet. Before all an office consisted of were phones and computers which were only used to do certain tasks. Now things are different, while the phone has the same purpose, the computer has changed; now there are work based chatting services, where all the employees in different areas and departments can communicate with each other. Workplaces now have a huge amount of people, and to be able communicate with all face to face is a hard and time consuming task to achieve, instead emails and instant messages are quicker to achieve. Before paperwork had to be mailed through snail mail which would take days has now changed into emails which only take a few seconds. 
            

My Thoughts

All around us the world is changing day by day, thus resulting in technology to evolve to fit into this modern world. As new technologies come into the world, they have to be integrated into our society. And how exactly are they integrated? Simple into the workplace. When new technologies are introduced the best located for them is the workplace because technologies such as the internet help the workplace to achieve their tasks in improved and faster quality. If a workplace is able to use the technology to their benefit and has a liking towards it, the word will be spread of the technology by the employers which results in the people outside of the workplace showing interest in the same technology. While technology is a great thing for the modern world, it has enabled the people using the technology to use it as a crutch to communicate. Communication has been said to be the key in teamwork, and workplace requires teamwork. Communication started out to be a way to get to know your co-workers, employees and employers, but due to the change in the technologies of communications it has now become a way of getting things done fast. As a user of technology such as the internet and cellphone, they have provided me with great entertainment and effective way of communication with my friends and family, but have left me with a gap and awkwardness to communicate face to face with people outside of my comfort zone. Weather it is my workplace where little things such as schedules are now emailed to us instead of the manager telling us face to face , to group works where now all the communication is done through emails and messages; technology has certainly harmed our ability to communicate with each other on a regular basic.