Blogs, websites, live video, social media technologies, and email are all examples of communication technology.
In this article, we'll explore the following communication technologies:
Social Media Platforms
Blogs
Vlogs
Live Video
Conferencing Technology
Group Wikis
Group Forums
Collaborative Documents
Podcasts
Wearable Technology
Smart Speakers
Web Chat
Email
Read on for descriptions of each.
21st Century Communication Technologies
Listed below are 13 examples of 21st century communication technology that are used on a regular basis:
1. Social Media Platforms
Users of social media platforms can create personal pages, share profile images and updates on their lives, and create friends lists.
6 Degrees, the first social media platform, was launched in 1997; MySpace was launched in 2003 and became the first mainstream social media platform. It was the most popular social media platform between 2005 and 2008.
With billions of users around the world, Facebook has taken over MySpace as the most popular social media platform.
In addition to Facebook, Twitter is another popular social networking site used by corporations, public figures and governments to quickly share updates and in-the-moment responses to sensitive issues.
2. Blogs
Personal blogs allow people to publish or 'log' information for others around the globe to read - with an internet connection.
A blog is usually a personal website where someone posts regular long-form posts about their lives or hobbies. Media organizations, companies seeking publicity, or professional bloggers who monetize through advertising or affiliate marketing run more professional or commercialized blogs.
The advent of blogs revolutionized mass communication since before blogs you had to pay a high price to get your writing printed and marketed around the world.
The world can now see your writing with the click of a button.
Justin Hall created the first blog in 1994 on links.net. He didn't call it a blog at the time, but it had all the features of one.
In 1997, Jorn Barger coined the term "weblog" as a shortening of "logging the web".
By 2004, 'blog' had become Merriam-Webster's word of the year! The term weblog was invented by Peter Merholz in 1999.
3. Vlogs
Vlogs are "video logs". They developed from blogging when bandwidth increased and regular people were able to upload videos to the web.
Some vlogs are high production with complex graphics and recording teams. Typically, vloggers use handheld cameras or cameras on their computer monitor to record themselves speaking.
Video blogs were first published in 2000 by Adam Kontras, who uploaded a video to his blog for family and friends.
Several factors enabled blogging to become increasingly popular, including the emergence of YouTube in 2005 and the ability to upload and embed videos online.
4. Live Video Stream
In response to online consumers' needs for immediacy and authenticity, live video has evolved from vlogging.
In August 2015, Facebook introduced Facebook Live, a video sharing platform that incorporates live video. YouTube introduced live video in April 2011.
As a result, live video has the advantage of synchronicity in communication. On YouTube, for example, the live vlogger can read community comments appearing live on-screen in real time and respond to them as they appear.
In order for a live video stream to work, it must be able to be played, paused, and rewound in real time. Instead of uploading a video as a standalone packet of data that can only be viewed after it has been downloaded fully on the receiver's end, the data is downloaded, buffered and played in real time.
5. Conferencing And Live Lecture Technology
Live conferencing technology, which combines live video with complex speaker systems, helps workplaces communicate across long distances.
Among the common benefits of conferencing technology are:
The 360-degree cameras automatically detect who is speaking and display the face of the current speaker.
Any person in a room can use the microphone and speaker to communicate clearly with those on the other end of the conference call.
In some online collaboration tools, users can also share their computer screens with each other. A conference can have a brainstorming screen that participants can write on from their computers.
The 'cognitive tool' technology I use as a university teacher allows students to write on the lecture slides.
Blackboard collaborate, for example, allows teachers to speak simultaneously to hundreds of students around the world.
Here are some other theories you might like: Technological Determinism Theory
6. Group Wikis
Unlike a blog, a wiki allows anyone to edit and write content. Wikipedia is probably the most famous wiki.
Members of wikis can collaborate to crowdsource information. This can enable them to accumulate a great deal of information quickly.
Users can gain access to collective knowledge stored on Wikis at ease, creating a 'hive mind'. A hive mind is a collective of people storing and accessing knowledge or information.
7. Group Forums
It is possible to post questions and answers in a group forum. Many forums are sorted by topic, such as Reddit, which allows people with similar interests to communicate.
Often, online schools use group forums for students to respond to weekly stimulus questions.
Having the ability to reply to each other's comments on forums also creates a long-form conversation between individuals. The complete conversation is recorded in comments and replies, creating a paper trail that can be used to track the progress of the group's thinking.
8. Tablet Computers
With the emergence of big players like Android and Apple into the tablet computer market, modern tablet computers emerged as a new technological innovation around 2008-2010.
In order for tablet computers to become a mass market phenomenon, technological advancements have enabled compact and affordable technologies to become available.
Creating a small and affordable touch screen technology and a compact long life battery pack were key challenges.
The tablet is now a widely used portable device that fills a gap between a smartphone that can be carried in your pocket and a laptop that requires its own bag. In addition to fitting easily into carry bags, tablets are lightweight and powerful enough to make video phone calls, take photos, and perform light personal computing tasks.
9. Podcasts
Podcasts are packets of audio information that can be uploaded and stored on cloud technology for anyone to download and listen to at their convenience. By downloading podcast episodes automatically through RSS feeds, fans of a podcast series can keep up with the latest episodes whenever they like.
Radio technology gave rise to podcasts. In contrast to radio, podcasts are transmitted over the internet, which is more flexible and feature-rich than radio waves. This enables users to download at will rather than being forced to tune in at a specific time.
Also, podcasting has allowed people to listen to audio from all over the world about their favorite topics. Unlike radio that caters to a wide audience in a particular location (where it is broadcast), podcasts tend to appeal to a dispersed community of people interested in specific topics, such as 'true crime', 'politics', or 'comedy'.
In addition to the other communication technologies on this list (such as blogs), podcasts can also be published by anyone with a computer and microphone. In the past, communicating with large audiences was a privilege of the powerful, but now everyone can share their message from their computers.
10. Wearable Technology
Technology that can be worn on the body makes communication easier than ever before. Examples of wearable technology include:
Smart Watches
Smart Glasses
Exercise bracelets
Using smart watches, users can speak commands to control them. With internet connections, wearable technology can provide quick answers to questions, make hands-free phone calls, and keep spoken notes and memos.
It is possible to measure vital signs and sleep rhythms with exercise bracelets and other wearable health trackers. These bracelets can automatically send data to exercise trainers and medical professionals to provide quick and accurate updates on the wearer's health profile.
Augmented reality can be integrated into everyday life using smart glasses. Wearing smart glasses allows users to project data directly onto their retinas, such as travel speed or internet search data. Smart glasses can also be used to make phone calls through voice commands and to communicate with them through eye movements, blinking, or hand movements.
Final Thoughts
The technology of communication has advanced greatly since the days of morse code. Communication over long distances was primitive and slow a handful of generations ago.
When we go overseas, we can't see or hear the faces of our loved ones before we return home. Now, a Skype call can let us have a live, immersive conversation with our loved ones.
Among the greatest technological advances in the last 50 years was the invention of the internet. Satellite capabilities and fibre optic cables have helped improve the internet's capacity and speed up internet-based communication.
The world of communication continues to advance at an incredible rate. The emergence of the internet has made communication more democratic than ever. Nowadays, anyone can broadcast their ideas online.
In spite of this increased capacity for sharing information, there are challenges associated with it. We need to be critical of information passed on through online media and be informed using reliable, trustworthy and scientific information in the face of the rise of 'fake news'.
The following examples of communication technologies illustrate just a few of the technologies that keep us connected in the 21st century.