What is in our minds when we hear ” modern communication “? Maybe most people will argue that modern communication is a means or a means of modern communication or modern communication media that we use in the digital era like today. Mobile phones, smart phones, e-mails, social networks, various instant messaging applications, and video calls are definitely the examples we will give.
Modern communication refers to various things such as systems, methods, facilities, and others. However, in this discussion, we will try to review modern communication in terms of communication science or communication between people and the development of communication technology.
Well, we begin by refreshing our memories and (re) understanding of the terms communication, modern and communication technology before entering into the discussion of modern communication and its characteristics.
Definition of Modern Communication
- Communication
From various understanding of communication according to experts that have been summarized in the introductory article of communication science it can be said that what is meant by communication is a two-way process in order to achieve mutual understanding. In the communication process, each participant not only exchanges information, ideas and feelings but also creates and shares meanings.
The formation of meaning that occurs during this interaction process has been explained in full by Barnett Pearce and Vernon Cronen through the coordination theory of meaning management . In general, communication implies connecting people or places and has various functions.
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These communication functions include connecting with others, socially connected, attracting the attention of others, sharing feelings, expressing an opinion, explaining various information, negotiating, expressing opinions, manipulating the thoughts of others, commenting, educating, forming friendships and others.
In the context of organizational communication and in the field of business communication , communication has a management function where an organization cannot operate without communication. Here, the role of communication in the organization is very important because it connects various parties in the organization such as between departments, between employees, between superiors and subordinates, and others.
As the core of interaction between humans and learning, communication means the process of exchanging information, ideas, thoughts, feelings and emotions conveyed through language as a means of communication , signals, writing, or behavior. The process of effective communication takes place through the stages of communication supported by communication components , or elements of communication , or elements of communication such as message senders, encoding , messages, channels or communication media , message recipients, decoding , and feedback.
In the process of communication, the sender of the message or or encoder meng- encode a message and then using a channel or medium of communication to send the message to the receiver or decoder that meng- decode the message. After the message recipient has processed the information, the message recipient sends back a message to the sender of the message through appropriate feedback using the media or communication channel.
- Modern
The term modern often refers to things that smell contemporary. According to the Big Indonesian Dictionary Online, modern means the latest or the most recent. Other modern meanings are attitudes and ways of thinking and ways of acting in accordance with the demands of the times.
From the two terms above, it can be concluded that what is meant by modern communication is the process of exchanging messages conveyed through modern technology communication channels or media in order to achieve mutual understanding.
- Communication Technology
What is meant by communication technology is the use of various kinds of modern technology to communicate or communicate information through various channels or media. The presence of modern communication technology has revolutionized the way, mobility and efficiency of electronic communications. Starting from the invention of the telephone to the practice of W-CDMA networks and 4G communication modes, all have a major contribution in the realm of today’s data or voice networks.
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Various forms of new electronic communication have grown and developed rapidly along with the development of communication technology. Now, by using the internet network, we can communicate through computers and cellular phones including electronic mail, instant messaging services, conversation rooms, forums, social networking sites, interactive online gaming networks, and web-logs .
Now, most schools, companies, government agencies, banks, and others have utilized modern communication technology to support and assist the learning process of learning , management, banking services, research, marketing, and others.
Characteristics
Looking back at the history of the development of communication technology , the development of communication tools , and the history of the development of information technology, it cannot be denied that the rapid development of information and communication technology has made communication science incised its steps into the historical traces of the development of communication science further.
Communication between humans, which was originally carried out in writing, is now communication can be done through the internet due to the implementation of various electronic technologies such as electronic waves and communication signals. Communication made through the internet is generally referred to as online communication or online communication (Also read: Types of Online Communication ).
The presence of the internet as a medium of communication has created characteristics of communication between new and more modern humans, along with modern communication and its characteristics, namely:
- Communication can be done quickly
One of the most significant effects of technology on communication is the vast scope of the internet and the possibility of sending messages via electronic mail or instant messages. Through the internet, we can carry out conversations, create, edit and send documents in just seconds. The process of creating and editing documents can even be done automatically.
- The communication is low cost
Who doesn’t now have an instant messaging application on a cell phone? Now, sending messages no longer send letters by post which have to use the cost of stamps and take days. If the past few years SMS is still the belle, now with the presence of the internet and various instant messaging applications, sending news can be done cheaply, even for free.
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Through instant messaging, we not only communicate with one person but several people at once. This is because there are group features in each instant messaging application.
- The quality of communication increases
The presence of information and communication technology has made the quality of communication have increased. We can get a very large amount of knowledge with just one click. We can also translate texts from foreign languages, look for meanings of words that are still foreign or unknown, and gain additional knowledge about a variety of things.
Existing technology allows us to store and retrieve the contents of communication, especially verbal communication easily when needed.
- Easily accessible
Technological developments have changed the way we communicate when linked to the role of technology in communication and democratization systems. Technology has made communication cheaper and made it easier for many people to access communication.
The growing development of online forums , live news coverage, and other media-related initiatives has resulted in world wide access and participation in news and information for almost everyone. In the realm of business, access to specialized communications or information is the main source of competitive advantage to date. With the presence of technology, these obstacles can be overcome.
- Changes in communication style
Various new gadget inventions have made it easier for us to communicate with others and allow us to be able to communicate from anywhere. The presence of technology has led to reduced face-to-face communication which is characterized by a high level of dependence on electronic media just to communicate verbally and communicate in writing.
The keyboard found on cellphones and other media is small, making it difficult to type in words or phrases in full. This results in the use of various symbols or emoticons and abbreviations of words that are often not in accordance with the existing grammatical rules.
- Interactive communication
The ease of communication and the spread of interactive communication methods such as instant messaging and video conferencing have increased the volume of communication. Now, people will communicate whatever comes up instantly, and tend to break down different topics into different communications.
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Modern Communication Equipment
Communication is the key to building and building relationships, whether with family, business partners, friends, friends, or life partners. We have a variety of modern tools or communication tools that allow us to stay in touch with people around us. Each of the media or communication channels can influence our relationship in various ways.
As for which is included in the means or tools of modern communication commonly used include the following:
- Cellular telephone
The cell phone was first discovered in 1979 in Japan. Cellular phones continue to experience rapid growth until now. Now, almost everyone has a cell phone in his hand.
- Smart phone
Smart phones are sometimes also called small computers that also function as telephones. Each smartphone manufacturer releases models and features that are different from each other. However, they have in common that is to provide digital voice services, internet access, electronic mail, and text messages. Another feature is the music player, digital camera and video player.
- Personal digital assistant
Personal digital assistant or also known as PDA has developed since its introduction in 1993. PDA is smaller than an electronic address book and has several functions, including as a portable computer. Telephone services, fax services, electronic mail, and internet connections. The user can control the PDA through written information on the touch screen using a kind of pen called styluses .
- Portable computers
A portable computer or laptop is known as a mobile computer or a computer that can be carried anywhere. When first introduced, laptops are no bigger than a calculator. Now, with a technologically advanced laptop machine it has the same functions as a desktop computer including internet access that allows the use of various kinds of communication tools such as instant messaging, electronic mail, and video conferencing.
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Modern Communication Methods
According to Pearson et al (2011), there are several modern communication methods that are generally available in the internet, namely:
- Electronicmail – electronic mail uses the internet or computer networks to send messages to other people who are connected to the internet or network. Electronic mail is one of the communication methods used by individuals and organizations.
- Instant messaging and conversation– a form of synchronous communication as one of the types of online communication based on its text-based delivery method and allows users to connect to the internet through a computer and carry on conversations through a computer. Now, conversations via instant messaging are not only done through computers but smartphones that are connected to the internet.
- Notice board system– one of the asynchronous text-based communication tools that allows users to disseminate various types of information to the majority of people.
- Audio-video conferencing– the internet or network is used in audio-video conferencing to connect with two or more multimedia computer devices for live broadcasts and interactive conversations using visual and audio communication channels.
- Blogs– online journals that contain specific themes displayed in chronological order. Most blogs allow readers or visitors to leave messages or comments or give questions to the blog manager.
- Virtual world– one form of asynchronous communication that is in high demand by users. The virtual world is a web-based virtual reality where participants create certain characters that are used to meet and interact with other participants in the virtual world.
- Social networking site– a type of social media and a site to make friends with people around the world by displaying profiles of users. In social networking sites, we can display photos, write the latest status, send videos, play, and others.
As with communicating in the real world, communicating via the internet is also limited by various rules that apply internationally and nationally. In addition, we must also understand and obey various communication ethics on the internet so that later it does not cause legal problems.
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Benefits of Learning Modern Communication
Studying modern communication can provide several benefits, including:
- We understand the notion of modern communication
- We understand the characteristics of modern communication
- We understand the various tools or means of modern communication used in general
- We understand various modern communication methods that are used in general
Thus a brief review of the understanding of modern communication and its characteristics as well as various modern communication tools and methods that we use everyday. Hopefully it can provide additional insight and knowledge about the development of communication technology and its implications for communication between people.
