Media Technology

Modern technology is a wonderful thing. How else could we lead these crazy, busy lives? We can accomplish so much, or so little. It's our choice! Whether we are going to school, getting some work done, or avoiding it by surfing the 'net, these are some of the communication technologies which help us.

Television

Television allows companies to advertise and reach thousands of potential customers. With On Demand, companies can even advertise job openings to potential employees. Television has even been used for educational purposes. Because of the ability to reach so many, television is intended for everyone within the reach of the television network. Specific audiences are further refined by choosing the channel and the time to air commercials.

As with all forms of communication, identifying and understanding the audience is an important step toward effective communication. “Today, the typical home has multiple television sets and well over 100 channels from which to choose” (http://en-us.nielsen.com). The Nielsen Company's ratings are based on how many people watch each show. It also measures how people use information on television, mobile devices and computers. The information is used to segment and target audiences, so that businesses know the best way to reach the audience they want.

Aside from entertainment, television's strongest advantage is in its marketing power. A study conducted in 2008 showed that 80.9 percent of Americans watched television, with 3.43 hours being the average time spent for those who did watch television (BLS, Table 1). Most shows stop for commercial breaks at least every fifteen minutes, which adds up to quite a bit of advertising in those 3.43 hours.

In 2009, I became a tax preparer for a tax services company, which was opening a new office in my city. Most of our few customers came in because they saw our storefront signs. A few were prior customers from a different area. This year, the company ran a national television and radio campaign. We saw many more new customers, many of whom said they came in because they saw our ad on television. Clearly, a well-planned television campaign can be worth the cost.

Social Networking

Websites like Twitter and Facebook use shortened versions of blogs to help people stay in touch. Since people can access the websites from cell phones, someone driving across country can rapidly post updates to let contacts follow their progress across the country. Most social networking sites are directed at people we already know, although users can also follow celebrities and companies. According to a recent article in T+D, “66 percent of all government agencies currently use some form of social networking— from blogs and wikis to instantmessaging and discussion boards to LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter” (Smith, 2010).

As any business person knows, networking is always a good idea. Someone who is looking for a job needs to use every available contact to find leads. Employers are more likely to hire someone with a recommendation from someone the boss trusts. Business owners are constantly needing to market their company. Social networking sites can help with all these needs, in addition to letting people keep friends and family updated on their personal lives. I interact with friends far more often on Facebook than I do in person. I have Facebook friends from all over: high school in Maine, my first duty station in Okinawa, and even a couple of friends I met online.

It's important to remember, however, that anything on the internet is no longer entirely private. No matter how careful we are, there is always the possibility that an employer, prospective client, or total stranger may stumble across something we didn't mean for them to see. Therefore, even on sites such as Facebook, where we only intend to share pictures and thoughts with friends, we need to be careful about what we say and how we say it. Having Facebook friends I've never actually met, and ones I haven't seen in years reminds me that I need to be careful not to give out too much personal information. We also need to be cautious not to say the wrong thing too quickly. One of my cousins inadvertently caused offense by posting a comment about my grandmother's death before two of our other cousins found out she had died. At the same time, knowing what's happening in my friends' lives helps me to feel connected. There's almost always someone online when I need to talk, and I don't have to worry about waking someone up in the middle of the night.

Smartphones/Cell phones

Cell phones make it possible for us to make and receive phone calls at any time, or any place where we have a signal. Blackberry devices make it possible for us to receive email as well. Smartphones allow users to make and receive phone calls and email, text messages, access the internet, take pictures, keep track of lists and calendars and listen to music. So you could take a picture, upload it to your Facebook page, and type in a message updating your friends, employees or customers to a new product or procedure. Again, the audience is a fairly large one, although it is limited slightly by the financial cost of purchasing and using the phone.

It's getting difficult to find people in this country over the age of twelve who don't have a cell phone, at least for emergencies. With so many different choices available, including prepaid phones, it's easier to get a cell phone than to get by without one. Many people are forgoing the home phone in favor of cell phones. One of my former employers had no home phone service. They had a family plan, with a cell phone for the dad, one for the mom, and one for the house. Eventually the eleven-year-old daughter was also added to the plan.

The portability of cell phones, combined with the near-disappearance of dial-up internet, is probably the biggest factor in the switch to cell phones. Why pay for a phone that stays home, unless it's part of a money-saving communication package? Communication companies like Comcast would probably have far fewer telephone subscribers if they didn't bundle cable, internet and phone service. At one time, I tried out different combinations of phone and internet service. I eventually went back to the cell phone only plan, because it's cheaper and easier overall. In the last few years, I've had jobs that would have been extremely difficult without a cell phone, including my current job. As a manager, it's simply impossible to get away for a day with any peace of mind without knowing that you'll be able to receive the call if there's an emergency.

Internet

Internet is probably the best known, and most used technology. It allows companies to conduct business from offices located far apart, sharing the same information and having access to instant communication. It's used for nearly everything, from business to communication, from job-hunting to shopping. The audience for the internet has become everyone who is able to use a computer. From toddlers to octogenarians, from American business people to students in Morocco, the internet connects us to more information and more people than ever before.

The internet would be useless without a computer or some type of hand-held device, of course. With Wi-Fi and wireless broadband, even the internet is portable. Thanks to this technology, I was able to take my laptop, with wireless broadband, on a cross-country trip and not miss a homework assignment. Nearly to our destination, my brother and I realized that we didn't know exactly how to get to our uncle's house. I pulled out the laptop and typed the address into Google Maps. I was able to get directions, and I could even see my uncle's old Dodge van in front of his house, so I knew I had the right address.

Internet technology makes it possible for us to attend school from remote locations, check our email from almost anywhere, and do business from home, work, or the park. My company relies almost entirely on the internet. Customer information and tax returns are all stored on a central server, so they may be accessed from any location. Before starting a new return, the computer program checks the name and social security number against the database, to avoid duplicate returns. Our phones even use the internet. We had a kiosk inside Wal~mart this year, so we had to use a wireless internet connection, instead of the high-speed internet of the regular offices. When we had no internet access, we couldn't even check our appointments, much less prepare tax returns. On the other hand, relying so heavily on the internet allows us to accomplish things we couldn't otherwise. For example, I have needed to print prior year tax returns for customers who had them prepared in a different state. If a tax preparer in one office needs help, someone with more experience can access that return and check it for problems. Thanks to internet technology, businesses can connect offices all over the world.

Bureau of Labor Statistics (2008). American time-use survey. Retrieved June 7, 2010 from http://www.bls.gov/tus/tables/a1_2008.pdf.

Smith, D. (2010). Connecting Government to Improve It. T+D, 64(4), 24. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.