The Sociology of Media

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The Progress of Human Communication : The Shift from Face to Face to

Mediated Forms of Social Interaction

We are currently living in a dynamic digital society wherein technology is at its peak , as new models of cellular phones and laptops in the market emerge almost every week . As a result , the traditional mode of human communication has undergone tremendous change as well . Today , men can communicate with anyone , regardless of what country or time zone he or she is in , making it easier and convenient

for them to get in touch with each other

Communication , as defined by scholars , involves the sending and receiving of messages or information conveyed through various kinds of channels (Owings et al . 228 . It is a process of exchanging information with others

In the past , people used various methods of communication they blew horns , beat drums , and used lights to express themselves . For instance American Indians sent messages through smoke from their bonfires (Mahal 5 . Eventually , men learned to communicate using words and began to articulate complex information and thoughts by verbalizing or writing them . In some cultures (i .e , Indian , people also used pigeons to carry messages . This was followed by the birth of the postal system in the early 1500s wherein letters and packages were transported by riders to distant places (Mahal 5

The rise of various forms of technology , including the invention of numerous communication devices , has helped human communication achieve its maximum potential . In 1837 , the electric telegraph was invented where messages are sent via a cable that transmits electric signals and codes . Then , the electric telegraph interprets these signals and codes and transforms them into dots (shot clicks ) and dashes (long clicks which correspond to the letters of the alphabet . Thirty-eight years later , Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone , a device that allows two people in distant places to communicate by talking to each other . In 1894 , Gugliemo Marconi of Italy introduced the wireless telegraph , making the transmission of messages through distant places possible (Mahal 5

The idea of communication expanded to a large context and evolved into a new kind of communication , enabling us to send messages to a large diverse audience , which is commonly known as mass communication (Budd and Ruben 14 . This type of communication is truly beneficial , as the flaws of basic human communication sometimes distort the message . The introduction of radio and television and the improvements of the print media have made mass communication popular . Mass communication makes it easier for the public to avail information and making it easier for the sender to transmit information intended for everybody

According to Robert Cathcart and Gary Gumpert , the basic foundation of communication is interpersonal communication which involves a small group of individuals . The main purpose of interpersonal communication process is to relate with others and to participate in decision-making The foundation of human communication is dyadic or face-to-face

Brent D . Ruben and Leah A . Liewrouw defined interpersonal communication as synonymous with...