Running head: CAUSE & EFFECT ARGUMENT
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Technology’s Impact on Communication in America
Liberty University
CAUSE & EFFECT ARGUMENT
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What Impact is Technology Having on Communication in the U.S.?
Within the last twenty-five years, technology and networking capability has grown to a
point where society is totally dependent upon it. Technology has impacted Americans in every
facet of communication from the advertisements they view to how they receive news and even
purchase goods. Communication advancements have greatly increased human standard of living
while having some concerning downsides, but are its downsides permanent or are they just
growing pains?
How Has Technology Changed Communication in Recent Years?
Along the timeline of American technology’s evolution, communication technology has
accelerated its advancement parallel to the internet. The rate at which new technology becomes
available to consumers has made standard communication methods and devices, such as land-
line phones seem like ancient artifacts. The rapid advance of communication technology has
changed every aspect of how people in America stay in touch with each other as well as the
world around them.
Cellular phones have taken over as the primary means of communication in most
households across the country. News and information are instantly available and updated in real
time on the devices people once used only to make phone calls. Social media networking allows
people to make connections and access content on their cellular devices from any civilized area
around the globe. Global Positioning Satellites now have the capability to transfer information,
provide navigation and communication via satellite phones in any location no matter how
remote. Most recently, consumers in America need only wear a “smart watch” to answer phone
calls, send messages, and make purchases without being near a telephone or department store.
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Televisions have evolved into on-demand entertainment centers driven primarily by fast
internet connection that delivers clarity never thought possible by consumers of cable TV years
ago. The Internet’s integration into the household television serves as another platform for
viewing news, media, and movies at the whim of any person holding the remote. If going to the
movies was not a favorite activity among many in the U.S., the movie theater industry may have
become obsolete.
Electronic devices have made video-chatting possible from any location with internet
access. Parents working away from home and members of the U.S. Armed Forces are able to
speak with loved ones while seeing them at the same time. Without speaking into a telephone,
there is almost nothing that can be conveyed through a call. Video-chat provides significant
comfort for those deployed overseas to see their children who may not be old enough to speak
with them or a loved one with a hearing impairment.
There is still evidence of traditional advertising and marketing; coupon mailers and credit
card offers continue to pour into American mailboxes every day. However, companies and
corporations have become aware of the advantages the digital age provides. Annoying as they
may be, the targeted marketing advertisements that consumers see on virtually every website
they visit are highly effective. “Marketing is realized via multiple communication channels.
Thus, technological progress has affected it dramatically, as well. The truth is that both big and
small businesses can no longer rely on traditional advertising in order to make a profit. Newer
and newer means are being used to organize a more effective communication between the
business and the customers and attracting new customers through bulk SMS messaging and
social networks has now become nearly the most widely used method” (Rufferty, 2017).
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Education has benefited tremendously from communication technology. Some
universities now offer degree programs entirely online and as software platforms expand in
scope of capability, the quality of learning as well increases. This is a game changer for aspiring
students across the country who wish to pursue a degree in their desired field but are unable to
attend as residents. Online school community centers, webinars, video lectures and discussion
boards make the learning process highly effective. Schools that offer online campuses are
critical to higher education into the future. Some Junior High and High Schools in areas prone to
wintry weather have integrated online classrooms into their curriculum. The many days missed
each year due to inclement weather are now available to students from the safety of home.
Although technology has made communication in America infinitely more accessible for
consumers and producers alike, it had brought new and unforeseen challenges with it. These
drawbacks and challenges must be met head on because communication technology is not going
away.
Infrastructure including emergency response and weather alerting organizations have
made enormous progress with the help of communication technology. Response times for
emergencies have decreased dramatically in recent years due mainly to mobile communication
devices. Many senior citizens now wear one-touch devices that, when pressed, immediately send
a distress signal to nearby help; electronics of this nature save countless lives every year.
Advances in weather reporting save lives as well with the help of technology; networking
technology from sources in the field to homes allows people more time to find refuge from or
evacuate sooner from storms.
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Is Modern Communication Technology Bad for Americans?
Technology has impacted the lives of Americans in almost every way one could imagine,
and one would have to assume there will be drawbacks. Inevitably, making tasks easier can and
does make people less driven to accomplish those tasks. Americans today are living in an age of
instant information; anything one desires to know can be looked up in seconds on any number of
search engines from what used to be only a telephone. “The American environment is so full of
technology that Americans barely notice its impacts on their lives until they have no transport,
telephone, electricity or water” (Paul, 2015).
America’s youth spend large amounts of time viewing social media platforms instead of
what is traditionally considered normal activities for young people. “The negative effects of
technology on kids can also be exposed. Compared to the preceding ones, the current batch of
children in America is completely different. We are currently in the digital age where technology
blends with all daily activities, therefore, becoming a way of life. Consequently, children cannot
imagine the world without all these electronics, gadgets and the operations provided by computer
technology” (Paul, 2015).
Why would an older generation expect any different from children who have spent their
entire young lives surrounded by electronics? The new generation, millennials’ aptitude for
using technology to their benefit is beyond what older generations seem to understand.
An argument can be made for the impact that the manufacture of electronics has on the
environment, but all new technology brings with it a carbon footprint. Not only electronics,
methods of transportation and even the food American’s consume impacts the environment
around them in a mostly negative way. Devices require the use of hazardous materials to make-
up their components and electricity to keep them charged. The methods used to produce phones
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and laptops have, as with all industry, shown to pose environmental challenges. “Fallout from
harmful gasses and chemicals produced by factories that manufacture electronic devices have
polluted land and waterways” (Paul, 2015).
The arguments for modern communication technology being a detriment to society seem
to be made from fear of the unknown; the most significant new technology comes with
downsides that are concerning. The way American’s use technology is still a new concept
considering how recently they have come to be. Producers and consumers of technology alike
will eventually catch up to the curve as they learn how to better handle this new world.
For all that it pollutes and resources it uses, technology is giving back in the same ways.
Compact disc sales and usage have declined sharply with the rise of digital content including
music, movies and software. Flash storage eliminates the need to have a large stack of plastic
discs and large receivers to play them. The advent of wind and solar energy is a technology
driven industry, and future forms of clean, renewable energy will operate dependent on
networking platforms. America will meet with the challenges that new communication
technology brings with it because technology is good and has elevated the standard of living, in
some way, for all Americans.
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References
Clemmons, R. (2014, October 22). Technology's impact on higher education. Retrieved from
https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/money/2014/10/21/technologys-impact-
higher-education/17693719/
Eastman, H. (2014, December 02). Communication changes with technology, social media.
Retrieved from https://universe.byu.edu/2013/07/07/1communication-changes-with-
technology-social-media/
Paul, G. (2018, March 19). Americans and Technology: The Good and The Bad. Retrieved from
http://americancensorship.org/americans-technology-good-bad/
Rufferty, I. (2017, May 24). How Communication Has Evolved with The New Technologies.
Retrieved from https://medium.com/bsg-sms/how-communication-has-evolved-with-the-
new-technologies-52ee1ca114f
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