Chapter one of Business Communication discusses the high demands of the workplace and how technology is changing the way we communicate within the workplace. Employees are not only expected to keep up with the latest technology but also keep up with the demands that the latest technology places on them. Social media such as blogs, wikis, You Tube, Twitter, Facebook, etc. allow people to stay connected constantly and allow for interaction. Internet, email, instant messaging, faxes, voice mall, and smart phones are convenient and essential in today’s workplace. No one can deny the benefits of technology in the business world. Everything is now accessible at the tip of your fingers and a press of a button.
However, I believe that this constant connectivity and reachability although helpful in the work environment, can also be a detriment. I recently read an online article in the
Seattle Times (
August 15, 2004), “More Than One Way to Develop an MSD” which warns of the dangers associated with too much technology. The author of the article states that overexposure to technology can negatively affect a person’s productivity and called the phenomenon,“cognitive overload.” The Times says “it’s resulting in workers whose multitasking lives are making them distracted and stressed.”
Constant multi-tasking can also be dangerous too. Recently there was a widely publicized case of a teenage girl, 15 year-old Alexa Longueira was walking along
Victory Boulevard in
Staten Island when she fell into an open manhole. She was so focused on texting that she fell into an open manhole and injured herself. This makes me question whether we as humans are able to multi-task all the technology we have created for ourselves.
That is a very interesting blog. I agree 100%, technology is advancing too fast, and that is all people are doing. I sit in the skytrain on my way to school, and all people do is look at their screen like a bunch of drones..... I'm actually trying to stay away from keeping up with the latest technology. It's nice to notice the beautiful views that surround our city. A lot better than a dumb tweet...
ReplyDeleteNeil Postman's book "Technopology" is a good, early critique of excessive technology use. Postman recommends asking, in relation to every new technological development, "What is the problem to which this technology is the solution?" If you can't answer the question (or if the answer indicates that you don't have that problem), don't use the technology!
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