Times of the Technoculture

In the first paragraph of Chapter 5 in the book called Times of the Technoculture, Kevin Robins and Frank Webster state, “The new information and communications technologies are changing not just entertainment and leisure pursuits but, potentially, all spheres of society.” I like everything about this quote except the word POTENTIALLY. In my opinion, new information and communications technologies ARE changing all spheres of society. Robins and Webster list work and education as two spheres in society that are changing because of the advancements we have seen in technology. I will now talk about these two topics and how much they have changed over a short period of time.

First, the business world, specifically communication in the workplace has changed dramatically because of recent advancements in technology. Back in the day nobody had cell phones, let alone a cell phone given to them by the company they worked for. I remember when I was in grade school my father had a phone in his car that had a wire and it was sitting in a holder that was built into the floor underneath the radio. It did not have text messaging, internet connection, email, a GPS system, applications, or anything else current phones have. Today, many businesspeople are given a Blackberry, I Phone, or Droid so they can be reached at any time of the day and at any location by their employer or fellow employees. These cell phones are equipped with everything imaginable so businesspeople can conduct day-to-day activities quicker and more efficiently. Instantaneous communication is key because the business world is very fast paced and competitive, and if you can not be reached or you have difficult contacting someone else, you could cause severe harm to the company you are working for and potentially be looked down upon by your superiors.

Second, education has changed significantly, and Robins and Webster specifically mention distance learning as a benefit from the new information and communications technologies. Personally, I have taken two online classes (Management and Marketing) for my Business Studies degree and I have absolutely loved both classes because it was so easy to use. All I had to do was login to the class website, read the schedule for the week, and complete all of my assignments, quizzes, tests, or group projects online. You may be wondering how students would be able to work on a group project together without ever meeting each other in person. Well, my online class enabled us to use a web cam, as well as email and discussion boards so we would be able to talk about the project and make group decisions quickly and efficiently. We all had different work and school schedules during the summer and had a lot going on, but we managed to balance our work and school lives to successfully complete our project. Communicating with the teacher was also very easy. She posted a video every Sunday night to inform us what to do each week, and she always told us to email or text/call her if we had any questions or concerns. The technology I experienced with my online classes was terrific, and I am very thankful for the opportunities that were presented to me the past two summers.