What impact has technology had on communication?

Technology Has Simplified My Job

The communication technology that has affected me the most is Zoom. In my role as a communication skills coach who helps people whose first language isn't English, Zoom has made it possible for me to work with people anywhere in the world without leaving the comfort of my office.

On Zoom, I can do both one-on-one coachings and make effortless presentations. The ability to record is one feature that is most useful in one-on-one coaching.

I can easily record my client making a presentation and, with very little effort, send the recording to them so they can give themselves feedback.

Emotional Intimacy Has Declined

We hear a great deal of talk about emotional intelligence and building business relationships, but technology encourages us to have transactional interactions with others rather than actual relationships.

There is no replacement for the risk and considerable reward of connecting personally with other people; taking the time to get to know others and sharing the voyage of our lives—both business and personal.

I knew a woman on Facebook for years, but never in person because we live on different continents. One day, I saw she was having an emotional struggle, so I reached out and offered to talk.

From that came a tremendous friendship that has also reached into business. That is the best way to use technology: as a tool for human connection and interaction.

Interpersonal Communication Is Limited

Technology has many benefits, but on the interpersonal level, there can be much confusion when texting and minimizing face-to-face communication.

The ability of the sender to use one-way communication by leaving a voice-recorded message and choosing not to have full conversations with anyone can be a selfish way to force others to just listen to messages without the chance to respond.

Apps such as WhatsApp and Messenger leave misinterpreted information and make the tone easily misunderstood. Using emojis can aid in filling this handicap, however, it can also add to more confusion, as it can appear cynical or ironic.

Business Networking Has Improved

As an advanced communication coach who has lived around the globe, technology has obviously affected my ability to communicate with others worldwide.

But nothing compares to the very special social media platform—LinkedIn. LinkedIn allows people globally to self-promote, share themselves in a deeper way, find new opportunities, network, and grow their brand or their business in a respectful and helpful community.

There's truly nothing else like it out there. Yes, it's helpful for solopreneurs like me. Yet, most people massively underutilize the possibilities.

I know many who have been looking for an opportunity and found it, not in the job listings, but by becoming engaged on the platform.

It's also helped me connect with others globally by offering courses to people who can't afford to work with me. I love receiving their appreciative messages. That is a major impact!

Long-Distance Relationships Stand a Chance

When Liza and I first met, we lived two thousand miles apart, and even though the relationship seemed unlikely, we knew this was something special and gave long-distance a try.

Our connection quickly grew stronger, mainly because of an app called Marco Polo, which made it really easy and convenient to send videos back and forth.

We were both incredibly busy and were rarely available at the same time for a phone call, FaceTime, etc., which is why Marco Polo was so powerful for us. We could see our partner's face, hear our partner's voice, and continuously deepen our intimate connection without worrying about schedules or time differences.

This advanced level of communication allowed our relationship to grow, and eventually, I took the plunge and made the two-thousand-mile move. That was two and a half years ago, and this magical experience wouldn't have happened without technology!

Learning Languages Is Easy and Fun

Non-native speakers are often very self-conscious of pronunciation mistakes, particularly when giving a presentation, pitch, or keynote. My solution is simple but effective.

First, I create interactive feedback, and as I call on my clients to say the word or use the word in context (usually one that they previously pronounced incorrectly), then I point my cursor over the word and it expands slightly.

The impact of this tool is retention. They can remember how the words should sound easily by seeing and hearing them, especially if they watch the recording I send via WhatsApp in video format.

I can change the fonts and colors to match the brand of the client or company I am creating content for, and I can make the part of the work they need to emphasize in capital letters. This is super simple and efficient to use, and my clients love these activities and videos.

Working in the Cloud Has Transformed My Life

Working in the cloud has given me a sense of freedom. The cloud means that I'm no longer tethered to a desktop computer, a laptop, or any physical space. Instead, I can move around with ease with my smartphone, working whenever and wherever needed.

For example, if I have cell service, I can resend a document, schedule a meeting, look up the answer to a question, or whatever. By switching to asynchronous work, I've gained more mobility, flexibility, and autonomy. I can communicate as well as collaborate with others more on my terms. That's not just empowering; it's rewarding.

Texting Has Caused Social Isolation

Texting ushered in an age that has allowed the masses to retreat into social isolation—just Google hikikomori. The brevity, asynchronous flexibility, and speed of short-form messaging are nothing short of revolutionary, in my humble opinion. But texting has also allowed us to get by in society with nary a human interaction, outside of emojis. How many of your friends can you get to talk to on the phone? Twice in the work world, I've been "interviewed," hired, and deployed to meet with someone else's clients through email!

I didn't even send in the obligatory video. Bots are catching on to our text-enabled malaise, chipping away at our humanity until one day—got to go, someone's texting, and I think it's human.

Digital Communication Diminishes Our Ability to Connect

"Unlearning" is today's key to remaining flexible enough to unlock success skills in our ever-changing environment. With reliance on the technological speed of digital messages, communication skills, and even our relatability, is being unlearned.

As humans, we are failing to connect, and the subtle information in body language, along with poor visual and auditory cues that are being eliminated, adds to increased disconnection, isolation, and mental health issues.

As social creatures, we find that a person may have the greatest idea in the world, but if they can't communicate with other people, nothing will come out of it.

AI Copywriting Tools Are Advancing

Artificial intelligence tools are currently in the early stages of development and they are already quite efficient, advanced, and able to deliver qualitative content. This is only the beginning.

Imagine where we will be in five years' time—now is the time to stop staring at a blank page and start using AI copywriting and other tools to improve and make your communication effective, faster, and efficient so you have the advantage of being one of the first movers.