Technology Is Changing Communication科技正在改变交流

李小雪

The history of communication is more than just a timeline of events. It is the story of how technological advances and innovations have revolutionized the world. Communication has been the driving force behind globalization and economic growth in the last century. Communication tools have grown exponentially since the birth of the humble telegraph around a century ago， with the availability of text， voice， pictures and video.

From telegraph to social media

Telegraph was the first form of electrical telecommunication， and dominated the scene through much of the 19th century. The invention of the telephone in 1876 facilitated the transmission of text and representation of the human voice. The 1880s witnessed the construction of telephone exchanges in major cities across the US; and by the 1950s， almost every household had a landline connection. Advances in 1970s and 80s laid the foundation for communication as we know it today， viz. mobile phones and internet.

The launch of the first 2G network in 1991 nudged the cellular networks from analogue to digital and enabled text messaging and calls， while the introduction of 3G and 4G made pictures and videos possible. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter， which appeared as late as 2000， rode on the power of the newly-invented internet to galvanize human communication. The defining attributes of these social media platforms are speed and availability. We are more connected with people than at any point in time. The ubiquitous nature of smart phones and internet means that constant short-form contact has replaced long and less frequent interactions. The drawback of modern communication is that it has reduced face-to-face interaction.

Advancements in technology and changes in communication generally go hand in hand. Landlines displaced the telegraph and cell phones replaced landlines. The arrival of the internet opened new doors of personal communication. E-mails replaced postal mails and social media took the place of text messages. And the subsequent emergence of Facebook， Instagram， Skype and Whatsapp is enriching our lives further and making the world more integrated. Push to talk （PTT） is also gaining immense ground in todays times. What is push to talk？ PTT is a radio-like service that allows a cell phone to be used as a walkie-talkie for simple communication， with the push of a button.

Technology has redefined the way in which media communicates with people. There was a time when TV， radios and newspapers were the only available media sources. Today， smart phones and social media have simplified the process of publishing and sharing news. Technology has also rejuvenated the business environment. It has re-oriented communication between marketers and customers. Promotional campaigns are hopping onto the internet bandwagon to spread the word about their business.

Digital marketing methods， including SEO， PPC and Google Adwords， are creating brand awareness and facilitating communication with the target audience. Technology has altered public relations as companies have to constantly safeguard their online reputation as one bad news gone viral can do extensive damage within a short time.

Companies are taking the BYOD （Bring your own device） route， and this is making personal mobile phones and tablets a common sight in workplaces， and turning communication into a breeze. Employees are working on their own devices， managing tasks from home and communicating with customers anywhere in the world， leading to enhanced productivity and greater employee satisfaction. Collaboration has extended beyond the workplace as video conferencing and screen sharing allows people from all over the world to collaborate in real time. And a plethora of collaboration tools available today keep the virtual workplace connected and productive.

A new reality

Technology holds immense promise to replicate natural conversations and Virtual Reality （VR） / Augmented Reality （AR） plays an important role in this regard. Although VR has been almost synonymous with gaming， it basically brings people together in a simulated environment. Such immersive communication offers possibilities galore; friends can explore holiday plans together， architects can accompany their clients through virtual designs， and sportspeople can practice outside a regular session. VR can potentially provide a lifeline for those isolated by age and illness as well.

No matter， the tech giants have swung into action; Facebook， which already has Oculus Rift VR headset， has patented a pair of AR smartglasses， while Google has developed AR project Tango to assist people in finding their way around stores. Devices can communicate with each other via the Internet of Things. Chatbots also provide a natural language interface with customers via intelligent computer systems. The infrastructure required to support such data-intensive applications is on the way.

Verbal communication has declined dramatically in the past 2 decades due to the birth of email， texting， Facebook and Twitter. Email was the first form of communication technology. It still enjoys immense popularity; nearly 200 billion emails are sent out each day and there are three times as many email accounts as Twitter and Facebook （combined）. Email usage has in fact been bolstered by the arrival of smart phones as people usually carry their phones and do not need to log into a web browser for accessing email and social media. Texting has also increased dramatically with the onset of smart phones. More than four billion messages are sent daily through Facebook， according to techcrunch.com. The use of other social media sites such as Twitter， Pinterest， Instagram and LinkedIn has also skyrocketed in our times. Around 200 million tweets are being transmitted each day， according to dazeinfo.com. And Instagram has raced in popularity; the app has attracted more than 50 million users till date and more than 5 million photos are uploaded each day， according to dazeinfo.com.

交流史不仅仅是一张大事年表，它更是一个关于技术进步和创新如何变革世界的故事。过去一个世纪，交流一直是全球化和经济增长背后的驱动力量。近一个世纪前，电报问世，功能简陋。但自此以后，交流工具迅猛发展，短信、语音、图像和视频陆续问世。

从电报到社交媒体

电报是最原始的电子通信手段，在大半个19世纪里，占据了主导地位。1876年，电话的发明促进了文本的传输和人类语音的呈现。1880年代见证了电话交换机在美国的主要城市中搭建。到了1950年代，几乎每个家庭都安装了固定电话。1970年代和80年代的进步为我们今天所知的手机和互联网通信奠定了基础。

1991年，第一个2G网络的推出将蜂窝网络从模拟推向数字化，从而有了短信和通话，而3G和4G的引入则实现了图像和视频交流。直到2000年，脸书和推特等社交媒体平台才出现，它们利用新兴互联网的力量来促进人类交流。速度和使用便利是这些社交媒体平台的基本属性。如今，我们与他人的联系比以往任何时候都多。智能手机和互联网的特性是无处不在，这意味着简短而经常的联系已经取代了漫长且低频的互动。现代交流的缺点是减少了面对面的互动。

技术进步和通信变革通常是齐头并进的。固定电话取代了电报，手机取代了固定电话。互联网的到来为个人交流打开了新的大门。电子邮件取代了邮政邮件，社交媒体取代了短信。随后，脸书、照片墙、Skype和瓦次普上线，使生活更加丰富，使世界更加融合。即按即通（PTT）在当下也备受青睐。何为PTT？它是一种类似于无线电的服务，只需按一下按钮，就可以将手机用作对讲机进行简单通信。

技术重新定义了媒体与人交流的方式。曾几何时，电视、收音机和报纸是仅有的可用媒体资源。如今，智能手机和社交媒体简化了发布和分享新闻的过程。科技也让营商环境焕然一新，调整了营销人员和客户之间的沟通。促销活动正利用互联网为公司做宣传。

包括搜索引擎优化、点击付费和谷歌推广在内的数字营销方法正在打造品牌知名度并推动与目标受众的沟通。技术已经改变了公共关系，公司必须持续维护它们的线上声誉，因为一个坏消息的广泛传播可能会在短期内造成巨大损失。

现在，各个公司都在走自带设备（BYOD）路线，使得个人手机和平板电脑在职场屡见不鲜，沟通也变得轻而易举。员工使用自己的设备工作，在家处理任务并与世界各地的客户沟通，生产力和员工满意度得以提升。视频会议和屏幕共享为世界各地的人们进行实时协作提供了条件，因而协作已扩展到工作场所之外。如今，有大量协作工具可供使用，线上办公得以保持相互连接、高效产出。

新现实

技术在复制自然对话方面大有可为，其中虚拟现实（VR）或增强现实（AR）发挥着重要作用。尽管VR几近成为电脑游戏的代名词，但其本质是将人们聚集在一个模拟环境中。这种身临其境的交流提供了丰富的可能性：朋友们可以一起研究假期计划，建筑师可陪同客户体验虚拟设计，运动员可以在常规训练之外操练。VR或许还能为那些因年老和疾病而孤立无援的人提供生命支撑。

无论如何，科技巨头已经开始积极行动了：已拥有Oculus Rift VR头显的脸书为一副AR智能眼镜申请了专利，而谷歌则开发了AR项目Tango为人们在店里导航。设备可以通过物联网相互通信。聊天机器人还通过智能计算机系统为客户提供自然语言界面。支持此类数据密集型应用所需的基础设施正在建设之中。

过去20年，由于电子邮件、短信、脸书和推特的诞生，人们的口头交流急剧减少。电子邮件是通信技术的第一个成果，如今仍享有极高人气。人们每天发送近2000亿封电子邮件。电子邮件账户数量是推特和脸书用户数量总和的三倍。事实上，智能手机的出现促进了电子邮件的使用，因为人们通常随身携带手机，无需登录网络浏览器即可访问电子邮件和社交媒体。随着智能手机的兴起，短信也急剧增加。根据techcrunch.com的数据，每天有超过40亿条消息通过脸书发送。推特、拼趣网、照片墙和领英等其他社交媒体网站的使用量如今也直线上升。据dazeinfo.com統计，每天大约有2亿条推文发出。此外，照片墙的人气飙升。迄今为止，该应用程序已吸引超过5000万用户，每天上传的照片超过500万张。

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者）