Technological changes both good and bad - for some

Technological changes both good and bad – for some

Mar 29, 2011 Editorial

The dawn of this century has seen a new wave of technology and consequently, a new generation of communicators. It has brought out appliances such as the smart phone, Ipad and Ipod, the Blackberry and a host of other gadgets.
It has also introduced a new method of social interaction. Analysts say that the offshoot of the new gadgets has seen the burgeoning of Twitter, Facebook, Tagged and other cases of social networking. People from every corner of the world now maintain contact as easily as if they lived next door to each other.
But there is more. Even basic organsing for an event has taken on new dimensions. There was a time when notices had to be printed and disseminated. Then there had to be a gathering in a meeting place more often than not, seeking the use of a loud hailer.
Sometimes there were large public meetings for which pseudo politicians became famous at Hyde Park in London. These politicians were allowed to stand on soap boxes and harangue the government or whichever organisation ran foul of them.
Today, such forums appear to be things of the past because of the modern technology and the developments on communication. It is said that social networking led to the successful uprising in Egypt where the people toppled long-reigning President, Hosni Mubarak.
Filipino President Joseph Estrada, in 2001, through text messages, called for a protest as the Filipino congress was voting against him. He succeeded. Text messaging led to the removal of Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar in 2004.
Such modes of communication, however, failed in March 2006 in Belarus. It also failed during the Green rising in Iran in 2009. But the new social media is pervasive and unobtrusive. People no longer need to make a public show of meeting. In the case of Egypt, the planners simply sent their messages far and wide. In fact, they probably disseminated it too far because the revolution swept the Middle East.
The mass of people caught up in this new trend is mind-boggling. Billions use the social networking system in every conceivable language. In some countries there have been firewalls preventing the use of some of these services. Just a few months ago, China, under pressure, opted to lift the ban on Blackberry.
But there are countries, including Pakistan, seeking to ban the use of the Blackberry. In fact, the ban should come into effect in May. The reason is the pervasive nature of the smart phone and the near inability by national governments to listen into communication that flows. These governments fear the clandestine moves.
But there are other aspects to the new communication system. In the field of education, examiners dare not allow children into classrooms with phones. Children can access just about any bit of information in the twinkling of an eye.
They can also communicate with their peers and in a language that could be beyond their elders. Such is the case that an almost new language has emerged. People have now begun writing in this mode of abbreviations to the extent that the style has crept into other aspects of their daily lives.
But that apart, skilled users of the new mode of communication are finding ways of suiting their own purposes. Barack Obama was technology savvy. His campaign funding was done largely through the social networking.
And his team used social networking to mobilize people. Changed strategies were communicated in this vein. To this day Obama will not do without his Blackberry. When he took the oath of office of President of the United States, his security detail reached out for the Blackberry, that ever present tool on his hips. The world’s mightiest man declined and Blackberry further modified the communication on this network.
There will be even more social networking; there will be greater information sharing. Reporters communicate through smart phones, sending pictures across continents; young people post their exploits on Youtube and of course plotters will simply use Facebook.