Does Technology Advancement Help Or Harm Student Communication?

Technology advancement has made the modern student a more effective, exposed, good debater confident in their communication abilities. In fact, in the earlier years, for students to become effective communicators, they were entirely dependent upon their books, teachers, and physical interactions with their peers. However, in the current world, students have proved to be better communicators than their counterparts were in the past because of vast exposure to technological advances, which have become an integral part of their learning. Significantly, many attributes have enabled effective communication among current college student students. In fact, the most fundamental aspect of effective communication has been facilitated by the development of technology and its dynamism, which has increased technology simplicity and usage among students.

It is worth noting that effective communication is an integral part of any education system, and as the world continues to develop in technology, so does communication continue to progress. It is imperative to understand the role that technology has played in strengthening students’ communication ability because we can understand how effective communication has developed and improved and how the trend can be reinforced without falling into the trap of negative technology influence, as witnessed in the recent past. Therefore, the rationale for this paper is to provide a persuasive argument that the development of technology has enabled college students to be more effective communicators than before.

The presence of technology platforms allows college students in the current world to be effective communicators. Through technology, students can learn as much as they want. In fact, students can virtually research any topic on the internet through google scholar, encyclopedia, and online databases, among others. Currently, students’ exposure to technology starts at a very tender age. Hence, learners can develop digital literacy more than their counterparts in the past (Oblinger 2). Therefore, they become part of the greater world because they can communicate confidently with other students in other institutions and exchange ideas. Besides, students become better communicators in their area of specialization because the technology platforms make abstract concepts easier to understand, and this enables them to disseminate information with ease to their peers in their groups, to their tutors during class discussions, and in their assignments as well as in their examinations. On the other hand, students cannot rely on technology alone if they want to become better communicators because effective communication requires guidance and motivation, a situation that cannot occur without a physical teacher. However, technology is not replacing the teachers and traditional physical education settings, but it helps complement the efforts of the teachers by creating a virtual environment where students can learn, communicate, and build confidence through interaction, even in the teacher’s absence. In essence, the more the students are exposed to the information, the more they are confident about their subject matter and, consequently, the more they become efficient communicators.

In modern times, college students have attained skills often termed dynamic. Dynamism makes the student more fascinated with newer skills, which assist them in focusing on their grades, performance, and other extracurricular activities and adapting to technological changes. Due to the constant need to present excellent grades and become active in their communication skills, the students have come up with easier research methods. In fact, having grown up with easier access to technology, the students are constantly able to navigate the internet via different computing devices more than their counterparts in the past (Oblinger 4). Therefore, the dynamic nature of technology continues to enrich students with effective communication skills considering that the internet is at their fingertips. However, with the clarity on how much IT has contributed to effective communication, it is often argued that their understanding is rather shallow. Moreover, the communication with these students is limited to images. Therefore, they are visually literate but have inadequate and ineffective text literacy (Oblinger 4). Although the argument can be valid, we cannot deny the fact that with constant help from their lecturers, research groups, and the internet, these students will have effective communication.

Students who have achieved modern communication skills are said not only to impress but also easily maneuver in the dynamic world of economics. Employers are more inclined to employ an individual who can comfortably navigate the Internet than those with mere computational knowledge. In the recent past, developing states have evolved from manufacturing to knowledge economies requiring analytical and more interactive skills (Adobe 2). This kind of capability has only been witnessed with the internet generation graduates who can efficiently deliver such requirements. There is a high demand for employees who can communicate effectively with their working environment and think differently when solving daily challenges. On the other hand, some researchers have argued that due to poor quality communication skills, learning the corporate and global world is packed with endless factors for misunderstanding.

McFarlane emphasizes that effective communication has been under-emphasized in the business and leadership sectors. Most employers think that human communication is natural. Thus, they do not comprehend the need to emphasize proper communication skills, which is one of the major contributing factors to success (McFarlane 6). However, this argument can be challenged because each company has laid down rules on proper office communication skills, and the human resource office deals with misconduct complaints. Therefore, each employee has their respective responsibilities of contributing to the company’s success and becoming dynamic in their communication to match the ever-evolving technology.

The internet generation students are said to conquer more from learning through discovery, exploration, and collaborative learning. In this setup, students can retain information that they can later use in class with their peers. Moreover, these students prefer learning in teams where they have an easier approach with their peers. In fact, most students would rather learn as a team than spend long hours thinking or listening to their lecturers (Oblinger 5). Hence, these learning methods have proven to be essential and integrative for individuals to achieve better and more effective communication skills. In any case, their professors can participate in the teamwork by using their emails and video conferencing. However, McFarlane has argued that professors have not cultivated the understanding of effective communication skills as an integral philosophy in their training forums (McFarlane 4).

Complaints have often risen that some graduates lack basic but significant communication skills and etiquette. Although it may sound absurd, most professors are more impressed by the way these students prefer to study. Moreover, with the availability of internet services, lecturers can keep in touch with their students anytime and anywhere. Modern learning methods should not receive a whipping due to a few failed and incompetent individuals, the focus should be on how well the interested and hard-working learners benefit and gain from these changes.

In conclusion, it is evident that modern communication skills have made better effective communicators due to the presence of digital platforms, which has given room for students who would like to express themselves in the learning environment. Moreover, this kind of modernity has produced dynamic students considering that they have new methods of communication, which have acted as a supporting pillar for effective communication. Another aspect that has necessitated effective communication in the current college is the labor market demands. In fact, many organizations are impressed by effective communicators. Hence, the current students are using technology to improve their communication skills, increasing their chances of being hired and becoming excellent employees in the business sector. In essence, the effectiveness of recent communication skills has left most people with the impression that the evolution of technology now and in the future will produce very efficient and productive individuals in society. Having said and understood the vast benefits that modern technology has on students, then all current colleges should consider embracing technology that will enhance effective communication.

Works Cited

Adobe Systems Incorporated. Technology in Education. “Adobe” (2009): 1-7.

McFarlane, Donovan A. “Social communication in a technology-driven society: A philosophical

exploration of factor-impacts and consequences.” American Communication Journal 12.1

(2010): 1-14.

Oblinger, Diana, and James Oblinger. “Is it age or IT: First steps toward understanding the net