The Transformation of Communication

Long gone are the days when the medium of mass reach was newspapers, radio and television. These media developed (in that order) to connect the sender with the receiver. But the major challenge with them was that they offered a one way connect. The bygone era was not interactice.

 

In the last decade, we have stepped into perhaps what can be called as the golden age of two way communication. All the different modes of communications developed during the past few years have focussed on making the process more mobile and streamlined.

 

Today we live in the world where it has become indispensable to create a virtual presence. This virtual avatar of ourselves then becomes our gateway to the rest of the world. We gain access to the majority of information through these digital avatars. We curate our profiles to meet our interests which in turn filter the right set of information that we desire to read.

 

So it becomes even more important to understand how communication takes place in the present times. The major means of communication are:

 

1. Text based plateforms like blogs and websites
2. Video based platforms like Youtube
3. IM based platforms like Discord, Telegram, Whatsapp
4. Profile based: Facebook, Twitter
5. Picture based: Instagram, snapchat

 

All of these try to promote 2 way interaction between the sender and receiver of the information, and that too on a real time basis. A person can get instant feedback for the communication he sends.

These platforms differ on the way the information is shared among the population. But one thing is taken for granted that the reach of spread of information has now increased manifold.

 

Any one, with a good story can tell that to the world, and if the world likes the story, the person becomes a celebrity (even if for s short time). Such persons have been termed as “social influencers” and these days well established brands have started promoting their products through these social influencers.

 

Therefore it becomes critically important for the market stakeholders to cope up with the emerging trends of the modes of communication and re-align their market strategy. This increased access to communication will only grow in the future, and it is for the best. At the end of the day, it is providing a voice to all those who were not being heard in the past.