Communication – the act of transmitting and receiving information – is a fundamental aspect of the human experience. As social, thinking beings, we are constantly exchanging information with one another through various means of expression. Even before we are born, we begin to participate in this transaction: consider the baby kicking his mother inside the womb, or the delicate, sweet moment of intimacy when a mother sings to her growing child. In both cases, communication is occurring, whereby some sort of message, emotion, or thought is being transferred between two individuals.
As Gleick aptly states in the prologue of The Information, “we can see now that information is what our world runs on: the blood and the fuel, the vital principle” (8). Indeed, when we narrow our focus down to the microscopic level, biological life itself exists because of the cell-to-cell communication that occurs at every transient moment. How much more do we as humans then, rely on communication!
Advancements in technology have largely served to improve and expand upon our ability to communicate, across distances and even time. When I first considered the term “technology”, I thought of such tangible, physical devices such as the radio, telephone, and computer. Especially now, living in the new era of technology, we have become so dependent on different gadgets for daily functioning. To me, at first, “communication technologies” would refer to such concrete tools as our smartphones and digital devices.
It makes perfect sense, however, that Gleick traces the development of writing itself as a technology in the second chapter of The Information. What is writing but a visual means through which information is transmitted? Thinking about this has made me appreciate how much we take communication technology for granted. Not just with the advent of the internet, and all the various apps we use to stay connected with each other. The very act of writing is a form of communication technology. It is a complex, codified system of symbols that enable thoughts, ideas, and information to be transmitted.
Truly, “Every new medium transforms the nature of human thought” (12). As communication technologies continue to progress and evolve, we should celebrate – yet also remain cautious of – the opportunities and limitations that each brings to our ability to gather, express, and retain information.