Cellphones and Anxiety: Useful tool or Hindering Distraction?

Have you ever forgotten your phone at your dorm or at home, and you feel uneasy all day without it? Misplacing my phone becomes equivalent in urgency to 8.4 earthquake. In our lab, we mentioned how our cellphones often feel like an extension of ourselves, and a majority (if not all of us) who own phones don't leave our rooms without them. But what kind of impact does this constant stream of cellular data have on us, and are there effects to toting our phones everywhere with us? 

Some people believe that this technology is extremely useful, and can help further advances and communication. Alternatively, there are those who believe that computer mediated communication is harmful, and destroying our ability to communicate face to face. We discussed this theory in class as one of our many sides of technology: the Utopian vs. Dystopian visions of CMC. This goes hand in hand with the perspective of hype and hysteria, saying that when new technology is released, some will fear it (saying it's dumbing us down, or soon robots will take over everything, but perhaps not so dramatic) and some will be excited for it, praising it as the greatest new innovation. But perhaps there's more to this utopian and dystopian perspective than meets the eye - do our cellphones have useful benefits and overwhelming gratifications, or more negative effects than we may realize? 

Researchers have actually been looking into and studying separation and attachment to cellphones. This article discusses a study published in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Researchers conducted a series of tests that had iPhone users performing tasks, and had some of them unable to answer their cellphones. Results show that those who were unable to answer their phones performed poorly on cognitive tests when compared to others. During tasks if their phone began to ring and they couldn't answer it, they found an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, along with anxiety and uneasiness. Researchers theorize that our attachment to our phones may be because of the gratifications they occur us: the ability to give us information, social connections and even personal safety. Our anxiety may be due to us feeling like we might be missing out on something. 

The researchers offer some very interesting theories, which make quite a lot of sense if you mull over their ideas a bit. As humans are a very social species, it is understandable that we want to feel connected to our social links. The researchers go further to suggest that our anxiety could become a distraction, and lower our work performance, and even our ability to engage with others and the media. It's interesting that these researchers take a somewhat (but not terribly dramatic) dystopian perspective to this form of technology - giving evidence that it might actually be a hindrance more than helpful. I think most of us hate to admit it, but our phones can be quite a severe distraction. You figure you're just going to hit up Yik Yak and then suddenly you've also checked Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and zoned out for ten minutes of class. (This has happened to me more than once) 

This brings up the discussion of gratification vs. hindrance - it's true that we get a great sense of gratification out of using our cellphones, as we touched on in our lectures. They keep us connected, offer us information, time passers, entertainment and more - but does the gratification outweigh the hindrances and distractions that cellphones also bring to the table? This question is one that is probably best answered on a case to case basis, as almost everyone has a different opinion on the subject.  

Advantages and Disadvantages of Telecommuting

In today’s society, technology is everywhere.  Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) is a major part of the general population’s daily lives.  We are constantly being fed information from our phones, laptops, televisions; our cars today use computer systems and are becoming more advanced. As technology continues rapidly advancing, becoming more multifunctional, businesses and industries today even use CMC as a way to improve their productivity, influence people’s behaviors and attitude, inform people about their product, seek information, entertain and please people, and so on. 

                One of many strategies made possible by CMC, which is becoming an increasingly popular work option for businesses and industries, is telecommuting.  Telecommuting is a practice in which an employee works at a location that is remote from the actual business facility at which he or she is employed.  The employee makes contact only through forms of technology (phone, email, etc.).  Like with any method of doing something, there are pros and cons that come with telecommuting.

                Among numerous situations where employers and employees have found telecommuting advantageous, the Encyclopedia of Business cites some of the leading positive aspects.  An obvious advantage and a leading reason to why telecommuting has become so popular is that it is an efficient way to save money.  By having employees working at home rather than needing an office, employers spend a lot less money on things like office space, supplies, and staff parking, and so on.  This allows businesses to save money for more important company issues.  Another significant advantage made possible by telecommuting is employers are able to keep on valued staff members even if the employee is not able to live in the area of the business anymore.  Also, being able to work from home enables employees to minimize the number of personal days they take.  Telecommuting is great for employees who need to travel, keeping them in touch with what the employer needs. 

As you can see, there are many ways in which businesses have utilized telecommunication to their advantage.  Now, you will realize ways in which telecommuting can be negative.  One obvious risk of telecommuting is the employer’s lack of oversight.  When an employer cannot communicate with his employee, there is a risk that the two will not be in sync with the goal of the task given to the employee which can lead to greater problems in the future.  Along with lack of oversight, telecommuting also causes problems for web security, making businesses more vulnerable to viruses and hackers.  The most important disadvantage of telecommuting, from my perspective, is the loss of human interaction.  Taking a person out of the office and isolating him or her in her home can have a negative effect on someone’s motivation and their level of creativity. 

Telecommuting is a great tool when used appropriately.  The key is to mesh together both the human and technological aspects together.  One suggestion I found in my article is to create a telecommuting program, one which considers the proposals of telecommuting on a position-by-position basis, as opposed to any position.  Another useful tip for businesses using or considering telecommuting, is to set certain hours for the employee to be in office and set other hours to telecommute.  Finally, employers should try to recognize which employees can work away from the office and which need that office space in order to be most productive.    






Outside source: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/small/Sm-Z/Telecommuting.html

Social Network's affect on interpersonal relationships

As twitter, instagram, snapchat, facebook, and whatever other social media sites are out there today, continue to expand and draw in more users, interpersonal relationships will continue to be affected. There is a certain confidence that people experience communicating through social media, compared to in person, that allows people to be disrespectful and say things that they wouldn't normally have the balls to say face-to-face. This allows relationships to deteroriate and people to publicly trash talk someone in an arena that wasn't previously possible. Everyone's phone is media-capable and basically an extension of their hand at this point, making people less likely to talk in person as well. Overall, I would have to say that social networks deteroriate regular communication in non-cyber society.

First Blog--Obsolete technology

Today in class we discussed the topic of obsolete technology. It is honestly insane how quickly technology becomes obsolete--or what we determine as being obsolete--these days. I remember when it was all the rage to have a TV that had a VHS already hooked up to it, now both the kind of TV and VHS player are almost completely obsolete. At just about 20 years old, technology has evolved extremely significantly during my lifetime. It's funny when you think about the things that used to be so cool and status symbols when we were younger that now are basically worthless--like my portable tape player and boom box. Those were two of my favorite pieces of technology and we do not even use them at all anymore! The discussion in class today really got me thinking about why technology becomes obsolete so quickly and I found some answers in Paul Chavez's article, "The Beauty of Becoming Obsolete."
Chavez explains that there are two types of obsoleteness, evolutionary and disruptive. Evolutionary obsoleteness refers to a type of product being improved over time and new versions being produced. Take Iphone for example, it seems like a new version comes out all of the time--each version just a little bit better than the other. This type of obsoleteness is very common today, especially when it comes to cellphones and also televisions. Take my first example for instance, my TV/VHS combo was replaced with HD LCD TVs that work much better. Disruptive obsoleteness refers to a certain type of technology gets replaced with a different type. Chavez used email as an example of disruptive obsoleteness, however I don't feel this is entirely applicable since we, as college students, have to use email all of the time to keep in contact with our professors. BUT it really has declined in popularity due to the rise in texting, social media, and like such things. I keep going back to VHS, but it really applies to both disruptive and evolutionary obsoleteness. VHS tapes are almost completely obsolete. I know in my house, we do not have a VHS player and all of the ones we did have, have since stopped working (which would refer to disruptive obsoleteness). Evolutionary obsoleteness applies because VHS has been replaced by DVDs and DVDs have been replaced by Blue Ray--it is a truly evolutionary process (Chavez, 2012).
This explanation made the most sense to me as to why technology becomes obsolete so quickly. Our culture is changing all of the time and it only makes sense that technology would change as well. Obsoleteness is not exactly a bad thing because when one piece of technology becomes obsolete, another one emerges and is more advanced than the last. It is important to note that both types of obsoleteness occur and that both are prevalent with technology today.

Chavez, P. 2012. The beauty of becoming obsolete. AV network. Retrieved from: http://www.avnetwork.com/columns/0020/the-beauty-of-becoming-obsolete/89620

First Blog - The Communication Model

Before taking this class, I had no idea about the Communication Model. I never knew that a lot of specific things came into play when communicating with someone, especially when dealing with context. The communication model is a model used to explain the human communication process. It’s a process where a sender, the person who’s speaking, sends information to a person or crowd, known as the receiver. It’s the receiver’s job to decode the information sent, however they must understand each other’s context or else the information will be misunderstood. In the journal article, “An Enhanced Communication Model” by Per Flensburg, he states that the context is important when trying to transfer knowledge to another person. Just like what was stated in the lecture, without the receiver understanding the context the information sent by the source will be misunderstood. Flensburg brings up the point that, “Despite the fact we have no match in context we have enough in common to create an understanding and thus knowledge.” Each person’s context is different because we base our own context on what we have experienced. This is important to remember when trying to communicate because it tends to be overlooked, especially when I talk to a lot of my friends. I grew up in many different states and countries because of my father’s job in the Air Force. So, when talking to a lot of my friends I would misinterpret some of the things they were talking about. Also this would happen vice-versa as I would talk about my experiences in Asia and they would misinterpret things I’m saying. I never knew the difference it made of setting up a basic understanding of your context. Setting up a basic understanding of a person context can be done through redundancy and body language. By using those two to help build an understanding of where each person is coming from allows the conversation to start going more fluidly. I never thought that speech could be so in depth but with what we have been learning in class has started to reveal a new level of speech. I wish I knew more about this when traveling when I was living with my parents. I knew the dos and don’ts of certain cultures, but I never had the basic knowledge of their culture like I should have. Communicating with someone from a different culture goes a lot smoother when you have a better understanding of their background. This is another thing that is overlooked. However, I was able to learn more about these different cultures and the perspective they see the world. Context is definitely important part of communicating that I believe is overlooked. Being able to have the skills to create a basic understanding of each other’s context is important, especially when apply to jobs as it shows you have great communication skills. The communication model showed me that there’s more depth to communication instead of stating sentences to someone.

http://ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/docview/197406846?accountid=13158

The Importance of Emojis

This week in class we discussed computer mediated communication (CMC). CMC is simply defined as any human communication that occurs through the use of two or more electronic devices. CMC has basically become the standard of communication over the past years. I know this to be true especially for me because I always have my phone in my hand texting, tweeting, or calling someone. And as technology advances, this will most likely become the reality for many other people. My favorite aspect of communicating through technology, especially through Instagram, Texting, and Twitter, is the use of emojis. Emojis are picture characters that people use to relay a feeling or emotion in CMC outlets. I feel that emojis make the experience of tweeting and texting more personable and funny. I actually find myself being annoyed with people who either don’t use emojis or people who are not “emoji literate”.

In my search for an article for this blog entry, I came across an article titled “7 Reasons to Use Emoticons in Your Writing and Social Media, According to Science”. The article explains why emojis are good to use in everyday life by listing 7 reasons and explaining those reasons through research. The reasons that were listed in the article are:

1. They make you more popular on social media
2. We react to them like we would real human face
3. They’re OK even in business settings!
4. They soften the blow of a critique
5. They make you appear more friendly and competent
6. They create a happier workplace
7. They correlate with real-life happiness

While I do agree that emojis are important to CMC, there are some reasons listed in the article that I personally disagree with. I do agree with the claim that emojis make you popular on social media. As I previously stated, I really hate when people don’t know how to properly use emojis or when they don’t use them at all, it really annoys me. Another reason I agree with is that react to emojis like we would with real human faces. My friends and I always respond to each other’s texts and tweets with just emojis. I think it’s really one of my favorite things to do. I always know exactly what emoji to use to describe my feelings. I do not agree with that the fact that emojis are OK in a business setting and that they make the workplace happier. I don’t feel that it emojis are appropriate for the workplace or businesses. I also think agree with the claim that emojis soften the blow of a critique. Whenever I’m being harsh with my friends I always try to throw an emoji into the text just to soften the blow. I also agree with the 7^th reason which states that emojis correlate with real-life happiness or emotions. If I use the “laughing emoji” I am probably laughing versus saying “lol” because I think I’m supposed to laugh. I really like the fun of emojis and I’ll continue to use them with friends and family and on social networks, but I’ll keep them from the workplace for now. 

https://blog.bufferapp.com/7-reasons-use-emoticons-writing-social-media-according-science

INSTAGRAM and its social media outtake

Anna Hernandez 

CAS 283 SEC 005  

BLOG 1 

    In today’s society, we all are constantly using the internet, most of which is used to communicate. We use Facebook to essentially stalk other people or to inform ourselves on their daily life events. We use twitter to explain numerous amounts of topics with a restricted amount of words. And we also use Instagram to capture moments of our life that we feel are important enough to share. I was always someone who was late on getting in on the newest social media. I was a sophomore in high school when I got my first Facebook account. I was a junior in high school when I signed up for Instagram. And I still to this day have never had a twitter account. I have a younger brother, age sixteen, that I have watched grow with these social media cites and technology. While watching the video of the two people using Instagram the first day we arrived in class, a lot of what was showed in that video reminded me of the behavior that my brother portrayed. Like how before every single meal he insists on taking a picture of his food as if it is going to be judged on some fancy cooking show for best food award. There is a difference that I have observed between my generation and his. The content of the pictures we post are different. For example his account will contain only a few topics; his girlfriend, skateboarding, and what his food looks like. My account however features more pictures of me and my closest loves ones, things I find interesting, and places that I have been to. So in a sense I feel as though my account does not have a preference for what the content holds, where his might. I agreed with the content of the video where they ask the underlining question of why we feel this need to document our lives, and what the true purpose of this is. Why do we feel the need to promote our lives and be judged constantly for it? Some of the content in that video talked about how the amount of likes we get can affect the way we feel about the picture and about ourselves. Lets say I post a picture that I thought was very interesting and only receive five likes on it verses fifty likes that I have received before. I am most likely going to feel insecure and second guess what I just posted due to the lack of responses that I received. I am sure that most people can relate to this feeling that I am talking about. This contributes the a form of verbal communication. I say that it is verbal due to the fact that we can communicate words and images via the application of Instagram. Not only can you use a visual but there is also an opportunity to write something below it. Before Instagram, I never knew what a hashtag was. The way I see it, is that hashtag, for a period of time,became a trend. People on Vine making videos started to replicate and used hashtags in a form of humor, in a sense making fun of the people using hashtags. Hashtags also allow you to view other people pictures who have hashtaged the same word. This allows for a whole new search engine to emerge. In the article, “How social media has changed the way we communicate” by Pollock Communications Health and Wellness Experts, It states that throughout these different applications of social media, we are essentially able to get to know a person and their interest and least somewhat to a majority before even meeting them in person. I know first hand that this has applied to me because before moving to State College in the fall, I looked up my roommates to try and see what they were like before I even met them. The only thing about this is that for some, they were exactly how I would have figured they would be in person, and for others , I totally misjudged them. This article goes on to state that today we essentially used social media for everything and that it has become an outlet for people to share their voice. I agree with the article when it states that in today’s society, if you are not on social media of any kind, you are not informed of what is going on. 

Pollock Communications Health and Wellness Experts.May 17th,2014.January 22nd, 2015.http://www.lpollockpr.com/2014/05/17/social-media-changed-way-communicate/

Haptic Tips: First Date

Of the different types of non-verbal communications there is haptics in other words, touch. Humans and animals use this as a way to communicate and interact. The meaning behind touching vary from positive motives, playfulness or being completely unintentional. According to Human Haptic Perception: Basics and Applications there's nine principles that should be followed with enduring social interactions:

1. Touch should be appropriate according to the relationship possessed with the other individual.
2. Harmful physical contact should always be avoided.
3. Its best to not startle the other with your haptic behavior.
4. Touch shouldn't displace or relocate another person.
5. Physical contact should not interrupt other people.
6. Critical statements should not be accompanied by touch.
7. It is important to consider the location where the physical contact is taking place.
8. Avoid touch that can be considered as unenthusiastic or insincere.
9. People should refrain from physical contact that may be perceived as inappropriate by others.

     

Typically on first dates over-touching can be threatening and inappropriate, the fact that it can be perceived in so many ways tell you that it should be avoided. This doesn't include typical contact that usually take place during first dates. These contacts usually vary based upon gender. Males commonly reach for the women's hand to assist them out the car or brush her shoulder when taking off her coat. Women essentially touch the man's forearm when at the table to accentuate her point in a conversation. Between both genders it is likely for elbows to touch when sitting side by side in locations like the movies and the car. On average, men are more likely to go further in physical contact. For instance, when hugging the commonplace of touch for females is the higher back of the males. Males on the other hand naturally make contact with the women's lower back. Also seen when guys lay their hands on the female's back during a walk, especially if she has on heels. 

Don't get me wrong, both females and males can be equally touchy. Clearly displayed in this video.

Too much touching can make the other person feel very uncomfortable and you'll never know.  The success of your haptics can be evident in the other response to it. If the other individuals pulls away or tries to prevent the contact, it is obvious that they rather it not take place. From there you should refrain from attempting anymore physical contact. Just because the other hasn't directly asked you to stop touching them does not mean to continue trying to touch them. Not all individuals are able to verbally ask you to lay off, their body language should be enough. Worst case you can be accused with committing an assault.  In a lot of magazine articles and blogs aimed towards the men audience, like the Men's Health Magazine, they promote touching. With "Caress your way into her affections using haptics, the science of responsive touch", being one of the magazine article's subheadings. And according to a study published in the journal, Social Influence, women who were touched on the arm by a man were more likely to give him their number than those who weren't. But they don't include in fine print, that most importantly that you have to be considered attractive by them, like we seen in the video above. Some people will admit that they'll allow touching if they are physically attracted to the other individual. You can't be sure you know what the other person is thinking and what they want, so least contact is best for the first date.  

http://www.eharmony.com/dating-advice/dating-tips/first-date-affection-how-much-is-too-much/#.VMHQ1Xb9-t8

Grunwald, Martin. "12 - Haptic Behavior in Social Behavior." Human Haptic Perception: Basics and Applications. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2008. 161-62. Print.

computer mediated communication and the sorority girl

Nicky Daniels

While sitting in lecture the other day, something really caught my attention.  We talked about computer mediated communication and how we can use it 24/7, whenever our little hearts desire.  While that can be a very useful thing there are times when it is just plan annoying.  People can literally text you or call you WHENEVER they want to.  That means two in the morning or three in the afternoon.  One thing that really hit home with me is the fact that I have experienced this annoyance of 24/7 texting first hand.  When I first started in the sorority we had to join a texting group so the whole pledge class could talk to each other and keep in touch with the older sister incharge of us.  That was all fun and good for a while but within a week I was ready to throw my cell phone against the wall.  At one in the morning girls would have conversations in the group text talking about God knows what while I was trying to sleep.  There were times when my phone would not stop vibrating.  It was the most annoying thing in the entire world at the time.  Another thing that I hated about this group chat was when the older sister that was our "boss" would text us, she wanted all fifteen girls in the group chat to say 'ok' so she knew we all read it.  One thing that was great about this non-stop communication was, on Friday nights if something were to happen at one of the parties we were at, we all knew about it within minutes.  We had each others backs when it came to something bad happening and th group chats really helped out with that.
It did not end there, now, two years into the sorority, this always communication has not stopped.  Now a days we get at least twenty emails throughout the day, at all hours of the day.  There is no stopping.
Last night I got three emails passed eleven thirty about nonsense.  There are times that twenty five emails will pop up on my phone, there are more instancs that my phone will not shut up because people are talking about what outfit to wear out in a group chat while they could be simply texting each other without everyone else in the chat.
Communication in the world today is rapidly becoming more and more apart of our lives.  Communication at all times of the day can be a great thing, especially when something bad has happened or someone really needs to get a hold of you.  But there are other times when we just need to step back, put our phones down and get a good nights sleep.  Thank goodness for the do not disturb button on the iphone in todays world. If there is anything I would want you to take away from this post, it would be to turn that phone off at night, leave your friends alone, and do not talk in group chats if you are not talking to the entire group, because you never know who is going to want to throw thier phone against a wall in annoyance.

24/7 Connectivity: The True Double Sided Sword

Technology is everywhere, therefore we are always able to connect somehow, whether if it is through our smart phone, our laptop, or any other electronic device.  24/7 connectivity has many positive attributes, some of which include; constant communication with anyone in the world, endless amount of information at your fingertips, and being able to access information anytime you want.  But, there are also many disadvantages to 24/7 connectivity, some of which include; constant communication with anyone in the world, endless amount of information at your fingertips, and being able to access information anytime you want.  Technology and 24/7 connectivity is truly a double sided sword.

Let us start by discussing the advantages, because these are more obvious than the disadvantages.  Being able to talk to friends and family anywhere in the world instantly is an amazing attribute, you can send information quickly, and always be connected in their lives, even while you’re at Penn State and they are not.  You can also meet new friends online, there are multiple sites that allow you to connect with others with similar interests. These interactions can lead to lifelong friendships, or at the very least a friendship for the time being.

The days of looking up information in outdated books, or having to ask multiple people are obsolete.  Today, you can look up anything on the internet and there will be some information about it.  This helps satisfy instant gratification –which is an epidemic in today’s society- and also helps shortening research time.

Not too long ago, if you had to look something up you had to go to the library, but what if you wanted to find this stuff out at 10pm? You had to wait until the next day, because the majority of libraries are not open 24 hours. Luckily, with the internet on almost every device this is no longer a problem.  You can look up information anytime you want!

While those all sound good, they can easily turn bad, but sadly these are hidden risks.  You are always connected to your friends and family now, distant is not a factor.  Nothing is hidden from them, you cannot block them out, and let us be honest, we all wish at times we could just disconnect at times.  Meeting new friends online can be beneficial, but it is very easy to lie on the internet, and you never know whom you are actually talking to.  Many people get “Catfished” which is the act of having a different identity online than in real life.  This can lead to dangerous situations if the two parties plan to meet up.

Information about everything is truly everywhere on the internet, but it is not always the correct information.  For example, Wikipedia, is infamous for having improper information because people edit it constantly.  Also, with each generation becoming more tech savvy than the prior generation, young kids are experiencing things on the internet which are not meant for them, whether it be on accident or not.

Being able to access information whenever you want can be great, but it also has many disadvantages.  Information is like a drug, once you have some, you will want more and more, shortly time will not become a factor, you will find yourself on the internet in the wee hours of the night searching useless things, which interrupts your sleep cycle, which can lead to health problems.

As you can see, while having technology at your fingertips at any moment can be advantageous, there are also many risks that you must be aware of, if not you will find yourself in some sticky situations.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology in the Workplace

Jessica Toyber

January 23rd

      Succeeding the innovation of the printing press in the mid 15th century, the human race has been captivated with the conceptualization of technology. In modern day society, people live day by day in the handcuffs of technology. Unable to peel their eyes from their IPhone screen, Mac laptop, Kindle, e.t.c., the general public has forgotten what human existence consists of apart from high tech gadgets and fancy apps on a touch screen phone. Technology has transformed from an enchanting notion that humans once considered impossible to a tool of basic survival. Is human dependence on technology necessarily as corrupt as certain age groups in society make it out to be? Is human dependence on technology going to lead to our eventual demise?

    

    useoftechnology.com, a resourceful site that explains the use of new and common technology and keeps the world updated on progress within the technological field, recently posted an article weighing the pros and cons of technology in the workplace. Almost every single company (small business, large scale, e.t.c.) requires expertise in the technical field to make sure the job is done as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Whether it’s dealing with a banker or an engineer or even the manager at a front desk, technological skills are required to display an individual’s proficiency in a job environment.

   Having technology in a work environment has spurred ingenuity between co workers, allowed humans to accomplish an assortment of responsibilities at once (thereby accentuating performance for the entire company), permits people to carry out career tasks from a home location, and improves communication between different sectors in the work place. Using a variety of business technologies helps a community of workers expand and develop their business and optimize their enterprise’s reputation. Technology has turned a job made for ten people into a job made for one. The demand for manpower has turned into the demand for mechanical power. The negative side to more machine power is that less human power is needed to be exerted, therefore less humans are needed to accomplish a task(less jobs). Technology has closed the gap between job and home, by allowing employees to carry out the corresponding assignment from the comfort of his or her own home. With this new improved work strategy, the stress and burden of a person’s work day is alleviated. A relaxed worker is a more efficient worker, which overall benefits his or her company. Technology can network people in business together, and allow humans to collaborate their ideas without having to be in the same room. Partnership between different companies allows room for beneficial growth for not only one company, but two.

   Although the benefits of technology seem to be limitless, the negative connotation of technology in the workplace is equally as perpetual. The underlying opposing factor against technology is distraction. How efficient is a worker who spends every twenty minutes checking his or her iPhone, ordering clothing off of the internet, or browsing through Google endlessly? Technology also causes the maintenance cost for a company to skyrocket. A preponderance of small businesses cannot afford to keep sustaining their technological bill while being efficient and productive in their company. Technology creates a sluggish environment, which creates comatose and ineffectual workers. What’s the point of having a computer that can allow one person to exert the work of ten people if that one individual is wasteful and incompetent? The relationships in the workplace are severely affected, as employees are focusing more of their energy into typing a message then saying it face to face.

   Whether technology in the workplace is a blessing or a curse is up to personal opinion, nevertheless, the businesses in America would be nowhere near where we are today if it wasn’t for the gift of electronics. In a modern, robotics based society, human beings must accept the integration of technology into our world with welcome arms while keeping the negative factors in mind. One of the most important and executive decisions an enterprise can make is whether or not they choose to use technology, what best way to optimize their technological use, and who to rely on behind the face of a computer. The choice is all yours.

Power of Nonverbal Communication

Power of Nonverbal Communication

In class lecture we spent time speaking about nonverbal signals and all the different meanings that could be taken away just from simple things such as one’s tone of voice or facial expressions. Almost thirty years ago Daniel Goleman who was a writer for The New York Times talked about the same thing. An article that was published April of 1986 titled Studies Point to Power of Nonverbal Signals spoke about similar concepts that we covered in class.

Some of the nonverbal communications we recently covered in class involved: physical appearance, proxemics, kinesics, paralanguage, and also haptics. Each one of these topics in nonverbal communication can help one get a feel or understanding for someone they are talking to without even needing to worry about the words themselves. Obviously the first thing you notice is there physical appearance, their body type, ethnicity, or way they dress can tell you a lot about a person if it is your first time meeting them. If you are observing two people interacting you can also tell a lot by how close or far they are from one another, which is proxemics. If it is someone talking to their boss they most likely will not be super close or in their face where as if it is two friends, a first date, catching up with an old friend, or even a family member you may be closer in proximity. If you are having a conversation with someone you can read a lot into their kinesics, which is their body movement. You can almost instantly tell how someone feels about you on a first date by his or her facial expressions. His or her tone of voice is another clue at how someone feels about you on a first date. One of the last things is haptics and that has to do with touching and how people are touching if they are do touch. If all the above things are coming into play and two people were on a first date and getting along well you may see touching hands or guys touching the women’s knee or the women touching the guy’s arms.

Thirty years ago though, the studies being done on nonverbal signals were not just focused on reading people or first dates but how they can have different affects on everyday life. These nonverbal signals had large impacts on the relationships between judge and jury or physician and patient. When someone commits a crime and is being tried in court it is supposed to be by an unbiased jury of his or her peers. The judge is in charge of making sure that happens with out being bias. The problem that was appearing was that although the judges would not make any remarks that they were not allowed to make, but there tone of voice would give off clues on how they felt about the case. These unspoken cues were being picked up by the jury members and would typically then agree with how the judge felt. Over the past 30 years judges had to work on their demeanor and how they spoke to the jury in order to keep the courtroom an unbiased one. A similar study showed a relationship between physicians and patients, a lot of people tend to be uncomfortable at doctors offices and especially if it their first time at a new doctor. Doctors that showed a more relaxed body movement such as uncrossed arms and legs, nodding while talking, eye contact at times but not staring, and also leaning towards the patient made them feel more comfortable and also gave them more desire to communicate back with the doctors and be attentive.

The connection from thirty years ago to now show how much of an impact nonverbal communication could play in a number of scenarios of one’s life. Learning how to have good nonverbal communication can help you in many different ways like finding a job, starting a conversation, not giving off mixed signals, or even make you feel more comfortable in a situation. More importantly it can also help you read people better because everyone wishes they could read peoples mind and although that is impossible, being able to read nonverbal communications are probably the closest you will get to understanding how other people think and feel about you or others.

Tech & Society

Link: Look Up

With all our talk about communication within society and how technology has changed the way people interact with each other, I decide to try and find a video I had seen several months ago with, what I would consider, a pretty powerful message. 

We, as a society, are so consumed with technology and the ease in which this computer mediated communication (CMC), or interaction between people through the use of electronics, allows us to interact that we are slowly losing touch with the physical world. As described in "Look Up," we have a deep seeded need for this connectivity. We thrive upon likes and shares, things that have no true value - no meaning - especially when compared to the connections, friendship, and happiness that physical presence of those we care about can bring. We look for these worthless things as an ego boost because we are so lacking in human interaction and we are so closed off from each other that these arbitrary numbers at the bottom of a photo can bring such joy to our society of reclused. Our attention span is almost nonexistent and we check our phones a hundred, two hundred, three hundred times a day. We see nothing wrong with this, with the harsh glow ever present on our face from the display. This technology we've grown so close to allows us to communicate like never before. Never has it been easier to get in touch with a person and never have we spent so much time behind a closed door. This video and my views are somewhat aligned, we need to find a balance between technology and the real world. Life is about creating memories and having experiences, not living through a screen or a faux persona. It might seem difficult, but we need to take a step back, a step away. We need to learn to look people in the eye and to communicate face to face, even if it puts you in an uncomfortable, unknown place.

This topic really resonates with me. While I am quite well versed with technology, including aspects the majority of the population is totally unaware of, I hate looking around at the zombies we have become. If more people took time to enjoy their surroundings instead of getting lost in a game there might be less depression and sadness in our population. Just keep that phone in your pocket on your walk from the car, take in your surroundings and just see where you are. Take in the world you've passed by so many times before, say 'hi' to a stranger or catch up with friends. Just keep that phone tucked away and you'll see what I mean, the zombies around us, attached to their screen.

The writer of this spoken word film has created an emotional work that really relates to many people. We aren't entirely aware of our actions, but this shows us the possible consequences. I feel the word choices, tone, music, and images used are immensely powerful and can help to promote change within our society. This video went viral and has almost 50 million views, and while that might be the opposite what Gary Turk wants people to do, after watching it, I want to increase my independence from these technological chains. Electronics and the internet have given us some great things so I don't think we need to leave it behind, but to lessen our grip and become more comfortable with speaking aloud and sharing our minds. It is a part of our life, but it doesn't have to consume us.

A future overwhelmed by technology

Nonverbal communication

Shakita Jarrett

Nonverbal communication is a form of interpersonal communication that is not expressed verbally. This form of communication can be conveyed through body movements, posture, eye contact and etc. Even though this communication style is not expressed it’s just as important because it allows the listener to convey information, provide feedback and interpret the emotional state of the speaker. For instance, people nod their heads to signal they are agreeing with your message in contrast closed postures translate an individual is uninterested or annoyed. Regardless of the cues one can translate through nonverbal communication, this style comes with misinterpretations because some forms of nonverbal behaviors are not universal and differ by culture. For example, in the western culture eye contact is essential during communication and signify confidence and attentiveness in contrast Asian cultures view eye contact as inappropriate. Being knowledgeable about the forms of communication that differ from culture to culture is essential and contribute to effective communication. The article I chose “Nonverbal Communication” describes the different kinds of communication and provide information of understanding those styles and improving one’s nonverbal communication. I concur with the information provided by the author especially with body languages because I think it’s a huge message indicator in ambiguous situations. For example, the body languages of students during class can convey boredom, interest, fatigue and etc.; those nonverbal behaviors inform the professor how interested students are in the material and possible areas of improvement for keeping students attention. Moreover, this concept is relevant to material discussed in class because the use of nonverbal behaviors such as proxemics and kinesics. Proxemics includes space and territory, space depends on the amount of like you have for a person or power difference. For instance, two individuals that are attracted to each other will sit close in space conveying attraction in contrast talking to your boss or another superior may result in larger distance due to the type of relationship. Further, I experience and perform nonverbal communication all the time with family, friends, professors and my boss; the types of nonverbal behaviors I exhibit depends on the relationship I have with the person I am encountering. For example, with my friends and family my nonverbal behaviors may include nodding of the head, rolling of the eyes, certain facial expressions, smiling and being in close distance to them. In contrast, when I am talking with my professors or boss, my nonverbal behaviors will change and I may not be as close due to how comfortable I am with each person. Also, some behaviors such as rolling of the eyes and certain hand motions I will not do to professors or my boss because it will be inappropriate and the receiver will perceive me in a negative way. For instance, raising my hand in class will signal the professor that I have a question or need assistance. Nonverbal communication is ubiquitous because as humans we use it all the time in place of verbal communication, but this form of nonverbal behaviors can cause misinterpretations that why it is important to understand that nonverbal communication is not universal.
http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/nonverbal-communication.html

Physical appearance and its effects in job interviews

Coulter Ebbert

CAS 283

While sitting in on the lectures during these first two weeks of the semester, one topic, the types of nonverbal communications, really peaked my interest. The fact that nonverbal communications, as miniscule as they seem, are subconsciously impacting every physical encounter we have with other people makes them rather important. Everything from a roll of the eyes during a conversation to the way someone moves and dresses during a presentation effects the information being exchanged and ultimately the outcome of the interaction. Though all nonverbal communications are vital in every day interactions, physical appearance seems to be a prominent factor in the interactions people have, especially in professional situations. Such professional situations in which physical appearance (ie: dress, hygiene, accessories) plays a particularly important role in are job interviews. The way you physically look, among other factors, can either hinder you in a job interview or aid you in landing an important position in your profession. Now assuming that everyone has had a job interview, will have a job interview, or will be interviewing someone for a job, checking out the Chron.com (The Houston Chronical website) article linked below will give you a few great tips and facts on the importance of appearance in a job interview. This article gives great insight into what employers generally look for in an interview and what can cause them to shy away from job hopefuls. The author, Neil Kokemuller, explains in the article that out of all aspects of appearance, grooming is generally the most influential factor in a manager’s decision and that according to the 2006 National association of Colleges and Employers job outlook, 73% of responding employers indicated that grooming has a great influence in the hiring decision while 21% said it has slight influence and only 6% said it has no influence at all. The article also goes on to say that, according to the NACE employers, such features as visible tattoos, visible non-traditional piercings, funky hair and excessive jewelry could possibly negatively impact your chances at landing the job. One should also dress appropriately for the job interview. I can speak from experience (though most would consider 5 years in the work field not much experience) that when going to an interview it can’t hurt to overdress. One instance in particular was my first job working at footlocker. I went to that interview, 15 years old with work papers in hand, wearing dress pants, a button down shirt, a tie with my hair combed over and my 3 chin hairs shaved and nailed the interview. Looking back on it I do feel kind of silly about the way I dressed for the interview considering the fact that after I was hired I wore referee stripes as part of my uniform, but I realize that it was great practice for the future. What I learned about “dressing to impress” from that job interview has helped me get hired for other jobs in the not so recent past. Employers generally don’t want to hire interviewees dressed and groomed like they don’t care, rather the want to hire someone who presents themselves as a professional and looks like they are prepared to work. If you take away anything from this blog post, it is dress appropriately for a job interview, shower and comb your hair, and shave those beards and mustaches (ladies you too). Be sure to check out the article for more useful tips and facts.

 

http://work.chron.com/importance-appearance-job-interview-3677.html

Text Messaging: Damage to Young People

In an article on CNN, they discuss the damage that text messaging has done on society. It also discusses how the phone call is a "dying institution" and that developmental psychologists are worried about young people, not because they use too much technology, but because their interpersonal skills have not yet fully formed. It also describes text messaging as a form of "hiding" and being all alone and recommends sometimes Facetiming or even Skyping the get that actual interaction with somebody.



Over the past two weeks in class we have discussed the communication process; what goes into the process and what can change the process, how to improve your verbal skills, and the different types of nonverbal communication. Communication is a continuous process in which the speaker and listener create shared meaning and understanding. In the real world it is simply unavoidable even if you just text or keep to yourself, eventually you are going to need to know how to communicate face-to-face with others because that will help you develop and sustain a relationship with others. In the article an 18-year-old was quoted as saying, "Someday, but certainly not now, I want to learn how to have a conversation." To me this is shocking than an 18-year-old, who will in just a couple years be setting out to find a job and be a part of the real world, doesn't yet know how to really have a conversation with somebody else. If you are simply just a person who uses text messaging then you are not part of the communication process, which includes: the sender, the message, the interpreter, and the feedback given by the interpreter. Technically, through text messaging, I suppose you are using the communication process, however, you are not having the face-to-face interaction with somebody and seeing their nonverbal form of communication. The nonverbal behavior includes all the behavior except the actual words themselves in a conversation. There are five different types of nonverbal communication which include: physical appearance, proxemics, kinesics, paralanguage, and haptics. First off, your physical appearance, which includes our clothing, hairstyle, weight, and many more factor into communication with others. Through text messaging you do not see the other person's physical appearance. Next, proxemics, which is essentially a person's space or territory. Often people refer to this as their "personal space" and this is important during a conversation because when in conversation you do not want the other person to feel uncomfortable or anything. To me this next one, kinesics, is the most important type of nonverbal behavior because it includes a lot of things. This refers to different body gestures/movements, facial expression, and so on. The different types of movements from an interpreter are an important way to communicate without actually speaking. It shows the sender you are listening and attentive. Some common gestures would include waving and pointing. Facial expressions are another huge factor of kinesics. Facial expressions are responsible for a majority of nonverbal communication. A lot of information can be portrayed with just a smile or a frown. Information can be perceived as happy, sad, anger, or even fearful. Next, the paralanguage, which is everything involved in the vocal channel minus the words, is completely gone through text messaging. This could include the tone of voice in which the sender speaks, the pitch of his or her voice, or even the loudness of the sender's voice. This is also an important step in nonverbal communication because the sender could be trying to portray the message a certain way using a different tone or pitch, but through text messaging you would not know this because you are not present in the conversation! The last form of nonverbal communication is haptics, or the communication through touch. The touch by an interpreter can show affection, understanding or even sympathy for the sender. In the article a MIT psychologist Sherry Turkle, who is one of the leading researchers looking into the effects of text messaging on interpersonal development, shares a vivid example of what is lost when we type it instead of speak it. Her example is the texted apology. When you are text messaging an apology you are mainly saying "I'm sorry" and then hitting send. However, communicating in person allows for a full-scale apology, she says, "A full-scale apology means I know I've hurt you, I get to see that in your eyes. You get to see that I am uncomfortable, and with that, the compassion response kicks in. There are many of these steps bypassed when we text." This example is a good representation of the different types of nonverbal communication lost when you text instead of talk in person. Ultimately, text messaging is okay in my opinion, however, there also needs to be face-to-face communication as well or else you will be in "hiding" and the thing about hiding is, it keeps you entirely alone.

Supposed deflation of Patriot football

Christian Tabron
New England Patriots Deflating footballs?

http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/12212777/tom-brady-new-england-patriots-says-alter-footballs

http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/12210286/bill-belichick-new-england-patriots-shocked-deflated-football-news

          The New England Patriots have just recently  obliterated the Indianapolis Colts this pass Sunday in the AFC championship game with a score ending at 45-7. Instead of the media discussing such a great victory, instead they spoke about the New England Patriots possibly deflating the ball under the proper NFL rules. Monday morning, the media spoke to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and asked him about the potential deflation of the football. Tom Brady chuckled as he listened in on the question and said "I've heard it all at this point. I don't even bother". The type of communication shown within this morning radio show would allow you to believe this potential deflation would be false because everyone within the show was laughing at this accusation as if it would completely false. Tom Brady was laughing at the accusation and even sarcastically stated that maybe the ball got deflated from Rob Gronkowski's touchdown spikes. This type of communication that is being sent to the world allows us to believe there is no way the accusation could be true. He seemed very confidant this case would be thrown at and the Patriots could then focus on the superbowl.

          But, 24 hours later, the NFL investigators reported 11 of the 12 footballs used by the Patriots in that game were deflated below regulation during the first half of the game. There were immediate press conferences after the report with Tom Brady and New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. At these particular press conferences is where we notice a lot more messages other than the verbal communication. During Bill Belichick's press conference, he seemed unblemished and confident standing at the podium answering such antagonizing questions. This type of communication gives off the idea that he is telling the truth the people asking, He looked every individual in the eye when he responded to their question, he stood up straight with his chest out at times during his speech, and he stuck to his answers from the beginning to end to increase the belief of individuals watching and listening. This now put the focus of Tom Brady.

          Tom Brady seemed a bit nervous, bothered, and confused when approached with this accusation. This led to slight disbelief from people listening in on this press conference. He was constantly fidgety while being asked questions. This led some to believe he wanted to get off of the podium as soon as possible. He would sometimes stutter and also have some inconsistencies within his answers which also led to disbelief. He posture changed from straight up to slouched in correlation from his speech to being questions. This led to more disbelief. It was sometimes difficult for Tom to keep his focus on one person and he would also immediately look at another individual before answering the person's question which led me to believe he is trying to get through the conference as quick as possible. Throughout these two press conferences we noticed ultimately that both the coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady denies any knowledge to this accusation and were absolutely in no way a part of such deviance acts.

Power Posing: The Secret Kinesic Tool

In our lectures, we discussed communication and the various forms it takes - in particular we also delved into the very fine details of face to face communication. One of these subcategories of communication we discussed was kinesics: nonverbal communications that in
clude facial expression, gestures and the body as a whole. Kinesics are an invaluable tool in communication, as they help to display emotions, and feelings as well as many other things such as relationship and comfort levels with other individuals. We can also use kinesics to our advantage, and while kinesics are typically paired up with verbal communication it can also be used to send a silent message. One of these kinesic tools we can use is power posing - certain body positions can display power and even cause internal changes (such as raising of testosterone and lowering of cortisol, the stress hormone.) 

This Business insider article discusses power posing, and goes through a series of poses to discuss what messages they convey and why it sends the message it does. Their article makes use of the research shared by Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist who shared her findings at TEDGlobal in 2012. A key to high power posing is "stretching out to take up as much space as possible" in contrast to those who are more submissive or are in lower positions, who will stay more closed up with their limbs close to them. If we see someone who is curled into a ball, we assume they are scared, weak or upset. (right) Alternatively, we see people who are standing tall with their arms out, or in a dynamic pose as powerful people who are in charge. (left) They also make note of how low power and high power positions "compliment" one another during interactions. For an example, during a meeting, the boss will typically stand at the head of the table - perhaps arms stretched out, with everyone else sitting with their arms close, most likely taking notes. The article shows off eight different poses, so it might be worth reading through if you want to know how to get yourself pumped up - in addition, it also includes Cuddy's TEDGlobal presentation, which I have watched and it's worth viewing at least a few minutes of it! 


Power posing is another form of body language and general kinesic communication that we use, even if we don't exactly realize we're doing it. People with more confidence will probably walk taller, have their head upright or tall and be more physically open in comparison to those with less confidence who might shy away, look down or keep their head down or keep their arms closer to themselves. (Maybe biting their nails as well, I know I do this!) We might even see poses like this come into play on first dates, like what we discussed in our lecture. A more confident person, maybe on a blind date, might be more alert and display more assertiveness, while someone who isn't might be more visibly nervous and show low power poses or gestures. Power poses, and more generally, body language like this conveys messages and communicates to others what kind of attitude we have. I believe this article did a nice job of including background information on the topic, explaining the topic, and not only showing the poses, but explaining what makes these particular poses so powerful. They don't only show the what, but the why. 


Power poses can be considered a way to communicate power and create hierarchy through the power of body language. We can interpret this subcategory of body language to tell who is more outgoing and who is more reserved, who is on top and who is on the bottom of the food chain. If you're someone who is more reserved, you might feel more intimidated by someone who displays more power. (Though, not everyone!) Regardless, power poses are just another tool in our arsenal of communication - a tool that most of us learn and demonstrate and sometimes don't even realize it!