Is Communication Over the Internet Measurable?

For our purposes, communication can be described as the movement of information from one human mind to another, or can it? All communication is information, but not all information is communication. Much information is discarded at the level of sensory memory; this is the information that we don’t even consciously notice at all. What actually captures our attention is modeled as entering working memory; this is the information that we have fleeting moments to consider without being reiterated (about 30 seconds) before it disappears into obscurity, or has the opportunity to be consolidated in our long-term memory indefinitely. Information can be discarded at any of these filters, and even after entering long-term memory, we should consider a message to have more influence the longer it is retained and the more often it is accessed (attributes which are related architecturally to the number and strength of synaptic connections between neurons).

With all of the variables that affect the salience of information to humans that is unrelated to information quantity (in bytes of internet traffic in this case), quantifying the actual communication over the internet, of which human brains are inextricably linked, is currently infeasible. The manners in which text, audio, and video use bandwidth resources as data packets do not necessarily have correspondence to the way in which those mediums are encoded as knowledge. While the reasonable assumption can be made that encoding efficiencies of brains are the same all around the globe, the same assumption cannot be made that types of media accessed over the internet is in the same proportions in different countries, subcultures, networks, etc. While a picture may be worth a thousand words when time is more limited than bandwidth, text is clearly the much preferred mode of communication when senders and receivers have the time to verbally articulate, especially the conceptual more than the sensory (e.g., this blog). On the other hand, for rapid and rich sensory communication, video and audio (e.g., camera phone journalism) have shown their superiority in accuracy engendered by their inherent rawness.

Communication Conceptualized

Communication is a process by which information or emotion is transmitted to one or more individuals. A traditional model of communication states the presence of both a sender and receiver. The sender’s message or intent is transferred to the receiver who then interprets said information. This model can also easily be applied to most forms of mass media, but is made complicated by the emergence of present day cyber communication, enabling one to possibly be both a sender and receiver.

Mass media is a term used to describe any method of communication intended for large audiences. Types of media intended for large scale communication include newspapers, magazines, radio, cell phones, and the internet. There are many inherent benefits and disadvantages in massively communicating both on a personal and societal level.

The health of a society’s democracy can be defined by its ability to communicate via mass media. When, social, political, and international information (in conjunction with advertising) is delivered massively, it can often be hard to find legitimate unbiased information on any topic. Currently, “mass communication (is) in crisis…and public confidence in the media remains low.”(Hardt 2) However, it is necessary to protect our freedom of press and it is our responsibility to examine the process and motives fueling each sender.

Presently, any individual or group with an internet capable device may access the internet where endless data are perpetually sent and received. News, text, video, photo, and advertising information stream via the World Wide Web and are presently appropriated for irrepressible display on widely popular social networking sites. As a result, the ability of both the sender and receiver in our traditional model is modified, making each individual both a sender and receiver, a sender or receiver, or neither. The sender’s intention in this cyber communication model is more ambiguous; interpretation, culture and language serve as barriers to the recipient.

Humans are communicating more than ever on a global scale. Traditional models and methods of communication are transforming rapidly to adjust to present cyber communications. Language, culture, and interpretation may limit the ability of transmitting information, including the ability to obtain a sufficient internet-capable device. However, the basic necessity to communicate face-to-face, with all its struggles implied, has remained unchanged and will continue to be vital, regardless of modernity.

Works Cited:

Hardt, Hanno. Myths for the Masses. An Essay on Mass Communication. Oxford, England. Blackwell Publishing. 2004.