Communication Technology Update, 9th Edition

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The Umbrella Perspective on Communication Technology

August E. Grant, Ph.D.^*

Communication technologies are the nervous system of contemporary society, transmitting and distributing sensory and control information and interconnecting a myriad of interdependent units. Because these technologies are vital to commerce, control, and even interpersonal relationships, any change in communication technologies has the potential for profound impacts on virtually every area of society.

One of the hallmarks of the industrial revolution was the introduction of new communication technologies as mechanisms of control that played an important role in almost every area of the production and distribution of manufactured goods (Beniger, 1986). These communication ...