How Technology Has Made Communication Easier and Less Expensive

Remember the good old days when you had to send a handwritten letter in order to communicate with your best friend who lived two counties away? Or better yet, remember when you picked up a landline and could hear someone else's conversation taking place? If you remember the first scenario but not the second, you're a millennial. If you remember neither scenarios, you're Gen Y. If you remember both scenarios, you're likely thankful for technology.

Technology today has made it easier than ever for the world to stay connected. Not only that, it has made it less expensive than ever before. For instance, to place a long distance call on a landline would cost homeowners anywhere from $.05 to $1.40 per minute. "Long distance" in this instance, however, isn't what it means today—it meant the next town over, or anything out of a defined local calling code. For many people, talking with friends, family members, or acquaintances was an expensive endeavor—that is, if they didn't keep their calls short enough.

Today, thanks to advancements in technology such as Skype, cloud calling, and switches (conmutadores for our Spanish readers), individuals can connect with others from towns, cities, states, or even countries over, without fear of racking up a huge bill. Below are just two ways in which technology has made staying in touch so much easier.

Relay a Message in a Matter of Second

Before the advent of vehicles, letters would take approximately 14 days to reach their final destinations. With the advent of vehicles, that timeframe was significantly shortened, and individuals could relay a message in as little as two to three days. From a pioneer's perspective, that's unthinkable; from a modern person's perspective, that's unacceptable. Thanks to platforms such as Facebook, SnapChat, Instagram, and email, people today can communicate back and forth via text within a matter of seconds. Of course, text messaging should not be ignored. Text was one of the first modern modes of communication, and it has changed the communication game forever.

Host Calls Over the Cloud

10 or even five years ago, if you used the term "cloud," most people would assume you were talking about those fluffy white cotton balls in the atmosphere. Today, however, the term "cloud" has taken on a whole new meaning. Cloud simply refers to something hosted on the internet. Oftentimes, that something is storage, but a lesser known use for the cloud is calling.

Cloud calling allows anyone with an internet access to place a phone call, for free. This makes it easy for individuals who don't have great cell service, who don't have access to a cell phone, or who simply want to place a call from their workstation, to communicate with others.

As if that's not benefit enough, cloud-based phone systems allow individuals to meet face-to-face without ever actually meeting in person. Platforms such as Skype and FaceTime use a computer or device's forward-facing camera to allow face-to-face interaction between parties who are in separate rooms, cities, or countries. Again, cloud-based platforms allow individuals to do all this gratis.

Technology has changed the communication game for the better. Thanks to technological advancements, humans can communicate in a matter of seconds and for pennies on the dollar—or, in the case of cloud calling, for free.