With the advancement of technology, communication has become effortlessly seamless in ways that our grandparents could have experienced. In this essay, I will discuss the pros and cons of these new communication methods.
The main advantages of mass communication are that it allows for the exchange of information in real-time and at a low cost. Families living in different cities rely heavily on technology to communicate with each other. Previously, messages could be sent only by SMS and letter through the post office, which required a lot of time to receive a reply. Nowadays, with the adoption of innovation in human interaction, not only is text messaging one click away, but family members can also expect feedback in one second. In addition, it allows them to have real-time discussions though they live separately. On the other hand, the messaging app is more affordable than exchanging information in conventional ways.
On the downside, mass communication can be a way for people to spread unreliable information. On this occasion, hoaxes are undoubtedly dangerous for anyone who is often hooked by clickbait headlines without verifying the source. This was exemplified in Indonesia by the circulation of news about State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) job vacancies which was distributed via WhatsApp in December 2024. On the one hand, modern mass communication methods create new habits where people are easily distracted and need to make more effort to focus. This is becoming particularly problematic, especially for students who spend most of their time studying in the classroom.
In conclusion, it explains that modern ways of communication have made interacting with each other seamless and affordable. However, communication technologies can be a source of disadvantages, especially for disseminating hoaxes and hard to pay attention for a longer time.