Digital Powerhouse: How Technology Takes Hold of the 21st Century

Since its inception, digital technology has proven to be a catalyst in growth and success across all fields of business. In the post-WWII era, the countries quickest in recovering their economies and rebuilding their gross domestic product had the highest amounts of technological usage (Comin, 242). The introduction of products such as the cellphone and computer initiated a new way of accessing information as well as communicating with other individuals within the click of a button. Now, present day society is constantly inundated with technology: from e-readers to virtual reality headsets to smart-TVs to endless more gadgets and gizmos. As of 2011, there are approximately 1.97 billion Internet users (Cher Ping Lim, 60), with that number growing exponentially as time progresses. This equates to a mass network of people interacting directly with media, other individuals, or both 24/7. While this may sound terrifying to the average consumer, for media companies, this provides a perfect platform to target their consumers with brand-new content to both share and dissipate at a lightening rate across the Internet. Individuals have become so engrossed in technology that it has changed from being a want to a need, and that need is both immediate and permanent. Consumers are actively searching out the content that they want to see, using search engines such as Google and Yahoo to find the news that they want to read (De, 1939). Since technology has now become the primary medium by which information is collected and shared, consumers are now accustomed to finding the news they want, all within the span of a nanosecond.

Figure 1. Technology usage separated by media.

Additionally, consumers are now demanding rather than requesting some element of technology incorporated into every aspect of their lives. As a result, businesses must fight to stay relevant in an ever-expanding industry of the latest apps and new digital enhancements that provide both new and original functionalities for the user (Ahearne, 298).

Nevertheless, it is important to know that there is some novelty in traditional methods of information gathering. In fact, one study concluded that students prefer utility over accessory when it came to the question of whether or not libraries should integrate technological components (i.e. self-search kiosks, e-reader compatibility) into their services (Cassidy, 390). The main argument was that as long as libraries were able to fulfill their main purpose—to provide students with access to information about any and all topics—then it did not matter whether or not technology was involved in the process. This is a lesson that media companies should also take note of; that the technological revolution should not downplay the essence of a company’s mission, but rather supplement it. The Wall Street Journal should not change its mission to solely focusing on maintaining its online database with secondary components because its main purpose is to inform readers about the events happening in the world.

In a world of .coms and hashtags, balancing traditional practices with new technologies is a precarious act that could make or break a company. The businesses that are able to carefully integrate the two realms together are the ones that have been the most successful in their trajectories in the new age of digital. Soon, online will be the only way that we get our news, respond to loved ones, and share our thoughts about the world. In this way, technology becomes a double-edged sword; both a fountain of possibility and an abyss of mindless chatter. For communication to grow and for media to stay up-to-date, it must be able to decipher and analyze how exactly technology can be used to its full potential.

Works Cited:

1. Comin, D., & Hobijn, B. (2011). Technology Diffusion and Postwar Growth. NBER Macroeconomics Annual,25(1), 209-246. doi:1. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/657531 doi:1
2. De, P., Yu (Jeffrey) Hu, & Rahman, M. (2010). Technology Usage and Online Sales: An Empirical Study. Management Science,56(11), 1930-1945. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40959565
3. Cher Ping Lim, Yong Zhao, Jo Tondeur, Ching Sing Chai, & Chin-Chung Tsai. (2013). Bridging the Gap: Technology Trends and Use of Technology in Schools. Journal of Educational Technology & Society,16(2), 59-68. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/jeductechsoci.16.2.59
4. Ahearne, M., Srinivasan, N., & Weinstein, L. (2004). Effect of Technology on Sales Performance: Progressing from Technology Acceptance to Technology Usage and Consequence. The Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management,24(4), 297-310. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40471971
5. Cassidy, E., Britsch, J., Griffin, G., Manolovitz, T., Shen, L., & Turney, L. (2011). Higher Education and Emerging Technologies: Student Usage, Preferences, and Lessons for Library Services. Reference & User Services Quarterly,50(4), 380-391. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20865428