Synthesis Assignment Instructions

Written Synthesis Assignment

Topic: Social Media & Communication Theory
Resources: All learning content is available via LEARN\contents\ Summarizing & Synthesizing
Information
Learning Outcome(s):

• Compose a variety of business documents at a manager level, and also summarize and
synthesize information

• Explain the pros and cons of technologically mediated communication in the workplace
Learning Topic(s):
• Delivering bad news & Persuading your receiver

Instructions:

1. Read each article within this assignment.

2. Write (in an MS Word document - 250 words (maximum) a synthesis based on the
lesson provided in this module – Summarizing & Synthesizing Writing Lab

3. Use the writing strategies that are provided within the lesson

4. Proofread/Edit your synthesis: Grammar, capitalization, Punctuation, Spelling,

Sentence Structure

5. Submit the synthesis in the LEARN drop box titled “Synthesis Assignment” on or before
the specified due date

Assessment & Evaluation:

Rubric for Synthesis

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 Synthesis Assignment Instructions

Total points possible /12

Assignment Value 10% of Final Grade

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Article #1:

How Technology Changed Communication – Pros

and Cons
By Gretchen Guard October 27, 2015

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How Technology Changed

Communication – Pros and Cons
I remember when I was issued company email in the mid 90s. It went a little
something like this: someone would call me on the phone to inform me that
they sent me an email, and then I’d wait in my office cubicle staring a hole into

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my computer screen until it showed up. Sometimes information would arrive

by fax; most of the time followed up with a phone call to explain in more detail
the purpose of the communication. Can you imagine doing that today?
Because of the advancements in technology, communication in today’s
business world is so much easier – but at what cost? Has it affected our
ability to relate to others in a more intimate way? Technology changed
communication making business more efficient, but its affect may impact us
socially.

The obvious technology pros:

Connect:
Being able to connect real-time (email, messaging, social media) allows two
people to initiate communication instantly and conveniently. Gaining feedback,
asking questions, providing information immediately saves businesses a lot of
time, manpower and money, plus in the long run is more efficient.

Quick:
The change in business technology has increased the speed in which
business is conducted. This is especially advantageous to companies that do
business with others in far-away locations. Instead of waiting days for
documents to be received by a colleague, businesses may now exchange
files in a matter of seconds over the Internet.

Economical:
Meetings can be held via video conferencing technology saving businesses
the expense of travel and time.

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However, some of the technology changes that affect communication may not
be for the better. While these negative effects are relatively minor, in some
cases they have profound effects on business and interpersonal skills.

The technology cons:

Distracted:
Technology is highly distracting. With mobile devices and computers, we are
constantly bombarded with notifications on social media, chats online with
friends, or texts with a neighbor. This distraction can sometimes be a “time
waster” reducing productivity and negating any increase in communication
output that an advancement of technology has provided.

Impersonal:
The very nature of how technology works inhibits personal communication in
that it is short and instant and in no way meant to express feelings and
emotion compared to face to face communication. Technology also distorts
the clarity of the message being conveyed since it is fast and instant. There
are times when the tone and meaning behind a digital message is
misconstrued.

Socially Awkward:
Technology such as text messages and email allows us to communicate in
short, carefully edited sentences that lack intimacy and completely remove the
circumstantial information provided by tone of voice and body language. As a
result, people who connect with others primarily through technology might find
it difficult to engage in normal conversation, since they may have issues
understanding non-verbal cues due to lack of practice with face-to-face
interaction that can’t be paused, edited or filtered.

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Article #2:

How Technology Has Changed the Way

We Communicate
October 05, 2016

Once upon a time, people had limited options for exchanging information with one
another. It’s probably hard for younger students today to imagine a world where you
could only communicate by actually talking directly to another person, face to face or via
telephone.

Now we have what can feel like limitless options to transfer information from one person
to another. A wide range of disparate channels currently facilitate our chatter, from
texting or Skyping with one person, to posting notes via social media that have the
power to simultaneously reach everyone we’ve ever met.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at what constitutes communication in the modern age,
and explore the ways that technology continues to alter how we talk and listen to each
other:

 We can communicate faster and more cost-effectively. If you’re in the same

room with someone, there’s certainly nothing faster than just opening your mouth
and talking. But in our global economy, many of the people we need to
communicate with are in different locations. Technology allows us to easily
connect with people worldwide using our choice of forums. We don’t have to wait
for a stamped letter to make its way across the miles or rack up a big long-
distance phone bill (as was the case not that long ago); instead via the Internet
we can instantly reach almost anyone whether through email, instant message,
social media, or countless apps. As the speed of communicating has ramped up,
costs have been dramatically reduced.

 We have access to more information. Information overload has become a reality, with the
Internet providing much more knowledge at the click of a mouse than could even be
imagined in the past. This means there is much more data that can be communicated about
any topic than was previously possible, limited only by our own ability to find, absorb, and
store this information. As a result, savvy communicators have learned to turn toward
specific technology solutions to help them harness, organize, and manage the data deluge.
The Spreadsheets app from the multi-platform office solution WPS Office, for example,

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allows users to more efficiently contain and categorize different types of data using
commonly used formulas. The app offers built-in tables and cell styles that simplify data
organization and presentation.
 We communicate with a different style. The nature of communication has changed along
with its increase in speed and volume. Mobile devices that fit in our pockets have tiny
keyboards that make expedient communication desirable; hence an increase in the use of
shortcuts, symbols, abbreviations, and new words that get the point across with fewer
characters. (Think about Twitter, which has a 140-character minimum for every
communication.) You can see this effect everywhere, from how we text to how we actually
talk, as the new lingo has a way of making its way into the mainstream even when we aren’t
typing it. WPS Office responded to this user demand by creating a list of more than
50 keyboard shortcuts to help users stay concise and save keystrokes.
 We have more choices of how to communicate. As the communications playing field
grows more complex, we have access to even deeper layers of connection with others. You
can now collaborate with others in your work group using advanced collaboration tools that
make it as easy to work with people in remote offices as when they’re right next to
you. WPS Office, for example, has office productivity tools that allow teams to instantly
share information. Users can save their work in the cloud or on their smartphone, laptop,
tablet, or desktop. The tools give teams access to each other’s edits and comments on the
same document or spreadsheet, facilitating communication and collaboration toward
common goals.

While technology is often seen as the culprit behind a decline in face-to-face talking, we have to
give credit to technology for opening up many new avenues for expanding the comparatively
limited communication options we had available in the past. We can still talk to each other in
person (and should make the effort to do so whenever possible to avoid becoming over-reliant on
our devices)—but we can also be thankful for the ability to “choose our channel” when
communicating today.

Reference:

How Technology Changed Communication - Pros and Cons (rosiinc.com)

How Technology Has Changed the Way We Communicate (wps.com)