In Vyv Evans’ The Future of Communication, he discusses the digital age that we are living in and the ways in which technology has transformed how we communicate with each other. Fictional dreams are becoming advanced realities and technology has progressed in many predicted ways. 

Brain-computer interfaces have changed the way sensory information is processed. Sensory information is typically transduced through an electrical nerve that is then processed by the brain. Brain-computer interfaces are said to simulate this in an artificial manner to communicate with external devices by the transmission of electrical signals. This technology has allowed people with amputated limbs to use prosthetics that have built-in computer software. Essentially, the software simulates the brain’s electrical signals and allows amputees to “feel” sensations. The concept I found most interesting when considering the technological development in our world was the Ratchet Effect. The Ratchet Effect is the idea that culture provides a network of shared knowledge, behaviors, and practices. When you are born into a certain culture, you learn the pre-existing traditions and ways of life. Each generation takes on the previous developments and ultimately makes more expansion advancements, as we are seeing today. Additionally, the concept of immediacy was discussed which I found extremely accurate and relatable. Now, social media and instant messaging allow for immediate communication from any geographical location. In regard to this topic, Evans discussed a concept we previously discussed, Dunbar’s cognitive limit. Rather than discussing just the number of people in one’s network, Evans also focuses on how digital communication limits non-verbal cues. Emojis have transformed our world and have allowed people to replicate non-verbal cues that they may originally make in a face-to-face conversation.

This article focused on a lot of different important topics and while surprisingly recent, it seemed a little dated. Our technological world is rapidly advancing and changing and it is interesting to compare and contrast where our world was in 2020 to now. I am curious to see how some of the points Evans discussed may change in the future and how some concepts may either become obsolete or completely transform.