Thoughts about CHP 18
Technology-assisted communication
When I was applying for graduate school last year, the most frequent words I heard from my father was “back when I was getting ready for my MBA program…” He was impressed and envious of the savvy, modern application process. The Internet has made life so much easier, and international applications for graduate school were no exceptions. I was able to communicate via e-mail and check my application status on-line whenever I wanted to. I received e-mails when certain materials were missing, reminders when deadlines were coming up, and questions were answered via e-mail within 24-48 hours. My father, who got his MBA in 1992, had to send an air mail to request for applications, fill them out by hand, air mail them again, and wait endlessly without any clue whether the shipping was delayed or the application notes ended up in someone else’s mailbox. He simply cherishes the modern technology. It took him at least four weeks to hear a response from them, and some times the mails arrived later than the deadlines. What a crisis! I can’t imagine applying for graduate school under such circumstances; hallelujah to the Internet!
Chapter 18 discusses the use of technology to communicate risk. As Jennifer points out, many of the advice provided are rather common sense. However, sometimes the easiest things are more difficult to put in words, and it’s good to have a clean sheet of information you can look up every once in a while. Our book chapter seems to focus mostly on computer based technologies such as computer-based training, CDs, telebriefings, Web seminars and on-line discussion groups (p. 339- p.362). This is mainly because of the dominance of Internet use among people. I would like to emphasis other media; cell phones in particular, to communicate risk and crisis.
Risk communication through cell phones is highly effective to reach segmented audience. All technological devices face the dilemma whether people have the ability to access the technology, and cell phones are no exceptions. However, if the access is promised, cell phones are the most personalized, mobilized, and current technology to communicate risk. There is a term used in Korea to pinpoint the younger generations who are obsessed with their cell phones: Umji-jok. Umji, which means “thumb” in English, and “jok” which means “gang,” represent those who send hundreds of text messages with their two thumbs, access the Internet through their cell phone network, and take photos with their cell phone cameras. Cell phones are more than a communication tool for these people. It is a device that represents what kind of person they are, a dear friend to keep them entertained, and an important link to their social life. Marketers saw this trend, and they dug in deep. New cell phones were introduced approximately every month offering impressive functions. You could take pictures, watch television, calculate the calories of your meal, and store your papers in the 8 GB memory. What happens when this is used to communicate risk?
We’ve learned from the earlier chapters that in order to communicate risk effectively, you need to know your audience, communicate with facts, emphasize key messages and provide visual aids to enhance the understanding of the risk. It is better to personalize the risk so people can see this as a real-life situation that is directly related to them rather than a headline they read in the news. Cell phones tie in with all these traits. They are, as mentioned above, personalized technology. One cell in for one person only and each person has an “individual number.” What better way is there to reach your target audience? People carry cell phones around everywhere. I’ve even seen a friend who would carry her phone to the bath tub! It’s one of the easiest ways to reach your audience. Visuals? You’ve got it. While some old cell phones may not have the camera function, most of the phones today come with a very decent camera and equally qualified graphics to support the pixels. You can send pictures, images, and even videos with your cell phone. Want to communicate key messages? How about using the text message figures? Have the news headlines automatically forwarded to your cell phone every day ay anytime you wish. Set up a ring tone with the message you want to communicate, and people will listen to them while they wait to be connected. It’s amazing what a little squared object can do.
See how these cool little tools function as the “grass root” technology to whip out the major ENG cameras and satellite technology. We’ve all heard about the London terror last July, but guess who posted the first pictures and videos? It wasn’t the camera crew of BBC, but a citizen whop happened to have his camera phone with him, as always. The article from
When I was applying for graduate school last year, the most frequent words I heard from my father was “back when I was getting ready for my MBA program…” He was impressed and envious of the savvy, modern application process. The Internet has made life so much easier, and international applications for graduate school were no exceptions. I was able to communicate via e-mail and check my application status on-line whenever I wanted to. I received e-mails when certain materials were missing, reminders when deadlines were coming up, and questions were answered via e-mail within 24-48 hours. My father, who got his MBA in 1992, had to send an air mail to request for applications, fill them out by hand, air mail them again, and wait endlessly without any clue whether the shipping was delayed or the application notes ended up in someone else’s mailbox. He simply cherishes the modern technology. It took him at least four weeks to hear a response from them, and some times the mails arrived later than the deadlines. What a crisis! I can’t imagine applying for graduate school under such circumstances; hallelujah to the Internet!
Chapter 18 discusses the use of technology to communicate risk. As Jennifer points out, many of the advice provided are rather common sense. However, sometimes the easiest things are more difficult to put in words, and it’s good to have a clean sheet of information you can look up every once in a while. Our book chapter seems to focus mostly on computer based technologies such as computer-based training, CDs, telebriefings, Web seminars and on-line discussion groups (p. 339- p.362). This is mainly because of the dominance of Internet use among people. I would like to emphasis other media; cell phones in particular, to communicate risk and crisis.
Risk communication through cell phones is highly effective to reach segmented audience. All technological devices face the dilemma whether people have the ability to access the technology, and cell phones are no exceptions. However, if the access is promised, cell phones are the most personalized, mobilized, and current technology to communicate risk. There is a term used in Korea to pinpoint the younger generations who are obsessed with their cell phones: Umji-jok. Umji, which means “thumb” in English, and “jok” which means “gang,” represent those who send hundreds of text messages with their two thumbs, access the Internet through their cell phone network, and take photos with their cell phone cameras. Cell phones are more than a communication tool for these people. It is a device that represents what kind of person they are, a dear friend to keep them entertained, and an important link to their social life. Marketers saw this trend, and they dug in deep. New cell phones were introduced approximately every month offering impressive functions. You could take pictures, watch television, calculate the calories of your meal, and store your papers in the 8 GB memory. What happens when this is used to communicate risk?
We’ve learned from the earlier chapters that in order to communicate risk effectively, you need to know your audience, communicate with facts, emphasize key messages and provide visual aids to enhance the understanding of the risk. It is better to personalize the risk so people can see this as a real-life situation that is directly related to them rather than a headline they read in the news. Cell phones tie in with all these traits. They are, as mentioned above, personalized technology. One cell in for one person only and each person has an “individual number.” What better way is there to reach your target audience? People carry cell phones around everywhere. I’ve even seen a friend who would carry her phone to the bath tub! It’s one of the easiest ways to reach your audience. Visuals? You’ve got it. While some old cell phones may not have the camera function, most of the phones today come with a very decent camera and equally qualified graphics to support the pixels. You can send pictures, images, and even videos with your cell phone. Want to communicate key messages? How about using the text message figures? Have the news headlines automatically forwarded to your cell phone every day ay anytime you wish. Set up a ring tone with the message you want to communicate, and people will listen to them while they wait to be connected. It’s amazing what a little squared object can do.
See how these cool little tools function as the “grass root” technology to whip out the major ENG cameras and satellite technology. We’ve all heard about the London terror last July, but guess who posted the first pictures and videos? It wasn’t the camera crew of BBC, but a citizen whop happened to have his camera phone with him, as always. The article from
posted by Min at
2/18/2007 05:52:00 PM
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