The Evolution Of Technological Needs

One technological advancement, the telephone, has undergone several changes. As the common telephone evolved, society’s view of it also evolved. Society shifted from the telephone being viewed as a luxury to an essential element of everyday life. Before the invention of the telegraph or telephone, messages were relayed through primitive and unreliable methods (ASMS). A town crier would stand before a crowd to deliver pertinent information, or letters would be sent by carriers on horseback and were susceptible to interferences. Messages by town criers and horseback carriers served the purpose of informing common townspeople of events. However, businesses required an effective and more expedient mode of delivering and retrieving messages. With invention and advancements of the telephone, comfort was established abroad. No longer did businesses have to wait extended lengths of time to relay messages. Moreover, common people more easily and quickly exchanged pertinent and personal information. The conveniences of a telephone compelled businesses and common people alike to utilize its benefits. According to Pew Research Center Executive Vice President Paul Taylor, “The more of these goods you have and the more available they are, the more you feel you need”. The expansion and use of the telephone validate Taylor’s comment. In fact, telephones became so commonplace that they were no longer thought of as a comfort or convenience; they were relied upon on a daily basis. The accessibility of the telephone to common people provided comfort, as it made exchanging insignificant information easier. Even more, the comfort of rapid information exchange broadened and became the foundation of the telecommunication era. Accessibility of telecommunication devices has prompted dependence of large companies and ordinary people and continues to be treated as an extreme need.