Human life is today is unimaginable without the current technological devices and means of communication, especially the telephone and the internet. Among the list of the most popular inventions, the telephone ranks first, seconded by the internet (about.com). While both, the telephone and the internet are of equal importance in today’s fast paced world and global society, the researcher considers the telephone to be a safer technological device as compared to the computer and internet. In the paper the researcher aims to analyze the impact of the two inventions on human life with particular emphasis on their differences in order to gauge which invention has influenced human life better than the other.
The telephone
The telephone is a device which enables communication by converting sound signals into electrical impulses and was first invented and designed in the year 1875 by Alexander Graham Bell (about.com). Ever since, the telephone is one of the major discoveries of human existence which has changed the face of communication on the earth and has revolutionized the lives of humans all across the globe.
According to the American Treasures of the Library of Congress (Bell – lab notebook), the first words spoken by Bell through the telephone wire were “Watson, come here! I want to see you!”.
However, the history of the first inventor of the telephone is shrouded in mystery with the name of Elisha Gray attached with the invention of the first telephone. Supporters of Gray affirm that the foremost experiment of the telephone with clear speech was succefully accomplished by the transmotter which is believed to have been designed by Gray (Edward, 2000). Shulman, Seth (2008) also asserts that the design of the transmitter is included in the caveat of gray but is absent from Bell’s patent.
As such, there is believed to be a misappropriation of Gray’s invention by Bell’s lawyers. Irrespective of the controversy surrounding the invention of the telephone, there is no doubt that the telephone is of crucial importance among the list of inventions because it has been instrumental in the invention and development of other important devices of communication including cell phones, the internet, laptops, pagers and all the other forms of communication devices. Most of the communication means and gadgets of today are based on the concept of the telephone. Thus, the telephone is an important invention in today’s world where rapid communication is the key to success and efficiency.
The Internet
A second important invention in the technological domain is the internet. The internet is one of the most revolutionary inventions of the modern world which has changed the face of technology and science. The actual invention and development of the internet actually began in the 1960s by not one but a group of individuals of the scientific and military fields. Today, a life without internet is unimaginable.
The internet performs the function of linking and connecting people together and facilitates communication irrespective of geographical barriers. It began primarily as an electronic email system for the purpose of transferring files between government agencies, companies and individuals. the first person to propose a network of computers globally was J.C.R. Licklider of MIT, who became involved with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in late 1962 to imitate work on this proposal and develop it (Walt Howe, 2007).
The first internet connections were established by Lawrence Roberts of MIT using the dial-up connections using the telephone lines in the year 1965, and the system was named as ARPANET (Walt Howe, 2007). Since then, the internet has undergone immense changes and has evolved as a means of ideal communication, with the latest technological tools and features enhancing it.
However, in spite of the immense uses and applicability of the internet in today’s globalized society, it is not considered as a safe place for children and teenagers. The internet has become a part of the lives of children with most children of the United States easy having easy access to the internet. In the year 2000, approximately 55,475,000 families in the U.S. had personal computers (Statistics on Households Computers and the Internet Online Almanac). According to Rowand (2000), 99 percent of public schools of the United states, have access to the Internet a number which is likely to escalate at a fast pace.
The internet has now progressed onto a more sophisticated means of communication and transfer of information and is widely used by all private and public corporations. The availability of the net enables and facilitates communication with one another at rates which are more reasonable than telecommunication. However, the internet with its multiple uses is also not without problems. Internet usage without parental supervision for children is considered to be very dangerous for young children and adults. Besides, the rate at which cyber crimes occur globally is also appalling. Indecency is a growing concern among parents of young children, due to the access of information which is displayed on the net as the children are fast losing their innocence and their impressionable minds are exposed to gross facts and information.
On the other hand, the telephone although slightly expensive is a safer means of communication. Communication through the telephone is not very dangerous are only two users involved as compared to the internet which could involve multiple users at one time. Besides, the information which is leaked on the internet is very likely to be passed into wrong hands, many a times which could become dangerous and fatal. Hacking is another current and extremely serious problem faced by cyber and internet users. If hackers are successful in gaining secret information, the effects of this could be extremely disastrous not only in terms of safety and security but also financially.
These and the many problems occurring due to the internet in spite of its multiple usage, is very harmful. The telephone and the cell phone are widely in use but the spread and efficiency of the internet with regard to the transfer of information is more efficient. Thus, in spite of all the multiple uses of the internet, the telephone is more safe and effective means of communication.
References
American Treasures of the Library of Congress, Bell – lab notebook. Web.
Evenson, A. Edward (2000), The Telephone Patent Conspiracy of 1876: The Elisha Gray – Alexander Bell Controversy, McFarland, North Carolina.
Rowand, Cassandra. ” Teacher use of computers and the Internet in public schools.” Education Statistics Quarterly. Web.
Shulman, Seth (2008), The Telephone Gambit, W. W. Norton & Company, New York.
Statistics on Households Computers and the Internet Online Almanac. Web.
Top Ten Inventions. Web.
Walt Howe, (2007). An anecdotal history of the people and communities that brought about the Internet and the Web. Web.