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Means of Communication

Communication is defined as the act of expressing our views to others through the use of signs, expressions, symbols, spoken words, or any activity to reach a common understanding. We can communicate with a person or a group of persons.

The communication is categorized into verbal, non-verbal, visualization, and written.

The means of communication are the method that makes our communication process faster. We can also share the information with many people at a time through different means of communication. It saves time, labor, and efforts to exchange our ideas and information with others.

There are eight means of communication through which we can quickly transfer the information and ideas to others.

Let’s discuss the means of communication, which are given below:

1. Radio

• Guglielmo Marconi invented the Radio. He was the first to invent long-distance radio communication in the 1890s.
• The Radio broadcast the local, latest, national, and international news and songs available at different frequency channels.
• The radio wave carries the information across space from the transmitter to the receiver, which is used to broadcast cell phones, satellite communication, wireless networking, etc.
  
• It is used to transmit the data in the coded form.
• The radio waves are the electronics waves with the frequency between 30Hz and 300GHz (Giga Hertz).
• It is also used in radio navigation, radar, remote sensing, etc.
• For example, In radar, the radar transmitter’s reflected waves from the object define the location of the object.
• GPS is also a type of radio navigation system.

2. Television

• Television was invented by Philo Taylor FarnsworthII, an American inventor.
• Television is the world’s essential means of communication.
• It includes various broadcast channels, such as entertainment channels, advertisements, news channels, sports events, technical channels, etc.
• The news channel displays the latest news all over the world. The other channels include serials, cartoons, web series, discovery, quizzes, comedy shows, music shows, etc.
• We can enjoy these events anywhere across the globe.
• Most of the population who cannot read or write or are uneducated can easily access daily updates and information through the television.

3. Newspaper

• Johann Carolus was the first person to publish a newspaper.
• The newspaper is a printed form of paper delivered to most of the houses on a daily or weekly basis.
  
• It includes current news headlines, advertisements, business headlines, sports headlines, editorial cartoons, political information, articles, crosswords, comic strips, and other public interest information.
• The headlines of the newspaper are categorized according to different sections. The reader can easily find his/her favorite section.
• Newspapers, as a means of communication, provide us with the latest news, a medium to find jobs, and a connection link to contact buyers or sellers. It is an essential media to create public awareness.

4. Letters

• Letters have always played an essential part in writing and art throughout history.
• It can be formal or informal.
• It is a method to convey a message from one person to another through writing by hand or printer.
  
• We usually send letters to others by post. We write the letter and put it inside the envelope and specify the recipient’s address. We then drop the letter to the post office. The postmaster puts the stamp on the letter, which is sent to different places. The postman collects the letter and delivers it to the specified address.
• The letters can also be used to store information.
• We can also write letters if we cannot say something by spoken words. Sometimes, it becomes easy to write rather than speaking.

5. Telephone and mobile devices

• Alexander Graham Bell was the person who invented the telephone in 1876.
• Martin Cooper invented the mobile phone in 1973.
• Telephone and mobile devices are connected to a telecommunication network to transmit and receive audio, video, voice, and other data over the network.
• It is quick and easy to communicate using telephone and mobile phones.
• Telephone or mobile phone communication can either be carried through radio signals or electrical signals over the network.
• Mobile devices are portable devices, which can be carried to any place all over the world. It is a small-sized device.
• The telephone and mobile devices are considered as the speediest modes of communication. We can directly talk to the person present anywhere across the globe.
• The mobile devices include different services, such as the Internet, sending text messages, playing games, using GPS (Global Positioning System), sending images and videos, listening to music, reading documents, etc.

6. Courier Services

The courier services allow the transfer of parcels from one location to the other location. Such parcels can be ordered and paid through online or offline mode. The online mode includes the use of net banking, credit and debit cards, UPI, etc. The offline mode signifies the COD (Cash on Delivery). We can order multiple parcels through online websites and deliver them to any location.

Courier services are not limited to small parcels. We can also order heavy and bulk parcels.

7. Electronic Methods

The electronic method includes the following:

• Internet
  Internet refers to sharing ideas, views, information, pictures, videos, etc. over the World Wide Web or only the Internet. The data is transferred in the form of packets over the network using the TCP/IP protocol. TCP/IP or Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol is used to connect network devices.
  Some services, such as email, text messages, social networking, etc. are free of cost, while some services, such as internet telephony, come with cost-effective prices. Video conference is also one of the essential internet communication tools.
  
• Fax Machines
  Alexander Bain developed the world’s first faxing device called ‘Electric Printing Telegraph.’
  The fax machines are used as a medium to send and receive documents electronically over a network. It is a type of telephonic transmission, where the telephone is attached to the printer. A fax machine is a type of computer scanner that scans one document at a time.
  The scanned image is processed, converted into the bitmap, and transmitted in audio-frequency signals through the telephone system. The fax machine present at the receiver side reconstructs the image by interpreting the audio-frequency signals. It further prints a copy of the sent paper.
• Telex
  Telex is defined as an international message transfer service that uses teleprinters to send messages electronically. Telex was popularly used after World War II to send messages between businesses. After the development of fax machines in the 1980s, the usage of telex was reduced.
• Email
  Email or electronic mail is a service to send messages through the Internet. We can send emails from the web and as an application in Mobile devices. We can also send an email to multiple users at a time. Gmail is one of the most used webmail to send emails over the Internet. We can add pictures, documents, and other items along with the message.
• Video Conference
  The video conference transmits the series of static images and text between the two locations. It allows people at different places to interact in real-time. We can easily have face-to-face meetings through a mobile phone or personal computer, for example, job interviews, business meetings, study classes, routine meetings, friends or relatives conversations, etc.

8. Formal methods

Meetings

Meetings are the formal communication method that can be in the form of a video conference or face-to-face, succeeded by a written follow-up. It is an interactive group communication with a set plan. The purpose of meetings can be a regular discussion, decision making, effective, etc.

Presentations

The presentations are defined as expressing ideas and information in the form of speaking, addressing a group, etc. The presentation needs to be useful and engaging. It depends on how we represent the information, manage the slides, body language, and voice tone.

Reports

Reports are defined as the official documentation of a particular process or activity in the companies or organizations. The content in the reports is generally clear and precise, written for a specific purpose.

Note: People did not use the means of communication wisely. For example, some children spent too much time on mobile phones.
The usage of mobile phones or electronic devices while driving is hazardous. Hence, all means of communication should be used wisely.

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