Essay Sample on Communication Infrastructure and Human Rights

With the globalization and technological development, communication media is perceived to have evolved historically. Kittlers approach, on the other hand, divides the ancient communication technology into Written and Technical media where the Digital form of communication falls under the technical category. According to Winthrop-Young, (2013), Kittler stated that the development of new media does not make old media obsolete, but rather reassigns the old media to other places.

As communication infrastructure evolves from analog to the digital phase, significant improvement regarding data encoding and decoding process has been noted. Hence technology innovation has paved the way for cheaper and more straightforward methods of information transmission, access, storage, and privatization. Analog technology was time-consuming due to its excessive paperwork involved.

The Internet has contributed significantly in the quest for improving information transmission process. The Internet has enabled acceleration of data transmission from transmitters to receivers thus tremendous speed in trafficking of goods. The direct proportionality of goods transmission and information creates the gap for a more sophisticated method vested in technology to speed the process since they mutually depend on each other. The Internet allows for manipulation and the amplification of data at a preeminent scale (Friesen, 2016).

In this digital era, internet access should be a human right. Transformative methods of data input come along with the digital technologies. According to Kittler disintegration of information can be fixed by the digitization of information. Freedom of opinion and expression as fundamental human rights can be thoroughly enjoyed and exercised by an individual through the liberty to connect to other and this is simplified by internet connection. One can share their sentiments and ideology to millions of people by just a click of a button (Joyce, 2015).

Individuals should be allowed access to quality information and appropriate utilization of the data and full potential of sharing the information to as many people as they can. With the promotion of this right internet creates a broader platform for utilization and sharing of information. The promotion of internet use and access will enhance sustainable development through unleashing peoples full potential thus promoting and improving the quality of life (Britain), 1999).

Kittlers historic approach to communication technologies and their evolution predisposes the older methods of information transmission to critics. He points that the transmission of information from oral to written involved manual writing and copying. The transportation of the writing surface was hectic. Papyrus in Egypt, unfired clay in Mesopotamia and bamboos in China were the surface writing material available at that time (Lenoir, 1998).

The documents were fragile and were also characterized by a shrimp information storage volume. Sharing of the scribbled information to the mass was burdensome, and verification and justification of the content of the information were also impractical thus high levels of illiteracy during the era.

Internet access should be a fundamental human right in this era. Cultural memory and its digitization have ensured permanent storage of the memories for the future generation. The original information upon recording and storage, distortion of the information is not possible after data input due to the security feature incorporated into the internet. For eradication of high level of illiteracy in the world, the state should promote internet access among its citizens to ensure maximum access, sharing and utilization of information (Laura, 2017).

References

Britain), L. (. (1999). Liberating cyberspace: civil liberties, human rights, and the Internet. London: Pluto Press in association with Liberty.

Friesen, N. (2016). Media Transatlantic: Developments in Media and Communication Studies between North American and German-speaking Europe. California: Springer.

Joyce, D. (2015). Internet Freedom and Human Rights. New York: New York University School of Law.

Kaye Enid Basford, J. W. (1998). Graphical Analysis of Multi-Response Data. Florida: CRC Press.

Laura. (2017, January 31st ). Retrieved from https://sites.nd.edu/visconsi-holland/2017/01/31/friedrich-kittler-the-history-of-communication-media/

Lenoir, T. (1998). Inscribing Science: Scientific Texts and the Materiality of Communication. California: Stanford University Press.

Lewis-Beck, M. (1995). Data Analysis: An Introduction, Issue 103. California: SAGE.

Steve Iliffe, V. D. (2001). Primary Care and Dementia. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Thompson, S. B. (2006). Dementia and Memory: A Handbook for Students and Professionals. Portsmouth: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.

Winthrop-Young, G. (2013). Kittler and the Media. Columbia: John Wiley & Sons.