How GenAI, Mixed Reality, and New Technologies Are Shaping Communication

Human communication has always evolved alongside the new technologies which mediate it. The written word itself was once a revolutionary technology, enabling documentation and knowledge sharing on an unprecedented scale. Each invention spawns new communication norms, with the printing press, telegraph, telephone, text message, video call, and VR each inducing new linguistic patterns. Nowadays, with instantaneous communication just a tap or click away, long-form letters/emails are unusual, while shorter, more frequent communication has become the expectation. Emojis and GIFs allow us to carefully craft what our reactions communicate, bypassing body language cues in some digital spaces.