For communication to be successful, the message must be transmitted unambiguously and adapted to the context.
Communication is a phenomenon inherent to the relationship that living beings maintain when they are in a group. Through communication, people and animals obtain information about their environment and can share it with others.
A first approach to the definition of communication can be made from its etymology . The word derives from the Latin communicare , which means "to share something, to put in common."
The communicative process , in this way, involves the emission of signals (sounds, gestures , signs, etc.) with the intention of making a message known. For communication to be successful, the receiver must have the skills that allow them to decode the message and interpret it. The process is then reversed when the receiver responds and becomes the sender (thus the original sender becomes the receiver of the communicative act).
In the case of human beings, communication is an act typical of psychic activity , which derives from thought , language and the development of psychosocial relationship capacities . The exchange of messages (which can be verbal or non-verbal ) allows the individual to influence others and in turn be influenced.
How communication develops
Among the elements that can be distinguished in the communication process are the code (a system of signs and rules that are combined with the intention of making something known), the channel (the physical medium through which the information is transmitted) , the sender (who wants to send the message) and the receiver (to whom it is directed).
Each and every one of these elements is of vital importance so that communication can be carried out successfully. First we have the code ; It is enough that one of the two parties does not know it with the same degree of depth as the other for problems of understanding to arise. This can happen, therefore, in either of the two directions but also in different ways in each one: the sender uses signs or rules that the receiver is not able to decode, or does not have sufficient knowledge to express your message.
The importance of the code and the channel
In cases where the sender has the necessary tools, it is important that he adapts his use of the code to the characteristics of his interlocutors in each conversation . Explaining a math concept to a small child is not the same as trying to sell home insurance to an adult: the language may be the same, but the facets that we should take advantage of in each case are different.
Then there is the communication channel , a concept that today is broader than ever: it can be the air, an Internet broadcast, television, telephone, a sheet of paper, etc. Choosing the right channel is essential so that the use of the code is used to the maximum but also to give us the opportunity to use certain resources that are only available in some. For example, we cannot give a hug if we are not next to the other person (an emoticon or emoticon is not the same).
A totalitarian regime can attack communication by resorting to censorship, limiting freedom of expression and curtailing the right to information.
Communication noise
Communication can be affected by what is called noise , a disturbance that hinders the normal development of the signal in the process (sound distortions, the speaker's hoarseness, faulty spelling, etc.).
Noise, in turn, can be spontaneous or voluntary; Although in any case it produces results that harm communication, it goes without saying that we should only tolerate the first one. If the sender has difficulties speaking or writing due to genetic or health reasons, we must adapt to them and make a greater effort to understand their messages. The important thing is to transcend communication barriers to strengthen interaction.
From the verbal to the non-verbal
It is important to keep in mind that, in a face-to-face conversation, verbal communication is combined with non-verbal communication. Contrary to what is usually thought, words represent a minority percentage in this type of communicative exchange.
Verbal expression , in this framework, uses linguistic signs. Non-verbal expression , on the other hand, is developed through body language , tone of voice and other elements. In a talk both types of expression complement each other.
Although choosing the right words is essential for the sender to be able to fulfill the objective set with the communication, the non-verbal is essential in rhetoric . Therefore, to reinforce the argument and achieve persuasion or even manipulation of the interlocutor, good use of this type of resources is needed.
It should be noted that non-verbal also appears in other types of communications. In an instant messaging chat or an email, to mention one possibility, the use of capital letters beyond what is indicated by the spelling rules can be framed in this issue since it is equated to raising the tone of voice or shouting.
Information and communication technologies (ICT) make teleworking and distance education possible.
Classification according to the type of communication
Communication can be classified in different ways depending on the aspects considered. If you take into account how information is transmitted, it is possible to talk about written communication , oral communication , visual communication or audiovisual communication , for example.
The case of so-called digital communication is particular since it combines different modes of transmission. Text, an illustration, a photograph, an audio file, and a video can appear on a web page.
Another possibility of classification arises from the analysis of the link between the sender and the receiver. Interpersonal communication occurs between individuals located in the same physical space. It can be, therefore, a dialogue between two people or a group communication .
We speak of intrapersonal communication , on the other hand, that which someone carries out with themselves. Mass communication , at the other extreme, demands the use of appropriate media so that the message can reach many people.
The mass media
The mass media , also called mass media , mass media or mass media (expression of the English language), make it possible for a message to be received simultaneously by hundreds, thousands or millions of people.
The written press (newspapers and magazines), television, radio and the Internet (portals, social networks) are mass media. Of course, they are not always truly massive: a radio station that only twenty people listen to, a magazine with a circulation of fifty copies or a web portal that receives five visits a day do not achieve wide dissemination.
Journalism and advertising generally seek to develop in this type of media. The idea is that your message reaches as many recipients as possible. Political communication also aims to be massive so that the propaganda impacts numerous voters.