This document discusses emerging communication technologies and trends between 2022-2024. It covers the growing popularity of wearable technology like smartwatches and Google Glass for their convenience and ability to allow hands-free use. Tablets are also discussed and their integration into education and businesses. The document outlines several theories related to the adoption of new technologies, including critical mass theory, Moore's innovation adoption rate, and media system dependency theory. Smart homes that connect appliances and devices are predicted to become more commonplace in the next ten years.

1. COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
IN 2024
C O M M . T E C H F I N A L P R O J E C T

2. WHAT IS COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
• Communication technology is said to be the nervous
system of society
• Responsible for sending, transmitting, and receiving
messages
• These technologies are essential for commerce,
entertainment, and development and maintenance of our
personal lives

3. WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY
• Wearable technology is in high demand in our multitasking
society because it allows us to be hands free
• Innovations like Google Glass are already in the works and offer
a wide variety of functions similar to a smartphone
• Navigation
• Messaging/Calling
• Activity monitoring
• Music
• Other wearable technologies such as watch phones are
becoming available to appease the active consumer
• Google Glass video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1uyQZNg2vE

4. CRITICAL MASS THEORY
• Critical mass theory is displayed when a sufficient number of
adopters of an innovation in society becomes prevalent, the
rate of adoption become self-sustaining and creates further
growth.
• Wearable technology started as a demand from consumers.
Society has shifted into a more active lifestyle, creating a
demand for hands-free technology, specifically technologies
that track movement and activity.
• This demand allowed for a large number of adopters of this new
innovation—wearable technology.

5. TABLETS
• Because of their mobility, tablets have proven to be useful and
successful over the past few years since their launch
• Tablets are lightweight and easier to travel with than other
technologies, such as computers, and have become equally as
popular with the business community and for everyday,
personal use.
• They are becoming integral with education, as many schools
are shifting to tablet use in the classroom as well as at home.
• This trend will only continue over the next ten years as more
schools and businesses begin to integrate tablets into their
everyday lives.

6. MOORE’S INNOVATION ADOPTION RATE
• This theory explains that innovations go through gradual stages
of being accepted. These stages include early adapters, early
majority, late majority, and finally the laggards.
• The innovation adoption rate theory can be applied to tablets
because they were not instantaneously popular. At first, people
weren’t sure what their function was and why they should use
them over computers.
• As tablets became more popular, more functions arose, such as
uses in education, business, and commerce.

7. SMART HOMES
• These futuristic homes connect all of your devices and appliances
together so they can “talk” to each other.
• Any device in your home that runs off of electricity can be put on our
network and at your command via smartphone or tablet.
• Smart homes are already in use and will only become more popular in the
next 10 years
• The convenience of having all of your technologies at your fingertips
eases your doubts about leaving appliances on or leaving your house in
an unsafe manor.
• Video systems also allow you to monitor everything going on at and
around your house from anywhere in the world

8. MEDIA SYSTEM DEPENDENCY THEORY
• This theory consists of an intricate system in which the media,
individuals, their interpersonal environment, and the social environment
have reliance on their relationships with each other
• Essentially, the more a person depends on media to meet needs, the
more important media will be in a person's life, and therefore the more
effects media will have on a person.
• Smart homes are not for the technology illiterate, but instead for people
who embrace technology and everything it has to offer. A person living
in a smart home needs technology to function every day and therefore
they are engulfed in their own technological world.

9. REFERENCES
1. Grant, A. (2010). Communication technology update and
fundamentals. Amsterdam: Focal Press/Elsevier.
2. Google Glass. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2014, from
https://www.google.com/glass/start/
3. How Smart Homes Work - HowStuffWorks. (n.d.). Retrieved
December 11, 2014, from http://home.howstuffworks.com/smart-home.
htm
4. Media System Dependency Theory. (n.d.). Retrieved December
11, 2014, from http://technologyin2022.yolasite.com/media-system-
dependency-theory.php