The telephone is a natural part of our daily lives, we rarely even think about this technology that we readily use every day. The telephone was a revolutionary invention at the time but today it has somewhat been lost compared to all of the other technologies that we use such as satellite television and the internet. It is almost as though we take the telephone for granted because it has been around so long and we have really come to rely on it.
The telephone is a very important communication technology because it is used to connect people from all over the world and while this may not seem too important, it was one of the first ways that people could communicate with each other in real time. People were actually physically talking to each other at the same time, instead of conversing through letters sent by mail. The telephone allowed news to travel faster and for people to stay in contact more easily.
We can thank Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison for the early ideas of the telephone. Although there is still some debate over who is the “true” inventor, one thing that is for sure is that the invention was greatly needed. The conception of the telephone then lead to the creation of telephone companies which branched out from local calls to long distance and international calls, connecting the entire globe. There have been many advances throughout the years that allow phone calls to be clearer and new networks to make telecommunications more efficient. For example, the old “star” network has been updated to the “fiber to the feeder network”.
Many other features have also been added to the telephone such as call waiting, caller id and three way calls. These have all been added to make our lives easier and provide new additions to this technology. Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) phone is also being marketed. This is combining two communication technologies. VoIP has telephone calls use packet based switching over high speed internet.
In Robert Hopper and Kent Drummond’s article, “Accomplishing Interpersonal Relationship: The Telephone Openings of Strangers and Intimates”, telephone communication is studied to see the differences between talking to familiar people and strangers. It shows the power of telephone communication in relationships. Due to the fact that a person’s voice can be heard over the telephone, the listener is able to discern the person’s feeling. The telephone is a powerful device of communication for that fact because there is a lot that can be inferred from the tone in one’s voice.
The telephone is clearly a vital part in everyone’s life. It connects people all over the world and makes them feel close even though they are miles apart. It is a more personal communication because feelings in a person’s voice can be heard through the phone. Although it is one of the older inventions it is definitely one of the most used. It could almost be said that the telephone makes the world go round.

References:
Hopper, R., & Drummond, K. (1992). Accomplishing interpersonal relationship: The telephone openings of strangers and intimates. Western Journal of Communication, 56(3), 185-199.