In a world where global conference calls flash onto a screen at the tap of a button, it’s hard to fathom how far office life has changed in the past 100 years.  In this week’s blog post, brought to you courtesy of Sun Life’s nifty time-travelling tool,  we examine how our working lives have transformed: from the ping of a fax to the incessant whirl of instant messaging.  Hold onto your hats millennials – this could be a rocky ride.

1930s: the invention of the telephone

First invented in the 1915 by Alexander Graham Bell, the phone has remained on office desks for over a century and still holds its own in a sea of sophisticated Samsungs and I-phones. In the 1930’s, it was the most common method of long-distance communication – even though the first transcontinental call took almost half an hour for the lines to connect.  Today, our direct telephone line takes precedence on emails and business cards and 100 years on, it’s often our first point of contact when we want to speak to someone at work.  But for how much longer?

1950s: the invention of the fax machine

The fax machine first came into existence in the 1950’s and was initially used to share weather reports across the world – incredibly it’s still used today to transmit maritime weather maps.  Its popularity soon spread to all business sectors and was widely used in the travel industry to transmit reservations to hotels.  I still remember the horror of accidentally phoning a fax number and unknowingly harassing the recipient all afternoon. I also recall spending hours hanging on for the line to become free and the relief when the paper slowly chugged its way through the machine.  Happy days!

1960s: the inception of email

It’s hard to believe that email was invented as far back as the 1960’s before finally creeping into the workplace in the 1970’s.  The ability to send messages between computers was revolutionary at the time and quickly added a whole new burden to the daily office task list.  31% of office workers view email as a constant source of distraction and it’s hard to say whether it helps or hinders productivity.

1970s: the creation of the first handheld mobile phone

The first handheld mobile phone was invented by Marty Cooper in the 1970’s but did not go on sale until the 1980’s – revolutionising communication as we know it.  The “brick” was first synonymous with bankers in red braces but soon spread from banking to all sectors; creating a culture of 24/7 availability.  Now with smart phones linked to email accounts, the boundaries between work and home life are becoming increasingly blurred with workers under pressure to work round the clock.

1980s – the development of the first emoji

Emojis sprang into existence way back in 1982 when Scott Fahlman posted the first one to a University message board – little did he know what he had unleashed!  While emojis in the workplace can make office workers appear less competent, many employees, (particularly Millennials) still use them on collaborative tools such as Yammer for casual interactions with colleagues. Emojis are also now starting to creep into wider business interactions with external clients.  But take care – know your audience or use them at your peril.

 

2010s: the invention of instant messaging

The biggest communications game changer in recent years has been instant messaging – allowing us to talk to anyone anywhere in the world in real time. At the office, instant messaging works best for nimble team collaborations on tools such as Skype.   Unlike email, it is claimed that instant messaging has improved productivity and also helped to streamline communications.  In a recent survey, 75% of office workers using instant messaging saw decreased call and email volume and 66% saw quick resolution for simple questions.  In terms of productivity, 21% witnessed either a moderate or significant increase.

With Artificial intelligence advancing at a rapid rate, what will our communications look like over the next hundred years?  Will we be responding to emails and phone calls or will we let the robots take charge?  Change is inevitable and inescapable and one day human communication could seem as archaic as the ping of a fax machine.

Are you happy with how life has changed over the past 100 years?  Share your thoughts below.

This post was created in collaboration with Sun Life.