EOTO: The Telephone

 The Invention of the Telephone

The telephone is one invention that changed the world and opened a wide world of communication. Before the invention of telephones, we used the postal service, carrier pigeons, newspapers, and telegraphs to communicate and get our information. In 1876 the first telephone was invented by alexander graham bell although he was not the first inventor to come up with the idea of a talking telegraph. The telephone was invented to improve the capabilities of the telegraph.

Antonio Meucci, who was an Italian immigrant, began developing the design of a talking telegraph in 1849. In 1871 Antonio filed a caveat for his design of a talking telegraph. Antonio faced hardships and could not renew his caveat. Since Alexander Graham Bell was the first to successfully “transmit vocal sounds telegraphically causing electrical undulations” he is considered the father of telephone. The first telephone had the basic functional components of a power source, a switch hook, a dialer, a ringer, a transmitter, a receiver, and an anti sidetone circuit.

There is still a lot of controversy that surrounds the invention of the telephone. There have been many court cases, books, and articles generated about the invention. Many of them are about the lack of honor of Antonio’s role in the invention.  Antonio’s role in the invention of the telephone was overlooked until 2002 when the United States house of representatives passed a resolution honoring Antonio Meucci’s contributions.  

The invention of the telephone cut down the amount of time that it took to communicate with someone. When sending a telegraph, it took weeks for the message to be relayed while the telephone was instant. The telephone allows for immediate and personal type of communication which can not be obtained through any other medium.

One of the biggest impacts that the telephone had on society was it helped businesses.Telephones were most useful for businesses since the invention made for instant communication, businesses could get in touch with other businesses quickly which made networking grow. Telephones allowed people to talk business and negotiate contracts more quickly and efficiently. The invention also allowed businesses to grow a wider client list because they were now able to talk to clients from all around the world. 

This invention also sparked other inventions such as cell phones. Telephones have been evolving from 1876 to present day. The evolution includes the first telephone in 1876, the Frankfurt "Bauhaus" telephone in 1925, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000x in 1983, and the first iPhone in 2007 which we still use today. A more in depth list of the evolution of telephones can be found here from CBS News.

Although the invention had many positive effects it also had some negative ones such as face to face communication was drastically decreased, conversations could be intercepted by our government, and many were afraid that the technology could hurt them which is still an ongoing debate today. 

The telephone has become the most widely used communications device in the world. About 91% of the world’s population owns a cell phone today. We are now able to use our cell phones to communicate with anyone in the world, get our news, and post on social media. Without alexander graham bell’s invention we may not be carrying around apple and android cell phones today.

Sources:

Borth, David. “Telephone.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2022, https://www.britannica.com/technology/telephone#:~:text=telephone%2C%20an%20instrument%20designed%20for,obtained%20through%20any%20other%20medium. 

Library of Congress, Science Reference Section. “Who Is Credited with Inventing the Telephone?” The Library of Congress, 2022, https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/technology/item/who-is-credited-with-inventing-the-telephone/ 

Mitel. “History of the Telephone and Communication with Businesses.” History of the Telephone and Communication with Businesses , https://www.mitel.com/articles/history-telephone-and-communication-businesses

Ngak, Chenda. “The Evolution of Telephones.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 1 Dec. 2014, https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-evolution-of-telephones/ 

 Some Ways Of Changing The World By Telephone. (2022, February 27). Edubirdie. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://edubirdie.com/examples/some-ways-of-changing-the-world-by-telephone/