What does it mean to be “digital”? All communication is either digital or analog. Digital communication has a limited number of interpretations while non-digital or analog communication is more ambiguous and has an infinite amount of interpretations.
Non-digital or analog communication has an infinite number of interpretations. For example, speaking. The way someone understands speech depends on tone and inflection, which makes speaking analog, as there are an infinite amount of ways it can be interpreted. Additionally, body language and facial expressions have an infinite amount of meanings depending on personality and context, making it non-digital. Lastly, fashion could be seen as either digital or non-digital. While some could argue there are a limited number of stores or items, others would say that there is an infinite amount of outfits that could be interpreted in an infinite amount of ways. Personally, I think fashion is non-digital.
Digital communication has a limited number of interpretations, which is why writing is a form of digital communication. There are twenty-six letters in the English alphabet that can make a finite amount of words. Symbols are also digital communication because they have a limited amount of meanings, like a peace sign. This symbol has a finite of globally recognized meanings. Lastly, morse code is digital. Morse code uses a finite set of symbols to represent letters and numbers. It uses dots, dashes, and spaces to encode text messages making it digital communication.
Understanding the difference between analog and digital communication has helped me see the different ways I communicate every day.
