Digital Technology Information

Digital technology uses simple ones and zeroes to do almost anything.

Digital technology revolutionized the way the human world operates, and continues to develop and improve at remarkable speed. However, while everybody is familiar with the word "digital," its exact meaning can be obscured.

Definition

Digital refers to a type of signal transmission that streams data in small, clearly defined points. All digital information boils down to a binary system, ones and zeros representing "on" and "off" and amassing in large numbers to create distinct content.

Digital vs. Analog

Digital technology is defined in contrast with analog technology, which operates with one continual signal as opposed to a series of ones and zeroes. This makes analog signals less consistent and reliable than digital signals, and this problem has led to a staunch decline in analog technologies.

Applications

Digital technology has been incorporated into computers, phones, television, radio, Internet, disc media and countless other aspects of everyday life. The frequent reference to the modern world as the "Digital Age" is not an understatement.

References

• Manage My Practice: What Does Digital Mean For Me?
• Tech Terms: Digital Definition
• FCC: Public Television in the Digital Age