I received a Blackboard assignment for my Global Marketing class. Since we don't have class on Monday, our professor asked us to write and submit a 300 word paper on "The love-hate relationship between Mexico and the United States." I really don't know much about the United States and its history with Mexico; I just know a little about the current issues we seem to be having with illegal immigration . . .
So, what did I do in order to write my paper? I googled Mexico and the United States. I read the first three articles that came up in my google search, made some references in the paper, finished the paper, submitted it, and closed out of everything. Did I learn anything? Not really. I just learned how to use google as a quick tool to write a decent paper in less than 30 minutes.
Unfortunately, this is what my learning and education has come to. I rely on google for quick fixes and never look back. I read articles, write about them, but hardly retain what I just read and "learned." If I had been forced to research this topic in encyclopedias in the library, then my mental involvement and retention of what I had just learned would have been much greater. Alas, I have been dumbed down by google. I have confused convenience with laziness. I think this is where society as a whole is heading: We've got the world at our finger tips, and we think we are researching and learning, when we're just being lazy!
Friday, January 30, 2009
The thoughts of Howard Rheingold
The idea that people could use computers to amplify thought and communication, as tools for intellectual work and social activity, was not an invention of the mainstream computer industry or orthodox computer science, nor even homebrew computerists; their work was rooted in older, equally eccentric, equally visionary, work. You can't really guess where mind-amplifying technology is going unless you understand where it came from.
- HLR
This quote of Howard Rheingold is so telling of this man's genius. The book that it is a part of, "Tools for Thought" is available free on the web at:
http://www.rheingold.com/texts/tft/1.html
It is 14 chapters each contained on a page and while it introduces some more complex ideas, it is written in a style that allows for anyone to read.
I got to this man's website by virtue of reading about "virtual communities" a term that apparently Rheingold is considered the original coiner of, but it was this 1980 predictive book that captured my attention.
In it Rheingold basically says that we have no idea the type of world that the first graders of the mid-1980's will be living in when they are graduating from high school and college. That the way that people interact and view each other individually and wholly will be completely altered by personal computers and new modes of communication.
In chapter 1 of this online text Rheingold even suggests that Marshall McLuhan, as opposed to Orwell, will be considered the prophetic voice of this new generation. McLuhan who postulates "the medium is the message," was probably completely right. The Internet has allowed all of the world to become the message and with that an absolute chaos of completely virtual existences and an awkward phase for humanity in it's adaptation to this new and extremely diverse primary form of communicating.
To me we are looking at the world and where communication within the world is going in the future just as Rheingold did 20 years ago. And, as he said as well you can only know where technology and communication are headed if you know where they have been. This man made amazing and somewhat haunting predictions with an accuracy that are impressive. Personally, I think that the concepts that he discusses are vital to not only understanding people and their relationship with the Internet but how the Internet is changing the way people have relationships with each other and with computers specifically and the developing technologies broadly.
- HLR
This quote of Howard Rheingold is so telling of this man's genius. The book that it is a part of, "Tools for Thought" is available free on the web at:
http://www.rheingold.com/texts/tft/1.html
It is 14 chapters each contained on a page and while it introduces some more complex ideas, it is written in a style that allows for anyone to read.
I got to this man's website by virtue of reading about "virtual communities" a term that apparently Rheingold is considered the original coiner of, but it was this 1980 predictive book that captured my attention.
In it Rheingold basically says that we have no idea the type of world that the first graders of the mid-1980's will be living in when they are graduating from high school and college. That the way that people interact and view each other individually and wholly will be completely altered by personal computers and new modes of communication.
In chapter 1 of this online text Rheingold even suggests that Marshall McLuhan, as opposed to Orwell, will be considered the prophetic voice of this new generation. McLuhan who postulates "the medium is the message," was probably completely right. The Internet has allowed all of the world to become the message and with that an absolute chaos of completely virtual existences and an awkward phase for humanity in it's adaptation to this new and extremely diverse primary form of communicating.
To me we are looking at the world and where communication within the world is going in the future just as Rheingold did 20 years ago. And, as he said as well you can only know where technology and communication are headed if you know where they have been. This man made amazing and somewhat haunting predictions with an accuracy that are impressive. Personally, I think that the concepts that he discusses are vital to not only understanding people and their relationship with the Internet but how the Internet is changing the way people have relationships with each other and with computers specifically and the developing technologies broadly.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Is the internet hurting family relationships?
I found this youtube video of a Katie Couric special on "Teens & the Internet". I thought it was very factual, and worthwhile. As you watch it, my question to you is, "How is the internet breaking the traditional family structure apart today?" Click the link below to view the special.
Teens & the Internet
Today, children are running home to their computers, where they have a "safe haven". They no longer speak to their parents, they eat dinner in front of the computer, etc. What ever happened to the entire family sitting around the table at dinner discussing their day?
It is apparent that the internet is taking over the lives of teens, and breaking apart families little by little. It is the role of the parent or guardian to make sure their teen uses the internet properly. If parents took more control over their child's computer, kids would be more respectful, well-behaved, and they would value the meaning of "family".
Teens & the Internet
Today, children are running home to their computers, where they have a "safe haven". They no longer speak to their parents, they eat dinner in front of the computer, etc. What ever happened to the entire family sitting around the table at dinner discussing their day?
It is apparent that the internet is taking over the lives of teens, and breaking apart families little by little. It is the role of the parent or guardian to make sure their teen uses the internet properly. If parents took more control over their child's computer, kids would be more respectful, well-behaved, and they would value the meaning of "family".
Monday, January 26, 2009
The new internet community
The Internet is a valuable tool. It has allowed the entire world to access information previously unreachable. It allows for more personal communication when the people are on opposite ends of the world. Most interesting however is how the Internet has allowed people to connect to each other, even when they may only be a mile apart. There are communities of people that exist within the same city but may never actually come into physical contact with any of the members. The Internet in a way has chipped away at the old conventions of human interaction and at the same time provided a new type or option of human connection. With this new connection are advantages and disadvantages, sides to be taken, and arguments to be made. In particular is the one that concerns the youth that have been raised in this new culture, how it has effected them and their lives.
MySpace, Facebook, blogging, vlogging, skype, twitter, flickr, all of these are websites where people exist in profiles and pictures, quotes and applications, and an assumed sense of anonymity. This is where they are wrong, everyone (as long as your don't privatize your profile) has access to what you deem necessary to put out on the Internet about yourself or others. Following, the fact that you have sole control over your sites means your can be absolutely whoever you want because no one will have any ability or reason to doubt you or your profile. With this type of ability to actively become a different person at any given time the ability for one to find and harness their own identity becomes increasingly more difficult. The identities that are promulgated on the Internet are not tangible nor are they identities that the person would be seemingly comfortable with expressing outside of the Internet world. This in a sense teaches people to not strive to become a more whole and complete person but rather compartmentalize the different aspects of their personality into online characters, relationships, and socialization. In essence, if you don't think you can be who you want in the real world, then just become that person in the Internet world, problem solved. This type of escapism is not all around bad, but the level at which more and more people are using the Internet as a mechanism of escape is alarming. The removal of responsibility through the medium of the computer is a point of contention for many people in the argument over the Internet as it applies to children and adolescents. They are already naturally cruel and insecure, when you give them a computer and take away personal action you take away the ability of other people to stand up for the person that might be bullied, and secondly you take away the emotions that actual human interaction can display. These two things actually leave kids isolated when they are bullied by other kids online. The child bullied then has no one to console them and simply has to deal with this cyberbullying as effectively as they might know how. It is not as if they are going to tell their parents or friends, what would they say? "I got emotionally beat up by this guy online, help." No that is very unlikely, for the most part just like all other things it is intangible therefore not something you can change or stop, just either avoid the computer. Which has now become impossible because the majority of the social interaction is now done through the computer.
Truthfully, the Internet is a tool and the person using it is responsible for either it's benefit or boon to people. However, the thing that has been made clear is that we are leaving our youth to their own devices on the Internet and the outcome has not been great so far. They are functioning in an alternate reality that is never static and always changing. Hence, so are these kids, but the problem lies in the inability to form a solid foundation. Both in themselves as people, their friends and relationships, even their family. They have begun to live more in the Internet world than the real world.
MySpace, Facebook, blogging, vlogging, skype, twitter, flickr, all of these are websites where people exist in profiles and pictures, quotes and applications, and an assumed sense of anonymity. This is where they are wrong, everyone (as long as your don't privatize your profile) has access to what you deem necessary to put out on the Internet about yourself or others. Following, the fact that you have sole control over your sites means your can be absolutely whoever you want because no one will have any ability or reason to doubt you or your profile. With this type of ability to actively become a different person at any given time the ability for one to find and harness their own identity becomes increasingly more difficult. The identities that are promulgated on the Internet are not tangible nor are they identities that the person would be seemingly comfortable with expressing outside of the Internet world. This in a sense teaches people to not strive to become a more whole and complete person but rather compartmentalize the different aspects of their personality into online characters, relationships, and socialization. In essence, if you don't think you can be who you want in the real world, then just become that person in the Internet world, problem solved. This type of escapism is not all around bad, but the level at which more and more people are using the Internet as a mechanism of escape is alarming. The removal of responsibility through the medium of the computer is a point of contention for many people in the argument over the Internet as it applies to children and adolescents. They are already naturally cruel and insecure, when you give them a computer and take away personal action you take away the ability of other people to stand up for the person that might be bullied, and secondly you take away the emotions that actual human interaction can display. These two things actually leave kids isolated when they are bullied by other kids online. The child bullied then has no one to console them and simply has to deal with this cyberbullying as effectively as they might know how. It is not as if they are going to tell their parents or friends, what would they say? "I got emotionally beat up by this guy online, help." No that is very unlikely, for the most part just like all other things it is intangible therefore not something you can change or stop, just either avoid the computer. Which has now become impossible because the majority of the social interaction is now done through the computer.
Truthfully, the Internet is a tool and the person using it is responsible for either it's benefit or boon to people. However, the thing that has been made clear is that we are leaving our youth to their own devices on the Internet and the outcome has not been great so far. They are functioning in an alternate reality that is never static and always changing. Hence, so are these kids, but the problem lies in the inability to form a solid foundation. Both in themselves as people, their friends and relationships, even their family. They have begun to live more in the Internet world than the real world.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Growing Up Online
I must admit that after viewing the Frontline documentary in full, I am very distrubed. I grew up in the 1990's, and therefore missed most of the powers of the internet. From 2001, when I was in high school, I was much more of an internet user. However, I only used xanga, but didn't blog often and certainly didn't reveal detailed information, and AOL Instant Messanger where I only spoke to my friends from school, and email for the same purpose. I never spent more than 2 hours a day online.
I didn't get a facebook account until I was a freshman in college, and at that time facebook was restricted and limited to only college students. I appreciated facebook, because it allowed me to get plugged in to my college campus quickly, and it helped me make friends. It was used as a communication tool. I had a myspace account briefly, but I was never comfortable using it as it was so much more open than facebook was.
Since I did not "grow up online" as these kids did, nor am I close to anyone who grew up online, I was not fully aware of all the freedom the internet provides adolescent teens with. It scares me to a degree. Even now, as I am an avid internet user, I would never retreat to such a world online.
In terms of socialization, I think that this internet age will have increasingly devastating effects on the youth and society. I do recognize too, that the internet is a positive place, and, when used responsibly, is a vital and helpful tool. It just seems so wrong that the internet has been described as the only place where tweens, teens, and other age groups go to feel like they can be themselves and express themselves openly and freely. Maybe I was just sheltered to the whole ordeal, but does anyone else feel a little alarmed or disturbed by this truth? Why is it that people cannot feel comfortable talking and expressing themselves to their family, but can to a bunch of strangers?
I didn't get a facebook account until I was a freshman in college, and at that time facebook was restricted and limited to only college students. I appreciated facebook, because it allowed me to get plugged in to my college campus quickly, and it helped me make friends. It was used as a communication tool. I had a myspace account briefly, but I was never comfortable using it as it was so much more open than facebook was.
Since I did not "grow up online" as these kids did, nor am I close to anyone who grew up online, I was not fully aware of all the freedom the internet provides adolescent teens with. It scares me to a degree. Even now, as I am an avid internet user, I would never retreat to such a world online.
In terms of socialization, I think that this internet age will have increasingly devastating effects on the youth and society. I do recognize too, that the internet is a positive place, and, when used responsibly, is a vital and helpful tool. It just seems so wrong that the internet has been described as the only place where tweens, teens, and other age groups go to feel like they can be themselves and express themselves openly and freely. Maybe I was just sheltered to the whole ordeal, but does anyone else feel a little alarmed or disturbed by this truth? Why is it that people cannot feel comfortable talking and expressing themselves to their family, but can to a bunch of strangers?
Monday, January 19, 2009
Cell phones and the Obama Inauguration
This afternoon, NPR ran a story about the the failure of cell phones at the inauguration ceremonies. It turns out that cell phones are like highways. Too many cars results in gridlock. No one goes anywhere. At the opening party at the Lincoln Memorial, many callers from all services were frustrated when they could not make calls to their friends or receive calls. Some will remember that Americans experienced this same problem during the hours immediately following 9/11. Sometime we are so overwhelmed by the marvels of technology that we forget its limitations. Hear the stories:http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99561280 and http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99561277.
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