Since technology has amplified in popularity and modernism, connectivity between individuals has increase all over the world. This jolt in popularity has sparked debate; there are people who are disgraced by the way technology can be used and the impacts it has on people, while others are astonished at how it benefits society.
Social networking is increasing in popularity by the minute. Millions of people belong to at least one social networking site. As the number of social networking sites increase, the number of sites people belong to seem to rise. It used to be that everybody just had a MySpace. Then, Facebook became the “next big thing.” Following Facebook was Twitter. Though Facebook seems to hold the popular vote, many Facebook account holders also have a MySpace or Twitter account. We need it all; we feel left out if we don’t have it all. It is as if we are addicted to the gossip.
The addiction to gossip has lead to many heartbreaking stories. Not only do people access social networking sites or stay connected via computer, but they also do it from cell phones. Teenagers feel that it is so important to stay connected, that they cannot even put their phone down to drive. Hundreds, if not thousands of people die every year because of this addiction. Laws have been put in place to prevent these events from taking place, but people are so attracted to the gossip and updates that they are willing to risk tickets, murder, or their own death. It has become a serious problem.
Society has changed. We are no longer wrapped up in our own lives, but everybody else’s as well. With each of these social networking accounts, we can keep tabs on any of our friends (real life, or virtual). Privacy had diminished. With the loss of privacy came the loss of trust. We can no longer trust people we meet online. There are too many people that take advantage of technology. There are sex offenders, murderers, rapists, and people with nothing better to do than cause trouble. A while ago when MySpace was still popular, a mother actually took advantage of one of her child’s classmates. The mother made a MySpace account to appear as if she were some boy. Of course, the younger girl believed it was really this alleged boy, because there was nothing to make her think otherwise. It ended in tragedy. The mother said terrible things to her daughter’s classmate; she felt worthless and alone. The girl committed suicide. If it were not for the lack of privacy, restraints and protection online, this would have never happened. Cyber bulling has grown exponentially since the social networking sites have taken off. There is no system that checks to make sure you are who you say you are. Anybody could pretend to be anyone. Privacy and safety are nonexistent when one signs online.
Though there are people who suffer from addiction, who take advantage of the system, and those who have lost all privacy they have ever had by participating in this social networking, there are also people who use the connectivity for good. There are organizations that reach out via social networking. The Biggest Loser has its own “Pound for Pound” challenge on Facebook. This not only encourages donation, but spreads awareness on obesity. It gives people something to be a part of, and could potentially save many lives. There are also sites that use message boards. Sometimes people feel they have nobody in real life to talk to, so they turn to cyber space. Because of anonymity, people are able to reach out for help. There is always someone that is willing to help, and that someone is much easier to find online than in a phonebook.
Yes, there are downfalls to the connectivity that technology provides. If people practice safe social networking, and remember that it is only virtual, it can be a positive experience. There will always be the fear that technology will be our demise, but if we continue teaching cyber, social privacy safety, we might be able to withstand the off-sets.
A video that I feel would support my view on how identity, anonymity and life are much different online than they are in real life is "Online by Brad Paisley"
Everything is Different Online - Click this link to view the video
Social networking is increasing in popularity by the minute. Millions of people belong to at least one social networking site. As the number of social networking sites increase, the number of sites people belong to seem to rise. It used to be that everybody just had a MySpace. Then, Facebook became the “next big thing.” Following Facebook was Twitter. Though Facebook seems to hold the popular vote, many Facebook account holders also have a MySpace or Twitter account. We need it all; we feel left out if we don’t have it all. It is as if we are addicted to the gossip.
The addiction to gossip has lead to many heartbreaking stories. Not only do people access social networking sites or stay connected via computer, but they also do it from cell phones. Teenagers feel that it is so important to stay connected, that they cannot even put their phone down to drive. Hundreds, if not thousands of people die every year because of this addiction. Laws have been put in place to prevent these events from taking place, but people are so attracted to the gossip and updates that they are willing to risk tickets, murder, or their own death. It has become a serious problem.
Society has changed. We are no longer wrapped up in our own lives, but everybody else’s as well. With each of these social networking accounts, we can keep tabs on any of our friends (real life, or virtual). Privacy had diminished. With the loss of privacy came the loss of trust. We can no longer trust people we meet online. There are too many people that take advantage of technology. There are sex offenders, murderers, rapists, and people with nothing better to do than cause trouble. A while ago when MySpace was still popular, a mother actually took advantage of one of her child’s classmates. The mother made a MySpace account to appear as if she were some boy. Of course, the younger girl believed it was really this alleged boy, because there was nothing to make her think otherwise. It ended in tragedy. The mother said terrible things to her daughter’s classmate; she felt worthless and alone. The girl committed suicide. If it were not for the lack of privacy, restraints and protection online, this would have never happened. Cyber bulling has grown exponentially since the social networking sites have taken off. There is no system that checks to make sure you are who you say you are. Anybody could pretend to be anyone. Privacy and safety are nonexistent when one signs online.
Though there are people who suffer from addiction, who take advantage of the system, and those who have lost all privacy they have ever had by participating in this social networking, there are also people who use the connectivity for good. There are organizations that reach out via social networking. The Biggest Loser has its own “Pound for Pound” challenge on Facebook. This not only encourages donation, but spreads awareness on obesity. It gives people something to be a part of, and could potentially save many lives. There are also sites that use message boards. Sometimes people feel they have nobody in real life to talk to, so they turn to cyber space. Because of anonymity, people are able to reach out for help. There is always someone that is willing to help, and that someone is much easier to find online than in a phonebook.
Yes, there are downfalls to the connectivity that technology provides. If people practice safe social networking, and remember that it is only virtual, it can be a positive experience. There will always be the fear that technology will be our demise, but if we continue teaching cyber, social privacy safety, we might be able to withstand the off-sets.
A video that I feel would support my view on how identity, anonymity and life are much different online than they are in real life is "Online by Brad Paisley"
Everything is Different Online - Click this link to view the video
After posting this, I actually thought about an example that I missed. Social networking is not the only issue involved in connectivity. Recently, a young man broke into a government sealed site and stole confidential documents. After copying them, he posted them on a website for anybody to see. Yes, this may have exposed things about the government's operations, but it could have also shown plans for the nations safety (I do not know because I did not see these documents, but I did hear about this on the news). This just goes to show how nothing is private, and everybody can be connected to everything. There seems to be no stopping it.
ReplyDeleteYou and I had very similar point of views. We some what wrote about the same things. I enjoyed how many examples you used. You showed examples that are very relevant to today. Maybe some statistics would be more convincing. As said before you and I had a lot of the same points. We share the same idea of the internet/ technology.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, statistics probably would have strengthened my points. I feel like I should have used a couple of statistics, but I was worried that they may have taken over my essay. I could have used them in moderation to try and make specific points stronger.
ReplyDeleteThough I didn't use statistics, I did use specific examples. I think these made a good contribution to my paper and my points.