In reflecting about technologies role and use in the recent protests and uprising in the Middle East, I feel it is important for us to consider the future of the internet in our world. As trends have shown, the internet is quickly becoming a powerful tool for protesters to organize, voice their concerns and educate the world about their struggles. It is also become a tool that governments, companies and organizations can possibly gain more control over.
In my reflections on these topics, I came across three articles that express the many complex facets of reality and the future of society that the internet can bring.
In the article "Is the Internet God?," Dave Pell, a holocaust survivor comments on his experience visiting a hillside that overlooked a concentration camp. He comments that he is now one of the onlookers on the hill as he watches revolutions and human injustices through his computer screen. He makes an interesting comment, that now, with the entire world having access to events and the ability to watch things, we can ask not how God let this happen, but "how could we let this happen?"
I think the author raises an interesting point as to our moral responsibility around such events concerning human rights and justice now that we have instant access to the information and a front row seat to watching these events unfold thanks to mobile phones, facebook, twitter etc.
The next two articles I found interesting are from the BBC and Scientific American. These pieces look at the other side of internet, the ability of government and corporations to limit people's access and freedom on the world wide web. Both article express concern over the potential ability of governments and corporations access to a kill-switch, like the control of the internet Egypt used in the recent uprising.
In the article, "Long Live the Web: A Call for for Continued Open Standards and Neutrality," Tim Berners-Lee comments on the importance of freedom in the internet and how it is crucial for innovation. He comments that the decentralization of authority for creating a page or link has allowed innovation and will do so in the future. He warns about the possibility of fragmentation of the internet and the possibility of users becoming locked into sites dictated by government or corporations. He comments on the growing trend of apps that take magazines offline and make them only available through the purchase of apps, thus limiting them. Essentially, the article highlights the growing threat control and limit of the internet which poses a threat to human rights everywhere.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2011/02/21/133729314/are-we-ready-to-watch-over-the-world
These articles are particularly interesting on a personal level as seek to enter a career based in social justice and serving others. I think they raise important questions as to how, we as a society should respond to our growing interconnectedness and ability to witness almost instantly injustice around the world. They also raise important questions as to how we should respond to growing limitations on freedom. Many of us, myself included have never really considered the restrictions already at work and the possibility of a government controlled internet. And though our government has condemned restriction of the internet in Egypt and China's restriction of Google, the fact remains that our government also has the ability to follow our internet use, monitor our sites and even possibly restrict our access as well. How do we as a society continue to foster innovation in the face of these threats and continue to uphold our values of human right and dignity with the flood of information and access to the realities of injustice everywhere?
These are two important questions that have been on the forefront of my personal reflections of technology since the recent protest in Egypt and Bahrain and I think they are questions which our generation will be faced with and continue to struggle with long into the future.
Links to articles:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/9386720.stm
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=long-live-the-web&page=2
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Technology Use In Political Movements: Bahrain
I think one of the most fascinating events happening worldwide is the ability of everyday people to become promoters and organizers of social change.
As we discussed in class, the protests in Egypt were given support and organized through the use of technology and internet innovations such as Facebook and other sites. The posts and attention gained from these sites helped expose the world to the realities in Egypt, even with Egypt being temporarily cut off from the internet. Through the use of such sites and the power, support and organization of the people of Egypt, ordinary people were able to bring about change in Egypt.
I think it is fascinating to consider how technological innovations that are seemingly very simple, such as cell phones with cameras in them, are bringing about change in Bahrain as well.
Here is an article from the New York Times titled:
And an article from World News Mania about how a photographer was able to jailbreak a phone to get into the 3G network to upload pictures despite the internet being down in Bahrain:
http://www.worldnewsmania.com/2011/02/17/technology/ap-photographer-uses-mywi-to-cover-bahrain-protests/
As we discussed in class, the protests in Egypt were given support and organized through the use of technology and internet innovations such as Facebook and other sites. The posts and attention gained from these sites helped expose the world to the realities in Egypt, even with Egypt being temporarily cut off from the internet. Through the use of such sites and the power, support and organization of the people of Egypt, ordinary people were able to bring about change in Egypt.
I think it is fascinating to consider how technological innovations that are seemingly very simple, such as cell phones with cameras in them, are bringing about change in Bahrain as well.
Here is an article from the New York Times titled:
Cellphones Become the World’s Eyes and Ears on Protests
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/19/world/middleeast/19video.html?ref=technologyAnd an article from World News Mania about how a photographer was able to jailbreak a phone to get into the 3G network to upload pictures despite the internet being down in Bahrain:
http://www.worldnewsmania.com/2011/02/17/technology/ap-photographer-uses-mywi-to-cover-bahrain-protests/
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Media Diet
1. Your Media Diet
Your task for this assignment is to record your media consumption for 5-7 days straight. Take note of how many hours you spend reading, watching television, using the Internet, or engaging with any other forms of media. While you do not have to give an exhaustive account of every TV show you watch or website you visit, do note what types of books, TV, websites, etc. that you consume. You can also describe which particular shows you watch or sites you visit daily/on a regular basis. After listing your media diet for each day of the week (length of time, types of media), you should provide a brief analysis. Questions you might address in your analysis include: What does your media diet say about you? How do you think it might compare to the media diets of other people your age? What might your media diet suggest about American society more broadly? Are there changes you'd like to make regarding your media consumption? How might your social location influence your media intake?
My media diet for the past 5 days:
Wednesday February 16
3 hours were spent checking email on gmail and Facebook, looking through friend's profiles and pictures, 2 hours were spent looking through the New York Times, looking at box office tickets for Sharks games and a play and searching for full episodes of Vampire Diaries and Pushing Daisies.
Thursday February 17
Internet was out so 4 hours were spent total checking Facebook, email and watching Vampire Diaries, reading my cousin's blog and looking up assignments in Camino.
Friday February 18
3 hours spent browsing iTunes and finally watching a movie off iTunes movie rentals, 7 hours spent reading NY Times articles for a class, checking Facebook and email and watching Vampire Diaries on Megavideo
Saturday February 19
9 hours total spent online checking email, Facebook and filling out duty blog and watching 2 episodes of Vampire Diaries on Megavideo.
Sunday February 20
12 hours total spent listening to Pandora, researching article for a paper checking Facebook, writing a blog and checking and sending emails and watching Vampire Diaries on Megavideo.
While I would like to think that I don't spend that much time looking on Facebook and searching the internet compared to my friends who scan sites like people and the Huffington post daily, I realize that I check email and Facebook roughly 10-45 times a day. Even though I usually go on for no more than ten minutes in between class etc, I realize that all the little times added up quickly.
On the whole, I think teenagers and college students spend an average of 10-20 hours online a day, staying connected to others, up to date on news and watching television online. Compared with my suitemates, I do not think I go online quite as often as they do. I do not do a lot of online shopping or read a lot of entertainment sites. However, I have to go online of CF things almost as frequently as they read the Huffington Post and watch Youtube videos so I guess it about equals out. I also check email probably 3x times often as they do but again, that is largely work and school related. On the whole, I probably send between 10-60 emails a day to residents, different supervisors, my family, professors and peers which seems unusually high. I think in this way, my media diet reflects the fact that I am extremely busy and over scheduled as a college student. I think I watch less tv as a whole than other students but this might be simply a result of the fact that I am currently obsessed with the Vampire Diaries only and I can't watch more 72 minutes at a time.
I think as a whole, my media diet reflects a trend in American society that relies on technology more and more for the most every day tasks. Instead of using yellow pages now, I look up addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers etc online. Instead of a calling a friend to see how they are doing, I skype or Facebook them. I think technology now a days is allowing us to be more connected to others and the world around us but is simultaneously giving us an excuse to spend the better part of 24hrs online and in front of a computer.
In the future, I hope that I can become better at limiting my time on the internet to doing exactly what I need to do instead of wasting time pursuing Facebook, news papers and video. Hopefully this will allow me to disengage and get back to real life faster!
Your task for this assignment is to record your media consumption for 5-7 days straight. Take note of how many hours you spend reading, watching television, using the Internet, or engaging with any other forms of media. While you do not have to give an exhaustive account of every TV show you watch or website you visit, do note what types of books, TV, websites, etc. that you consume. You can also describe which particular shows you watch or sites you visit daily/on a regular basis. After listing your media diet for each day of the week (length of time, types of media), you should provide a brief analysis. Questions you might address in your analysis include: What does your media diet say about you? How do you think it might compare to the media diets of other people your age? What might your media diet suggest about American society more broadly? Are there changes you'd like to make regarding your media consumption? How might your social location influence your media intake?
My media diet for the past 5 days:
Wednesday February 16
3 hours were spent checking email on gmail and Facebook, looking through friend's profiles and pictures, 2 hours were spent looking through the New York Times, looking at box office tickets for Sharks games and a play and searching for full episodes of Vampire Diaries and Pushing Daisies.
Thursday February 17
Internet was out so 4 hours were spent total checking Facebook, email and watching Vampire Diaries, reading my cousin's blog and looking up assignments in Camino.
Friday February 18
3 hours spent browsing iTunes and finally watching a movie off iTunes movie rentals, 7 hours spent reading NY Times articles for a class, checking Facebook and email and watching Vampire Diaries on Megavideo
Saturday February 19
9 hours total spent online checking email, Facebook and filling out duty blog and watching 2 episodes of Vampire Diaries on Megavideo.
Sunday February 20
12 hours total spent listening to Pandora, researching article for a paper checking Facebook, writing a blog and checking and sending emails and watching Vampire Diaries on Megavideo.
While I would like to think that I don't spend that much time looking on Facebook and searching the internet compared to my friends who scan sites like people and the Huffington post daily, I realize that I check email and Facebook roughly 10-45 times a day. Even though I usually go on for no more than ten minutes in between class etc, I realize that all the little times added up quickly.
On the whole, I think teenagers and college students spend an average of 10-20 hours online a day, staying connected to others, up to date on news and watching television online. Compared with my suitemates, I do not think I go online quite as often as they do. I do not do a lot of online shopping or read a lot of entertainment sites. However, I have to go online of CF things almost as frequently as they read the Huffington Post and watch Youtube videos so I guess it about equals out. I also check email probably 3x times often as they do but again, that is largely work and school related. On the whole, I probably send between 10-60 emails a day to residents, different supervisors, my family, professors and peers which seems unusually high. I think in this way, my media diet reflects the fact that I am extremely busy and over scheduled as a college student. I think I watch less tv as a whole than other students but this might be simply a result of the fact that I am currently obsessed with the Vampire Diaries only and I can't watch more 72 minutes at a time.
I think as a whole, my media diet reflects a trend in American society that relies on technology more and more for the most every day tasks. Instead of using yellow pages now, I look up addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers etc online. Instead of a calling a friend to see how they are doing, I skype or Facebook them. I think technology now a days is allowing us to be more connected to others and the world around us but is simultaneously giving us an excuse to spend the better part of 24hrs online and in front of a computer.
In the future, I hope that I can become better at limiting my time on the internet to doing exactly what I need to do instead of wasting time pursuing Facebook, news papers and video. Hopefully this will allow me to disengage and get back to real life faster!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Social Networking and Privacy
Social networking has become an integral part of many people's lives today. Particularly in high school and college demographics, sites such as Facebook, Twitter and innovations such a texting are invaluable aspects of communication, attainment of information and knowledge and staying connected with peers. Such innovations allow individuals to be connected to others, ideas and news immediately, as it happens practically.
For me personally, Facebook, email and texting are irreplaceable aspects of my life. I check my email probably between 10-30 times throughout the day. On average I probably send between 20-40 texts a day and I probably check Facebook between 5-10 times a day. I use these innovations for a lot of work and homework based purposes. As a community facilitator, I communicate with other staff members, my residents, my supervisors and other entities on campus primarily through email. Email is one of the fastest ways to send out mass amounts of communications, flyers, and information. I also use text messages for both work and personal things. Texting is the most efficient way to connect with friends about getting dinner, verifying homework, connecting with staff members about events or resident issues. Texts can be answered in a matter of seconds and in my opinion are often more efficient than calling and leaving a voicemail.
In general, I think the immediate response that Facebook, texting and email offers is a very effective means of communication for basic information and in this way has had a positive effect on the global community. For instance, it would be virtually impossible to do the work I do with a nonprofit organization in Seattle if I did not have access to these three innovations. In the span of five minutes or less, I can text the director of the organization to check email, send him a flyer, video spot, radio interview etc and have him look at it and respond back to me. These tools allow me to get answers and information as fast as possible which allows us to do what we need to do here at Santa Clara to allow the organization to grow.
On the other hand, I can also think that social networking innovations, particularly Facebook can have negative ramifications on society. The fact that someone has the ability to post personal information about themselves or others and that information can reach literally thousands of people instantly has some scary implications about privacy and ultimately a damaging effect on people's ability to communicate. For instance, there have been numerous times my friends have posted something about my personal life, either a success I have a had or something as frivolous as a trip I went on before I have even told other individuals. This has had a negative impact on some of my relationships because certain people have become very upset and hurt that I haven't shared the news with them first and they heard it second hand through other people. Status updates on Facebook and the ability of people to see every person you communicate with on Facebook is revolutionizing the way people stay connected with one another. It is important that with these revolutionary changes, we have an understanding of what we are putting online and at least a limited understanding of the large reach and impact such information can have.
This is critically important when it comes to the contact information people place online. Without thinking about it, many people post cell phone numbers, and other contact information that makes it relatively easy for people to find them online. We learned just how easy it is to track people from information posted online in high school. A police officer came to our school and explained how from simply gaining a name off our high school's sports website, they were able to find her on Facebook, obtain enough info from simply her profile, which did not have a home address, to find her house within twenty minutes. Things like this concern me about how private Facebook really is. Moreover, the access and ability other websites can gain to your information through Facebook is a little concerning.
It is hard to tell how accurate it is but the concern around the Facebook websetting, instant personalization that would connect you through Facebook to different websites and post your activity on those websites for your friends is a what I consider too much an invasion of privacy. This concept relates to the ads that appear on gmail that take information from your emails to find ads specifically related. This concept is also a little unnerving and I have found myself trying to limit what comes through my gmail more and more with the understanding that whatever is on my gmail Google has immediate access to.
I think the overall conclusion that can be drawn from both the positive and negative implications of social networking and privacy is that social networking is useful and at times necessary but should also be used in moderation. I think that people need to be fully educated and aware of the reach the information they place online can have. They need to understand the amount of privacy they are comprising with sites such as Facebook and Gmail and to use them with that knowledge in mind.
For me personally, Facebook, email and texting are irreplaceable aspects of my life. I check my email probably between 10-30 times throughout the day. On average I probably send between 20-40 texts a day and I probably check Facebook between 5-10 times a day. I use these innovations for a lot of work and homework based purposes. As a community facilitator, I communicate with other staff members, my residents, my supervisors and other entities on campus primarily through email. Email is one of the fastest ways to send out mass amounts of communications, flyers, and information. I also use text messages for both work and personal things. Texting is the most efficient way to connect with friends about getting dinner, verifying homework, connecting with staff members about events or resident issues. Texts can be answered in a matter of seconds and in my opinion are often more efficient than calling and leaving a voicemail.
In general, I think the immediate response that Facebook, texting and email offers is a very effective means of communication for basic information and in this way has had a positive effect on the global community. For instance, it would be virtually impossible to do the work I do with a nonprofit organization in Seattle if I did not have access to these three innovations. In the span of five minutes or less, I can text the director of the organization to check email, send him a flyer, video spot, radio interview etc and have him look at it and respond back to me. These tools allow me to get answers and information as fast as possible which allows us to do what we need to do here at Santa Clara to allow the organization to grow.
On the other hand, I can also think that social networking innovations, particularly Facebook can have negative ramifications on society. The fact that someone has the ability to post personal information about themselves or others and that information can reach literally thousands of people instantly has some scary implications about privacy and ultimately a damaging effect on people's ability to communicate. For instance, there have been numerous times my friends have posted something about my personal life, either a success I have a had or something as frivolous as a trip I went on before I have even told other individuals. This has had a negative impact on some of my relationships because certain people have become very upset and hurt that I haven't shared the news with them first and they heard it second hand through other people. Status updates on Facebook and the ability of people to see every person you communicate with on Facebook is revolutionizing the way people stay connected with one another. It is important that with these revolutionary changes, we have an understanding of what we are putting online and at least a limited understanding of the large reach and impact such information can have.
This is critically important when it comes to the contact information people place online. Without thinking about it, many people post cell phone numbers, and other contact information that makes it relatively easy for people to find them online. We learned just how easy it is to track people from information posted online in high school. A police officer came to our school and explained how from simply gaining a name off our high school's sports website, they were able to find her on Facebook, obtain enough info from simply her profile, which did not have a home address, to find her house within twenty minutes. Things like this concern me about how private Facebook really is. Moreover, the access and ability other websites can gain to your information through Facebook is a little concerning.
It is hard to tell how accurate it is but the concern around the Facebook websetting, instant personalization that would connect you through Facebook to different websites and post your activity on those websites for your friends is a what I consider too much an invasion of privacy. This concept relates to the ads that appear on gmail that take information from your emails to find ads specifically related. This concept is also a little unnerving and I have found myself trying to limit what comes through my gmail more and more with the understanding that whatever is on my gmail Google has immediate access to.
I think the overall conclusion that can be drawn from both the positive and negative implications of social networking and privacy is that social networking is useful and at times necessary but should also be used in moderation. I think that people need to be fully educated and aware of the reach the information they place online can have. They need to understand the amount of privacy they are comprising with sites such as Facebook and Gmail and to use them with that knowledge in mind.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Technology and Social Interaction
With the rise of texting, skyping, social networking sites, internet dating sites, message boards and online game worlds, personal, face to face interaction in this world has begun to be reshaped. People know text instead of calling, skype instead having coffee and catch up on their friends' lives through facebook instead of a personal conversation. In a world where technology and innovation are seemingly the keys to the future, society is faced with the challenge of maintaining human interaction and relationships amidst a world that draws us farther and farther from intimate, close connections.
Though some may argue that the internet, texting and other recent technological innovations have allowed for an expanded network of relationships and the privacy to interact freely in relationships, I personally believe these innovations as a whole are having a negative effect on society. Instead of calling someone and enjoying the richness and connectedness that comes with a phone conversation, people can "talk" to one another with a simple text like, "what's up?" or "how's life?" Those these maybe the same questions that are asked on the phone, they take on a very different meaning and form when asked through a text. A text doesn't allow the space and the security to answer and convey emotion behind an answer. In this way, everyday relationships are potentially devalued and become impersonal when the main methods of communication take a written "text" form.
Facebook, like texting has the potential to devalue and create impersonal relationships. For instance, what is shared on facebook is rarely truly reflective of an individual and their true personality. Rather, it is usually is more characteristic of the community or network an individual comes from. Moreover, students, in particular college students, spend a far amount of time on Facebook each day. I myself probably spend on average about an hour a day looking through Facebook. This hour, spent pursuing others lives instead of living my own, is taking away from real, face to face relationships. In my suite, my four friends and I will talk and have a conversation each night but each of us is always at least 50% immersed in our computer, usually on Facebook, while having these conversations. One could argue that this interaction is undoubtedly negatively affecting our ability to connect and converse.
On the other hand, one can argue that Facebook, Skype and even internet dating sites allow people the opportunity to create and maintain relationships when face to face interaction is not possible. This has some validity and as a college student who uses Facebook and Skype to keep in touch with friends and family I will agree that this argument has some merit. However, a relationship created merely over the internet has a greater potential to be misleading and unsafe. The internet provides a veil for individuals to create an identity that can be completely different from reality. Even with the issues of safety set aside, the amount of information one can convey about the personality, interests, beliefs, background, biography through the internet is not the same and does not have the same impact needed to foster lasting relationships that comes through the natural progression and divulging of such information in natural conversation.
As a society, it is important that we look and utilize the possibilities that social networking sites, chat rooms, blog etc offer in terms of discussion of societal issues and politics. The value of such innovations, particularly within the academic world should be disregarded. However, these tools must be used in conjunction with real life discussions and environments where topics can be debated and affirmed face to face. As a culture and academic community, we must never lose sight of the value and power that comes with open, honest discussion of topics in a public, face to face arena.
Likewise, as a society is important to find ways to continue to expand the imagination and technological innovations and also reconcile these new ways to relate to one another with new appreciation and value to personal, face to face relationships. As a species, we cannot survive with out tangible, touchable, personal relationships. As a society, we have forgotten how to survive without social networking, texting and other innovations. Therefore, as the next generation, we need to find a way to reconcile the two and install the value of both into future generations so society can maintain a healthy balance of both.
Though some may argue that the internet, texting and other recent technological innovations have allowed for an expanded network of relationships and the privacy to interact freely in relationships, I personally believe these innovations as a whole are having a negative effect on society. Instead of calling someone and enjoying the richness and connectedness that comes with a phone conversation, people can "talk" to one another with a simple text like, "what's up?" or "how's life?" Those these maybe the same questions that are asked on the phone, they take on a very different meaning and form when asked through a text. A text doesn't allow the space and the security to answer and convey emotion behind an answer. In this way, everyday relationships are potentially devalued and become impersonal when the main methods of communication take a written "text" form.
Facebook, like texting has the potential to devalue and create impersonal relationships. For instance, what is shared on facebook is rarely truly reflective of an individual and their true personality. Rather, it is usually is more characteristic of the community or network an individual comes from. Moreover, students, in particular college students, spend a far amount of time on Facebook each day. I myself probably spend on average about an hour a day looking through Facebook. This hour, spent pursuing others lives instead of living my own, is taking away from real, face to face relationships. In my suite, my four friends and I will talk and have a conversation each night but each of us is always at least 50% immersed in our computer, usually on Facebook, while having these conversations. One could argue that this interaction is undoubtedly negatively affecting our ability to connect and converse.
On the other hand, one can argue that Facebook, Skype and even internet dating sites allow people the opportunity to create and maintain relationships when face to face interaction is not possible. This has some validity and as a college student who uses Facebook and Skype to keep in touch with friends and family I will agree that this argument has some merit. However, a relationship created merely over the internet has a greater potential to be misleading and unsafe. The internet provides a veil for individuals to create an identity that can be completely different from reality. Even with the issues of safety set aside, the amount of information one can convey about the personality, interests, beliefs, background, biography through the internet is not the same and does not have the same impact needed to foster lasting relationships that comes through the natural progression and divulging of such information in natural conversation.
As a society, it is important that we look and utilize the possibilities that social networking sites, chat rooms, blog etc offer in terms of discussion of societal issues and politics. The value of such innovations, particularly within the academic world should be disregarded. However, these tools must be used in conjunction with real life discussions and environments where topics can be debated and affirmed face to face. As a culture and academic community, we must never lose sight of the value and power that comes with open, honest discussion of topics in a public, face to face arena.
Likewise, as a society is important to find ways to continue to expand the imagination and technological innovations and also reconcile these new ways to relate to one another with new appreciation and value to personal, face to face relationships. As a species, we cannot survive with out tangible, touchable, personal relationships. As a society, we have forgotten how to survive without social networking, texting and other innovations. Therefore, as the next generation, we need to find a way to reconcile the two and install the value of both into future generations so society can maintain a healthy balance of both.
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