In the popular Hanna Barbera cartoon, The Jetsons, viewers were introduced to a technology filled world filled with robots who could assist humans with their every need. Flying cars (shaped like saucers) were also prominently featured on the program.
While we do not yet have the technology to match that of the cartoon world of the Jetsons, technology continues to grow at a phenomenal rate. There is no question that technology has a profound affect on our everyday lives. For many people the morning ritual of getting up and reading the paper has been replaced by checking a favorite online website such as Twitter or Facebook. One may also choose to read the aforementioned paper online as well. It is because of this fact that many sportswriters that I currently look up to are now speculating that the printed newspaper is dying. To put that in terms of McLuhan’s analogy, the content of the newspaper is no longer a necessity. The internet has altered the rate at which information travels as well because it is arguably faster than television or radio. As it becomes more advanced, new technology has truly quickened the pace of even the most ordinary of lives. We no longer have to rely on the 6:00 news to get us up to speed on the events of the day. There are 24 hour news channels, and news can be found on the internet by simply clicking on a link. However, that is not to assume that everyone has embraced this technology. My own mother refuses to get a cell phone. So if I ever need to contact her I have to e-mail her or call her at work. Technophobes seem to refuse to join the rest of us in the 21st century. What an annoying phobia. On to more of the reading.
The content of the web is up to whoever is using it. The internet is not regulated; it is the most public of mediums around. The internet can be a source of learning along with the exchange of valuable information, but it can also be the source of the utmost depravity. While the internet should be a place where a user should be compelled to access whatever they need, many people use it to satisfy a sort of darker desire. Obviously, that is a double edged sword. The freedom of the internet is a multifaceted issue that is an ongoing debate in this digital age.
I do not believe we are in any way numb to the effects of new media. In fact, just by offering this class The University of Georgia is showing that it is aware of the importance of new media as well as the jobs and opportunities that each new form of media creates. I have had other professors besides Professor Davis encourage me to join twitter. It is good to try to embrace each new form of media as much as possible. It certainly is not going away. There should be more genres for the technology though. Facebook and Twitter both have differing characteristics about them, but they also offer some of the same features. Updating Facebook is referred to as a “Status Update.” But, updating twitter involves posting a new “Tweet” or “Tweeting at someone. I wonder if Devitt would classify Twitter and Facebook as being in the same genre. Are they both simply social networking sites? For me, Devitt has made the term genre more complicated and intricate than I ever thought it was. The excerpt that we read from her writing was very interesting, though.
Adapting to new media is becoming second nature to some users, and others are having to learn to adapt on almost a daily basis. With the evolution of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, the traditional non interactive website is starting to feel dated. In Marshall McLuhan’s “The Medium is the Message,” McLuhan points out that (insert quote) For example, ESPN televises strange or fascinating Twitter updates by athletes. A picture on NBA player Michael Beasley’s Twitter account forced him to go to rehab when someone noticed drug paraphernalia in the background of his twitter picture. While it is a double edged sword, new media savvy can earn one a lot of money in the new jobs that the technology creates.
I need to wrap this up soon, so this will probably be my last big point. The way that Devitt categorizes genre is way too complicated for my taste. I’m not much of a reader though except for academic reading. So, maybe I am just a victim of the record industry and their need to lump a lot of different types of music together. I think that is a point that Devitt makes very well. Certain things should not be lumped together because it diminishes their chances of reaching their target audience. For example, a recording artist who wants to be known for rock and roll would make sure that his CD would not be lumped into the pop category. Just as a gripping horror movie may want to avoid any science fiction label, and just be referred to as horror. In this day and age of commercialism, it is easy for a stigma to surround a genre.
Finally, the one thing that people need to be keenly aware of on the internet and this goes with the final reading response prompt question.. Be aware of what you are posting, and where you are posting it. Prospective employers have workers now whose job is to Google you, check your Facebook, myspace, twitter, or any other social networking site. No respectable business wants to hire one who has a shady profile. Just don’t put the picture up to begin with. Even if you delete it, that does not mean it isn’t somewhere else in cyber space that Google will not find. Everyone is still adjusting to the pros and cons of the internet. Unfortunately in this age of instant information there is very little margin for error. I am not sure if I agree or disagree that a student fresh out of college should be Googled but that is just the way it is. Check out the video below for an example of how Google can impact one’s job.
