Cause’ We’re Living in a Digital World
As a whole, society has evolved. Our technological advancements have gotten us to where we are today- with the world at our fingertips. The internet certainly has given us all kinds of opportunities and access to an abundant amount of information. Our phones and laptops help us stay connected. I don’t know about you, but my phone is a big part of my life. If you take that away from me, it’s like you’re taking away a part of me. My pictures are saved online, my contacts to my Apple ID, my social media apps readily available. My world revolves around technology, does yours?
— — — — — — — — I can see you… (: — — — — — — — —
Digital technologies have completely changed the way we’ve lived our lives. We could do everything online, from grocery shopping to home entertainment. Sure, it’s convenient, but it comes with its own drawback. See, the thing is, the websites you visit are keeping an eye on you. The companies know what you’re looking into- the places you go, the stuff you normally purchase, etc.
Your personal data stays getting collected. With this collected data, companies are able to use algorithms to help gear things towards you. Some things like recommended stuff to watch on Netflix to more extreme things like advertisements. This form of surveillance is present in everyday life, look at Facebook as an example. Your personal data, gathered by Facebook, was given to others. What about every time you visit a website? The amount of cookies on your computer and the data these sites have stored about your visits. Even connecting to the internet (in public) is a strategic plan that companies have created to gather data from you. Sure, companies are keeping you under surveillance, but you agree in order to keep using these sites. Is it bad on their end for making people agree to having their data collected? Or is it bad on our end for knowing about it and giving the go ahead anyways so we could stay connected? Well, companies are not the only ones watching when you’re online…
Pic or it Didn’t Happen
Living in a digital world makes it easier to stay connected; you’re able to stay up to date with everyone around you. Social media lets us like a family picture or watch a friend’s concert video. The same way we keep up with others, others keep up with us. Sometimes, it’s a little hard to get away from this social pressure to show people what we’re doing. It’s easy to forget to live in the moment when you’re busy trying to capture these moments in a photo or a video. The places you go, the things you’ve seen… how will people believe you if there’s no proof that it happened? This pressure to keep others updated, to show people snapshots of our lives keep us tethered to our devices. The phone stays with us because within it lies our life’s story. We’ve started taking more pictures, started keeping more memories with us. In our hands, we hold technology that captures everything- sound, color, lights, people, etc. With every new moment we capture, the more we have available to share with others online. Technology has allowed us to stay connected, but at what cost?
Alone Together
Look around you…what do you see? People with their phones in their hands and if not, certainly within arms reach. The thing is, we live in a world where people connect through their phones. Yet, when you look up do you call that connecting? If everyone is on their devices, whether it’s for direct messaging, or something else… what happens to the people around you? In this day and age, there are phones at the table, more often than not. Technology lets you connect with others who are not as easily reached. It’s everywhere you look, in class or on a train. People are on their phones throughout the day. Times are different now than before. I remember the days where going online was a slow, clunky desktop back home. Now, being online is practically all the time. You’re able to talk to people you would never get to meet. The conversations flow from phone to phone, but don’t you think there’s more than just sitting there typing?
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ _Internet of Things_/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Technology has indeed brought more to us than just being able to connect through a typed out message. We have to remember that our actions online affect those around us. We have to be conscience of what we say and do, because the things we say or do online will follow us. Just because YOU forgot you said something or meant for something to be a joke, doesn’t mean others around you will forget about it.
Besides our words, we have to be aware that the internet of things is everywhere and in the future, it’ll keep evolving. As of right now, the best way to describe the internet of things is that, we’re trying to make our world more efficient. Being connected saves time and with our advancements, we’ve made things go by faster (e.g. Amazon shipping). With our advancements however, we must remember to not abuse the new technology. Just because we have cars that can go on autopilot, doesn’t mean we could get behind the wheel and not care about our surroundings. Not just that, but we have to be conscience about how the development of new technologies affects society as a whole. If machines are replacing people because they’re more efficient, what jobs will that leave us with?
Personal Reflection
“Digital Society” was an eye opener for me. Some things we covered in class I already knew (e.g. my digital footprint) but other things like smart cities were completely new to me. I’ve had my fair share of classes that talked about technology (computer mediated communication courses), but not in a way that was this critical about it. I’m more aware now than ever about how technology has changed us. The possibilities it has given us, but also the drawbacks. This class gave me so many different perspectives about things that I never thought much of, like what I share online and who I share it with.
The thing that made this course much more salient to me, was the voices of my peers. This class was small and whenever we grouped up or shared, it made it easier for me to listen to others and remember who said what. It wasn’t just what was said during class though, it was what was said on medium too. Reading people’s comments helped me shape my own. Taking this course, I was able to see how technology has impacted others, not just me.
Before taking this class, I feel like I only knew the good things about being online- things like being able to connect to more people, being able to get things done faster, and how the internet has made looking things up easier. Now, I’ve left this class with a more informed perspective on the internet and our technological advancements. Academically, I learned how to analyze critically and how to properly attribute pictures and ideas. Personally, I gained a better sense of where I stood with the advancement of technology and development of the internet.
The biggest take away for me was learning so much about copyrights. I honestly had no clue that images could be so strict. I knew stuff was copyrighted, I just never knew the difference between which pictures were free to use and not free to use. This was my first time ever having assignments that had requirements like this, and honestly it made me really nervous. Now, I’m much more confident in my ability to properly attribute pictures.
The Digital Society is and will be, a part of me. Today, I already consider myself a “digital citizen.” I learned so much about the Digital Society- history of the internet, internet of things, ethics, and more. I also, have quite the digital footprint because of how involved I am with other organizations. Tomorrow and in the future, I’m still going to be heavily involved. Years from now though, we’ll probably be connected in a different way with how fast the internet of things is evolving.
I have to stay up to date with the changes in the digital society, I want to go into the education field. I’ve successfully realized that as we change with technology, so will the future for kids and education. We’re already looking at changes that are happening like online learning. I’m going to keep expanding my understanding of the digital society to have a better grasp of where the future is headed.
