1. Do you believe that technology has indeed flattened the world in terms of providing the opportunity? Why, or why not? Give examples to support your reason.
I believe technology has not indeed flattened the world in terms of providing opportunities. It has done the opposite by providing more accessible resources wherever you are in the world. Technology has brought in a variety of jobs that weren’t even heard off and with more jobs being put into place the economy is rising. A job interview can now be conducted from the comfort of your home making it much facile. Education also plays a huge role; anyone can receive an education online if wanted to. It doesn’t have to be a degree of education, but you can learn and educate yourself by just teaching yourself with the use of the internet. Although there is the opportunity to receive an education online this can benefit people who have disabilities and aren’t able to be in a classroom setting. The YouTube industry has grown massively ever since it started and that is thanks to technology. YouTube is a platform where you can search up recipes, DIY makings, educational resources, reviews, blogs, news, and many more. This platform has opened the doors to the viewers to learn and educate themselves when needed it has also provided awareness to many similar issues we face around the world and we can relate to one another.
2. Where and how do you get your news? Do you watch network television? Read the newspaper? Go online? How about your parents or grandparents? Do you think it matters where you seek out information? Why, or why not?
Most of my news comes from my social media platforms since I’m constantly on social media. Then I will receive notification from apple news since I own an iPhone. I also have downloaded the New York Times to receive more accurate information around the world. Since I live in the city, I have an application called “Transit” in which it lets me know what time the trains will be arriving or if there are any delays in any trains I use for transportation. Finally, I have an application called the “Citizen” which informs me about any incidents, casualties around my neighborhood, or the location in for the moment. I do watch network television in Spanish or English but not so much as my parents do. I do believe the Spanish networks are a bit more dramatize it looks like you’re watching a soap opera. When I find a news source that is very intriguing to me, I will go online to double-check if the tabloids are not being biased or are providing wrong evidence. Since my parents are not big users of technology, they receive their news through television networks such as “Telemundo” and “Univision”. Since technology is growing so rapidly, we are very dependent on the internet. The internet can be a great source of accessible news, but it has its corruptive side. Information should be sought carefully since there is a variety of false information put out on many social platforms. It’s very important to check the sources that are being used to provide information to the public. Having the wrong information can cause or bring a variety of problems. Us as students are thought about what outlets should be used to retrieve information and by having that advantage, we should teach others how to not believe everything certain platforms put out and be cautious.
3. How have digital media changed social interactions? Do you believe it has deepened or weakened human connections? Defend your answer.
I believe digital media has changed social interactions on a positive and negative note. For starters, people who wanted to contact their loved ones outside the united states had to use a prepaid phone card with a limited amount of time on it. This brought many issues like you had to pay for the phone card although they were cheap and accessible to buy you had no more than 30 minutes to speak to your loved one. A conversation can last up to 1-hour trying to find out how everyone over there is doing. Also, the process to get in contact with your family member took a bit too long. If you didn’t press the numbers quickly time will be taken off the prepaid card. Lastly, some prepaid cards didn’t work. By having WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram platforms you can call your loved ones right away without the hassle of time being count and money being wasted. These services are free of charge and you can speak to them as long as you like. Also, you can receive a response in seconds rather than waiting to call or playing the guessing game if your loved one will be home to answer the phone call. With these applications you can call, text, and facetime for free. The negative attribute is that our society is very dependent on technology we forget how to have regular basic conversations with others or show emotions since we use emojis to represent our emotions. Since our contact information is being put out on the internet anyone who wants to steal it will have the opportunity to do so there’s a lack of privacy. I believe the human connection has deepened and weakened. Since the internet is being used around the world, we can socialize with other people in other countries and create a connection through digital media. Also, since we are making connections online people can lie about their identity for their reasons which can bring numerous problems.
