"Media is Cause, People are Change"

After reading the conclusion of Personal Connections in the Digital Age by Nancy K. Baym and imputing my own opinions, here is what I have gathered.

In the digital world, society is broken up into three distinct groups: those who did not grow up with technology, those who were raised with it, and those who will soon see the current technology as mundane. The older generation has had trouble adapting to the fast-paced transitions technology has created and view it as something to worry about. The generation that was introduced to technology at a young age has become so accustomed to the life-style and the capabilities that they are oblivious to what others older than them see as a problem. And the final generation is the one that was brought into this world of already advanced technology that will soon see what they were born with as outdated and useless.

In the future people will hear about technologies mainly through word of mouth. These rumors will be complimented with news coverage, appearances in movies and television, as well as multiple advertisements. These advances however, will become more and more frequent. Therefore as a society we will need to become savvy ambassadors of technology and not fall behind in the multiple transformations.

As of right now, people cannot decide if technology's effect is good or bad. People have acknowledged problems such as the inability to have face-to-face conversations. Other clear conflicts are the degradation of language, the undermining of connections to communities and families, and the replacement of meaningful relationships with shallow substitutions. However, it is not all bad. People are also aware of the positives such as opportunities for closer families, more engaged citizens, more resources, and larger, better-connected social networks. So which side is correct? The answer is neither. The social media is not ruining us per se; it is merely changing the way we relate to others and ourselves. It is true that the Internet can lead people into situations that they would have been better off without, but at the same time it can provide us with new opportunities. It is no longer a question of good or bad. Some situations call for mediated interaction while others can be hindered because of it. At times it can even become interchangeable where either would be beneficial. There are even some cases where being online and being offline can work hand in hand.

Although people can be quick to blame technology, they forget to blame themselves. Humans are the ones that created technology for personal gains. We are responsible for what technology has and will become. We have no one to blame but ourselves. Developers notice the complaints that people have in everyday life. So their first conclusion is to create a new technology to eliminate the problem. For example, self-parking cars. Is this really a necessity? No, it is a luxury that will soon become a norm in the car industry. Another instance of this can be the Internet itself. Originally it was not designed for social media resources. It was purely meant for the military and scientific purposes. But the public got a hold of it and figured that it would make communication a lot easier and faster. Therefore easing the frustration it took to get a hold of someone that was not in close proximity.

References:


Baym, Nancy K. Personal Connections in the Digital Age. Cambridge, UK: Polity, 2010. Print.