I think the phenomenon now with all the digital and electronics are extremely important as for people's convenience. Most of our time has been spent using them in beneficial ways and disadvantages. We rely on these technologies in our daily life that sometimes I doubt rather most of the population can live meaningfully and happily without it. But by saying this, it doesn't mean that technologies’ improvements are bad. In certain ways, they make people's life easier and it creates more meaning to life.
By thinking about this topic, it makes me think about conformity, speed, and corruptions. Since teenagers now a day are considering the first generation that is being born into surroundings with many new invented technologies, it is a very rare phenomenon to many of our parents, the older generation. Many parents or grandparents might not even understand why their kids can just sit in front of a screen for a day without doing much activity physically. This reflects how attractive these new technology is to the younger generation and at the same time raise the older generation’s curiosities. In my family, my parents and grandparents used to complain about these digital and electronics that we are using most of the time. But after they really understand what is going on, they fell in love with it just like we did. Considering the communication issue, I think they don’t really hate it but it is down to jealousy and disregard. If we offer help and have patience to invite them into what we are doing, they are not that strong about the idea of “technologies are bad now these days”. Even though they are having a hard time to catch up, as long as they are able to know why people are so addicted, sooner they will not loathe about it.
In terms of how the younger generation used these fast speed improvements of digitals and electronics, I think it is weird but simultaneously luxurious. It is hard to imagine how people rather sit in front of a screen rather than facing their parents and friends. It is hard to image how people prefer to talk to space rather than face to face with their buddies. It is weird that people prefer to pay more money on texting each other than talking to the actual person. Even the 3G network offers video calls that people can see each other while calling each other; it is eccentric to consume to these offers from corporations. While the corporations are the ones who benefits from most of the consumers, it also reflects how these some of these products has become the essentials of our lives. Additionally, it reveals how much we rely on these things. I think the large populations are in love with these things are trying to fit in with the society. If you don’t have it, you are missing out. All these things have to do with conformity. Is not that a regular phone are unable to provide call service that needs an improvement, it is just the one that has cameras, MP3, and internet services are better. This displays that the pop culture has play a big role in most of our lives.
By thinking about this topic, it makes me think about conformity, speed, and corruptions. Since teenagers now a day are considering the first generation that is being born into surroundings with many new invented technologies, it is a very rare phenomenon to many of our parents, the older generation. Many parents or grandparents might not even understand why their kids can just sit in front of a screen for a day without doing much activity physically. This reflects how attractive these new technology is to the younger generation and at the same time raise the older generation’s curiosities. In my family, my parents and grandparents used to complain about these digital and electronics that we are using most of the time. But after they really understand what is going on, they fell in love with it just like we did. Considering the communication issue, I think they don’t really hate it but it is down to jealousy and disregard. If we offer help and have patience to invite them into what we are doing, they are not that strong about the idea of “technologies are bad now these days”. Even though they are having a hard time to catch up, as long as they are able to know why people are so addicted, sooner they will not loathe about it.
In terms of how the younger generation used these fast speed improvements of digitals and electronics, I think it is weird but simultaneously luxurious. It is hard to imagine how people rather sit in front of a screen rather than facing their parents and friends. It is hard to image how people prefer to talk to space rather than face to face with their buddies. It is weird that people prefer to pay more money on texting each other than talking to the actual person. Even the 3G network offers video calls that people can see each other while calling each other; it is eccentric to consume to these offers from corporations. While the corporations are the ones who benefits from most of the consumers, it also reflects how these some of these products has become the essentials of our lives. Additionally, it reveals how much we rely on these things. I think the large populations are in love with these things are trying to fit in with the society. If you don’t have it, you are missing out. All these things have to do with conformity. Is not that a regular phone are unable to provide call service that needs an improvement, it is just the one that has cameras, MP3, and internet services are better. This displays that the pop culture has play a big role in most of our lives.
Almost every household has computers to access to internet. Talking about internet, it seems like another world that has been created for many solitary souls. It seems like the society has pressure the people so much, that people find a better place to express themselves. On the internet, you are able to talk to people all around the world, make friends, shared your wondrous lives with others. Especially facebook, twitter, IMing…etc., many of these services that the corporations offer are so amazing that most of the teens, even adults are immerse into it. In a good way, people push themselves to do many things that are meaningful in order to post online to make the others jealous. Also people are able to share their ideas online with the others. In a bad way, people take it as a habit and starts to think it is a “must do” while it is not really required. By taking it as a habit, it shows that these things provide people many attentions. Once you upload something online, everybody have the chance to look at your stuff and therefore, you got attention. If you take good care of your websites, there is a possibility that you get famous online such as making great videos on YouTube. I think these are the reasons why many people are in love with the Internet, it is because they need ATTENTIONS. Instead of socializing with the others in the real world, people have another place that they can use their other “mask” or their “real-self” (since is easier to express ourselves with less burden) to make friends. Overall, it demonstrates that the younger generations need more attentions and fame. We all are obsessed with digital and electronics because we try so hard to fit in and go along with the society’s progression.
While doing this assignment, my neighbor(40s) knock on the door (GOT DISTRACTED) and asked me to help him with the computer since he just bought them today. I think this kind of can connect to this topic because he just bought a laptop last year, and now he is using 2 laptops. I don't know why he bought two, but this reveals that people now a day really try to fit in and follow along with the society's progress. If we don't fit in, we will eventually get eliminate by the society. It somehow shock me how people are consuming to these electronics. Even I have 2 desktops (1 is broken), and 4 laptops (1 is broken) in my house, total 4 computers, I just use one for my own. However, it shows how almost every of my family member needs a computer in my house. This phenomenon is rare and unusual to me.
Lastly, I think the way people use electronics are excessive. Which leads to the problem that we talk about last year, corruption. Using all these electronics require electricity, which is energy, fossil fuel, emission of CO2, global warming, and pollutions. I am not sure how much this will affect the world (still trying to do more research about it), but I do think using less electricity will make a different. Although we pay for the bills, I still believe we should concern and be aware of this problem.
More Thoughts:
- Do people have mask on the Internet? or is our true self since is easier to express ourselves in a hallucinate surroundings with many imaginations?
- Why a simple screen could be so powerful that caused so much attention? Amazing...
- Is it possible that later on, many of these technologies are able to replace worker?
- Are we the one who has more power/authorities on these things? or they are the one that is actually controlling us?
Bao Lin,
ReplyDeleteLet me start by saying that was an amazing post. You bring some really deep and important ideas that I Think go unnoticed by many people. The things you bring up in this post are some of the same ideas that I have(theres so much in my head its hard to organize my thoughts, thats why its not in my blog). I'm referring to the point you make that electronic devices are another way that pop culture updates whats "in" now and makes people feel left out if they don't have this stuff. I also think you bring up a very interesting a true point when you speak about people having real and fake identities online.
Basically in your post you go into depth on how the digitalization of the new age is a tool that pop culture uses to make people spend money on things to try to fit in. You also talk about how people can have different identities online a point I touched on in my post. Overall your post critiques the use of digitilization but notes that it is very addictive and useful.
I think the point you bring up about people and who the "really" are is something that we can have a whole class on by itself. This connects to so much. Pop culture, interaction of humans, etc. I think that what your saying about people trying to fit in is something we see all the time and in a way we are all guilty of it to different extents.
I guess the next step to this post would be trying to figure out an alternative or figuring out how people should use the new electronic devices we have. Is it possible to have these things without abusing them? Is it possible to have these electronics without them having some sort of negative affect?
This post deals with a lot of questions I ask myself just in a different context. Im refering to you asking about our true identity the affect pop culture has on us, etc. This post made me reconsider how many things really are a tool of pop culture and it had me wondering how guilty I am of trying to fit in even though I consider myself aware and not as guilty as others(if that counts for anything haha)
Thank you for such a deep post. I look forward to seeing what you have to say about the questions I asked and in general your view on our future topics. :)
Bao Lin! I love your post. You really have a deep insight on this topic. The way you set up your post in different paragraphs really helped me get through it because when I first glanced at your post it looked extremely long.
ReplyDeleteYou brought up the point that everyone has about the digital life can be put to good use but also can have its badsides. Everyone understands this idea, but you make it sound different. you say the technology development isn't that bad, which is a unique argument. You tell us that the older generation doesn't understand why our generation is so obsessed with the digital life, but its only because they haven't lived with it their whole life. unless we invite them into our world they'll except it and abuse it as much as we do. I have to say I've never considered really thinking of it that way.
I actually have 5 computers sitting in my house alone. 1 is my sisters but she already left for college, my dad has two, my mom has one, and I have one. It's funny how we all need our own computers. I guess its the idea of privacy and trying to fit in ultimate society.
I love the last argument you brought up. You connected it back to last year's unit of corruption and peak oil. I would love you to develop that idea because it has a great connection to this digital idea. while we abuse technology we're killing the world all at once. Continue on with that idea in your next posts!
Before I read your post I believed you would make the same argument as I did but your ideas counter mine. actually I'll have to say my arguments don't reach your thoughts. You have a great way of thinking outside the box thinking of things that no one else has thought of.
You have definatly extended my opinion on the digital world and even opened my eyes to a new argument. Thanks <3
XD
-Esther.
Omar,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your time reading my post (they are long) and have left comments that will help me to deepen my thought/ideas. Also, I am glad that you really got my arguments that I talked about in my post. So I know, you really understand what I wrote.
Your suggestion about extending my post to think of the alternative is very helpful. The question that you asked about how people should actually use these digital/electronics devices will lead my post to the next step discussing this specific issue with a solution.
Your comment with the questions will really deepen my paper, because I only mentioned the problems/issue, but not the solution. By doing what you have suggested, it will actually provide the reader a thought of “what should be done’. Should we just let this be, or if we don’t abuse them, probably it is okay to have them in our daily life. In addition to that, I am glad that we have a similar thought about how people are trying to fit into the society. Is like an entrance and the exit, you need to have certain electronics to be able to get “in”, and if you don’t you are “out”. If getting to an even further thought, I think we both did mentioned people’s identities, but I still believe that it is possible that people have their real self in the Internet, and they are not necessarily fake all the time. However, both could be possible depending on the person’s personality.
Comparing your post and my post, I think your post focus more on how people should use these electronic devices while my post focus on how people are trying to fit into the society. I guess your post lie towards more on the solution of the issue, and my post enhances more of the happening that people are facing.
I think we both have agreed that if we did not abuse the electronics devices or overuse them; it will be pretty decent to us. However, I don’t think it is possible that there will only be pros and no cons even if we did not abused these devices. There will still be negative effects on us in some way. So my question is what will those negative effects be when we did not overused these digital representational devices and is it solvable, maybe to a point that there will be absolutely no harm?
Esther,
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading my post (I know they are very LONG). I am glad that I have opened your eyes to a new argument; I guess that way we really can learn from each other. :)
I find it very helpful when you said “You connected it back to last year's unit of corruption and peak oil. I would love you to develop that idea because it has a great connection to this digital idea. While we abuse technology we're killing the world all at once.” I did touch that idea a little, but did not really lead further thoughts to it. The reason I did that, because I want people to be aware of that problem, but even myself still not sure what is the solution to that. Perhaps, decrease the amount of time we spend on these technologies will help? However, I never thought of the idea “killing the world all at once”. Although I am not sure if is possible, it seems to be true since we all consume to the digital world. Definitely possible that we kill it with our own hands, and yet blames the others’ fault. If I am able to have time to get further, this will really make my post even stronger.
I am actually very surprised that my family is not the only one who has a lot of computers. Perhaps yes, we all need privacy and try to keep it with the flow. However, this has raise up another point in my mind that, do we really value privacies now a day? By saying that, I don’t mean we don’t have secrets and things that we don’t want to share. But as we all see now a day, there are many digital outlets like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace…etc., I felt like people do not value privacy as much as before. Since there are places where people can easily open up themselves, sharing thoughts/ideas, photos, comments on current issues, and feelings/reactions towards daily life, it seems like we do not hide ourselves as much as before. (Thanks for mentioning this idea that lead me to a further thought)
Reading your post and compared to mine, I think your argument leans more to the disadvantage of having these digital/electronics. You mentioned “digitally corrupted” few times in your post. As for me, I guess I focus more on the effects of how digitalization has affected us regardless of rating the pro/cons. Although I find our posts are very different from each other, I think we both did touch the idea of corruptions. But what kinds of corruptions? I don’t think neither of us has deepened that idea. (is it a coincident, or it just happened that we both can’t really know the future for sure)
“It's funny how we all need our own computers. I guess it’s the idea of privacy and trying to fit in ultimate society.” This is true; I think we both did agree to the idea of conformity by consuming to these electronic devices. Since we both did touched the idea of corruptions and mentioned the obsession of overusing these products, perhaps we can both focus on the bad side of this – corruptions. Then figure out what we can do about this.
>>>>>just realized after typing, it is so long...<<<<<