Thoughts of a Wannabe College Dropout.

2012-02-07T19:15:00.001-08:00

PostmanChapter: 1

While reading the chapter fromamusing ourselves to death, I wondered, “Will I be (fill in the blank) to death?” This got me pointed in the direct oftopicality. They use the wording “to death” instead of “‘til death” whichprompted me to think that it is somewhat our fault.

I noticedthat this first chapter goes in a few directions off the start. The idea thatthe printed word and digital word aren’t compatible in this day and age makesme think of a few phenomena. One being that with the use of printers and computersto shift the medium to electronics means, in effect, made it even easier to usepaper. Instead of copying notes by hand, we can mass print and distribute. Ourpaper usage increased significantly. This may have been an unforeseen consequence.Secondly, newspapers seem to be obsolete. However, the content is still there,it has just evolved to stay in the game. New apps and online outlets have takenthe place.

A lot ofthe chapter talks about the shifting mediums. Postman says that Reagan waspresident while writing this so I assume that while writing one of the bigimprovements in home tech was Betamax and VHS. I don’t imagine that technologywas as cheap as it is today. The price and availability is what put moreelectronic devices in people’s hands.

The mediumis the metaphor is an interesting concept. The last page describes how a watchrecreates time under its own volition in a precise manner. This relays thenotion that in every tool created has associated schemas or constructs that weall understand. What this conveys, is an idea that the metaphor is a literaryterm to describe a similarity that we already understand but need a way tounderstand what one another means. Today, if I were to say “I’ll text you later”or “ttyl”, people would understand the concept. I had one final thought:

Gulati - Facebook

2012-02-01T17:57:00.000-08:00

Gulati – Facebook

I liked how this article was direct in saying, “Facebook is making usmiserable.” It made me think of a particular episode of South Park where one ofthe characters is feeling lonely and unimportant because he has but one friendon Facebook. He is compelled to tell his parents about all the things hisfriend is up too. His parents, unknowingly, acknowledge this new friend as aclassmate their child plays with after school. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdbPVSWqm2w This inevitably leads to the mentionedproblems as a result in the article.

What surprises me the most ishow often we get on Facebook. I’d notice that for no apparent reason, whilereading an email or text, I would click the little blue “F” on my phone. This causedme to realize how much of the time I was just acting out of habit. Sometimes I’dcompletely forget that I looked at Facebook. Along with this mindless checking and updating, I noticed, rather othersnoticed that I was only partially present. (Mostly they wouldn’t notice. They were on their phones as well touché).

Playing the devil’s advocate,there are benefits to using social networking. For instance, my family isspread throughout the states and we only see them around holidays. Calling issometimes difficult. However, the desire to see what is going on in their livesis still there. When my sister was in South Korea, cell phones weren’t the bestor cheapest way to communicate. We resorted to Facebook and Skype. This wasreally helpful. My sister could post pictures, comments, etc when she was ableand on our time we could do likewise.

In the last paragraph, the ideaof quitting Facebook was thrown around. I thought about this and wonder how mysocial life would be impacted. I thought for only a week I would resistFacebook. I managed a week, and then it turned into two weeks. After a monthand seeing no change, I thought it was time to “go offline” permanently. Thiswas in September. As much as I enjoyedthe benefits, I found myself in one of those categories of decreased social (fillin the blank).

Nardy and O'Day Article

2012-01-24T19:22:00.001-08:00

Reading this article stirred a fewthoughts. It was ironic seeing Metropolistalked about because I have had that book on my e-reader for quite some timeand have yet to read it. I liked some of the points made in the article. Ithink that as my generation has grown up, technology has been advancing as we’vegrown up. I remember when my parents hada mobile phone attached in the car. Back then, what I remember, it was anamazing prospect. Today the I-Phone isthe standard for comparison. Size is apparently a factor.

Anotherthought that crossed my mind was about cloning humans. Technology may beadvancing that way inevitably or not; the jury is ever changing. I personallydon’t like how technology is getting into even younger hands every year. But tothe main point, I thought of I- Robotwhen the question of clones came up. I don’tknow if the benefits of cloning are progressive for our population, or if theinvestment should be focused on medical improvements that would eliminate theneed for the former.

Apretty big part of the article was over the good vs. bad of technology and anaspect that I definitely like looking at is the social part. This global communicationsystem allows for us to be intricately connected via Facebook, Skype, texts,etc. As much as these facilitate communication, I think that it stunts oursocial interaction. We lose some of the personal skills through this medium.There is a veil of anonymity present that I think diminishes our social skills.I read a journal last year about “disconnect camps” or something to that degreethat focus on removing kid’s attachment, nay, addiction to electronics in JapanI believe. This could be a fact as well here in the U.S. The potential is there.

Thelast point that I liked, being a tech guru, is the notion that we should usetechnology for its benefits but also be aware of the dangers it can pose. I like to find a happy medium when it comesto balancing my tech life with everything else. To a certain extent, it doesenvelope its own world accessible beginning with the three W’s.