Technology and social media has made a huge impact in my life. From the moment I first downloaded my first social media app, Instagram, my life would never be private again. I wish I would have known that earlier. The older I get the more I put myself out there on social media and the internet and the more I start to learn about how much technology has affected my life. I rely on technology for a lot of things such as navigation, online shopping, ordering food, and more. There are pretty much apps for anything that can be thought of. Need a calculator? There is an app for it. Need a sticky note? There is an app for it. Since I have had social media for about a few years now, I have left my own “digital footprint”. This means I have left my mark on the world through my social media profiles. I left my footprint by liking, watching, and commenting on certain posts. For example, when I like a post that has someone wearing an outfit that I like, I will soon start to get ads that will pop up on my feed showing me where I can buy the outfit. These large social media companies are keeping track of every move I make on social media and are doing everything they can to keep me on the app by showing me what I want to see. This is one of the reasons why apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok have their own versions of a “for you page”, which is a section that shows users posts and pages that they might like to keep them engaged. Personally, I try my best to use my social media for good use and I try to do everything I can to keep my online life private. Such as setting my accounts to be private rather than open to the public, but sometimes that does not work because when I look up my name on the internet, I am still able to find pictures of myself on the worldwide web. In one of the articles I read, I’m 14, and I Quit Social Media, I read about a girl who realized after she got social media that her mom and sister were posting and documenting her entire life on the internet. She confronted them and asked that they not post her without her permission. She never got the chance to make the choice whether or not she wanted her life out there on the internet for the world to see. Her digital footprint was made for her before she was able to even talk. I never realized how much this could have an impact even when an individual does not have a social media profile of their own. If pictures of them are being posted online, they are still being exposed on the internet even if it is not from their own profile. Whenever I post a picture online I make sure that it demonstrates an appropriate online presence because I know that people look through social media of potential employees and I would not want an inappropriate picture to jeopardize that. My parents have also taught that nothing on the internet is private and once it is out there, it is out there forever.
From the videos that I watched from the final blog post, I believe that the video about the dark side of technology is extremely accurate. For example, if I see someone I follow on Instagram on a vacation of course I am going to get a little jealous and wish I was doing the same. It is human nature to want something we cannot have. Even when it comes to seeing people at an event that I wish I was invited to or if I see my friends post soothing together I tend to feel a little left out if I cannot be there. This is where FOMO, the fear of missing out, comes into play. I start to overthink, feel a sense of loneliness, and it makes me sad because I feel like I am missing out rather than being happy for my friends even if I could not go. This happens to a lot of people especially teens because they want to go out and be with friends and go on fun adventures because they are still trying to find their way and how to socially fit in. After watching the wonders of technology video, I also did realize that there are some good uses to technology. Overall, technology has definitely made our lives easier. We can pretty much do anything from the touch of a finger, which is quite convenient. Due to the pros and cons that technology demonstrates, there is still a truth that lies in between the balance of using technology. I believe technology can be used responsibly. I recently watched a TedTalk in my College Writing class, given by Sherry Turkle, Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, titled, “Connected, but alone.” Throughout the presentation, Turkle emphasizes on the importance of staying connected to the world rather than just to the small hand held screen that is glued to the hands of millions of people. She not only addresses these concerns, but also provides personal stories, real life examples, and solutions to finally put an end to self isolation. It is possible to use technology responsibly, but that is a choice that needs to be made within oneself. There must be a balance when it comes to using technology. We need to learn how to do things ourselves and that can be as little as going in person to order food rather than ordering it online because that small interaction is already improving human communication. Even the videos about Artificial Intelligence and online censorship plays a part in our daily internet lives. Artificial Intelligence is being made to make our lives somewhat easier when in reality it can still have negative effects such as machines taking away jobs in the workplace. Our lives are being controlled by the internet and if we keep letting it happen, all we will have left is the internet. Having access to so much technology can have its benefits, but can also be taken advantage of leading to many consequences. Maybe they are not consequences that will be paid at the moment, but these consequences, such as the loss of human communication will stay with a person for a very long time until they decide that they need to make a change. Who is going to want to do the work if these “machines” can do the work for them? The dependability solely on technology needs to stop because one day technology could cease to exist. Technology is not forever, but human connection is.
https://www.ted.com/search?q=connected+but+alone
https://www.fastcompany.com/90315706/kids-parents-social-media-sharing
No comments:
Post a Comment