Final Post

Society's Relationship With Technology & Technology's Relationship With Us

For the last 3 million years, technology and society have had a really complicated, chaotic, and ever-evolving connection. On the one hand, technology has provided us with incredible tools that have fundamentally altered the way we work, live, and interact with others. It's so prevalent that it's hard to picture living without it because, for some people, technology is life.

But on the flip side, it’s brought along problems that we couldn’t have seen coming, and that makes me stop and think about whether this relationship is really as great as it seems. For me personally, my connection with technology is something I think about often, and honestly, I’ve got mixed feelings about it.

The FUTURAMA display from the 1964 World's Fair keeps coming to mind. It was all about this ideal, technologically advanced future in which creativity could fix any issue. Back then, people had a lot of hope for what technology could accomplish. And to be honest, much of that optimism still makes sense. Take a look at the internet, which is arguably one of the most amazing inventions ever made by humans. Imagine being able to obtain all the information you might need.

Additionally, cell phones like Android, Samsung, and iPhone models. In essence, they are portable, full-featured computers that fit in your pocket. It's incredible that I can potentially contact millions of people by setting up a blog in a matter of minutes or sending a message to someone on the other side of the globe. I'm reminded of how far we've gone and how much technology has enabled it by things like that.

However, everything is not sunshine and rainbows. We cannot overlook the darker side that exists alongside all the positive aspects. Before the internet and social media, for instance, there were no such things as "cyberbullying," "revenge porn," or "ghosting." They are now a part of daily existence. The idea of technology having unforeseen repercussions is unsettling. Consider the tragic increase in teen suicides in the United States, which raises the question of how much of it is related to the demands of social media and being "on" all the time. It seems like there is a hidden cost associated with every nice thing that technology offers us.

I would say that I have a rather mixed relationship with technology. I use technology to keep informed, stay in touch, and accomplish things, and on some days I feel like I've struck a healthy balance. On other days, though, instead of being in the present, I find myself reaching for my phone or continuously scrolling through social media. It feels like this ongoing fight between feeling in control of it and empowered by it. I occasionally question whether I'm truly in charge of my technology or if technology takes over too frequently.

Seeing how technology impacts my interactions with friends and family is also fascinating. On the one hand, it's invaluable for communicating with distant individuals. I adore being able to communicate with loved ones at any time and share special occasions. On the other side, I have observed that it can cause distance. How many times have you been in a crowd and everyone was riveted to their screens rather than interacting with one another? When you think about it, it's a bit dismal. I try to be more conscious of it since I've been guilty of it myself, and I don't want technology to interfere with my genuine human connections.

Another thing I’ve been thinking about is my online footprint. We all leave a trail, and it’s wild how much people can learn about you just by Googling your name. If a potential employer looked me up, what would they see? Is it a version of me that I’d be proud of, or are there things I need to clean up? It’s a weird thing to think about, but in today’s world, it’s super important. I know I need to be more intentional about what I share because once it’s out there, it’s out there for good.

At the end of the day, technology has a significant impact on society. Technology is here to stay. It really depends on how we use it because it's not all bad or all good. I think we should always be asking ourselves if we are using technology for the better or worse. Do we use technology as a tool to grow and connect, or do we let it take us away from what really matters? It takes effort and self-awareness to succeed, just like any other relationship. If we're willing to stand back and think about how we use technology, I think we can find a balance that lets us enjoy everything it has to offer without losing sight of what makes us human.

EOTO#2 Reaction

EOTO#2 Reaction: News Deserts in the United States

I was quite shocked to learn how widespread this problem has grown after listening to my classmate's presentation on news deserts in the US. I hadn't really thought about it before, but now I realize how important it is. Losing access to reliable local news doesn’t just mean missing out on what’s happening in your town; it’s about losing a vital connection to the community and a sense of accountability for local governments and organizations. Honestly, I hadn’t realized how much we depend on local news to keep things running smoothly in our communities.

The fact that more than 2,100 newspapers have closed since 2004 was one of the more startling things my classmate mentioned. How can people keep up with the things that are important to them on a daily basis without these sources? The amount of people who have been left without a local information source in entire cities and neighborhoods is crazy. It made me think about how important local news is for the tiny things we take for granted. For example, like keeping up with community activities, attending school board meetings, or even understanding new laws and policies that could have a direct impact on our lives.

The fact that this issue primarily affects rural towns truly caught my attention. The local newspaper is usually the only reliable source of news in small towns; when it disappears, residents are left to rely on national media, which simply ignores local problems. I considered how annoying it may be to feel cut off from your own community since no one is covering it anymore. My classmate brought up a great point regarding how this lack of local coverage results in lower civic involvement and voting. It makes sense: how can you make wise decisions if you don't know what's happening with your local leaders or community council? The entire community is weakened by this domino effect.

Digital media's role in all of this was another aspect of the presentation that truly resonated with me. Due to the dominance of platforms like Facebook and Google in the advertising market, small newspapers are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. The big firms have all the resources, and the smaller companies just cannot compete with them. According to my classmate, news quality and focus are changing even in urban areas where people have access to a wider variety of media. It's much worse in rural areas, where there are frequently no reliable news sources available.

I was really shocked by how important local news is after listening to these presentations. Since I grew up in a time where social media and the internet provided the majority of my news, I never gave local newspapers much thought. I now see that they serve as a means of creating and maintaining a cohesive community in addition to being a way of staying informed. Losing that would mean losing a piece of what contributes to the meaning of communities.

We all need to be more conscious of this issue, which is why I'm glad my classmate talked about it. It made me think about ways we can help local journalism, including buying local newspapers, giving money, or even supporting laws that keep smaller media companies around. I came away from the lecture feeling that we must find a way to reverse this trend before more towns become news deserts. It serves as a reminder to all of us to cherish and safeguard the resources that provide us with information and connections.