Sunday 22 February 2009

Cancerous Technology?

On an online news post, the headline ‘How using facebook could raise your risk of cancer’ caught my eye and certainly made me wonder: “how could that be possible?” The article insists that social networking platforms, specifically facebook, may cause serious health problems due to the lack of face-to-face contact and the inevitable isolation of individuals. Although I sometimes agree with such skeptics about the use of technology, I must say ‘bullshit’ this time. The use of online networks may have decreased the amount of ‘face-to-face’ contact; however, it has substantially increased the networking effect and has brought people all over the globe closer together. If you haven’t noticed, most companies are currently using these social platforms, not only on a personal level but within their own offices amongst colleagues and co-workers. So, it may not actually have a significant effect on face-to-face contact if people are using the web in the presence of other people so frequently.
The web has definitively done its part in enhancing the lives and the opportunities of people and companies across the world. It has blurred social boundaries and brought people together quickly, efficiently and effectively. People should not rely solely on the social web for networking and communication, but the web should certainly be a tool that helps to enhance such skills.

Tuesday 17 February 2009

Does technology simplify or complicate our lives?

Today's generation of children are considered 'Digitial Natives.' This simply means that children, in today's society, have been raised to understand and utilize technology nearly everyday, in some way. However, the baby boom generation could be considered the opposite, 'Digital Immigrants.' Ostensibly there is a huge disparity between these generations, and in order to keep up in society being technological savvy is a pre-requisite to almost anything we do (texting, emailing, facebooking, blogging, online shopping, etc).
Although technology and the use new media certainly has its benefits, I find that it makes life much more stressful. For example, I lost my cell phone the other week. If any of you are like me, my phone is my LIFE LINE! I have nearly every contact in my phone, along with their personal information. I stressed out for a few days while I attempted to retain all my contacts. I was unlucky at retrieving the contacts in my phone, but I did get a new phone and the same mobile number. But, I'm still trying to find the contacts I lost and it still has me stressing. I've become so dependent on 'technology'a nd the use of my cell phone that when it comes to living without one, it's nearly impossible for me.
To extrapolate the complexities that technology plays in my life, let's talk about facebook...
Ok, so I'm actually an addict to facebook, I will admit! I added facebook nearly 4 years ago when i was in college (when it was ONLY open to college students). Now, the facebooking network has expanded to people all over the world, of any age. As I use facebook for the network effect it serves, I still find it extremely hard to keep up with...and when i do keep up with it, I feel like I'm wasting my time just 'stalking' other people. And now, not only is facebook the sole networking figure on the web, but there is twitter, myspace, web2.0, LinkedIn, AOL IM and other international web networks. As a member of several of these, I find it hard to keep up with conversations and people in the different networks I belong to. But, I also feel that if I'm not part of a network, then I'm missing out on communicating or contacting people. I find that as the growth of web technology becomes so rampant, yet neccessary, it's increasingly harder to keep up with it too.