Unplugged

My alarm goes off at 7:30 every week day morning.  That alarm comes from my cell phone.  Typically, one of the first things I do after waking up is check my email and social media pages.  From there, I either go to school, where I'm studying Communications, or to my job, where I manage social media.  Could I unplug from all of this?  Sure.  I might go insane, but yeah..I COULD do it.  Do I want to?  Abso-freaking-lutely NOT.

I've left my phone at home before.  It was a nightmare.  Honestly.  I made a friend break in and bring it to me.  I couldn't tell you the last time I tried to answer a question or write a paper without the powers of Google.  Heck, sometimes I Google things I already know the answers to just to ensure I'm right before I go spouting it off to someone.  I love technology.  LOVE.  IT.  It makes me happy and it makes my life easier.  Why in the world would I go without it?

Now, lets say the Zombie apocalypse happens and there I am without all of these things I've grown so accustomed to, could I survive?  Absolutely.  I don't depend on technology, I simply take advantage of it.  Would it be hard at first?  Duh.  But i'd get through it.  I've seen The Walking Dead--i'm heading towards the nearest prison and locking myself in.

As someone who loves technology so much, it is no wonder I found this class so interesting.  I enjoyed learning about the theories explaining our media dependence the most--I've applied it to my own life several times; usually thinking that by buying a movie ticket I am decreasing my chance of doing something else media related.  Out of the five classes I'm taking this semester, this one comes up in my every day life the most.  It definitely hasn't been the easiest class, but it has been one of the most enjoyable.  And i'm not just saying that because this is my last chance at a 10/10...or maybe I am.  Whatever.

This Just In: Mickey Mouse Selected to Replace CIA Director Petraeus

See what I did there?  Yeah, that headline--it's FALSE.

Before I get in to the big, bad and the ugly side of blogging, let me first say that I actually do think that a blog is a wonderful tool of expression for most (most being the key word here) people.  In many cases it's simply an online journal--somewhere you can put your thoughts and see if you're crazy or if others actually agree with you.  Other times its a way to voice concerns, write reviews, or just a place to vent/gloat all together.

As a communications major starting to enter the work force through internships, I have had more than one occasion where I've been asked to provide writing samples.  This blog has been one of them.  I've also been asked numerous times why I don't have a blog of my own; and the answer is simple:  I don't want you to judge me.  Well, actually, I don't really care about that so much as the fact that I can only write (truly write) about things I'm passionate about.  With that passion, I realize that others will be equally as passionate about the opposite of whatever I choose to write about.  I just don't want to spend my every waking moment defending myself to people I likely don't even know.  Trust me--I wish I could write about rainbows and lollipops and call it a day, but I can't, I won't, and you can't make me.

The problem lies not within the blog world, but with the news world.  The same news sources that we, as Americans, have come to know and trust.  But how can you trust an outlet that is so hasty to post a story that has not even the slightest of fact checking?  You can't, really, but what are your alternatives?  The instance of Gov. Haley that we read about in the article only goes to show that you (obviously) can't trust everything you read.  Stop focusing on all the problems with the bloggers (because, really, who cares what some Joe Schmoe thinks?) and start focusing on why it is okay for NEWS outlets to report these things like they are facts.

I'll step off my soapbox now, thanks.

Big Brother is Watching (so what?)

In regards to internet privacy, I have to say my level of concern is likely lower than most.  Don't get me wrong, it's a little bit disturbing everything you can find out about a person by simply going online, but it is my philosophy that if you don't have anything to hide you shouldn't have anything to worry about.  I realize there are always exceptions to that, but I know that when I "check-in" on facebook i'm letting the world (or, at the very least, my some 300 facebook friends) know where I am at any given time.  

I like to think that I take steps to prevent people from seeing the things I don't want them to see.  I set my facebook to private, I don't post statuses about things I wouldn't say out loud, my address and phone number aren't prominently displayed (that's not to say you couldn't find them elsewhere, but hey--give me a call sometime, doesn't mean I have to answer.), and I don't post photos I wouldn't show my grandma (obviously--since we're facebook friends).  As far as my financial privacy goes, I make sure that the limited amount of online shopping I do is through a secure website and I always say "no" when it asks if I want it to save my information.  I know, I know, it's still out there, but sometimes you just have to have a little blind faith.  This is not to say I haven't been burned in the past, I've had my information stolen once or twice, but luckily I have fraud protection on all of my debit/credit cards.  For me, the rewards still outweigh the costs.  

What really concerns me about internet privacy is that while I am careful to take these steps to protect myself, I would say the vast majority of people don't even realize their information is at risk.  As for facebook, I had to do a lot of searching to find out how to set my profile to private, delete my phone number, and not allow certain applications to access my information.  Most facebook users are unaware that these things aren't automatic--they're just assuming that facebook has the users' best interest in mind when that is obviously not the case.  The same thing can be said about a lot of things on the internet--you probably don't realize that some places are selling your information to third parties (where do you think all that spam mail is coming from?).  The lack of knowledge about how to protect yourself rather than the monitoring itself is what I think the focus should be on.

All of this is not to say that I am okay with the government or any other entity monitoring my every move.  Yes, there should be regulations in place and yes, there are some things that should remain private.  However, as there is not enough time in the day to go into every aspect of internet privacy, I would again say that overall if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about.

Welcome. You've Got Mail.

I can vividly remember the day my mom told me I was getting a computer.  I was in the sixth grade and had just gotten off the bus at home; I sat down on the couch next to her and listened to her finish up a phone call.  After she hung up she told me that she had just ordered us a computer--I was ecstatic.  A few days later, the computer arrived and I was tasked with setting it all up.  Yes, me, a sixth grader just learning how to type.  I happily pulled everything out of the box: the large tower, the CRT monitor, the wires and cords of the mouse & keys and began matching the colors and plugs.  It took a lot of time and determination, but I finished and turned it on.  It successfully powered up and while we didn't have dial-up internet access, we did have paint, solitaire and minesweep.  I sat there for hours that night playing games and drawing pictures with the mouse.

I honestly am not sure why I remember this so vividly.  Maybe it was because the computer has played such an intregal part in both my personal life and my education that I can't image what life was like before microsoft office and Google or maybe it was because all my friends were getting computers and I was just happy to get one too.  Either way, the computer has only continued to incorporate itself in the many ways I communicate each day.  From the first e-mail I sent, the first instant message I received or the first text message I painstakingly typed out--my time spent on a computer continues to last a little longer each day.

There are countless ways the computer has made my life easier and made information so readily available to me.  I can't imagine not having the power of Google to help me research a paper, or sending a message and getting an almost instantaneous response.  I realize that we are spoiled in the technologies we have that make our way of life easier, but I look forward for the things to come and I'm sure I'll have many more "firsts" where computers and technology are concerned. 

It didn't used to be simpler. It wasn't better before. It's not useless.

When reading this article, the first thing that came to my mind was an image of my grandfather.  Once my grandfather realized it was cheaper to have a cell phone than to pay long distance charges on his home phone he went out and bought one.  It was only a step up from the Zack Morris 'Saved by the Bell' cell phone--the Nokia (you know the one i'm talking about), but he used it faithfully every Sunday as he would make his weekly phone calls to relatives across the country.  He'd get out his address book to hunt down the phone numbers since he was sure he'd never be able to find them in "that phone".  I'd laugh and use this time to tie up the phone line with dial-up internet.

In my mind, I'm telling myself that that'll never be me--I'll always be open to new technology--heck, i'll even look forward to it.  I hope.  Here's the big difference between me and my grandpa:  he grew up in a time of relative constancy as far as technology is concerned; whereas I grew up in the digital age.  I've been bombarded with new advancements in technology for as long as I can remember--from desktop computers that were basically useless unless you liked solitaire, to the internet (AOL), to laptops, to cell phones, to MP3 players, to tablets and the list is growing every day.  I have been forced to keep up.

I'd like to think that i'll continue to evolve with technology, but one thing I have discovered as I "grow up" is that with age comes uncertainty of the unknown.  When I was a child/teen--I had no fear, but now I find myself questioning things I never would have thought twice about.  The author made a reference to foursquare--in my teens I never would've thought twice about "checking in" somewhere whereas now I question whether or not it's safe to let people know that i'm at a movie (meaning i'll be out of my house for at least 2 hours--feel free to rob me blind.).  This is where I find my uncertainty in the future of technology--will I be so eager to learn new technology in 20 years or will the uncertainty get the best of me?  I guess we'll have to wait and see.
 

Home Videos

Growing up, one of my favorite shows was America's Funniest Home Video's hosted by Bob Saget.  I remember watching it with my entire family and we'd all laugh and make our predictions as to who was going to win the $10,000.  Needless to say, home video's have come a long way since the 90's.

Video cameras are more easily accessible now than they've ever been.  We have the capability of shooting video with our phones and other portable devices whereas a video camera used to be carried on your shoulder and were often very expensive.  With video sharing sites like YouTube, it seems like everyone has a video to post.  Granted, the majority of these videos are amateur, but as the old saying goes--"practice makes perfect.".

As I am nearing the end of my college days, I am spending and increasing amount of time on the hunt for jobs that will "beef up" my Communications resume.  Surprisingly, I've found that a number of these jobs or internships would like a general knowledge of video creation and editing.  While it may not be a necessary qualification--it is something that the employer has specifically indicated would give a person the upper edge.  Though I've been known to make a video or two on my iPhone, I wouldn't have thought this qualified as something to list on my resume.  I think it is important to be comfortable with the technology that is afforded to us--we don't have to be proficient in every gadget on the market, but with something like shooting a video we should know the basics and be open to learning more.  After all, you never know when something like video shooting experience will give you the upper hand.

Communication Technology Theories: Displacement Theory

Of all the theories we have covered thus far, the Displacement Theory would have to be my favorite.  In relating this to television, I think it is interesting to consider how much time we spend on another form of media/communication technology effects how much time we spend watching TV.  While the displacement theory would suggest that by spending more time on say, facebook, I am in return not going to spend as much time on TV, in my personal experience I have found that this is not entirely true.

I spend a great deal of time in front of the TV--more than I care to share.  While there are  many things I can't do while watching TV (like reading a book or listening to music), there are still several different forms of communication technology that I can use at the same time.  For instance, I can be doing homework, texting or browsing the internet while also watching TV.  I think this is important to keep in mind when considering the future of television because the displacement theory would indicate that as we spend more and more time on our phones or in front of the computer, we will eventually phase TV out as there will not be enough time for it.  I would argue that this is not the case--as the television is really a multimedia tool that is used for much more than simply watching cable.

I will say that there is likely a decline in the amount of time we use the TV due to other forms of technology, but I also believe that TV will always play a role in most of our lives.  Not only for cable viewing, but also for video game use, movie watching and even some devices allow us to access the internet from our television.  In my opinion, as long as the television continues to evolve with the creation of new technologies, there will always be a place for it in many American households.