Blog #1

             Over the course of the last to weeks we have talked about many things. There were two topics that stood out to me’ obsolete technology and gratifications from the media.

 Obsolete technology is a very interesting topic because in today’s society something new comes out almost every day. It was interesting though to stop and think about the technology you used to use. It was funny when we all made a list in lab for all the old technological devices that we used to use back in the day. Things like Nintendo 64, pollard cameras, flip phones, and so much more. It was funny to hear someone say an object that you still use to this day. Nintendo 64 was my favorite one. My roommates and I used Nintendo almost every weekend. We like to play what is called ‘Drunk Driving’ with Mario Cart.

Technology is getting more and more advanced every single day, and with today’s economy it is tough to keep up. But what I am concerned about that is, what is it doing to today’s society. I recently watched a Ted Talk video in my sociology theory (SOC 405) by Sherryle Turkle called “Alone Together”. [ Ted Talk Video -  http://www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle_alone_together.html ]

            In this video Sherryle Turkle talks about how technology is taking over today’s society. It is changing the way that we do everything. Sherryle mainly focused on everyday cell phone use. She had many great points. One point was that we would rather send a text then make a phone call. Sending a text is easier for use to do instead of make a phone call because it allows us to think about what we are going to say, then edit, think again, and finally send the message back. This gives us the chance to ‘save face’. Making a phone call does not give us the connivence of editing what we are going to say. Talking on the phone or in face to face allows us to really find out who that other person is. Answering instantly is a lot more nerve-racking then texting because we do not have anything to hid behind. This is going to be a huge problem for the younger generations when they have to go for an interview. Text messaging is great, but we need not take advantage of it. 

Sherryle Turkle really explained that we use technology to give us multiple gratifications. The fact that we can search the web at anytime almost anywhere is crazy. But is it causing more bad then good? This answer can go both ways. In the video, Sherryle shows pictures of CEO’s texting during meetings, and lawyers on their phones during court. This is just like students texting during class or surfing the web for anything they please when it would be most beneficial to be paying attention instead. Yes this technology has made the world a better place, but it is also causing harm to humans. In a way it has made us ruder. Sherryle goes into great detail about this in her video and if you have 20 minutes you should all watch it.

Technology is always going to change, but we need to make sure that it does not have a negative affect to how we interact in society.