Blog 4

Blog 4 is news really news

New media is a constantly growing and unpredictable entity that can be controlled or manipulated by others. The dangers of this entity that we call social media or unreliable media is taking over the web like a virus and who is to blame? We are for either spreading lies or misleading others so we can gain some kind of compensation. So to me the biggest danger of new media is the loss of actual relevant news.

People are taking less of an interest in real news and are focusing on bloggers, twitter, Facebook and reality TV and the information they are receiving isn’t really news worthy or true. With new technology media has become easily accessible and certain types are dying out such as actual newspapers, so now these old forms of media have to give the people what they want instead of the actual news.  According to the website Freepress in its article “Give the People What They Want”. “We can point to cable news channels that spew an endless stream of celebrity gossip, talking head pundits and sensationalism. And we can point to newspapers that are gutting local political and issue coverage and replacing it with generic wire reports and lifestyle articles.” It seems to me that all that anyone is interested in is gossip about other people’s lives. Now this could be to help escape the reality of their miserable lives or they could just feed off deception and betrayal. One good example is the reality TV show Keeping up with the Kardashians, According to Radar online, “In summer 2012, the family signed a deal for $30 million to star in three more seasons of E!’s Keeping Up With According to Forbes, Kim Kardashian is the highest-paid woman in reality TV, earning $18 million a year—but most of that is from endorsement deals and NOT the family reality shows!”. This has to be one of our biggest problems with new media people are losing focus on real life this is causing people to be less and less interested in actual news and what’s going on in the world.

            People are so distracted with TV shows and celebrity gossip that they fail to show interest in actual news and companies see this and in order to stay out of the red, they have to appeal to our interests like celebrity news, fashion, and other unimportant things.  Soon when things start happening around the world that affects our day-to-day lives and people will look back and say, “I should have paid more attention to actual news.” Now is there any way that this can be fix? Can we get people interested in the actual news worthy material sadly I don’t think so, as long as TV  and social media sites provide the illusion of escape then there can be no change.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bibliography

 

"They Make How Much?! The 23 Highest-Paid Reality TV Stars." Radar Online. N.p., n.d. Web.

 

"Give The People What They Want." Free Press. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.

Blog Project

Blog Project

1. Bullying in general has been a problem for a long time but now that we moved into the new age we now have Cyber-Bullying which has become a serious issue on media sites.  Cyber-bullying is a serious issue, it’s gotten so serious that people are getting arrested in relations to suicide. Fox news states that “Two girls have been arrested in the death of a 12-year-old central Florida girl who authorities say committed suicide after being bullied online by several girls for nearly a year.” These girls who were arrested had searched for reasons to bully this girl and find her breaking point. But I can’t blame the girls fully all parents involved should have been taking more of an interest in there child’s lives my mom still ask me to this day how’s school going and I respond with good or I have no complaints. Bullying is so serious that Florida has made a law named after a suicide victim the law mostly leaves punishment up to the school that the issue is accruing at but law enforcement may step in.
2. Back in the day an identity thief had to either get your information from your garbage, over the phone or steal your wallet. Today your information is everywhere just floating around the Web waiting for someone who knows what they’re doing to put the pieces together. According to YourScoreAndMore “Facebook identity theft is of particular concern because people share so much of their lives on this social network”. But with today’s technology constantly advancing the criminal world is advancing with it. There are so many ways an individual can steal your information not just by using social media sites there’s always viruses that give a hacker access to your computer or email address and there’s key logger this allows an individual to record what your type. So just be aware and caucus when opening an email or putting your information online.
3. Some studies have come up with the notion that the internet and other media sites can cause some people to become depressed.  According to Thomson Reuters "Excessive internet use is associated with depression”. I am finding that with Facebook people are becoming depressed after reading there friends post and finding that there friends had a weekend get together and said individual wasn’t invited. People are also get depressed when they don’t get any likes on their statues. Social media is a window into everyone’s lives, it gives user’s access to everything there friends and families are doing.  The question is why that individual just become a bit more active socially can’t or is said person shy and doesn’t know how to address their friends to get and invite to hang out.  Why cant they just turn off the internet or the website, this leads me into my next concern addiction.
4. Internet addiction is a growing concern people are spending every minute of their lives on the internet. When I go out to dinner I see couples on their phone texting or Facebooking with other friends when they should be socializing with each other, I am guilty of this sometimes but I do it because my date or friend does it and I feel awkward sitting there doing nothing.  According to Internet & Computer Addiction there are many reasons that a user can be addicted to the internet some of those addictions are “Cyber-Relationship Addiction – addiction to social networking, chat rooms, texting, and messaging to the point where virtual, online friends become more important than real-life relationships with family and friends and Net Compulsions – such as compulsive online gaming, gambling, stock trading, or compulsive use of online auction sites such as eBay, often resulting in financial and job-related problems”. There are a lot of reasons why people maybe addicted to their computers or smart phones and yes it’s a growing problem where people are losing their jobs, losing their money and also getting hurt mentally and physically.
5. I find the internet and other sites to be a waste of time I usually use them to pass the time before class or other activities where I have to wait for long periods of time. According to Gawker “The report from the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project found that on any given day, 53 percent of 18 to 29 year-olds go online just to have fun or pass time”. I find this number to be really low think about how many moms or older women play candy crush or pet farm saga or something along those lines on Facebook daily I can tell you I get over 200 game requests weekly from my friends on Facebook, it gets supper annoying after a while.  This goes for the younger generation also always on Facebook or twitter, taking selfies or tweeting about their day no one wants to know what you do every second of the day also we already know what you look like why do you need to take more pictures of you making kissy faces I just don’t get it.
6. - The internet and search engines like Google have gotten so big they have philological effects named after them like the Google effect which stated by Therapy Matters “According to these researchers, people are more likely to look for information on the Internet, and when easy to find, they're more likely to remember where they found it, rather than the information itself”. I agree with this to a point, when it comes to information I got care about and am just trying to put into like a blog I may forget it but when comes to something that I am serious about learning I remember the information easier. It’s just amazing that there’s an effect out there named after a search engine our society is becoming overwhelmed by the internet and what it has to offer if things keep going this way the computers will eventually take over (Yes I just referenced the terminator movies).
7. People today must have trouble understanding that the internet isn’t all factual, there are tons of bloggers and media site spreading false information. People need to realize this and start checking sources then there hear about someone or something. Some individuals go to extreme lengths to spread false information and example being from an article posted by NY Daily News stating that “There has been misinformation coming from people posing as the shooter in this case, using other IDs, mimicking this crime and crime scene,” Vance said, adding that some of the posts are of a “threatening manner.” Now that’s just disturbing who gets a thrill out of pretending to be the killer of small children? I agree with the article anyone who possess or helps spread false information on purpose should be held accountable. People should be held accountable for all 10 of my concerns.
8. Another big concern I have about media is that employers are using our own lives against us by asking us to open and go through our social media accounts, talk about an invasion of privacy. Just because the economy sucks and people are clawing through the mud to get jobs doesn’t mean our civil rights should be violated by employers. Thankfully according to CNET in the article six states outlaw employer snooping on Facebook, “The laws are designed to prohibit employers from requiring an employee or job applicant to provide their username and password for social media accounts, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.” How is it that only 6 states are going along with this law I believe it’s because the Man (Big Businesses) controls the state there in or maybe the mayor, I am just a suspicious man.
9. The internet isn’t just a tool for people to socialize or find information the internet also gives freedom to different types of racist organizations. Hate/racial organizations have converted from the old ways of meeting in private locations to spreading there message worldwide via the internet.  There is a web site called Stormfront that is dedicated to the promoting the white man’s heritage and according to The Birmingham News in the article White supremacist spreads views on net “More than 600,000 visits have been recorded to Stormfront since it went on-line in March 1995, Black said. It is an informal group with no meetings, no membership dues and a few thousand people who are on a newsletter mailing list or participate in computer bulletin board message conferences.” This article is all about the views of a former KKK member named Don Black, what’s funny to me is that this man is racist but his last name is black to funny, do you think his former KKK buddies made fun of him.
10. Now my own person concern with the internet is that big brother is always watching us they have hundreds of key words that if said with be flagged and the NSA will be allowed to read through your message. Homeland security was forced to reveal this list to the public so according to the Associated Newspapers in the article Revealed: Hundreds of words to avoid using online if you don't want the government spying on you, this “list includes obvious choices such as 'attack', 'Al Qaeda', 'terrorism' and 'dirty bomb' alongside dozens of seemingly innocent words like 'pork', 'cloud', 'team' and 'Mexico'.” Some of these words are used every day think about it how many of these key words do you use daily on social media or in a text message for example lets got to Target to get some new Pipe for the Gas Leak in the stove, right there I said 4 words that will be flagged. Our rights are being extremely violated but we the people have been subject to so much security that we don’t care anymore and we just say eh it’s for the best. Well when we are being marched around for our own protection then you’ll say damn I wish I said something before.

 

Bibliography

1. "Girls, 12 and 14, Arrested in Death of Bullied Florida Girl Who Killed Herself." Fox News. FOX News Network, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

2.  "How Criminals Steal Your Identity Online." YourScoreAndMore. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

3. "Study Links Excessive Internet Use to Depression." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 03 Feb. 2010. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

4. "Internet & Computer Addiction." Internet and Computer Addiction: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.

5. "Scientists Confirm the Internet Is Huge Waste of Time." Gawker. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

6. "Therapy Matters." The Google Effect. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

7. "Social Media Users Spreading False Information about Sandy Hook Massacre Could Face Charges, Say Police." NY Daily News. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

8. "Six States Outlaw Employer Snooping on Facebook." CNET. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

9. "White Supremacist Former KKK Leader Spreads Views on Net." White Supremacist Former KKK Leader Spreads Views on Net. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

10. Miller, Daniel. "Revealed: Hundreds of Words to Avoid Using Online If You Don't Want the Government Spying on You (and They Include 'pork', 'cloud' and 'Mexico')." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 26 May 2012. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

Positive and Negative effects of Facebook

Positive and Negative effects of Facebook

 

           There are many positive and negative effects when it comes to Facebook its really all on the individuals perspective and life experience with the site or other social media sites. I feel that Facebook and other media sites alike could be harmful to a selected group of individuals but at the same time it can help people branch out.

           Some of the negative effects of Facebook is that people are using it way to often which leads to some forms of depressions. News technology reports in their article Facebook use 'makes people feel worse about themselves', “Checking Facebook made people feel worse about both issues, and the more they browsed, the worse they felt, the University of Michigan research said”. People get so caught up in their friend’s lives and when something happens like a party or an event and the individual finds out by reading post or browsing pictures that they weren’t invited they can feel left out or isolated. At least before Facebook or other social media sites you didn’t know everything that happened in your social circle. According to Sam Woolfe in his article The Negative Effects of Facebook: Addiction, Social Isolation and Depression, he states there are 3 main negative effects of Facebook he says “Facebook’s utility and popularity often masks its more psychologically damaging aspects, of which there seems to be three: addiction, social isolation and depression”. Facebook addiction is a problem and a serious distraction people are so glued to their phones that they don’t pay attention to their surrounds often hurting them self or others. These three things addiction, depression and isolation can be a serious problem if you don’t be careful and possibly avoided with less time on Facebook and more interaction with friends and family life is to short if you keep your head down texting or posting comments you just might miss out on some good times.

           Although there are many negative effects of Facebook but there are also quite a few positive effects. One of the positives of Facebook are education according to Graham Jones in his article  The Positive Effects Facebook Has Had on Society Since Its Creation in his article he ask us to  “consider the amount of reading and writing that young people are now doing every day, simply because they are using Facebook so much”. People struggle constantly to get their children to read and write or even get them away from the TV or video game console. Facebook provides an environment for young adults to socialize in the form of writing instead of racking up their parents phone bill gossiping about how Jill kissed Johnny under the bleachers.  Know kids and some adults have the ability to hone in on there reading and writing skills while socializing with friends and family. Another positive effect Facebook and other social medias have had on sociality is that it gives the users the ability to keep in touch with friends and family no matter where you may be located. I think Vanessa Ho said it best in her article Facebook Keeps Families in Touch she said “Some people use Facebook to meet friends and find old ones, but many use it to strengthen relationships they already have”. That’s what society needs, we need to make new friends, strengthen our bonds with our friends and family so we can become a stronger society of humans.

           In conclusion although there are just as many negatives as there are positives to Facebook and other social media sites, I feel that the positives strongly out way the negatives. Facebook has reconnected lost friends as well as lost loves, it’s such a great way of staying connected with people you have known and people you will soon know. Facebook may be addicting and may cause some people to feel left out but if you don’t use it then you’ll miss out on some great memories that your friends and family want to share with their social circle.

 

 

Bibliography

1. Graham Jones Article: The Positive Effects Facebook Has Had on Society Since Its Creation

“consider the amount of reading and writing that young people are now doing every day, simply because they are using Facebook so much”

 

1. Vanessa Ho Article: Facebook Keeps Families in Touch.

“Some people use Facebook to meet friends and find old ones, but many use it to strengthen relationships they already have”.

 

1. News Technology Article: Facebook use 'makes people feel worse about themselves'

“Checking Facebook made people feel worse about both issues, and the more they browsed, the worse they felt, the University of Michigan research said”.

 

1. Sam Woolfe Article: The Negative Effects of Facebook: Addiction, Social Isolation and Depression

“Facebook’s utility and popularity often masks its more psychologically damaging aspects, of which there seems to be three: addiction, social isolation and depression”.

Advantages and Disadvantages when it comes to the use of the internet

There are many advantages and disadvantages when it comes to the use of the internet, the advantages can range from the smallest convenience to something more extravagant like other cultures sharing there cures in the medical field. The disadvantages of the internet also range from could be bad to disastrous example being it allows hate groups to spread to other states.   So we should be asking the question what the internet provides for us that no other can. This also raises the question where will we be in 50-100 years.

            The main advantages of having full access to the internet is convenience, having it right there in the palm of your hand 24 hours a day for and circumstance that presents itself an example being GPS if you’re on the bus, train, driving or even walking your GPS can calculate the fast route to get there or it’ll tell you that the route is unavailable due to lack of trains or roads. Another advantage of having access to the internet is pure knowledge everything is on the internet if you need to find what and where the largest building in the world is Google or Yahoo can and will proved the answer, if you want to know who holds the record for the raunchiest thing in the world (use your imagination) the internet search engines out there will provide you with those hard or interesting questions that you seek. In an article Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet by Ashwini Ambekar wrote how “Chat rooms, video conferencing are some of the latest additions in this technology and these have allowed people to chat in real time irrespective of the location of the parties involved. The intranet allows for people within an organization to easily communicate and share information.” Communication is a strong resource that the internet provides a few examples being Document sharing if there’s a breakthrough in a cure for stupid the information can be shared to the main researcher that is perfecting the cure for stupid which we all know there isn’t an actual cure or maybe you don’t. But with all these wonderful advantages there are just as much or more disadvantages of the internet.

            Now that we have discussed the advantages lets go through some of the disadvantages which could just be the opinion of this guy (thumbs pointed at the writer of this blog). The biggest disadvantage to me would be the accessibility of the internet, for example why do we (I include myself) as humans feel the need to always check our statuses? When I send an email or write on my Facebook I feel the need to always check it to see if anyone has responded or commented, it’s a distraction from what is going on around you. Another disadvantage is Big brother watching, now that almost everyone carries a cell phone or emails to communicate the government feels the need to listen either to your calls or just turn your microphone on and listen to your conversations (all in the prevention of terrorism) Now you may be reading these and saying well if you aren’t doing anything wrong than why should you care? And my answer to you is simple what one man or women feels is a crime another may feel its purely expressing their rights as an American. Ok my last disadvantage is job security, with the internet being so Multi-Oriented its making some jobs obsolete soon there will be no need for retail stores because it’ll be cheaper just to order it from the factory or they’ll be no need for interpreters (thanks to Google)  or travel agents. It’s getting to the point that you really don’t need to leave your house to find or get anything.

            So now that you know my view points on the advantages and disadvantages of the internet and how these may differ from the opinions of another. Just realize that the expansion of technology will continue to expand do to the internet being so connected worldwide leaving most things that could befit us as humans obsolete.


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