Persuaders response

"The Persuaders" begins by questioning the increase in the amount of advertising we typically encounter in our daily lives. How would you assess the amount of advertising you see? Too much? Too little? Just right? In your view, what difference does it make to know that people today see much more advertising in their daily lives than people 20 or 30 years ago?

I think the amount of advertising one sees depends upon their lifestyle. The more time you spend on the internet, watching T.V., traveling, etc., the more advertisements you will encounter. I think I see more advertisements when I am at home than when I'm at school. I think our society is flooded with advertisements and organizations are constantly pushing a new idea or product. I tend to watch more T.V. at home so I encounter numerous advertisements in commercials. I also drive more while I'm home so I am constantly seeing signs and billboards for new items and services and hearing advertisements on the radio. On campus, I often see flyers for different events, clubs, and more. We also get menus and flyers from local businesses and restaurants who are trying to attract the nearby students. Overall, I think I would say the amount of advertisement I encounter at school is just right, but the amount I experience at home is a little excessive. I'm not surprised that we see more advertisements now than 20 or 30 years ago because it is just the natural progression and expansion of society and technology. There are more companies and businesses out there now and more mediums to send out advertisements through. I also think that people buy more now than they used to so advertisements must be pretty effective.

Digital Nation Response 2

This section of the documentary highlighted both positive and negative effects of technology. It showed how the growing use of laptops in middle and high schools helped students take part in a more interactive learning experience. In the example at the Bronx Middle School, it even helped to cut down on the amount of fights between students and the general chaos that normally took place in the halls and more. It did create somewhat of a distraction and I thought it was funny how the vice principal could open up the students' screens on his computer and catch them on photobooth and more. I think my own high school would have benefited from having students use laptops because it is good preparation for college where we rely on our computers for the majority of our work and communication. The other positive display of technology was with the portion about "Bubbe." I really enjoyed this segment about Bubbe and her online cooking show with her grandson. I think it would be beneficial for more elderly people to learn about the internet. Being able to use the internet will help them stay in contact with people, provide entertainment, and keep their brains active.

On the negative side, I think that the idea of "Second Life" and World of War Craft is a little ridiculous. I was surprised that companies actually used the Second Life program to conduct business and meetings. The executives created avatars and met up in conference rooms online instead of in person. The Second Life creators even lacked real desks/offices and phones at their headquarters and instead had elaborate offices in their Second Life world. The use of online socializing extended into the gaming world with World of War Craft. I was unaware of how popular World of War Craft was. The film showed scenes from a convention where these online friends were able to meet for the first time. I was shocked that people had built relationships that grew into marriages just from meeting on World of War Craft gaming missions. Sometimes it feels as though technology is taking over our lives. Finally, the documentary covered the military's use of technology. I was taken a back that they have the capability to use drones in combat. I think that this use of technology may have distanced the men from the actual severity of war. I think this practice is dangerous, especially seeing as there have been civilian casualties in a number of these cases.

The second portion of this film successfully depicted the two sides to the good and the bad of technology. After watching it, I came away questioning how much is too much? ..and has technology gone too far?

Digital Nation Response

From what we've watched so far, I found "Digital Nation" extremely interesting. I knew our population was 'addicted' to our various technology devices, but I was unaware of the severity of media technology in South Korea.

The first segment that showed MIT students on campus and in classrooms constantly texting, on Facebook, and more, reminded me of students here at Marist too. I think the extensive use of cell phones and the internet is universal for all students our age. These devices become our lifelines and we truly are 'constantly connected.' As numerous people in the film commented, "We wouldn't know what to do without them..even for a day!"

I was really blown away by the second part of the documentary that focused on how the younger generation in South Korea uses technology. I had no idea that they begin teaching about the internet to children at 6 or 7 years old. It was surprising, but also kind of humorous and unsettling. The young boys and girls were singing a song called "netiquette" that had lyrics in it about the "community of friends" you can have online. It seemed strange that they start at such a young age. I'm sure this contributes to how advanced their society is, but I don't know if it is healthy for a child to be taught how to surf the web in the second grade. The movie also discussed PC bars that are located throughout the cities, opened 24 hours a day, where kids can come and play video games as long as they like. This gaming obsession has led to the development of treatment centers for the addicted youth. It is like rehab for gamer addicts. I felt bad for kids who had to go to these camps and were struggling with their addictions. It is very bizarre and I think it is ridiculous how far this country has let the technology craze go.

I look forward to watching the rest of "Digital Nation" and seeing how these individual stories progress.

Web 2.0 defintions

Defintions under the "comment" option