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Have you ever seen a single episode of Gossip Girl? If you
haven’t here is the basic premise: there is a person, a girl from the sound of
her voice in the show, who keeps up with the lives of the Upper-East Siders of
New York City. She tracks them down and posts things about them through her web
page and text messages. Her powers of finding the characters in the most compromising
of situations are pretty limitless especially with the technology she possesses.
Why am I talking about this show for this particular blog? In
the article “The Terrifying Truth About New Technology” by Daniel H. Wilson,
the author discusses the reactions to technology by the older population, whom
he says are not really afraid of the new technology, but more so of growing older
in the daily evolving world of technology.
I absolutely love the show, but if you look at it from the perspective
of the article it is pretty scary having one “person” who does not interact
with you face to face to post your life online or through some text messages.
People in your own life I am sure hide behind the comfort of their computer or
phone screen to post and send cowardly messages.
How many social networks do you have active? Up until last
year I had a MySpace, and Facebook account active. Although I did not use
MySpace anymore it still held a part of my life in the World Wide Web. Currently
you will find me on Facebook, Twitter and most recently Instagram.
Personally, I fought against everything to get a Twitter,
because I thought it was so stupid, sorry for the chosen word, but there is no
other way to explain the way I felt about people posting their every thought
and actions. Now I am all in it, posting the whispering words floating in my
head and the steps I take through each day that passes by. I am part of the 500
million people since April of this year to post in 140 characters or less my
very existence.
Just like I did not want Twitter I wanted Intagram much
less, because as I read somewhere online, “Instagram is for people who can’t
read.” One of my best friends convinced me to get it, so after much
consideration I dove into the most recent craze. A primary reason why I decided
to join another application that will waste my phone’s battery is that I am
after all a communications major, and I should be in touch with the new
technology that arises. Plus, it is pretty fun becoming a professional
photographer with the touch of a few buttons to create some cool edited
pictures.
Going back to the show, the problem with all these social
networks is that if you do not turn off the GPS setting it will broadcast to
the whole world exactly where you are. I do not want a Gossip Girl of sorts to
be able to see my every move, even though I sometimes post about it. Let me
make the choice on whether I want you to know where I am and what I am doing. If
you go to someone that has the GPS on in Twitter, if you click on the location
it will take you to Google Maps, and it shows exactly where you are located.
Not only with the whole virtual picture of the place but with the coordinates
too, just so you don’t get lost.
I think it all comes down to being wise in how the
technology is used. There is no need to be frightened by it or by the fact that
you are getting older. It’s hard for me to adapt to the new trends, even if I
am part of the younger population. I am usually the last one of my friends to
embrace a new social network, but I try to at least attempt it just to be in
touch with the world. One of my favorite inventions are CDs, I still use them
way more than I use my phone, iPod or computer to listen to music, because the
memories of holding one, truly transports you to a previous time and place.
I honestly do not want Gossip Girl following me around as
much as I like the show. Not that I fit the profile that she would follow, but
everyone in a way is a #GG when it comes to knowing about their social circles.
You are connected to know what is going on and who is doing what with who. Pay
attention to how many times in a conversation you bring up something you saw on
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, MySpace, etc.
Advice of the day: One more thing, that should be noted. With all these new forms of communicating, don't forget how to actually talk to people. Do NOT send a text message to break up with someone or to argue with them. Have the courage to have a face to face conversation. I think it's important to mention this, because as much as you should embrace new technology, don't let it be your only means of communicating. Get out of the house and socialize.
Advice of the day: One more thing, that should be noted. With all these new forms of communicating, don't forget how to actually talk to people. Do NOT send a text message to break up with someone or to argue with them. Have the courage to have a face to face conversation. I think it's important to mention this, because as much as you should embrace new technology, don't let it be your only means of communicating. Get out of the house and socialize.
I think you missed an important point of the article and that's the fact that the adaptation process slows down rather naturally. So it would seem inevitable as new technologies come along that don't fit your schema as you get older that you, too, will fall victim to this tendency even though you now somewhat reluctantly keep trying the new comm techs. Eventually, this article suggests, you will be less likely to do it. Is that the tendency of your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles?
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