Understandably, this post is entirely based upon personal opinion and informal, anecdotal evidence. Reflecting upon the concluding questions of our discussion of social media's effects and ethics, it practically goes without saying that the internet is at the beginning of its life. I wouldn't quite call it a newborn, but more like an obnoxious 5 year old who is running and screaming everywhere, always getting in your business and consuming nearly every moment of your existence. I know there is so much more growing to be done for the internet and most especially social media. Unfortunately, as I find myself contemplating what else there could possibly be invented in the world (for everything MUST be taken by now), along comes something ingenious and fresh like Groupon forcing me to banish those thoughts. I should just come to terms now with the fact that I will probably never be one of those internet moguls down in Silicon Valley, thrust into the life of a m/billionaire by the luck and skill of a great idea. But while I have no revolutionary concepts, only 1 out of every 20 of those great ideas that turn into startups ever get off the ground. I admire anyone with the entrepreneurial spirit but it may not be for me, unless of course, I have a really great idea. But I digress...
Like a 5 year old, the internet is not essential. At least, not to my existence. I don't need a screaming child in my life right now. Let's not take that first statement too seriously; I love kids, I love 6 year olds, but 5 year olds are a whole different story. In the early nineties, when the cell phone began to expand within the consumer market, a portable telephone seemed superfluous. Why would you need to pay all that money just to have people follow you around all the time? Fast forward fifteen years and most people today can hardly imagine life without it. Based on how much planning I do and information I send and receive via my phone, life becomes a "struggle" when it becomes incapacitated for whatever reason for more than a day. As far as I'm concerned, the internet has not quite reached this point...yet. As social media becomes more ingrained and interconnected with every aspect of our daily lives, the internet will become increasingly less separate from us. The effects are already apparent but the direction things are turning are quickly towards one mass connected site to which you have access to at all hours of the day, anywhere on earth and can do anything on. If the image of a screaming 5 year old doesn't scare you, how about Facebook as your best friend and confidante, your financial planner and real estate agent, your personal trainer and cardiologist? Social media could quickly become your everything.
Unlike most people I feel as though life would be more relaxing without a cell phone or sometimes even the internet. Every now and then I might leave my cell phone at home just so I don't have to answer any calls. I enjoy the convenience of having a cell phone, but sometimes it can be quite annoying. Similar to cell phones, the internet is convenient when I need it, but otherwise it is just a hassle. I already feel overwhelmed by having an email, facebook, and twitter account, and I can't imagine becoming any more connected than I already am. If the internet is going to become something that connects everything all the time, I hope that day doesn't come because I enjoy being able to take a break and disconnect myself from the internet.
ReplyDeleteFor me personally, I see the internet as a teenager entering puberty. Although teens are still as needy as 5 year olds, today's internet is trying to figure out its identity and purpose in the world. Its constantly trying to redefine itself through new applications whether that be a giant P2P sharing service or a well-connected social network. On the human side of things, we all know what the internet is, frequently use it, and have integrated it into our lives. However, I feel as though this integration is still rather awkward, similar to a teen trying to understand their own emotions and bodies during puberty. Today, it is common to see people complaining about their dependency on social media and lacking trust in dealing with the cyberspace. Despite this, I have faith in us figuring out the optimal way to cohesively integrate the applications of the internet into our daily lives so that it is no longer a distinction between the web and reality.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we can really give the internet a definite age because, as Justin said, it keeps changing. People say that the dot com boom is pretty much over, and thus quick money cannot be made off the Internet. Yet, as we speak, domain names like Pizza.com and Sex.com are selling for millions of dollars.
ReplyDeleteWhat we do know for sure, is that the internet is not going anywhere soon. I actually feel that we haven't even realized the true potential of the internet, let alone try and tap it. Its possible that the Internet becomes more a part of us, not only metaphorically but also literally. Human brains enhanced Google Search, or GPS could be just around the corner.
Perhaps the internet as we will come to know it hasn't even been born yet.
-Bhavik
I very much like your analogy of the internet as a child. I can't quite say that I would call it a 5 year-old, but I agree with the way you describe it. It seems that the internet is rapidly taking over everything in our lives. Whenever I need an answer to a question, I turn to the internet. There are services all over the internet that function as a replacement for people. Like you said about Facebook, the internet can take the place of a friend, a doctor, etc. While I am not saying that Facebook is a good or real friend or doctor and so forth, I do believe that more people are interpreting it that way. It will be very interesting to watch the internet grown up during our lifetime.
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