New Media Technologies: the Good & the Bad

Frances Cairncross wrote 25 predictions/factoids in his book The Death of Distance about how new media technologies are revolutionary. The internet, PCs, cell phones, and TV have changed the way mankind does business forever, unless someone manages set to permanently destroy technology like Kurt Russell in Escape from L. A. These new technologies changed mankind, but progress and technology is a double-edged sword; in other words, what may be intended for good can be used for bad. Here are 3 examples from the 25 aforementioned factoids of how new media technologies can negatively affect us:

1. Loss of privacy. Identity theft is crime many fear of today, so the freedom of our privacy will be sacrificed in order to compenstate. I like my privacy, but what is a good balance between security and lack of personal privliages? Until a definitive answer can be given, "Big Brother is watching you."

Security on the internet is needed, I thank the Good Lord Almighty no one in my family has been id snatched, but some people have too many rights taken away because of some biased watchdogs.

2. Decline of National Authority. Kids do NOT need to see certain things on the internet. Video game programmers deserve credit, both monteary & publicity, where credit is do; piracy diminishes their profits. I believe in small government, but when the government by the people for the people has reduced power to protect our rights, we all suffer because our children can be hurt, ie child porn, and the rewards for uniqueness, ie intellectual rights, can be severely hurt.

If someone wants their content shared freely, I'm all for that, but when someone puts their heart and soul into their work and they don't reap the rewards of their labor, that is a major blow to each creator's morale.

3. World Peace cannot ever be achieved with technolocial innovation & advancement alone. As long as people hate, lust, & are greedy, technology will only aide the corrupt.

1st Post of Hopefully Many

This is my first post for my student blog for my Mass Communications class 355. I hope this blog will grow into something much bigger, though.