Issue of Privacy

After reading the articles relating to the issue of protecting your identity and your privacy in a society where everything is based online, I found myself beginning to wonder whether people knew more about me than I thought. Of course privacy has always been an issue that I have been concerned with regarding my Facebook profile and other online activity, I never realized there are so many options available to people to help them get ahold of your personal information without you ever knowing about it. There was one statement within the article "Did the Internet Kill Privacy?" that really struck me during my reading, as it stated, "we're not losing that control … we're giving it away - every time we buy with credit cards, use cell phones which signal our location, or post pictures on social networks like Facebook. Just sending an e-mail may make public private information." Unintentionally or not, people are making themselves vulnerable to privacy invasions just by partaking in online activities such as being a member of a social network or using the Internet to purchase items online.

While I have always been cautious with the use of Facebook by making everything on my profile private to individuals I did not know, never had it dawned on me that there were ways people could use to get around these settings. Although I have heard stories before of people getting trouble for things they posted online, Ashley Payne's story really hit home for me because she is in the same profession I hope to be in one day. Hearing that just one mindless action can cause such severe consequences makes me think twice about what activities I engage in online. No picture, no status, no magazine subscription is losing your job, or your right to privacy at that.

Issues with Cloud Computing

"The Cloud. Originally, it was just a metaphor for the Internet, the area outside of your own network". However, over the past few years this new phenomenon known as cloud computing has grown to great heights. No longer are people wasting their time fishing out large amounts of money and space to personally shelter their data and personal information in devices such as hard drives or high functioning computers. Instead, people are now choosing to rely on the convenience cloud computing system's interface software has to offer to run applications and store data.

Although there are many advantages to the cloud model, there are also a wide array of disadvantages that need to be considered. In the article, "The Not So Obvious Problems With Cloud Computing" published on articlesbase.com, many issues with cloud computing are mentioned in an attempt to open people's minds to the problems that may arise from this new phenomenon. As the article states, one of the biggest problems with cloud computing today is privacy, as "you are no longer managing the security of your organization". Questions of who might be accessing your information, and what lengths are the software companies going to in order to ensure complete security to their client are ones that people need to be thinking about when deciding whether to subscribe to these online software companies. Other issues brought up within the article include the reliability of the company, and whether or not it is truly more efficient to be storing information online, where the probability of the company's network giving out is much higher than the probability of your own personal hard drives crashing.

While these concerns are understandable, it is up to consumers to weigh out the benefits and disadvantages of cloud computing. For large businesses, the concerns may be greatly overshadowed by the advantages it has to bring, while for small business owners, investing in cloud computing may not be worth the risks it brings. 

Is Social Media Becoming an Addiction?

After reading the article, "Students Denied Social Media Go Through Withdrawals" by Jill Laster, I found myself questioning whether or not social media is becoming an actual addiction or if it is just the way most people choose to communicate in our society today. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, addiction is defined as "a persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful". Although people may experience emotional side effects when disconnected from social medias such as anxiety and misery, these effects are minimal in comparison to withdrawals felt by other people facing addiction problems and do not pose an immediate threat to a person's overall health. I have never met anyone who has ever experienced physical withdrawals symptoms such as sweating or difficulty breathing because of their inability to access media. 

Although I do frequently use various forms of social medias throughout the day, I do not think that I should be classified as having an addiction. If anything, my addiction would be my need to constantly stay connected with friends and family and my cell phone and the Internet are the outlets I use to fulfill this need. Just as Susan D. Moeller explains within the article, “going without media meant, in their world, going without their friends and family". For those who have grown up with the luxury of technology, it is hard to think of alternative ways to communicate with their peers other than through the use of media devices such as cell phones and social networks. Personally, I feel that this sense of disconnect from others is the reason for the anxiety many people report feeling in the article after being cut off from media sources, therefore making it invalid to automatically label those experiencing these symptoms as being addicted to social media.

My Thoughts on 21st Century Literacy

            After viewing the lecture created by Sandy Gambill as well as the "Infowhelm and Information Fluency" video, it has become more evident to me why it is now a cultural norm for people in America to be experienced in the art of multitasking. With new forms of technology popping up daily in society it is no wonder that terms such as literacy and competency are being redefined in a way that captures the importance of integrating technology into everyday life. Individuals in our society must now be literate in more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic. People must now also have the ability to understand, evaluate, and apply their knowledge of the media and of computer tools and programs to daily living in order to be literate.

            However, along with this new integration of technology come new problems for many Americans, as they grapple with finding the right balance between the use of this technology and more traditional modes of communication. As the video explained, “It’s a 24/7 always on infowhelm world”. With modes such as email, social networks, cell phones, video streaming, and various other media, people now have the opportunity to be connected at all hours of the day to immeasurable amounts of information and numbers of resources. 

            Although the use of technology in today’s society has many benefits, I have many concerns as a future educator about the overuse of technology in the classroom. As technology usage is becoming more prevalent, people are beginning to question whether or not changes should be made in schools that shift the focus of teaching from traditional tasks to instead focusing on learning ways to use technology in order to obtain information. While it is important to integrate technology into the classroom, students should not be taught to depend on it for everything they do. Students should instead be taught the value of hard work and strength of mind through more conventional ways of learning, while using technology only as an occasional resource to further their current knowledge of a subject.