Reflections from the previous 2 classes. First Blog Post for Dr. Kinghorn's Social Media Class

Week one and two of class can be summed up in pretty much 2 ways. 1. When it comes to social media, as it is with everything, moderation is key. Virtually anything can turn into an addiction. 2. You can attempt to predict the direction of technology all you want, but if time follows history, an accurate prediction is virtually impossible. I, for one, know I am not nearly creative enough to think of the next big thing in technology. The only change that we know is guaranteed is change itself.

When it comes to the history of the internet and social media, the evolution is as long as it is surprising. There will always be "technological holdouts", for whatever reason. However, for the most part, it seems as if each generation is a little more embracing of new technology than the previous - perhaps until conspiracy theorists get a little louder, but that is a whole different conversation. What can begin as an innocent curiosity, or even hesitant decision to try "the new big thing" in technology, can turn into a full blown, life altering addiction. Though, what one person may term as an addiction, someone else could say that they are dedicating their life to the pursuit of better lives for people. Arguably, you have to be "addicted" to your work to make a TRUE difference in the world, and technology is at the forefront. Think about it; the hours and hours inventors/coders/programmers, etc. spend on developing life saving technologies could be deemed addicted, just as a result of the massive amount of time spent perfecting their inventions. Even though there isn't a whole lot of DIRECT life saving done by social media, it certainly creates a much more accessible, and therefore effective, platform to raise money for life saving things.

It truly is mind blowing to take a hard look at just how pervasive the internet and social media are. It is easy to feel - and it is a rather sound argument to say - that one cannot function in society in this day and age without the internet. I frequently joke that as ashamed and regretful as I often feel for not going to college sooner, I am kind of thankful that I didn't go to college "when I was supposed to" because it would have been MUCH harder. In the same token, sometimes I am overwhelmed by all the new technologies that are SUPPOSED to make our lives easier, maybe because I was removed from the communities (students) that they were developed for. Sometimes (frequently) they just make me want to throw my computer; but I digress.

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