![]() Immediately, after reading the first paragraph of the Rhinegold Introduction, I was hooked. Social media is what makes the world go around. Without it, this generation would be completely lost. The following reading describes what makes and breaks social media, as well as the power behind it. The author states, "I've been asking myself and others how to use social media intelligently, humanely, and above all mindfully." This last sentence is what I took away from most from the opening paragraph. This topic is something that can be so tough to discuss. However, I believe that taking this stance is one that anyone who uses social media could certainly benefit from. This reading also brought me back to what we talked about during class. What exactly is technology? Is technology everywhere, can it be anything? Is social media a form of technology and if so does it affect our population positively or negatively? As citizens of this society, it is so important that we become mindful of social media. For example, the author explains in the text that "Just like driving a car- this generation must learn how to use social media. And instead of simply throwing words on a page, it is important that we learn how and when it is best to do that, and become mindful of our actions." This kind of reminds me of the saying "Think before you speak." Alternatively, "Think before you post on social media." Some main points that the author discusses throughout the text involve the understanding that certain people can truly benefit from reading this book. He includes examples of parents who want to understand what their child could be getting into while posting online. The new generation of teenagers is tough for most parents, being that their kids know how to use social media better than many parents do themselves. This is a big problem in my family. Not so much for myself and my brother, but for my younger sisters who are nine years old. My parents are not used to the young generation of technology. They do not understand why my sisters are devastated that they are not allowed to have an iPhone as nine year olds. Not all aspects of social media are bad. There are many useful ways in which a nine year old could benefit from the use of technology, even just owning a phone. However, it is though for parents who did not grow up in this world to understand that. The author also explains that young people who only use social media for "hanging out" or posting nonsense memes could benefit from the book so that they can learn to use social media in a productive way. Both of these examples show that the author cares about maintaining an image throughout social media use and posting. It is so important as a generation to understand the positives and negatives of social media; however we must not lose sight of what is right and wrong when it comes to managing the new world of technology. We must think about our future and act mindfully before the practice of social media goes down hill. As seen above, I have included a picture of my individual idea of what technology is, and how we use it. I drew both a happy face, and a sad face. This was the first thing that came to mind when thinking about technology. I love technology. I love the connections that you can make with others through technology. I love the advances that the United States and the rest of the world has made because technology exists. I love using technology in the classroom, which we do in my writing with technologies class. There are so many benefits to technology and the idea around it. Therefore, I started out with a happy face and an air bubble that is showing the exciting side of technology. However, with positives there are almost always a few negatives. And with technology, there is definitely a negative aspect. Sometimes, people lose track of what they are saying and doing on the internet. This is why I drew a sad face as well. Take our president, Donald Trump, for example. Everybody knows that Trump has access to a Twitter account. And everyone also knows that he pretty much writes whatever he wants on it. A lot of the words that he says are very offensive and disheartening for a lot of his followers. Therefore, Donald Trump is a prime example of someone who does not use social media mindfully. I'll admit, sometimes i don't think before I write on social media. It is just the way the world works. It is easy for people to hide behind a computer screen instead of addressing situations face-to-face. I found this reading personally beneficial for myself and my family as well. I will take what I have learned, and address it to my family whenever they are in a time of need. I, of all people, know that social media and technology has positives and negatives. However, technology is only growing; therefore it is important that this generation learns to use it effectively and mindfully. Whenever my sisters bring up an iPhone to my parents, I will be sure to address all that I know about the good and the bad when it comes to having an iPhone as a fourth-grader. However, I hope that my words and my understandings will help ease my parent's minds when discussing this subject. Overall, digital literacy is not going anywhere. It is staying in this world and it will continue to grow as we move closer into the future. It is our job to now understand the benefits and the disadvantages of technology so that the population can understand how to use social media and the internet in a respectful way.
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AuthorMy name is Kayla Horan, here are my blog posts for Writing with Technologies. Hope you enjoy!! Archives
April 2018
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