Digital and Social Media in Our Lives It is hard to imagine that only a decade ago, social and digital media was a little more than a growing trend. In 1995 less than 1 percent of the world’s population was connected to the internet (internetlivestats.com); today about 46 percent of the world’s population has internet connection (internetworldstats.org 1). In the United States, about 89 per cent of households are connected to the internet (interneworldstats.org 2). Also, both social and digital media has had a significant impact on our culture, the way we conduct business, the way we communicate, and on the world at large. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube are just some of the most popular web sites on the internet.
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In some way, digital and social media have enhanced our life. Some of the benefits, such as higher productivity, better social interactions and increased general knowledge, improve our quality of life; however, the negative impacts are obvious and some are related directly to the positive aspects. Digital access has led to less person-to-person contact and a development of shorthand language which has increased impatience and intolerance for any message or idea that is not instantly communicated or digested. Higher productivity means employers now expect their employees to be always available via email, cell phone, WhatsApp or some other communication tool. In fact, some companies routinely add their employees’ telephone numbers on the company contact list for companywide distribution. We work more, sleep less and have less time for …show more content…
Our health and safety are compromised as over dependence on digital technology means we are becoming more sedentary leading to higher rates of obesity, especially among children. Students writing and grammar skills are at risk, because there’s no need to learn to spell when Google auto corrects as we type in the search box. Our brain gets lazy when it is required to do less thinking, because all the information is being fed to us. Furthermore, a study conducted by the University of Maryland reports the addictive potential of new digitalized technologies (iPods, iPhones, laptops). And according to a Seattle Times editorial, college students who gave up all forms of technology for 24 hours reported feelings of “withdrawal and anxiety.” Sociability, as well as the tendency towards isolation were observed in the tested group. Even more alarming was the “potential effect so much technology might have on how children develop” (Seattle Times). It affects our socialization, making us more isolated and alienated from society. It emboldens criminals as it gives them the space and cover to conduct their criminal activities. The ease of hacking and accessing the personal data of millions of people in order to clean out their bank account, or using Google Earth to locate and bully, harass or kill another person, is an undesirable aspect of the innovations in information sharing. Sometimes in the eagerness to
In some way, digital and social media have enhanced our life. Some of the benefits, such as higher productivity, better social interactions and increased general knowledge, improve our quality of life; however, the negative impacts are obvious and some are related directly to the positive aspects. Digital access has led to less person-to-person contact and a development of shorthand language which has increased impatience and intolerance for any message or idea that is not instantly communicated or digested. Higher productivity means employers now expect their employees to be always available via email, cell phone, WhatsApp or some other communication tool. In fact, some companies routinely add their employees’ telephone numbers on the company contact list for companywide distribution. We work more, sleep less and have less time for …show more content…
Our health and safety are compromised as over dependence on digital technology means we are becoming more sedentary leading to higher rates of obesity, especially among children. Students writing and grammar skills are at risk, because there’s no need to learn to spell when Google auto corrects as we type in the search box. Our brain gets lazy when it is required to do less thinking, because all the information is being fed to us. Furthermore, a study conducted by the University of Maryland reports the addictive potential of new digitalized technologies (iPods, iPhones, laptops). And according to a Seattle Times editorial, college students who gave up all forms of technology for 24 hours reported feelings of “withdrawal and anxiety.” Sociability, as well as the tendency towards isolation were observed in the tested group. Even more alarming was the “potential effect so much technology might have on how children develop” (Seattle Times). It affects our socialization, making us more isolated and alienated from society. It emboldens criminals as it gives them the space and cover to conduct their criminal activities. The ease of hacking and accessing the personal data of millions of people in order to clean out their bank account, or using Google Earth to locate and bully, harass or kill another person, is an undesirable aspect of the innovations in information sharing. Sometimes in the eagerness to