In today’s day and age, society is running on caffeine and electricity, two jolts of energy used to start and finish their day.  Constantly filling up on vanilla lattes and always checking their email, people are hooked to this ever changing form called the computer, more accurately, hooked to what the computer contains inside, know as the internet.  

It not only allows a person to check their email, but the internet can do so much more. It’s used for information, research, entertainment, education, a place to shop, it’s everything a person could want or need, in exception to eatable food and water, the internet is a home away from home.

But what does this mean to your old fashion businesses that have yet to convert to this online world, what will happen to the newspaper, the once holy grail of information, to what is happening in the world in which we live.

Is print dead? No…It’s only in hibernation. Print newspapers, although they have been making their way onto the online virtual world will never die. With events that change or shake up the world, print will strive forth because to people, print is a real thing, it is something that speaks truth and in which they can hold and keep forever.

As we look back into history events/tragedies/ life altering situations that took place people didn’t seem to want to forget them. The newspaper is an endless encyclopedia that covers a story, and when it’s a story that has a major effect; it is used later when needed. The newspaper is like a bear, it goes out to cover the events, prints them out and then its put away, or goes to bed, until it is needed again.

Is a; x-box 360, Ipod with video, Wii Fit, new Mac computer with all of the software, Sony flat screen TV and of course an Iphone, not to mention Guitar Hero and…

The list never seems to end.

Just the other day, watching not but a second of television, I was reminded that the holidays are here, more importantly, Christmas.

I was bombarded with commercial after commercial of little kids not older then say ten, singing and reading off their list of things that they wanted for Christmas. “I want this, I want that.” It was sad and sickening, young children, teenagers and middle aged adults whining about how they want, and want and want, but do they really need any of it?

Of course not, but then if someone needed something, the excitement and joy would be sucked out of the whole purpose of the commercialized turned holiday, and no one wants a ‘Bah Humbug.’

But the advancement of multimedia is inevitable with our fast past society. It has proven its self (multimedia) useful and beneficial for its users. People use it to communicate, educate and of course for entertainment. Multimedia is a vital tool that allows companies, and programs, etc, to keep up with our every growing knowledge and skill, and with multimedia, organizations and businesses are able to give the people what the want.

So, is multimedia good or bad, I would say neither, it is a mixture of want and need.

So I remember this one day sitting outside enjoying some lunch, when for some reason I turn my head and in the corner of my eye I see a guy that I know. All of a sudden I felt really self conscious and shy, I whipped out my phone and ear piece, put my sunglasses on…he goes out of his way to use the trash can next to me to say hi and I stupidly pretended not to see him.

Why, you ask did I do such a silly, silly thing, I don’t know…I can be a really shy person at times, but that’s not the point, the point is that I stupidly thought that I could hide behind my technology. What?? I know, like a phone has the ability to make me invisible, ha, but why is it that we, our society, use are tech toys as security blankets? Why do we have to have it and what is the affect on our communication skills and relationships with the people around us?

Technology is part of people’s everyday life; we have it at home, at work even part of our transportation time. Technology has become an important and beneficial aspect of our lives. Instead of “book smart”, society has become “tech smart,” and lack in the common sense or “street smart” area of our lives has become an even bigger issue.

Everyone is “plugged in and tuned out,” from the world in which we live in. Communication is done either via computer or phone and the little close-knit, family friendly communities are lost. Faces are not seen and names are forgotten.

I believe in balance, and balance with the use of technology is a must if we a society, want to reach that point of open and accepting communication.

If I have learned anything with the use of my tech toys, it is that technology can not make me invisible even if I really want it to… but to the guy that I was so incredible rude to, I’m sorry, so very, very sorry!

‘If it isn’t on the web it doesn’t exist,’ – Tim Berners-Lee

For about eight years I existed with out the computer.

I played outside, I went to school, I listened to my parents and everything was fine. My parents, family members and even friends knew I was Erica, I was real and I existed in my life and in theirs.

Although the internet is rapidly progressing, “being online.” is still fairly new to our society. For centuries, people, communities and civilizations lived simple and common lives. The computer was merely an idea.

Although we may use technology, technology does not use us. There are many people in today’s society who use the internet and other various gadgets, not because they want to, but because they have to. The knowledge in advance technology keeps upgrading and we as a society accept it because, we either find it convenient /beneficial or just because we know that there is no way to stop it.

Existing is like the air, you can’t see it but you know its there. A person can feel the wind, hear it blow and in that know it is real, web has nothing to do with it. In technical terms, cyberspace is just endless empty space. People fill it with websites, portals, multimedia and so on, know one knows where the end is, it in a way doesn’t exist, but yet we all know it(space) is there, right?

To be on the web, is to just be active in communication, creativity and the willingness to connect it all.

There are things in the world that a person has to learn and wants to learn, but the having to and wanting to, are totally different.

Personally I believe myself to be an open minded, non-judgmental person, who will try new things at my own convince, but when it comes to having to do something because it is required, the thirteen year old girl with way to much attitude comes out and the wining seeps through.

Unfortunately, computers are the culprit for me. Since I was younger, I have tried to stay away from technology as much as possible because I was convinced I was rebel, a rebel without a cause no doubt but a rebel all the same. I didn’t want to follow trends and do what everyone else was doing, but now of course I feel that being connected with the web is inevitable and my lack of knowledge has come back and bit me.

I feel as though the internet is an invasion of privacy at times, a pest that calls my attention more then I would like and when there are glitches, I totally loose my cool. I think to myself “if technology is so high and mighty then it should always work,” but of course nothing is perfect.

Today, I am taking the “internet/compuers/web design for dummies” road to learning what I need to for my future, but it is not easy. Don’t judge me, the only reason I lack in the ability to comprehend the technical skill is because for so long I have chosen not to comprehend it, it was my choice and now I must pay. But don’t get me wrong, I am skilled at a lot of other things, like music and swimming, but the bottom line is that people who have trouble with understanding new things is; first because its new, second because they don’t feel or see the importance of learning such a skill.

When I was growing up society was going through a transition.

My class was the one the school system decided to change everything…we were the “out with the old and in with the new,” year.

As a child, computers and technology did not run my life but rather acted as a simple tool I need every once in a great while. Now a days, computers, or more specifically the internet seem to run and control every aspect of a kid’s life.

Children seem to be doing everything online, but is being online more beneficial or hurtful to their development?

That is the argument.

I can not pick one side over the other because I have benefited from both the traditional way of teaching and computer programs. I believe that the internet has given me skills on becoming a better researcher and excellent skimmer but reading an actual book has widened by vocabulary and kept my imagination alive.

There are many opinions that say that the internet increases reading comprehension skills but there are other opinions that think not. I believe in today’s society a child can learn and focus in many different ways and use many different methods.

Everything and everyone is getting online and using it to the best of their interest, if reading a book does not seem to fill the void of comprehension and advance literacy, and the internet is the future, then maybe education has really gone to the dogs!

We live in a fast past do or die society, where results are demanded and when you arrive on time your late.

Same goes with the news, in case you didn’t know the news never sleeps and there is always a story to be told.

From our readings and the philosophies/theories of the experts, one could say a traditional journalist can learn many tid bits from a new age blogger.

To start, traditional journalist have to understand that when an individual blogs, he or she is conversing with his or her audience. It is an open conversation from one person to another. Getting to know the person you communicate with as a human being rather then an untouchable brings liveliness to it, a humble and realistic appearance.

When talking about general and rapid advancement of technology in media, one should know that people in this society are tired of being hesitant, playing games and getting drowned with propaganda. They believe themselves to be intelligent enough to know what to take to heart and what to let go in one ear and out the other. Bloggers are straight shooters, they tell it like it is and they are open with one another.

Trust is the most important value and the only way traditional media will retain their audience and gain new ones. “I can not trust what I can not see, I do not trust who I do not know” – so a tip for the journalists, make yourself visible to the blind and trustworthy to the doubtful only then will you be successful.

Technology is constantly and rapidly changing, but will it ever reach its end?

With Journalism for example, the physical forms in which it takes is always changing. First you had the paper, then radio, the TV and of course an online website, but what possible could be next?

Oh I remember, you can get the internet just about everywhere these days! On your Iphone, PSP, blackberry the advancements just don’t want to seem to stop…anytime soon.

So as technology advances and news is assessable anywhere and everywhere the news its self doesn’t change, does it? Are we fully receiving credible and thought out information or are we just containing little sound bites here and there?

As technology changes, does our news change?

I think it’s a coin toss… sometimes you can sometimes you don’t, it just depends on what you’re looking for. For example with the music industry, do we really need Rolling Stone anymore? With Myspace, Itunes, lime-wire and so on, print media might be loosing its flare.

Technology is changing and so are we. We change with the times, we try to keep up with the Joneses(technology), but I would be careful because as we change into this technology driving force, we might be loosing ourselves.

Help…I have less then an hour and a deadline to meet!

As I sipped my hot chocolate while watching the latest fluctuations of the stock market, I thought to myself how nice it was that I finally could relax and enjoy my morning … that is until I realized that I had a homework assignment due in less than an hour that day.

Quickly turning off the TV, I ran upstairs turned on my computer and started to work. What was I thinking, I had fair warning of this assignment and now I waited till the last minute to do it. Where did the time go, or more importantly, where did my head go?

As I hastily started to write the assignment, I realized that this was not my first time doing something at the last minute. I had pushed my luck many times before and stretched my timeline to the last possible second, but why?

I blame the media, the new technology, and the fast and easy click of a mouse or flip of a channel. I have no control if my favorite movie just happens to be on at a certain time, on a certain station, I have no choice but to sit and watch it.

In today’s day and age technology has a power over us, the simple folks that need it but don’t necessarily want it. The internet, television, cell phones, Ipods and so on have this type of hold on us, because we’re told that we need it, that we want it,  it consumes us with out our knowledge.    

Of course we don’t want to admit it, but we are controlled, controlled by technology…and we like it! But, if we are not careful, we will loose ourselves in our luxuries, consuming endless information, while we ourselves are being consumed. Dark!  I know but watch out, for your idle hand can, and will destroy you.

To me community is love, family, acceptance, its welcoming, its open-minded, its self aware, globally conscious, it works together it grows together.  

Community equals individuality.

It’s a group of persons, individuals that come together as one.

Now a days, there has been a constant debate that because of the advancement in technology, constant pressure of the main stream media and the ever popular internet, that the sense and value of community is diminishing, but I dare say not.

In fact I think the internet is not harming community but rather harnessing it. I believe that the web, by focusing on certain interests of its main audience, everyone, creates these portal like areas where people can then go and create little entities of  individuals that then create a more focused, specialty like community.

Anything can have a community. Music has a community, or more specifically the artist can create a community of fans, people that like a certain type of music, most of the time seem to have other things in common, and when they get together they then create a community.

It is within these various areas of commons that communities flourish and communicate. The internet is simply just the tool used to connect people to others like themselves. It might even be argued that being online brings us closer to one another without being face to face.