Digital technology has effected great cultural and societal changes in the United States and all around the world. Technology has given us the ability to obtain public and private information with facility and at the same time it has also made it hard for those that value their privacy, to maintain it. The change in culture has led to easier ways of gaining popularity and a “following” through websites such as Youtube and Twitter. Technology in the US has also led to a development of mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets which have made it possible to communicate and surf the web anywhere. This connectivity has created situations where people are more engaged to their device than they are to the world around them. It is not only …show more content…
The availability of such information is both good and bad. It is certainly advantageous to be able to meet and communicate with people over great distances. Today, people can develop relationships much faster and with facility. We can share photos and provide our friends with updates about our lives. However the conveniences of technology also have significant downsides. By uploading our lives and information to these websites, we have also allowed that information to be sold which has made it increasingly difficult to maintain privacy and be a part of these websites. According to Somini Sengupta, ‘’It can be scoured by police officers, it partners and would-be employers. It can be mined by marketers to show tailored advertisements’’ (Sengupta, “Staying Private on the New Facebook” par. 2). Advertisers can track what you do online and use that information to provide advertisements that are specific to you. Privacy may be at far greater risk of being violated than we except. For example, employers can also see what our activities on facebook and it can affect the hiring process. Also some people who you “friend” can then access your information and spread it without our authorization which means that documents posted on facebok can be easily accessed by the public. There is a risk also of finding our pictures in other …show more content…
Moreover, social networking has played an important role during the Arab Spring. During the revolution, the movement wasn’t televised but was tweeted and broadcasted on youtube and facebook. Activists used these websites to organize the event which was a success in Egypt and Yemen. However, it is also being used in a way which is not positive. In effect, media hasn’t limits and this is one of the major problems, there are no limits. It can be the reason of a second revolution in the same country. In Egypt for example, the revolution was a success, they elected a new president, and however, many people aren’t happy with this choice which leads to another “online revolution.” New media form can affect easily politics. Furthermore, Meghan Daum says in Fame-iness “unlike actual fame, which involves some talent and hard work, fame iness requires a little more than willingness to humiliate oneself” (Daum, “Fame-iness”). In effect, now people are just looking to be popular regardless of the humiliation. The spread of technology has created a society where people mistakes are more rewarded than talent due to website such as Youtube and Worldstar