New Media and Technology

The article that I chose to write about is called "Technological World Taking Over Our Society". I was very intrigued by this article because it specifically talks about how technology and more specifically social media sites have had an impact on people's attitudes and ways of thinking. This article directly relates to internet communication because it seems that online interaction and the creation of new media siteshave quickly become the primary way our society has adapted to sharing news and information. Social media sites have allowed us the ability to access everyone's information by simply looking on our computers or mobile devices. One of the main arguments of the article is that the convenience of looking at someone's online profile has caused us to become lazy in our relationships. And because of this we have failed to remember what it's like to truly care for someone. It's much easier to check one's Facebook status rather than have a face-to-face conversation with them to see how they're really doing on a personal level. Another interesting topic I found in this article is that social media is used solely for the purpose of gaining attention. Whether it's good or bad attention people find satisfaction in knowing that others see what's going on in their life. The most common thing people tend to do is share all their big news so they can be praised and congratulated for their accomplishments. On the other side however, their are those who like to share their depressing information so they can make sure they receive some sympathy and words of encouragement. I recommend that anyone who spends any amount of time online to read this article. Technology is a great and powerful tool that can be very effective unless we abuse it. A lot of us can't imagine life without getting on our Facebook or Twitter accounts. While I by no means think that we should give up technology or our social media sites, I believe we would be best served to learn to use them in moderation. http://thesouthernnews.org/2011/10/26/technological-world-taking-over-our-society/

Network Laws

After reviewing all of the network laws I would say that I agree most with Reed's Law. Reed's Law claims that the utility of a network that "n" members increases exponentially, or 2^n (2 to the nth power). This Law explains the power of social networks and the various groups that form because of network affiliations. In other words, the more connections you make the more likely you are to be successful. In today's society, social networks and media sites rely on their viewers to gain popularity and power. Without ratings and viewers they have no power, and therefore no way to stay competitive with their competition. The more people that a social network can get to be involved and join as members or users, the more connections they are more likely to make. If a network doesn't have many viewers/users to share their information with then that limits their ability to make connections and relay important information. The reason making connections and striving to grow and expand is so crucial is because this is the most effective way a network advertises themselves. This is the the most sufficient way that advertisers reach out to different businesses and people. Advertising through social media offers the quickest way to reach out to a large number of people as well as doing it in a cost efficient way. If networks don't use their platforms to market themselves and advertise then ultimately it's just a wasted resource. Over time the ways in which people find their information has changed drastically. With the way that technology keeps emerging with advancements it's hard to say that traditional media such as newspapers and articles will ever be the prime source of gathering important information again. Five years from now we'll look at today's top technological products as outdated and probably rarely used. If I could use one world to describe what I feel the future holds for social networks and media it would be "growth". Technology has taken media and society to a whole new level. Before it's all said and done I believe everything will move to electronic and ultimately push society to have a "paperless" philosophy. I believe changes are coming and I think it's coming very soon.