Category Archives: Assignment 3

In this article  here they are criticizing the negative effects that social networking is having on our generation which is the cause of more isolating in our generation. I do agree that because of the development of social networking, it has lead to less real human interactions because we all communicate through social networking. Even when we don’t communicate through social networking, nobody likes to talk on the phone much anymore so you will see that it is more common for people to be more into texting each other instead of picking up the phone and calling someone which is the authors point that there is more cyber communication and less real human interactions between us.

I believe that social networking hurts the kids who are in elementary school and Junior High School more than it does those who are in their 20’s. The reason I believe this is because they are missing out on the life of a kid and don’t go out and hang out with their friends as much because they are more concerned with being on Facebook on their computer. So in a way they are leaving in more of a cyber world than any other generation because they are all texting or participating on social networking such as twitter.

I actually think social network does more good than harm for our society today. It’s just another form of communicating and it actually means that you are communicating with more people than you were before. Before the development of social networking, we pretty much only got the opportunity to communicate with those people in our phone book but now we are able to communicate with people we have not seen in 10 years. I think that those people who are so critical of social networking just have not accepted the fact that this is a new form of communicating worldwide and are still not used to it.

Target advertising has been a nuisance for as long as I can remember. But I never had this eerie feeling that someone is watching me, trying to figure out and lure my next click. Some may say that I am just paranoid. However; when I click to search for a particular item that I may be interested in buying or just to get some info for work, school, family, personal etc. then I get bombarded with companies trying to sell me whatever I was clicking for. If I look for a an airfare, book, TV, vitamins etc. then for sure I’ll get plenty of companies offering me great deals on every single item that I clicked for, to a point that is not just annoying but uncanny. It tells me that all my  moves are being recorded and being this a sort new technique, I would imagine that as time passes the data collection will only get better, and more invasive considering the fast technology advances, which makes it impossible for me to predict the consequences. I do not want to see a flood of ads pertaining to my last clicks. It reminds me of like being in the middle of a third world country’s market, with hundred street vendors chasing me, watching my every move trying to get my money by tricking or persuading me into buying whatever they are selling. I learned my lesson to stay away from the likes, Clicking on them is a sure way to open the gates to a flood of vendors, it’s just like having a big neon sign saying “dumb customer here” come quick! Before he spends the money somewhere else.

“A study of California adults last year found that 85 percent thought sites should not be allowed to track their behavior around the Web to show them ads, according to the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic at the University of California at Berkeley, which conducted the study.” The New york Times ”To Aim Ads, Web Is Keeping Closer Eye on You,” by Louise Story. In this article, there is some data that backs the claim that advertising agencies are hungrier by the minute to find out as much information about you as possible. One may say, so what is the big deal. Well, I am perfectly aware that there is not much any of us can do to stop it,  but just think that soon these companies will have enough information on us to do as they please, just like the credit score agencies. What stops them from gathering info on you? And what can some crazy fanatic plot against a particular group. Our personal info can also be used to deny employment, deny health insurance if preexisting conditions, etc. There is so much more to say on this issue, but the fact that the  “Internet giants have spread their reach by acting as intermediaries that place ads on thousands of Web sites, and now can follow people’s activities on far more sites” The New York Times. Is nonetheless concerning in my opinion.

“Taking information without asking and then profiting from it……It’s a federal offense for anyone to open your mail…in the old country they open your mail and they knew all about you.” Time “Your data for sale”.  This argument has some weight that would seem to me that our government should be monitoring these activities more cautiously. Many lives can easily be ruined if their reputation is left to these advertising agencies to classify you as a trouble maker, party animal, shopaholic, porn junkie, how much time you spend on the internet and looking at what… etc.

I can only speak for myself when I say that if it ever gets to a point when the advertising agencies know all about me, just like if they go through my daily garbage and meticulously document, analyze, what I eat, how much, alcohol, smoke, magazine, prescription, discarded condoms, toilet paper, telephone numbers, receipts, notes etc. I’ll probably be as paranoid as Rockwell when he sings “I can only speak for myself that I am an average man with an average life that just want to be left alone, but why do I always get the feeling that somebody’s watching me and I have no privacy…” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YvAYIJSSZY

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/technology/10privacy.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ei=5089&en=22dfd081e70634b9&ex=1362888000&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss

http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,20110321,00.html

The American Academy of Pediatrics has now stated that it is necessary for children’s doctors to ask them questions about how they social network and that improper social networking may lead children to have “facebook depression”

The idea that a child may have problems integrating into social networking sites and may feel isolated is understandable. But a child that finds themselves with many friends in school and during social activities will probably find themselves being fine when it comes to social networking.

This idea of calling something facebook depression and telling doctors to look for the signs of it seems kind of ridiculous in my opinion.

What’s even funnier in this whole situation is that facebook has disputed these findings by talking about the Cornell study that someone in class has previously blogged about

The internet is a very useful tool these days, but is it getting a little out of control? People already cannot stand to walk down the street with out having their ipod, iphone, or blackberry in hand, and new devices and technologies are being created every day to keep us even more connected to the virtual world. People are in constant connection to the internet which makes it easier for people to access information of any kind at any time with just the click of a button.

You may have noticed lately a black and white symbol showing up on billboards or in magazines. Once you see one, you notice that they seem to be springing up everywhere, but what are they? They are called QR codes or quick response codes, and they seem to be the next big thing in advertising. Personally I find them to be a scary realization of what the world is coming too, a world revolving around the internet.

These codes are used in advertisements and are links to promotional pages or pages with discounts and coupons. All you need to do is have a smart phone, download the scan app, and then you will be able to scan every symbol you see and it will automatically bring you to a page relating to the advertisement. The article found from CNN.com reported that 32% of smartphone users have scanned a code, with 53% using it for discounts or coupons, and 72% of users saying they would more likely remember an add that has a QR code.

Advertisements are becoming diluted by the use of the internet, now instead of people thinking of new slogans or eye catching pictures for ads, they are simply slapping a strange looking black and white square on the magazine page or billboard. Personally I believe that it is getting a little out of control, we cant even read a magazine now-a-days without being reminded of the unlimited information that can be found on the world wide web. I understand that the internet is great, but I don’t think that it needs to start being incorporated into daily life even more then it already is. These codes show the growing interest in the internet and the growing obsession that people have with being connected 24/7.

Although many of us girls (and maybe some guys!) are past the Seventeen magazine stage, the popular magazine released a pertinent study, surveying 10,000 guys and girls ages 16 to 21, that concluded that “Facebook plays an important part in how amorous teens make a connection.” Many of us do fall into this age range so perhaps this study could be relatable to your own personal life. According to this article “Boy Meets Girl: How Facebook Functions in Modern Romance” from Mashable.com, Seventeen magazine had pretty substantial findings that included “10% of people have been dumped over Facebook, and the same number would just change their relationship status to ‘single’ to cut a lover loose.” The study did not include how long these relationships lasted for or the ages of the parties in the relationship, which may play a role in sorting out that 10% of responders who have been dumped over Facebook. The study from Seventeen also found that “72% of those surveyed said that talking to someone online brings you closer to them [in real life].” This last finding was a bit surprising, but somewhat sensible, as many people complain about how Facebook and social media mediums are completely replacing communication. However, I can see that talking to someone on Facebook is communication to them nonetheless; sharing thoughts and ideas can be done over the internet which may still lead to an online bond.  

Coming from a teen magazine or not, the study underlines the fact that internet communication is becoming a strong branch of personal human interactions.