I actually really enjoyed reading The Victorian Internet. Because I was part of the generation that
was young enough to see the impact the introduction of the Internet had on
society as it was made available to us, just plain folks. The Internet changed
everything: the way we communicated; making it easier to locate information, how
we did our jobs, and learned in school. I could completely connect with how
people felt when the telegraph was introduced. The changes in society when the
Internet was made available to everyone was so similar to when the telegraph
was. Both opened many doors for the good while also allowing opportunities for
consequences. Being able to connect with a loved one across the world was life
changing, as was being deceived or misinformed. The idea that I really took
away from both the book and the class discussion was that new technology really
impacts society. It can change the way we receive and interpret information. It
changes human nature in order to use the information received. Basically,
changes in technology changed how people interact with the world.
The changes I have seen in society since the introduction on
the Internet were subtle at first when everyone was learning how to use it and understand
it’s potential. As time has gone on since the early 1990’s the changes have
become greater and the impact irrefutable. I see my own children and my
students in complete panic if they can’t locate their smartphones. It’s almost
impossible for them not to be connected to their friends using text messaging
or social media. I often wonder when did we become a society that requires us
to know what everyone is doing at every moment?
I also see the good in technology. We can earn college degrees,
pay bills, bank, book vacations, and buy virtually anything without ever
leaving our homes (but is that really a good thing or just convenient?). To me,
most importantly, it changes the way I think of educating my students. I can
use technology to enhance my lessons, enrich students, as well as help
struggling students.
Since technology has a cascading impact, it is only a matter
of time before the next best thing is available to us as a society. The question
is, will it enhance it or be a disadvantage?
The biggest impact of any technology is change. And you're right, that change is usually scary, but absolutely necessary. Society cannot progress if we simultaneously stay in the same spot. Progress is moving forward, and technologies are what help propel us as a community.
ReplyDeleteTechnology in our classrooms has been a great addition. I think back to my school days and how different it was. I can't imagine how it would have been with all this technology at our fingertips.
ReplyDeleteYeah, being able to relate it to the start and spread of the Internet was a good connection.
ReplyDeleteI heard a good interview on NPR where they talked about "Trolling" (Using the anonymity of the internet to purposefully agitate other people) and how to fix it. The guy basically said that trolling has been around much longer than the Internet and isn't going away, the best we can do is manage the trolls. We'll never get rid of them.