Week #2: Reading Reflection

The digital age that we are currently living in is difficult to navigate. There are so many people that are invested in their phones/devices and the information and applications that they can access from them. I have this problem, at times!

“In other words, a medium – this extension of our body or senses or mind – is anything from which a change emerges.” – Mark Federman

I thought that this quote by Mark Federman was really interesting. He is comparing our digital devices as an extension of our bodies and beings…and he is not wrong. We are so tuned into our lives online that it impacts our physical lives and relationships.  There needs to be a delicate balance between our two social lives, the virtual and the physical. Too often does the virtual one begin to over step and become eclipsing to the physical which can become dangerous and leave us more alone that we already thought we were.

This point is not to take away from the vast avenues we have at our fingertips. James Potter puts it best when he states:

“You don’t need to be a signed to a recording contract by a record company to distribute your songs. You can also be a journalist, a fiction writer, a photographer, a filmmaker, or even a video game designer as a hobby and make your messages easily available to millions of people, just like professional artists.” – James Potter

There is so much that we are able to do online for ourselves, we are producers, and the internet makes that possible. I like the vast expanse that is offered with internet access, but it can become consuming.

Another quote that resonated with me was from Potter again stating, “building the life that you want rather than letting the media build the life they want for you” (pg. 12). This is an important anecdote that has creeped me out from time to time. I have mentioned wanting new shoes or new items in different conversations, later in the day when scrolling though a social media outlet…there will be an advertisement for that same item I had previously mentioned. This has happened to me on a number of occasions. That and just the crazy amount of ads that pop up when playing a game or using social media.

One of the most impactful readings this week was a Ted Talk by Sherry Turkle. She talks about the implications of becoming overly invested in our devices. “Those little devices in our pockets are so psychologically powerful that they don’t only change what we do, they change who we are.” This is a powerful statement, she is not wrong. I have had friends that have been glued to their devices when we are spending time together. It impacted those relationships and began to isolate that person with out them realizing it. when this happens they are then on their phone even more, which leads to my next important quote from Sherry, “Being alone feels like a problem that needs to be solved.”. We as humans need to be okay with being alone and unplugged. It’s a balance that is necessary to our social health.