It is truly amazing to me how fast technology is moving nowadays. As soon as we get used to a new medium of entertainment, driving, or what have you, something new comes out. Last week in the New York Times, there was an article highlighting the new "3-D television" that would soon be released. The author of the article mentioned that everyone had just gone out and bought new blue ray disc players, believing that those would keep them in the loop for the next 10 years. However, with the new 3-D TV, another form of disc player would be required.
Is all these new inventions and ideas making this world a better place? Or is it just allowing us to become more lazy and slaves to technology and our credit cards? I'll admit, I love technology. I find myself always buying the newest phones, having the coolest blog, or saving up to buy some cool gadget I saw. Can you blame me? With every other advertisement in magazines or commercial on television telling us that we can't be happy without these items, it is hard not to be brainwashed.
I love my cell phone. I love my laptop. Honestly, I cannot even fathom how people lived without them. My dad has yet to ever own a cell phone because he believes that he has gotten this far in life without one, why get one now? I call him crazy, but maybe he is on to something. As wonderful as technology is, I believe it has hindered many people's abilities to think for themselves, communicate with others, and enjoy the simple things in life. People are constantly texting, tweeting, and instant messaging. Whatever happened to calling up an old friend to talk, or writing a hand written letter? I get so excited when I get a letter in the mail, despite the fact that I get hundreds of emails a month. There's just something more personal about it.
In class today we were talking about the Amazon Kindle, and also the potential of the rumored Mac Tablet. Both remarkable inventions that make reading books, newspapers, and magazines so much easier. The Mac Tablet has the potential of being a must-have for college students and their textbooks in years to come. However, are these devices the beginning of the end of printed novels? Will libraries and bookstores start shutting down, because people prefer the convenience of downloading a book to one of these products rather than driving to town to pick up a new book? Who am I to say; But I believe it's a possibility, and a sad one at that.
Am I saying that I hate technology and think we should all go back to the stone age (or before the 1990's. You know, practically the same thing)? No, not at all. Technology has made life so much easier, and will continue to do so. I'm quite addicted to it, to be honest. But I do propose that maybe we remember things from the past every now and then. Sit down and watch the evening news instead of waiting for the latest and greatest from your twitter feed. Write a letter to your friend and put it in the mail. Plant some flowers in your garden rather than tending to a fake farm on Facebook. Enjoy the little things in life. Today I accidently left my phone at home while I was at work. It was surprisingly refreshing, not constantly checking my phone, and just being left alone for the evening. I need to start doing this more. Right after I go tweet about this post.
Dr. Cressman showed us this video today. Kind of unnerving, eh?
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Today in class we discussed blogging and twitter. For the longest time, I thought that twitter was ridiculous. Who cares what you ate for breakfast, that you took your dog for a walk, and that you can't stand your in laws? I would make fun of any my friends when they would pull out their phones to "tweet". However, as more and more people started using it, I became interested in what exactly it was. Was it really just for people who feels like the world wants to know their every move? Or could it be a new, innovative way of quickly transferring information to a widespread audience?
About a year ago, I started my first twitter account. I'm sure I put an obnoxious tweet that said something along the lines of "no idea what this is, here's to hoping!". Quickly I became quite addicted. At first I just followed some of my friends, and found out way too much information about them. Soon after, I'll admit, I even started following some celebrities. Their tweets got old after awhile, and the thrill started to die out. I stopped signing into my twitter account and it was soon covered in cobwebs. However, a few months ago, when I really started getting into blogging, I started following some of the writers of my favorite blogs. From there, I realized that twitter was a great place to find out the latest news, new products and inventions that have been released, and more. I find myself checking twitter several times a day and getting a live feed to my phone. It seems as if Twitter has blown up in regards to how many people use it over the past 6 months. There's no doubt in my mind that as soon as something big happens in the world, if I'm following the right sources, I will be one of the first to find out about it.
While I'll admit that most of my tweets have no real information, I am working towards utilizing twitter to the most of its capabilities. It's an excellent resource for information and for getting traffic to a blog or webpage. Twitter is definitely a "microblogging" tool, and it will be interesting to see what the future holds for this simple, but powerful, tool for journalism.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
What is Journalism?
According to Wikipedia, Journalism is "the craft of conveying news, descriptive material and opinion via a widening spectrum of media."1 This basic definition sets the stage for all the areas of journalism that are used throughout the world today.
There are many different elements of journalism. It can extend from something as simple as a personal blog to writing for a major newspaper or writing speeches for the president. When it comes down to it, journalism is the means of informing the public in creative and interesting ways of different topics going on in the world. Is journalism only just writing and presenting ideas? No, it's also a process. How does that front page story get there? Because a journalist had a lead, which led to some investigation, and eventually found it's way to the home of those who are interested. Whether it be through tweets on twitter, or CNN, the world needs journalism, and talented journalists, to inform the world of what's going on around them. Which leads to another question, when is it that a person can be considered a journalist.
What makes someone a journalist? Does it require years of intense, formal education, and then landing a job with a well-known news company? Or can it be someone who writes freelance for different websites, newspapers, or even local neighborhood newsletters just in his or her spare time just for the simple love of writing? Whether it be a stay-at-home-mom who writes while her children are sleeping, or someone who has a masters, all journalists have something in common. They love to learn, report, and tell others about their findings and beliefs. Journalists are constantly seeking the latest news and happenings and informing those around them about what they have found. While newspapers and news stations are dying out, journalists are still in demand and are needed everywhere to inform the public of what is going on in the world around them.
What makes someone a journalist? Does it require years of intense, formal education, and then landing a job with a well-known news company? Or can it be someone who writes freelance for different websites, newspapers, or even local neighborhood newsletters just in his or her spare time just for the simple love of writing? Whether it be a stay-at-home-mom who writes while her children are sleeping, or someone who has a masters, all journalists have something in common. They love to learn, report, and tell others about their findings and beliefs. Journalists are constantly seeking the latest news and happenings and informing those around them about what they have found. While newspapers and news stations are dying out, journalists are still in demand and are needed everywhere to inform the public of what is going on in the world around them.
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