Final Blog Post

 By now in 2023, 4.8 billion people use a form of social media. Many different media platforms are a part of our everyday lives. I, as well as many others, use social media daily to communicate. Much of Gen-Z, including myself, uses snapchat as a main form of communication. My life is consumed by media. Since we have access to everything we need in the palm of our hand, it makes it difficult not to. Nearly half of americans say they are addicted to their cell-phones. Although we don’t want to admit it, most of us in this room are in that same boat. 

Technology is an amazing thing. I use it to keep track of my schedules, to keep in touch with people near and far, and it helps me stay connected to what’s happening around the world. I know I have a long digital footprint. I utilize just about every social media app. I think we should be able to enjoy and use these apps, however, they can be dangerous. One wrong post can get you immediately canceled, and could ruin your life. I’m very careful about what I post and about what I am tagged in. I don’t want anything on the internet that could negatively affect me. 

I’ve had instances however where my identity was stolen and used to promote inappropriate things. Instagram made it very difficult to get rid of. It was embarrassing, and a terrible look on me, as the fake account had followed previous employers and family members. It was tedious to clear the air and make it known it wasn’t me. I wouldn’t put myself in a position where that was real, and I’d have to live with my actions for the rest of my life. As soon as you post that selfie, send a text, or share that story, it’s there forever despite what many of us think. 

When I watched the two videos posted, I resonated much more with the dark side of technology rather
than the wonders of technology. Everyone is consumed in their own technology. We record everything we’re doing, everything we see other people do, and everything in between. We’re consumed in other people’s lives on social media, and constantly are buried in our phones scrolling to see what everyone is up to. I think that technology is a great thing and has many benefits, but the effect it has had on us as a society is actually terrifying. I’m not trying to be dramatic, but I think we can all agree that the toll it has taken on us is largely negative. 

Technology is constantly evolving, and there are many issues. As we discussed earlier in the semester, privacy is becoming a thing of the past. We are constantly sharing parts of our lives with people on the internet, and are being monitored whether we like it or not. Being public on certain social media platforms makes me much more vulnerable to my privacy being invaded. In addition to just regular invasions of privacy, the government takes the crown for the most invasion of privacy.

In Catherine Crump’s Ted Talk, she explains how the government is constantly using surveillance to watch us. I had never thought twice about the government watching me while DRIVING. It's amazing how little things like just driving to the grocery store are documented through technology and invading my personal right to privacy. I believe that as time goes on, and technology evolves, we lose more access to our right to privacy, but honestly we’re willingly giving it up. Not 100%, but a lot of the time when we accept terms and conditions, we’re signing away our privacy without even thinking twice. Although doubtful, I hope in the future, the government will use their power in a positive, helpful way, to protect us and our privacy.