Blog#2 Media’s control over people’s lives (Minori Tango)

 

2. Overall, do you think that computers and technology give people MORE control over their lives, LESS control over their lives, or don’t you think it makes any difference?

 

 First I definitely think that computers (including cell phones) and technology have a huge power to control people and have already changed our lives in many ways.

 

 Since computers such as cell phones are so convenient that we can easily access to the Internet and get in touch with friends and family whenever we want to, those tools have become indispensable to people’s lives. Today, I see many people using cell phones when they are walking, getting on trains or even when they are hanging out with friends. There are so many people who seem to be addicted to using cellphones, and I think the one of problem of those people is that they are losing opportunities to communicate with others. As I mentioned above, people use cellphones while hanging out with friends, and the same thing can be happening in their houses too. Therefore, people tend to be too busy using cellphones to have conversations face to face with someone. It may not make any difference at first, but it may gradually become a big cause of destroying the relationship with friends and families.

 

  As there is so much information available on the Internet and so on, many people rely on those resources even though they are not 100% reliable. Since those kinds of tools have a huge influence, some people trust what they see or read on the Internet completely, and have ideas which may be biased. Moreover, it can be said that many people are losing their ability to come up with their own opinions because now we can just search for someone’s opinion which is written on the Internet, and we do not really need to have a think.

    

 Indeed, computer and technology have made our lives convenient, but we have to seize initiative to control them otherwise we can be controlled by them easily without notice. I do not think a life is not interesting which is being controlled by computer and technology all the time and not talking face to face with my friends and family, and sharing our own opinions.       

Blog#2: Media (Shoko Yokota)

2. Overall, do you think that computer and technology give people MORE control over their lives, LESS control over their lives, or don’t you think it makes any differences?

Computers (including smart phones) and technology changed our lives so much especially the way to waste the time.

When we get some free time, for example on a train, we see so many people are using their smartphones. What they do on the smart phone may be different: they may be listening to music, reading news, or messaging through SNS.  Not so many people look outside through a window. The way of communication and collecting information totally changed too. We don’t really write a letter in daily life unless something special like some one’s birthday happens. Even texting is becoming an old way: young people use SNS such as LINE, Twitter, and Facebook for communicating because it costs less than texting or phoning. Also they can get any information through the Internet whenever they want by using a smartphone: no need to go to the library to search the information they need.

Those technologies changed how to spend the time with family. They decreased conversation and communication in a  family. Before the Internet had been spread, watching TV or listening to radio were only things to entertain people. So TV gathered family and provided the time with them. However, the technology allows people to communicate with their friend or co-workers outside of the school or company. People tend to think little of their family but their friends. 

Computer and technology gave people more control over their lives. Much more information is now available and we can do many things (listening, reading, chatting, phoning, texting, etc… )on a smartphone.   However, the option to spend their time and the family bond minimized. To get along with technology, we have to think what is important again. Also we have to think about its danger too. There is a bunch of wrong information on the internet and we never know who published it. Everything has both  good and bad aspect. Understanding the aspects properly is required for users.  

Blog #2: Discussing the Effects of Media on Our Life (Marino)

3. How much, if at all, have communication and information devices improved your ability to share your ideas with others, do your job, learn new things, and keep in touch with friends and family?

              I cannot live without using communication and information devices; when I want to chat with my friends overseas, I use Facebook; when I need to search for some articles, I use the Internet; when I have some homework to work on, I use Word to write my essay as I am doing right now. Therefore, I am depending heavily much on social media and information devices, and I can't imagine a life where any of these devices exist.

              First, social media is a very convenient tool for us to communicate with people from a distance. For example, I e-mail every day to my parents to let them know where I am, if I was late for  returning home. Furthermore, social media such as Skype and Facebook are convenient tools for people who want to communicate with foreign friends for free. These SNS devices made it possible for users to connect globally.

              Next, when we want to look up some information, the fastest and most convenient way to search the data is to use the Internet. In fact, I rely heavily on the Internet  because almost everything is found from it. I can go to the government’s official website and look up reliable statistics, without spending time going to the ministries directly.

              As we can know from these examples, my everyday life is closely connected to media, and there are lot of other media that we are relying on.

Hence, it is hard for us to think about a life without using these devices.