Journalism in the Digital Age

Jonathon Venitz

6/30/11

Persuasive Writing, Clark

Journalism in the Digital Age

I sit at my computer reading a New York Times article on the debt crisis when suddenly my phone vibrates. I receive an alert from my MSNBC news app that Amy Winehouse has been confirmed dead. Immediately I race on to Facebook to write a status about it and find that people have already been discussing it. A quick Google search leads me to multiple news articles documenting the story as it is updated in real time. We now live in a digital age, one in which the latest breaking news can be brought to us in seconds and can be easily shared with others across the world. The Internet has without question drastically changed journalism and how we consume news media, but some worry that this change may pose a serious threat to journalism, as newsroom staff cuts are deemed necessary in order to increase revenues as much of their audience and advertising migrates to new media. Some also worry about the recent loss of investment from big companies in investigative journalism, the kind that serves the people by uncovering problems in the government, business and society. I believe that the Internet has created an exciting new era of opportunity for journalists and will ultimately help a new and beneficial form of journalism develop. These new and easily accessible forms of communication can revolutionize journalism and create a more well-informed public than ever before.

In an article in Online Journalism Review by associate professor and director of the news media program at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, Rich Gordon, a grim prediction of the fate of traditional media is proposed: "Some great media businesses -- ones that delivered terrific journalism as well as solid financial returns—are going to fail within the next 10 years or be acquired by other companies. And those that survive will probably employ fewer journalists than they do today”. (Gordon) I’m not denying that there is a decline in what we traditionally know as journalism, but just because newspapers and news television have fallen on financial hard times does not mean that the future of journalism is a bad one. Gordon also poses the question, “Will Internet business models support the creation of original journalism?” (Gordon) According to Gordon, developments in the past few years might just might make this a possibility, citing online advertising revenue, individual journalists using the Web to successfully market themselves, the idea of “citizen journalism”, and Yahoo’s Kevin Sites, a multimedia journalistic venture by the website, which had become hugely successful from simply publishing news taken from other sources. Gordon states three reasons that the internet will help expand journalism: the power of publishing it gives to everyone, the simplicity of linking to other information, and the ease of finding relevant information through RSS feeds and search.

However, not everyone shares the same positive sentiments as Gordon. An article in the Philadelphia City Paper called “Schlock of the News” by Bruce Schimmel argues the idea that “interactive writers can quickly become slaves to instant ratings.” (Schimmel) Schimmel explains how many websites are driven by advertising dollars, using an example of an editor for the “Diet and Health” section of AOL saying, “Every time you click our page, views go up, we get more ad dollars, then I get promoted." He claims that journalism could easily become a medium that panders to advertisers, where journalists write for popularity rather than to better inform the people, due to the fact that content can be posted online immediately. He claims that the internet is dumbing down journalism in order to make a profit, stating that "AOL's narrowcasting encourages even the most diligent reporters to become entertainers.” (Schimmel)

While Schimmel makes some good points about corporate involvement in the world of journalism, I believe that journalists will not let what he asserts happen. Advertising is necessary for large media corporations to create revenue in the online world, but the Internet also gives anyone the chance to report news, creating a new form of journalism that does not require money to stay intact. There are plenty of passionate journalists out there right now who use the Internet as their medium to report. Blogs give anyone with an opinion the ability to say anything they want. Of course this creates a lot of pointless nonsense and factual inaccuracies, but there are also quite a few bloggers already making a difference in the world of journalism. People like Johsua Marshall of Talking Points Memo, Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit, Ana Marie Cox of Wonkette, and Xeni Jardin all got their start through online blogging and provide journalism with an original voice without the backing of a major media corporation. It was online bloggers that first made an issue of Mississippi senator Trent Lott’s praise for pro-segregation 1940s senator Strom Thurmond, eventually forcing him to resign. (PressThink) Bloggers do not have to worry about profiting from their ventures, and can instead work on providing provocative stories and better informing the world.

Social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter can also be used as a way for news to spread. People who see an interesting or important story will often post about it on their page, thus informing more people who wouldn’t regularly read the news. News can also be reported on the spot from witnesses of events through these websites, as one Pakistani man did on his Twitter page, liveblogging the entire raid of Osama Bin Laden’s compound. (Stevenson) YouTube is another growing source of journalism, as more and more people have started posting amateur video clips of events from around the world. The site has launched a YouTube News Feed for its users to report news, publishing journalism clips on a site called CitizenTube. The site has been used by millions to track news about the Iran election protests, Los Angeles wildfires and other events in the past. (CitizenTube) Through this site, anyone with a cellphone or video camera around the world could potentially contribute to the coverage of breaking news events. This form of “citizen journalism” could potentially be the future of how news is reported. These are just a few examples of what digital media can do to help us get a much more complete understanding of everything going on the world, while at the same time getting everyone involved.

I ultimately agree with what Gordon asserts about how the Internet is bringing journalism into a new era of opportunity, rather than pushing it backward. The digital era is still only in its infancy and we still have yet to see just what the Internet has to offer for journalism. When television first began, news broadcasts were simple, but as it matured, pioneers such as Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow turned it into an incredibly powerful journalistic medium. (Gordon) Something similar is likely to happen to the Internet in the future. The Internet provides anyone with creativity, curiosity, an interest in world events, and a desire to change the world the ability to take their ideas, stories, videos, and photos and make them available for everyone in the world to see. In terms of profit, the future of mainstream media does not look bright, but if more journalists are willing to use the Web for the benefit of informing their audience then journalism will never die. It is also true that not all of the various innovations of the Internet will exactly play out like some people hope, but in the end it will provide a revolutionary platform for journalism that will benefit democracy and society through its ability to give anyone the means to publish what they want and the ease of obtaining information. In the words of TIME magazine editor Henry Anatole Grunwald, “Journalism can never be silent: that is its greatest virtue and its greatest fault. It must speak, and speak immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.” People will continue to argue about what the Internet means for the future of journalism, but in the end, a desire to inform people, uncover the truth, and improve our world will always triumph.

Works Cited

"CitizenTube." CitizenTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2011. .

Gordon, Rich. "Online opportunities make journalism’s future bright, despite gloomy feelings." Online Journalism Review | Knight Digital Media Center. N.p., 25 Oct. 2005. Web. 1 Aug. 2011. .

"PressThink: The Legend of Trent Lott and the Weblogs." PressThink. N.p., 15 Mar. 2004. Web. 1 Aug. 2011. .

Schimmel, Bruce. "The Shlock of the News." Philadelphia's Independent Weekly Newspaper :: Philadelphia Events, Arts, Restaurants, Music, Movies, Jobs, Classifieds, Blogs :: Philadelphia City Paper. N.p., 22 Oct. 2005. Web. 1 Aug. 2011. .

Stevenson, Reed. "Captured on Twitter: Raid against Osama bin Laden | Reuters." Business & Financial News, Breaking US & International News | Reuters.com. N.p., 2 May 2011. Web. 1 Aug. 2011. .

Technology Makes Education Positively

Kevin Wong

Persuasive Writing

August 4, 2011

Technology Has Changed Education in a Positive Way

“All right, the homework assignment will be to study and to write about the Cold War,” my history teacher told me. When I got back to my house, I went onto Google, and typed in Cold War. What came up was an endless stream of information, providing information for my homework assignment. I was able to use the information to back up my claims on the decision making of JFK in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Although Wikipedia can be edited by anyone of its users, the sources listed at the bottom could easily be used. Without too much effort, I was able to finish my homework assignment for history along with the other assigned homeworks from the other classes.

Technology has changed education by making it simpler, easier, and also is more accessible. As history has shown time and time again, technology changes education in a positive way. With the introduction of the printing press in 1440, books could be written much faster. “A single Renaissance printing press could produce 3,600 pages per workday compared to forty by typographic hand printing…” (Wikipedia.org) The information was logical and was parallel with another website called www.historyguide.org. With an increase of production, children and adults were able to read more often as it was readily available. Technology has also brought in Digital Literacy. As defined by digitalliteracy.cornell.edu, digital literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, utilize, and create information using digital technology. With digital literacy, people all around the world are able to critic other works, and also share their works. With the recently young addition of digital literacy, people will only become smarter.

However, some might argue that it actually makes people less intelligent. Although they may be “book-smart” they may not be smart hands-on. For instance, a person may read an instructions manual on how to disassemble a car, but a mechanic who has years of experience with similar products would be able to do it just by knowing what parts go where and what it does. The problem with this argument is that with the aid of newer technology, there will be simulations that can show you a step by step procedure on how to do anything.

Another argument against technology is “What if technology (such as gadgets, the internet, etc) were to be gone from this world? Would we still be able to survive?” The answer is, that technology will never leave this world. Also, as long as people are people, having a brain and becoming innovative, then humans would be able to survive. There can be a million “What If” questions, and many of them aren’t even plausible.

Nicholas Carr, the author of “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” stated that the Net causes people to become less focus and less intelligent. He references several bloggers that have issues with being able to read longer texts. However, as Jamais Cascio in “Get Smarter” responds with that humans are able to evolve in order to live as they have done in the past, and that in the future humans won’t need to evolve due to their intelligence. They will be able to create new products that will help improve lives.

Inventions have been made that have helped make learning easier. For example, Rosetta Stone, a computer software that aids language learning have made learning another language or more convenient than taking classes. It has received numerous awards for its ability to teach so well.

In the medical field, technology has changed so drastically that it improves the student’s ability to save the lives of others. There are simulations that are “hands on” that “helps teams and individuals develop preparedness and insight that is best learned and practiced in realistic conditions (http://www.harvardmedsim.org/)”. “Technology has also made a great impact on medical procedures and allowed for complex surgical procedures to be developed” (www.healthguideinfo...) With the introduction of computers in the 1970’s, calculations have been made more accurate, and the storing of information was more secure. Prosthetic body parts have improved the quality of patient’s lives. With newer technology coming in the future, it shouldn’t be a surprise if there would be ways to recreate another body part without any controversy such as without embryonic stem cells.

Overheads and projectors have increased teacher to student interaction in a limited amount of time. While handing out outlines, a teacher can interact with the overhead so the students are able to see what the teacher is talking about. Technology has proven itself that it promotes education rather than denounce it. With the introduction of television, numerous educational channels and shows have been brought up, such as Dora the Explorer, Barney and Friends, Blue’s Clues, etc.. These programs introduce ideas and information, exposing the child to certain topics that they would learn later in school. According to kidstvmovies.about.com, “TV can help kids learn about a variety of subjects, kids can explore places, animals, or things that they couldn’t see otherwise, inspires kids to try new activities”, and motivates them to read. This will help them not only in their homes but also in school. “Technology is helping teachers to expand beyond linear, text-based learning and to engage students who learn best in other ways. Its role in schools has evolved from a contained ‘computer class’ into a versatile learning tool that could change how we demonstrate concepts, assign projects and assess progress” (Mashable.com/2010/11/22/technology-in-education/) There are students who learn better with hands-on experience, and those who learn better from watching. Mashable.com interviews the CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education and cites many other sources such as the Daytona College and the Concord Consortium, “a non-profit organization that develops technologies for math, science and engineering education.” Technology has shown its impact.

Simplicity at its best. Once hard calculations; now become nothing more than just a simple button press. Conrad Wolfram a TedTalks speaker states that “calculating is the machinery of math; it’s the chore, it’s the thing you’d like to avoid if you can, it’s the thing you want a machine to do.” Just in one day, humans spend 106 lifetimes learning hand-calculating. Conrad Wolfram states that now you can reorder the curriculum. He has an example of the class Calculus. The concepts are pretty simple, but the math is much harder, which is why it is taught at a later order in the math curriculum. However, with computers you are able to reorder the curriculum since the math calculating will be simpler, and you’ll be able to understand the concepts.

Technology has become so advanced and precise that education will prosper. It not only helps in the medical field, but also in the everyday life of a student. It has made education simpler, easier and also helps spread wisdom throughout the world. The world is connected by the internet. Ideas are now shared throughout the world much more easily than books had and before that, orally. Technology has brought ideas to younger individuals such as toddlers, and has brought more information to older adults, such as through Rosetta Stone. (Claims to be able to teach adults just as easily as younger students.) It has made teaching methods more varied for the students who learn best at different rates and different ways. It has also allowed reordering of the curriculum due to its ability to make calculations easier and concentrates on the understanding of the concept. In reverse, it can also make calculations harder by adjusting it to real-world problems rather than the problems shown in schools. Technology has not made people less intelligent, but rather has made education easier and more assessable.

Works Cited

"A Brief History of Medical Technology | Health Guide Info." | Health Guide Info. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2011. .

Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid? - Magazine - The Atlantic." The Atlantic — News and analysis on politics, business, culture, technology, national, international, and life – TheAtlantic.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 July 2011. .

Cascio, Jamais. "Get Smarter - Magazine - The Atlantic." The Atlantic — News and analysis on politics, business, culture, technology, national, international, and life – TheAtlantic.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Aug. 2011. .

"Digital Literacy Resource - Introduction." Cornell University - Digital Literacy Resource. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Aug. 2011. .

Kessler, Sarah. "8 Ways Technology Is Improving Education." Social Media News and Web Tips – Mashable – The Social Media Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Aug. 2011. .

"Printing press - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2011. .

"The Center for Medical Simulation." The Center for Medical Simulation. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2011. .

Wolfram, Conrad. "Conrad Wolfram: Teaching kids real math with computers | Video on TED.com." TED: Ideas worth spreading. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2011. .

The Net’s Impact on Society

Catherine

Persuasive Writing – BU Summer Challenge
August 4, 2011

The Net’s Impact on Society

On the Net today a vast amount of the available information is accessible to everyone. The internet allows people to view materials unobtainable before the Net. With the ability to reach materials on the internet, has the information damaged the morals and mannerism of users? Although the internet possesses websites that potentially improve intelligence, many internet users choose to participate in illegal and immoral activities. Despite the positive influences of the Net and the potential it possesses to benefit users, it gives users the ability to indulge their inappropriate or illegal whims. Thus making the Net damaging for society. Although the internet possesses good materials and information, the widespread participation on the inappropriate websites has damaged the morals of the generation which grew up using the Net.

Due to the educational information present on the Net, people are able to access websites that allow them to gather positively influential material. Since people have the power to reach data that helps eliminate ignorance, one could infer that the internet makes those which use it brighter. Furthermore, with possible the connections between different countries around the world, Net users may acquire an increased global awareness. Through the news outlets online, such as The New York Times, CNN, and MSNBC, learning about global current events is effortless for internet users. Increasing global awareness and perspective among the youth as well as other Net users creates a smarter population, which suggests a more precocious and aware population. These attributes could aid the world by solving more issues through understanding problems and means necessary to prevent them; making the world a better place.

Information databases permit users to easily access research, increasing the amount of material people can augment their intelligence with. The Encyclopedia Britannica and The Oxford English Dictionary both place their information online, allowing web users to quickly and efficiently gain facts and research on the Net. This makes the process of researching and data gathering on websites a less complicated task then flipping through different volumes of research books. With the aid of search engines such as Google and Yahoo, research is further simplified because they provide lists of websites that contain facts and materials on various topics.

Through the use of online study websites, Net users are able to prepare for tests or complete word efficiently with these alternative studying methods. For example Quizlet, an online study program, permits users to create note cards and generates tests or study games with the material imputed. In addition another study program, Vitamin R allots people specific amounts of time to complete different activities or assignments simplifying time managements for the users. With these different sites on the Net which provide people with the means to better their education and increase their intelligence it would seem as though the generation that grew up the innovations of the internet would be less ignorant, more informed and more efficient.

While the Net enables users to improve their intellect, it also provides morally degrading and illegal activities which many users frequently indulge in. Online pornography, downloadable music, and assignments on the Net provide access to a various activities that would not have been easily reachable without the internet. People, specifically teenagers, often go online to websites like Chat Roulete where users are connected with strangers and participate in pornography and other vulgar behaviors. Without the means of the internet occurrences and actions such as this would be impossible. Large amounts of pornography available on the Net makes viewing this material easier and almost normal. Every second 28,258 people watch pornography on the internet, which proves that the pornography industry on the Net is in fact popular and thriving. Also each second 372 users enter topics related to adult material into search engines. These statistics illustrates the presence of the adult entertainment industry on the internet. Breaking the age barrier of who can view the adult material like online pornography allows young people to participate in an activity once considered unsuitable for their age; however is now possible and common.

In addition to viewing online pornography web users can also plagiarize by buying essays, homework assignments, or simply steal the work of another. Due to all the research and articles on the net plagiarizing has become a common occurrence in high schools since often times the assignment one craves is merely a few clicks rather than hours of work away. Statistics regarding plagiarism from (http://www.buzzle.com/articles/detecting-plagiarism-on-the-internet.html) reveal that the prevalence of this problem since around 54% of high school students admit plagiarizing material found on the Net (Charlie S). This disregard for stealing ones ideas and work illustrates a change in the morals of society because more than half of student in high school participate and thus find it acceptable to cheat this way. Illegally downloading or stealing music or other forms of entertainment from the Net goes hand in hand with the problem of plagiarizing from the Net. The widespread practice of these activities has become more common and almost acceptable for society to download and steal materials online. An estimation from The Recording Association of America, RIAA, states that merely 37% of music that US consumers acquire has been paid for (http://www.riaa.com/faq.php). These actions have become more common and the corruption of youth behaviors and morals seems to stem from the inappropriate activities such as these that they engage in on the Net. Harming the entertainment industry and damaging their ability to gain profits for their products and potentially hurts the economy and the industry’s ability to expand.

The Net provides society with the means to either improve their intelligence or to degrade and ignore their morals. Despite the fact that people can use the resources at their finger tips on the internet to watch the news or read articles regarding current world events, more often than not people elect to watch pornography or download entertainment material illegally. Inappropriate materials on the Net, which were once restricted to only adults, are now accessible to younger people and children allowing them to mature faster and corroding their morals or hesitation regarding the indulgence such impulses. While the internet can probably benefit society and help increase intelligence its impact on the morals and behavior of the youth using it illustrates that it can do more bad then good regarding the behavioral choices of the users.

My points here should be interesting for anyone who feels as though the activities that they participate in on the internet have had an impact on their morals or their intelligence. However, beyond this limited audience my points speak to anyone who cares about larger issues of internet and the activities of those that use it in manners that may be considered inappropriate. In addition to anyone that finds interest in the impact that the percent of the population damaged by the Net may have on the rest of the world as well as the future.

Work Cited

Bissette, David C. "Internet Pornography Statistics: 2003 ." Healthy Mind . N.p., 2004. Web. .

"For Students Doing Reports." RIAA - Recording Industry Association of America . RIAA - The Recording Industry Association of Ame, 2011. Web. .

Ropelato, Jerry. "Internet Pornography Statistics." Internet Filter Software Review . Net Nanny, n.d. Web. .

S, Charlie. "Detecting Plagiarism on the Internet." Buzzle.com . Google, n.d. Web. .

It's Become Too Much

Curtis Lin

Cheryl Clarks

7/31/11

BU Summer – Persuasive Writing

It’s Become Too Much

Choi Eun-Woo, a South Korean man of the age of 43, decided to visit a community website, Daum, to see if there were any interesting articles online. To his surprise, on one of the articles, he saw his name, his picture and where he lived. The article also showed his hand near the waist of a young woman. He was accused of sexually harassing a woman on a train. He didn’t remember ever doing that. He thought that, possibly, the picture must have been photoshopped and edited. Continuing to read through the article, Choi saw the distasteful comments about him, leaving him feel bad. But he felt worse – he felt a foreboding sense of danger which would enter his life. And to his dismay, he sensed right. Day by day, he was pointed to, and received malicious looks from people – even at his workplace. He tried to establish the fact that the article was wrong, but to no avail. After a few months of trying to show his innocence, he couldn’t take it anymore, and committed suicide. The innocent Choi Eun-Woo died. And it was simply due to bullying over the internet – cyber bullying.

Fake masks over the internet and cyber bullying are parts of deterioration of internet protocols. Although we humans may remind ourselves time and time again about the potential problems of the internet, when faced with a society so closely integrated with the internet as South Korea, which has 81% of their population using the internet, it’s definitely no longer up to us. The perpetrators get away with these crimes easily since it’s supposedly just the internet, but suicides and threats are constantly increasing due to the internet. It’s time for a change. We must erase anonymity through an identification system in order to forcibly decrease the amount of cyber bullying cases and to get rid of internet masks. Although freedom of speech may be somewhat restricted, people will restrain themselves. Therefore, they will be more thoughtful and understanding of the results of their actions and will think more, and provide stronger, more intellectual messages when joining internet conversations, as to uphold their own integrity and empower their identity like they do in everyday life outside the internet.

Now, many people argue that getting rid of anonymity means restricting freedom of speech. I do agree that it does potentially take away some freedom to express views publicly on the internet. However, many people are taking advantage of this praised internet anonymity, which enables them to hurt, harass, send death threats, as well as commit various crimes over the internet without much chance of reprisal. Inflammatory posts, which have recently been greatly increasing in number, would quickly die down if anonymity were to be erased. In general, due to the pressure of how people see them and view their character, people on the internet would become more constructive, less bent on expending negative emotions, and become more wary of what they say to others. In other words, the internet would have an essence of courtesy that appears in real life – only even more so, because what they say on the internet is actually recorded for thousands of others to see.

John Dvorak, author of Pros and Cons of Internet Anonymity, also argues that people would shy away from things which would make them look foolish. He emphasizes that “these folks would say nothing at all if there were no anonymity” (Dvorak) and discusses that sociopaths wouldn’t discuss the most abnormal of things on the net if they were to lose their anonymity. I agree that people would indeed shy away from saying things on the internet that are outright embarrassing or maybe even of vindictive and hateful nature. Thus the loss of anonymity on the internet would greatly decrease the pace and maybe even stop the tides of cyber bullying from touching the shoreline and face of the internet community.

But this doesn’t mean that freedom of speech over the internet would be completely removed. The internet could still be used – and would promote – closed circles of intellectuals who would be able to share ideas, give opinions in a constructive manner, and would be able to reply to others with opposing views in a logical, coolheaded manner. This type of interaction would not lead to fights over the internet due to its structured nature. In a way, users would think twice before posting, and would try to show that they are indeed both civilized and good members of the internet society. Removing anonymity would promote more enticing intellectual discussions with users with most maturity and self-control.

The internet, without anonymity, would also further encourage intellectual posts by increasing the prestige of the poster. This could lead to a “competition” in which people would try to prove their point in intelligent and persuasive ways, be clear about their evidence, cite sources, and be a good community member of the internet. It would be like reading many fine-woven essays and points of view online, increasing the literacy and decreasing the mediocrity of internet content. Without internet anonymity, the internet would finally mean serious business.

Removing internet anonymity would also increase the speed and pace of crime investigation. Rather than having to wait on a suspected person’s ISP to reveal logs, as well as deciphering the logs, it would be easier to simply look at the person’s name who is blogging, posting, or simply giving off any new content on the internet. This, in fact, would decrease crime rate since each post and comment would carry the author’s real name. Crime rate would decrease considerably and speed of resolving crime over the internet would increase.

Of course, this will all come down to security issues. Many dissenters would probably question, “How would this be possible in a safe way? Anyone can just type someone’s name in and pose as him or her.” Well, I feel that something similar to the South Korean KSSN or i-PIN number would work well: during registry, the KSSN would be used to identify the person, but not be publicly viewable. Rather, the name would be displayed on the forefront, and the SSN, which would also include where they lived and their identity, would be in the background, invisible from the public to see. Of course, this would pose security threats because of hackers, anyway. If hackers retrieved a database of SSN from a given website, then much internet fraud could possibly occur. Thus, it may be possible to place protocols, such as leaving SSN in printed documents and leaving the internet database with nothing but the users. The SSN database could possibly exist on another computer, disconnected from the internet. Simply put, after a user registers with their SSN, it sends the data – a check for verification – and gains an “okay” from the server, the user is registered, and the SSN is sent to the database and transmitted into another computer through USB or other offline means. South Korea recently has something similar, and although there was uproar, there were few or no complaints after a few years. If South Korea, a society closely integrated with the internet, can do it, why can’t we – the rest of the world?

I have faith that we all can adapt. But places like the United States which strongly represent the idea of freedom and liberty may have problems adapting. That is, internet anonymity hides behind the word “freedom” from freedom of speech. Many users will probably look at the term in relation to the internet on just the bare surface, think of a benefit, and then refuse to think deeply about the negativities it brings and abuse it may allow. But remember that South Korea is also a democracy. And it used the identification system first – and it worked.

Abuse of internet anonymity is growing to the point which anonymity needs to be rid of. Although it may limit our freedom now, it would spawn an age of intellectual and quality advancement of media and information on the internet. The internet society would grow stronger, and become a more professional society than it is today. Lives would also be saved, as cyber bullying and crimes over the internet would decrease considerably, as identities of such potential perpetrators would be easily known, thus making the internet a safer and better place to be. Step forward into a stronger society of the internet in this new age. Be the change.

Excerpt to Use (Conclusion):

“Abuse of internet anonymity is growing to the point which anonymity needs to be rid of. Although it may limit our freedom now, it would spawn an age of intellectual and quality advancement of media and information on the internet. The internet society would grow stronger, and become a more professional society than it is today. Lives would also be saved, as cyber bullying and crimes over the internet would decrease considerably, as identities of such potential perpetrators would be easily known, thus making the internet a safer and better place to be. Step forward into a stronger society of the internet in this new age. Be the change.”

Works Cited

Dvorak, John C. Pros and Cons of Anonymity. 30 December 2002.

Why Do Teens Need the Internet?

We were running out of time; the score was tied one to one. Rain was mixing with the sweat on my forehead and the pain was starting to travel up through my legs, but at this point I couldn’t care less. My mind was only on one thing: defend my goalie. The referee blew the whistle, and play resumed. It was the state championship, and you could literally cut the tension with a knife. The crowd was in a competition of their own, which bleacher could cheer louder. But on the field the real fight was beginning, eye black smudged, bruises ready to appear, intensity all across the face, and forty-five minutes on the clock. Second-by-second, minute-by-minute, time ticked on; the score stayed still. Finally the last two minutes came along, and as swiftly as fox number three dribbled up the field, she crossed the ball into the box and my teammates head angled it towards the net. Goal! We had scored. Now all that was left to do was defend. After what seemed like hours, but was only minutes the final whistle blew and we had just won the state championships, I thought I was dreaming. Tears of joy dripped out of my eyes, and my team happily boarded the bus. After fifteen minutes of pure delight on the ride home, a realization hit me. I was going to get home around 8 o’clock, my research paper on women’s rights in Afghanistan was due the next day, and I hadn’t started. I had no time to go to the library to research, and all I could think was Thank God for Google.

In previous decades teenagers have never been this busy. In this day and age high school and college students have so much going on. Many if not most teens have to manage school and a part-time job, but also they participate in some sort of extra-curricular activity such as sports, drama, clubs, and music. Although the youth of American may be in the progress of becoming totally dependant on the Internet, it is a necessity for teen use in order for them to excel at school while being able to attend everything on their busy schedules. Going to library, checking out books, and researching encyclopedias have become old fashioned. Teens have no time to sit and look to find the answer, they need it immediately. From my own personal experiences, I have learnt that without search engines like Google Scholar, and Bing I would never have had my essays in on time. Internet usage is growing, more and more people are becoming able to access it through phones, iPods, laptops, and public computers. The constant advancement of systems and search engines on the Internet is highly beneficial for teens. Teens are able to control their busy schedules while maintaining their grades and having time to rest because of the quickness the Internet is providing.

Most people think there may be a simple solution to this dependency on the Internet, teens taking on fewer activities. As a student athlete, I am dedicated to my sport, and love going to practice every day. Time management is my only option in solving this dilemma because I could not imagine my life without soccer or track in my life. Also this blend between schoolwork and various activities is essential for high school students across the country and world to get into the college or university of their choice. There is so much competition to get into college, that these activities could make you shine out more to admissions officer rather than someone else. Nowadays an after school activity is necessary, and extra time is key which the Internet allows teens to have.

Teenage dependency on the Internet is a rather controversial issue. Some people find that the Internet may not be helping the youth but rather harming them. A firm believer that the Internet is distracting teens is Sue Scheff, founder of Parent Universal Resource Experts. Her online website (Sue Scheff, Wrapped Up in the Web) discusses how the digital generation of kids may becoming addicted to the Internet, and gives advice to parents on how to monitor their children’s usage of it. She talks about how social networking websites such as Facebook, and MySpace are causing a constant distraction that can alter their social and educational development.

I do agree up to a point with Scheff. I cannot even count the amount of times I have gone to Facebook while reading articles, writing essays, and doing various assignments of the sort. In general people need breaks from boring activities like homework; Facebook acts as my break. Social networking and gaming sites could occupy others break time. But these distractions are just simply just a break; if these sites were not available for people, they would resort to other distractions such as getting up to get food or talking on the phone to friends.

A study conducted by students at Michigan State University between December 2000 and June 2002, followed a group of children between the ages of ten and eighteen. The experiment was designed to find out whether or not the Internet is beneficial for students in low-income studies. The usage of the Internet for these select children was monitored, and their academic performances were obtained. Results showed that the students using the Internet more had higher scores on standardized tests in reading, and also had greater grade point averages than the children using the Net less. According to this study, the Internet does not harm academic achievements but improves them. (Gretchen Barbatsis, Frank A. Biocca, Alexander Von Eye, Hiram E. Fitzgerald, Linda A. Jackson, and Yong Zhao)

The Internet is a valuable tool to all ages, but it is essential for high school and college students. Their hectic schedules demand a quick alternative to a trip to the library, which search engines and databases on the Internet are happy to provide. Though some people have mixed feelings on whether or not the World Wide Web is just distraction in disguise, I believe that for teens the Net is not just a want but a need.

Work Cited

Gretchen Barbatsis, Frank A. Biocca, Alexander Von Eye, Hiram E. Fitzgerald, Linda A. Jackson, and Yong Zhao. "Does Home Internet Use Influence the Academic Performance of Children?" Www.apa.org. 12 Dec. 2005. Web. 3 Aug. 2011.

Scheff, Sue. "Wrapped Up in the Web: The Dangers of Teen Internet Addiction." Sue-scheff.net. Web. 03 Aug. 2011.

Cyber Bullying in New York

Cyber Bullying in New York

March 21, 2010. October 16, 2006. April 6, 2009. January 14, 2010. September 22, 2010.

March 21, 2010 sticks out in my mind. It was a Sunday, and I went to the tennis courts to see my friends. One friend told me he heard a girl died in our school. She was a senior. My sister had known who the girl was. Her name was Alexis Pilkington.

The next day was a Monday, and we went to school not knowing what to expect. What were we supposed to do when one of our own has taken her own life? The school was devastated, to say the least. Teachers roamed the hallways, trying to be brave, but some broke down in tears and could not hide their emotions. Some teachers still taught and acted like it did not happen. In those classes, the students cried quietly to themselves, so no one would overhear. Other teachers allowed for the day off. They asked the students to share stories about Lexi, and to just relax for the day. The music wing was used as a grieving area for those who felt sad or empty. No one smiled that day. Smiling meant that you did not care or that you were insulting Lexi’s memory. Those who smiled did it privately and were scorned for being so ignorant.

Everyone in the school knew what happened. Everyone felt each other’s pain. The day was slow, depressing and filled with tears of “what if”.

New information began to emerge about Lexi’s suicide. She was cyber bullied, and the day after it happened, people began posting nooses, jokes about Jews, and jokes about her death on her memorial page on Facebook. Even after she died, these people would not let up. If it was this bad after she died, what was it like before?

All of her friends were outraged by the rude messages and decided to do something about it. Now, the students have a boycott against a website called Formspring.me. This website was where Lexi’s anonymous insults resided. Most of our school no longer uses the website, but many do, and many are still anonymously taunted.

During all of this, New York State did nothing. No charges were brought up against the criminals who caused Lexi’s death. The school did not punish the students who insulted her death because no law existed that could help the situation (“Cyber Bullying Continued after Teen’s Death”). Our school is still astonished even after a year. We’re still fighting for the justice Lexi’s young life deserves.

September 22, 2010, October 16, 2006, and all the other dates are the dates of those who committed suicide due to cyber harassment or cyber bullying. Those like Alexis Pilkington lived in the bitter World Wide Web where discriminatory posts go undetected. While some victims like Tyler Clementi’s or Phoebe Prince’s lives are justified by the criminal charges brought up against their bullies, Alexis Pilkington’s death goes unwarranted. New York State did not do anything about a seventeen year old girl killing herself because of bullying. Hence, New York State needs more stringent cyber bullying laws because as of now, they are not enforced.

State cyber laws are sanctioned into three parts. The three parts consist of cyber bullying, cyber stalking, and cyber harassment. However, New York State’s cyber bullying laws are hidden. Upon researching “cyber bullying laws” I did not find New York State on any list of states that offer consequences for cyber-bullying. However, when narrowing my search to just “New York State cyber bullying laws’, I found that the law is minimal.

The New York State mandates that a person who is convicted of “cyber harassment” is sentenced as a Class A Misdemeanor. A person can be sentenced to one year in jail or pay a fine of $4,000 (“Cyberbullying and the States”). This usually does not occur because most cases against cyber bullying are thrown away. Hence, most bullies get away with their crimes.

New York State also dictates that “cyber bullying” is an educational law which means that the state mandates each public school must educate children on the effects of cyber bullying and offer sources on how to get help. This act, “Cyber-Crime Youth Rescue Act” gives the option of an education against cyber bullying versus a permanent criminal record. New York State Legislator Brian Scavo is the leading legislator for this subject in which he informs us that the criminals on the Internet will be punished. It is now in the process of getting passed by Governor Cuomo (“NYS Sexting and Cyberbullying Prevention Bill Goes to Governor Cuomo”).

Lastly, New York State law does not have any sort of law for cyber stalking (“Cyberbullying and the States”).

Washington State has allowed for a law to prohibit all kinds of cyber harassment in schools. In Pennsylvania, State Senator Jane Orie and Bradford Woods proposed a bill that would make theft, cyber harassment, and republication on the Internet a criminal offense. The state of Oregon now has a law that causes all 198 schools to prohibit any kind of cyber bullying (“Laws Against Cyber Bullying”). With these states taking the initiative to help those kids who are attacked on the Internet, New York State should be next on the list of prohibiting any type of cyber bullying in the schools. New York State cannot help those who kill themselves after being bullied. New York State cannot justify their death and put the bullies in their place. Instead, these bullies walk around free and ready to cause another teen to commit suicide. New York State’s bullying laws are rarely enforced with one assembly a year explaining the threat of cyber-bullying or a fine that goes on their criminal record as a misdemeanor. Hence, their laws should be modified to fit the new coming age of cyber bullying.

The Internet can be used anonymously to taunt others. With no form of constraint, kids will taunt others until the breaking point. New York State needs to set an example for those who bully others. With other states punishing children for abusing the Internet and causing harm to others, New York needs to come forth and take action to save the lives of victims of cyber bullying.

While the Internet is a dangerous and free place to do whatever you want undetected, there must be some control. Some poor child is reading that they are a fat cow even if they weigh less than one hundred and fifty pounds. The Internet is frightening, for we would not know what was happening if these suicides had not occurred. That is somebody’s daughter or son who can no longer face their peers because of the things written on the Internet. This is your sister, your cousin, your grandson who no longer wants to live because people on the Internet were so cruel to him. You can’t help them because the bullies cannot be brought up on charges if there is no law. There must be some way to control those who use the Internet.

People argue that the Internet falls into the First Amendment of the Constitution, but doesn’t the First Amendment state that if one slanders or puts another into danger, they are violating the First Amendment and the citizen’s rights? The First Amendment is supposed to protect those who use the Internet correctly. When harming someone’s name or sexuality or religion, that is considered violating the First Amendment. Not everything one posts on the Internet is true, but when it hurts someone’s lifestyle or customs, then that is an offense. It is not freedom if the victim cannot express who they are. Hence, the First Amendment does not protect the cyber bullies, for they are causing harm to others’ lives.

Furthermore, the Patriot Act is an act instated when the Iraqi War began which allows the government to look at our personal emails or text messages or anything on the Internet or cell phones. If the people of the United States wanted to stay safe during a time of war, wouldn’t they want to keep their kids safe? Hence, a strong legislature should allow the interference of the things said on the Internet. While this almost sounds Communistic, there must be some balance between the freedom of the Internet and the cyber bullying some face. The government must do something.

While the Internet is not at fault for these occurrences, the bullies who abuse the Net are. New York State must take the initiative to control those who abuse the Internet. A mandatory class that actually teaches kids the rights and wrongs of the Internet, not some annual assembly that most kids use as naptime, should be authorized in early education (“Cyberbullying and the States”). A law must be passed that indicts the bullies with a crueler punishment than a misdemeanor. The bullies could be threatening a life or slandering a name. They must be punished. Furthermore, those bullies who pushed a victim to suicide should also be punished. Unintentional manslaughter or second degree manslaughter should be an option for those bullies who helped someone choose to kill themself.

I agree that it is hard to control something as monumental as the Internet, but it must be done. These lives must be saved. No young child should be scared to use the Internet or explore the world. No child should think of taking their own life because someone called them a slut or a fat cow. New York State educators often tell parents that children are our future. We cannot be the future if we are too scared or hurt to go on living.

Lexi died for a reason. She brought light to the situation all of us kept on the back burner. Her death taught us that the Internet is a cold, cruel place when used wrongly. We must be the ones to show her that we are fighting back for the life that she gave up. We must be the ones to show her that someone cares. We must help those like Lexi, those who are lost or empty of emotion because of insults written on the Internet. We must be the future.




Works Cited Page
"Cyberbullying and the States." National Conference of State Legislatures. National Conference of State Legislatures, 9 July 2010. Web. .

“Cyberbullying Continued After Teen's Death." CBSNews. CBS: CBS, New York, 29 March 2010. Television. .

Foderaro, Lisa. "Private Moment Made Public, Then a Fatal Jump." New York Times 29 September 2010: n. pag. Web. .

"Laws Against Cyber Bullying." SocialSafety.org. SocialSafety.org, n.d. Web. .

"NYS Sexting and Cyberbullying Prevention Bill Goes to Governor Cuomo." Northeast Public Radio. WAMC, Utica, NY, 6/23/2011. Radio. 2. .

"Parents: Cyber Bullying Led to Teen's Suicide." ABC Good Morning America. ABC, 19 November 2007. Web. .

Presgraves, Daryl. "11-Year-Old Hangs Himself After Enduring Daily Anti-Gay Bullying." Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network. N.p., 9 April 2009. Web. .

Zabriskie, Phil. "The Mysteries of the Suicide Tourist." New York 11 May 2008: n. pag. Web. .

internet addiction

Internet Addiction

I am playing a soccer game on a gaming console, it is the 90 minute the score is 1-1. Suddenly my player intercepts the ball and runs towards the opponents goal keeper, I attempt a shot when suddenly my mom comes in the room and turns of the television. She is angry, I am late for tennis training.

After a short bikeride I made it to the tenniscourt.

I could not focus during my training, the only thing I could think of was my videogame.

The internet is an universal communication method.

People are able to interact with other people using e-mails, facebook, twitter and chatrooms. The internet could also be used for finding information through search engines like Google, Yahoo, Wikipedia or bing. You can find almost any information on the Internet.

With all these possibilitys comes the possibility of Addiction, Internet addiction.

Internet Addiction is a personality disorder, of you are over-using the internet, neglecting your relationships, your study or your work you could have this disorder.

People with internet addiction often feel an empty space caused by not habijt any real relations, so they go on the internet, pretend they are for their feelings a perfect male/female trying to feel the void.

Internet, the new thief of everything we hold dear

It is conspicuous that over a fifty year time period, a significant amount of things have changed in this world. For instance; showing someone pictures through the click of a button is feasible, getting in contact with someone does not require any face to face meetings whatsoever, and allows more people say things when they use technology as a medium for connecting with others, hiding behind whatever technological device they are using. That brings up the question, what exactly is technology doing? Sure, it’s making things a lot more convenient by making the time of how long we wish to speak to someone while doing something else more efficient, but technology is also causing bad things to occur. Technology is not only harming us, it is taking away all of the proper manners that used to be common in our everyday lives. Technology is not bad, on the contrary, when used improperly, it can be harmful.

Pictures nowadays are what make the world go round. Advertisement agencies use creative images to entice customers. All of over the internet with social networking sites such as, Facebook, people post up pictures of an exciting night or just to get an excessive amount of ‘likes.” Even many cameras are comprised with apps that directly send an image you take to Twitter, Facebook, or Myspace. The days of taking pictures and having to mail them to people are gone. Taking pictures has become part of our everyday lives, it is good to have them but there is a downside to this effective piece of technology. For instance, paparazzi often use cameras to sneak peeks at celebrities doing embarrassing things, and then post these images online or worse, make it a cover of a well-known magazine or newspaper. People abuse the power of having camera phones by sending explicit pictures of themselves which sometimes end up circulated, also due to technology. The power of having a camera allows people to take advantage of one another, using pictures of evidence to blackmail someone, or embarrassing them by posting pictures online. Once something is online, it’s there for eternity and a reputation cannot be easily reconstructed. Cameras capture moments we wish would last forever, but when used to exploit others, it can become a catastrophe.


Another positive thing technology allows us to do is get in contact with people without having to see them in person. There is texting, chatting on the phone, e-mailing, and even instant messaging. With the help of social networking sites one could write on a friend’s wall or tweet them. Nowadays laptops are built in with webcams which can also be a means of communication without being face to face with someone. This takes away the sweet gestures that people used to be able to make. Of course it’s not impossible to drive up to a friend’s house and check on them, but of course if texting or calling them is more convenient, most people will choose to do so. In an article titled How Text Messaging Can Ruin a Relationship the author Vanessa Love says, “It is too hard to tell the tone of someone’s voice in a text message and it can often be misinterpreted…I don’t know about you guys, but I text with people I hardly ever talk to in “real life” as I’ll call it. When I say “real life” I am including on the phone. Why? Because then you can hear expressions, tones, laughs, tears. It’s just more personal, making it possible to actually carry on a relationship with someone. Clacking away on an impossibly small keypad as your main means of communication with your SO? Yeah, not exactly a bonding experience.” In her very verbose rant on how she despises texting, she states that it tends to ruin relationships. Instead of speaking to someone through technological means, it’s better to be face to face, looking at each other, hearing each other’s voices, looking into each other’s eyes. However, I’m of two minds about Love’s claims. On the one hand, I agree that she is correct, a lot of things such as sarcasm, does not transfer well over text. On the other hand, I’m not sure if texting is all really bad. If a significant other was in a meeting and couldn’t make a phone call they might text their loved one, “Hey honey I can’t make it tonight, shall we take a rain check?” As opposed to not notifying them at all. There are pros and cons of communicating through the internet not just with loved ones, but with anyone. It ruins the experience of being with someone in real-time as opposed to texting, e-mailing, or calling them.


In my opinion the most significant con that technology brings is allowing people to hide behind the mask of a computer screen or a phone. With the internet, anyone can say or do whatever they want. Not many people seem to have a filter, if they know they won’t get caught they’ll say any aspersions they please. For instance, on bullystatistics.org they state “Over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber bullying” At first glance, teenagers might say that they should be given more credit than that and be credited as good people. But on a closer inspection, it is mainly the teens doing the bullying, causing suicides, trashing reputations, and tearing down self-esteems. Common sense seems to dictate that we have the power to control what we do and say, but others still seem to misuse this part of their conscience. The site goes on to say, “Over 80 percent of teens use a cell phone regularly, making it the most popular form of technology and a common medium for cyber bullying.” The reason this is so is because they have the gadgets to cause this destruction and they do so. I wholeheartedly endorse what they call aggressive cyber bullying. Another alarming quote is stated when they say, “Over 25 percent of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet.” This is due to the availability of technology. Again, I am not saying that technology is bad. I am simply stating that it is causing certain aspects of society to lose its common courtesy.


In conclusion, technology is not bad, but it does cause bad things to happen. There are many inventions that were made for good purposes but are exploited and used in bad ways. For example, guns were once used to hunt animals and allow families to eat, and in 2006 studies show that there were 30,896 deaths in the United States due to guns. Technology has its ups and downs just as every new invention does. Sure technology isn’t always the best way to communicate but it can come in handy for someone running short on time. Yes, cameras can be used for bad purposes, but they capture moments that last lifetimes. Lastly, it is bad that people can hide behind a computer screen, but to that person out there afraid to speak their mind, afraid of risking getting beaten up, it is a savior. Technology is not bad, people make it bad, if people could learn how to use it for good instead of evil, it’d be a better way to connect in our everyday lives.

eBooks or Books?

eBooks or Books?
Stella Megalou
Persuasive writing
1/08/11
Nowadays people's schedules are so busy and they have many things on their minds that they seek a more convenient way to access literature. For this reason, many prefer eBooks to tangible novels. These eBooks are accessible to anyone possessing internet. For example, the Amazon Kindle not only comes in a small tablet device, but is also downloadable (for free) to any computer. Therefore, the generation of tangible novels will unfortunately come to an conclusion.
Surveys have shown that one out of four people(25 %) use eBooks because of their "easy-to-use" feature. The process of downloading an eBook simply requires searching for the desired novel on the website's database (Barnes and Noble, Amazon, etc.) and clicking the "Buy" button located on the book's page. But why people want to press the ''Buy ''button? Why can’t they just go to a book store and buy it? The answer is because the process is much simpler; it is less time consuming and often it is much cheaper. Thus, eBooks have become increasingly widespread throughout the world.
According to Maye Henning, student and extensive reader, electronic books are better because one can purchase, download and begin to read within a matter minutes. This entire process can occur without physical activity. It requires neither making a trip to the bookstore nor waiting for the book to arrive via mail. She continues by saying, ’’No trees are required to manufacture pages for eBooks. They are completely environmentally friendly. In addition, eBooks provide links for easy access to more information and related websites.” Maye stated that this has helped a lot with her reading procedure.
This is not the same for everyone. Many people replied that eBooks are not only damaging for the eyes but are an obstacle for their concentration. Nicholas Carr, author of “Is Google Making Us Stupid,” discusses the Internet and it’s negative impact on society. In his article he explains, “I am not thinking the way I used to think. Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages.” Moreover, Carr argues, “The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.” In contrast, it appears that for some people reading eBooks can be helpful and more convenient. Although for others, eBooks are just a problem to their lives and obstacles to their concentration.
Technology, which is becoming more innovative every day, will soon replace conventional means of communication and research. Books will be included .Of course there are always going to be people who do not agree with this. Because the kingdom of Books is so rich and powerful that an eBooks won’t be able to replace them.
In conclusion, because of technologies have already started to influence people and are now part of human beings .I believe that in the end books will be replaced by eBooks. The reason is, because, he first eBook that was released was in 2009.Now it is 2011 and 47% of American people have eBook .Sow can see how much this electronic book has grown in such a small period of time. What else should we expect? It is all up to us.

Children In the Digital Age

Emily Glaenzer

July 28, 2011

Persuasive writing

I babysit my neighbor every Thursday night. Her name is Sydney, she is three, has short blond hair tied back in a bow and classic baby fat cheeks with big blue eyes. I’ve babysat Sydney for only a year or so, but already am noticing some major differences in how her childhood is beginning than how mine began. I’ve noticed how TV instantly soothes her regardless of the problem (scrapes, bruises, crying for her parents). I’ve noticed how much she loves her plastic pink cell phone and her Dora the Explorer cell phone and her baby blue toy laptop. I’ve noticed how much she hates playing with her blocks, the only simple toy in the house.

Sydney is not alone. Children around the world are tuning into the digital age (or are becoming part of what Don Tapscott calls the “Net Generation”). Research originally done by the Seattle Research Institute shows that 30-50% of preschoolers have a TV in their bedroom. I find this statistic startling, while many kid’s shows are educational; I worry that they may be hooking themselves onto this media too soon. I’m worried that one day these kids may wake up to find that without their technology around they will not be able to function. I’m worried that this day has already passed. It has become clear that children and adults have become reliant on digital media without knowing the negative consequences.

It is clear that we as a society are obsessed with the Internet, with our smartphones even with our social networking sites. And this is only within the past ten years. Larry Rosen states in “Teaching the iGeneration”, “Just as we don’t think about the existence of air, kids don’t question the existence of technology and media”. I speak from personal experience when I say I am regularly in communication with others and incessantly surrounded by the use of computers, smartphones, and ipods. It has become a constant in my life.

Don Tapscott delves into more negative views of digital children in his book Grown Up Digital. He discusses the addiction to the screen, the loss of social skills and the lack of activities (why play soccer when you can play Wii Soccer), and that the Net Generation has become dumbed down. Tapscott is not the only one with claims to the ugly side of the Internet. People like Nicholas Carr (author of “Is Google Making Us Dumber?”) and Maryanne Wolf (author of Proust and the Squid: the Story and Science of the Reading Brain) claim that the Internet is harming us, preventing us from deep reading (and consequently in depth thinking).

However, there are many researchers who claim the Internet is more beneficial than not. Using new technology we are able to help children with learning to read, write, and talk. A study by The Pearson Foundation shows that children are learning to read at a faster rate than ever before and that the new technology for learning is a way of communicating directly with their work leading to a more positive experience. Honestly, I could go on and on about the pros of the Internet for childhood education. From education consortiums to What To Expect When Expecting websites, there are many researchers and doctors claiming that the Internet is a fantastic source for teaching a child.

I must agree with these facts. The Internet is harming us. Not only do I believe it is making us more impatient, but I believe it is keeping us in a sort of bubble: a bubble that has enwrapped us and lets us believe that even in the worst of neighborhoods a GPS, phone or WiFi could get us out. This bubble prevents us from bad experiences, keeping us a little too clean, not letting us experience the world first hand. The Internet has wrapped us in bubble wrap, so we can get close to things that are bad, see them but never interact. Is it this kind of overzealous protection that’s harming us?

My cousin, Tom, an app addict, was bragging to me about his new iPhone app where he can plug in his current location and his iPhone will tell him the nearest, cleanest bathrooms. I don’t know whether to think this is impressive and something to be envious (goodbye gross bathrooms!) or something to be shocked by. I find myself leaning towards the latter. As my mom said, “Tom needs to get a little dirty here and there”. The Internet is keeping us away from that gross hotel, making it easier for us to meet new people or finish our homework. But is there a point when things become too easy?

As Sydney plays with her toys, I come to realize that she is no different than Tom. She too is never going to get dirty; she plays with her toy laptops and cell phones. She is learning how to use them because for the rest of her life she will be around them. In fact, she even teaches me how to use them. Sydney at age three is more tech-savvy than I am at age seventeen. However, when I was younger my parents taught me how to spell my own name. Leapfrog was only a crutch. My worry is that Sydney is too clean; she is protected by that technology bubble and will never learn key life lessons through her own trial and error. I’m worried that she uses technology as something more than a crutch. One day, all too soon, she will need technology to survive.

On the contrary, I can’t help but make myself see the pros to Sydney’s technological advances. I do cringe when she reaches for her laptop and I do feel guilty when I turn the TV on to prevent those incessant tears; however, it is because of that Leapfrog machine that she could spell, talk and read at an earlier age than I could. Sydney is a smart child and some of the credit must be attributed to her gadgets. Sydney needs to learn to use technology to grow up with her generation and I will admit that it has brought her miles in her education. However, it is how often it is used and the way it is used that brings me to a halt. There are kids who don’t know how to turn off their cell phones because they never have before. There are some who spend days without turning off the TV. There are some who take TV exercise games over going for a run outside. I know these kids, in fact these are my friends; the over users and abusers of technology.

It is because of my addicted to their iPhones and computers. It is because preschoolers spend three times more time in front of a screen than they do reading (the Kaiser Foundation). It is because of these examples and facts that I worry about Sydney. Therefore, what must be learned is pacing. If the Internet continues, it must be continued at a slower pace. There are some simple fixes. For example, learning how to do something on your own before letting a computer do it for you, or limiting the amount of time one spends on electronics. Kids and adults need to learn the values of the Internet. They need to know how much it has given us and the opportunities that may arise from it. Yet they also must know what it can do to us: the addiction, the laziness, the loss of social skills. They need to learn that sometimes playing a game outside may be better than playing a game inside, even if it is educational. It’s not Internet that’s bad; it’s the way that it’s been used.

Works Cited

Blanchard, Jay, and Terry Moore. "The Digital World of Young Children: Impact on Emergent Literacy." Pearson Foundation. The Pearson Foundation, 01 Mar. 2010. Web. 3 Aug. 2011.

Christakis, Dimitri A., and George Adkins. "The Impact of Media on Our Children." Ethics4adigitalworld. Seattle Children's Research Institute, 05 Apr. 2011. Web. 03 Aug. 2011.

Christine C. "Kids Age 8 to 18 Spend More Than Seven Hours a Day With Media." Kaiser Foundation. The Kaiser Foundation, 21 Jan. 2010. Web. 3 Aug. 2011.

"The Impact of Media on Our Children." Ethics 4 A Digital World. Seattle Children's Research Institute, 05 Apr. 2011. Web. 28 July 2011.

Rosen, Larry D. "Teaching the IGeneration." Feb. 2011. Web. 3 Aug. 2011.