Video Comments

To be quite honest my first thought when I watched my video over was: are my eyes going in different directions? I was getting mad at myself for the facial expressions I was making.  Recording yourself makes you notice certain elements about yourself you normally would not.  While I was making this it reminded me of making video messages on Facebook. People sit in front of their computers alone talking to themselves, and then watch the video they created to waste time.  It gives you this sense of feeling really awkward, I used to make videos all the time.  It was fun you could sing a song, recite some long speech to your fb friends and then wait for them to respond back in video format.  Then my camera stopped working and my sound stopped working, and my video making days were over.  Now whenever I make a video I don't know what to do, and when I watch it I critic myself.  Why do we have to make videos? Is it so we can relive that moment over and over and over again? Or is it so we can take a closer look at ourselves to pick out our flaws and waste more time worrying about appearance verses worrying about the knowledge we know? 

GHIJK

Hey Abe,

Thanks for the great comments!  I really enjoyed reading your advice.  I think you did a excellent job with your improvement points and connecting yourself to my blog post.  

To be quite honest everything you said in your response was on point for what I was trying to get across.  You talked about how I feel as though we need to rethink technology and use it for more useful situations in our lives.  Something I found interesting though was when you were talking about Hong Kong.  You said it was very similar to Times  Square in NYC.  Doesn't that scare you that everything is just a copy, just like how many of us have the same computers or I-pods.  We have lost the whole idea of being indivuials.  

It seems like you are not sure what you are for.  In your blog you talked about how without all the access to these devices as a person you would appear less smart.  You talked about spell check and how you use it so much.  Then you also touched about the use of GPS systems.  How we relay on so many "things" to keep us going.  Then in your response to me you discussed how you agree with the fact that we need it but for better things.  So what is your exact opiouin?

We both seem interesting in the question what is it really needed for?  In our next blog posts lets both explore that deeper!

Blog Responses for Abe and Katherine

 

Katherine,

 

From the first sentence you really drew me into your post.  The funny thing is I am exactly the same when it does to doing my work.  I am sure we are not the only ones. 

 

I thought your whole idea about how we rely so much on digital objects to keep us going and get through the day was really interesting, Your completely right though we do and we don’t realize that all of these objects will one day die just like humans do.  Maybe that’s why we are so drawn to them the idea of something lasting and not breaking down on us?

As I said before the way you do your homework is the way I do mine.  Surprisingly enough though at this moment my itunes isn’t playing and my phone isn’t beeping from texts.  I actually feel like I can get my work done a lot faster without the distraction.  I’m not picking and choosing songs, or talking to someone about something that could wait. 

 

I think you have a great start.  I think you could expand on this whole idea of what perfection is and how once your object stops being perfect how we react as addicts.  You could explore the whole idea of why companies make objects imperfect and how they map it out so it lasts for just the right amount of time so we trust them to buy another one.

 

I remember when I got my first I-pod it was in 5^th grade and it was the mini I-pod.  A year later they came out with the new I-pod and I wanted it so bad.  Even though mine was still in perfect condition and worked perfectly fine.  Even at that age I was already part of this addiction!

 

I enjoyed reading your post.  Keep up the good work!

Abraham,

 

I really liked reading your Blog.  I liked your tone in the passage and found in a sense almost sarcastic but serious at the same time.  (I hope that makes sense).

 

A section that really drew me in was your paragraph about your cousin and uncle getting lost.  I smiled but it really isn’t something that one should find humor in.  I am sure they must of felt pretty stupid, I know I would of.  It also made me think about our discussion today in class, and what makes people stupid?  Why couldn’t they just use a map?  Was it because they were too lazy and before they knew it they were already too late, and in another state!

 

I am pretty sure that the point you were trying to get across was that technology is both bad and good at the same time.  You connected it to yourself and how you think the reason why you have bad handwriting and grammar is due to your computer use.  You did talk about though how you feel as though it has made either staying in contact or getting back into contact much easier. 

 

A couple of weeks ago I went to the eye doctor and she was looking at my eyes and could tell that I use the computer a lot.  Isn’t that crazy! You are right it really does have an affect on our vision.  It’s doing a lot worse for our vision than good.  Maybe we should buy more books and fewer computers.  I am sure our vocabularies would grow verses our need for speed information skills. 

 

Going back to the eyes.  Maybe you could do some research about what scientists predict will happen to peoples vision and eyes after years of computer use.  I think that would something really interesting to expand on. 

 

Personally for me after reading your blog, and listening to what everyone has said, I really want this addiction for digital to end.  It honestly makes me feel sick and when I do use technology I feel like I am committing a crime.  Maybe if we all got that feeling things would come to an end?

 

Yay to Abraham! Nice post! Keep expanding your thoughts! J

New HW 3 Digital Unit

What is happiness? It's strange to think that to many that in order to be "happy" their lives must be surrounded by technology. Our world has come to the point where we use screen communication to build and form relationships. Through our screens we grow and learn, and create almost a Hollywood environment. Always keeping updated on what everyone else is doing when in reality this isn’t making us happier but is making us consumed with other peoples lives. At the rate of the need for technology what will the world be like in 5, 10 years? This isn't to say that I don't enjoy listening to my i-pod or using Facebook. I love being able to send a message through light speed but I am aware that I am involved in this "easy" life, I believe that we are on this planet for a purpose. I don't think all of this addiction that is making us so lazy is the purpose intended. This past weekend I was in Times Square standing with my friend we were looking around at all the flashing lights and advertisements. We both started saying how we felt as though we were living in a nightmare. Why is all of this necessary? Think about how much money these companies are spending on getting the word out about their products. If this country can build these fancy skyscraper adds why are their certain areas of New Orleans that still don’t have levies to protect people and communities from hurricanes? Our world is dealing with issues like global warming if inventors can come up with cameras on digital objects the size of credit cards why cant they put their minds together to slow down the process of the world running out of natural resources? Technology might not be a bad thing it just needs to be rethought so that we can try using it for problems that are much more life changing. Would people be able to survive if one day all technology was suddenly just erased from the planet? How many people would no longer to be able to function? For some its crazy to think that even just 100 years ago people were able to life and be happy with just the company of those surrounding them. A world that involves more face-to-face communication, and struggle to get information is very possible but is the world we live in now ready to handle something like that?

HW 3 Digital Unit

What is happiness? It's strange to think that to many that in order to be "happy" their lives must be surrounded by technology. Our world has come to the point where we use screen communication to build and form relationships. Through our screens we grow and learn, and create almost a Hollywood environment. Always keeping updated on what everyone else is doing when in reality this isn’t making us happier but is making us consumed with other peoples lives. At the rate of the need for technology what will the world be like in 5, 10 years? This isn't to say that I don't enjoy listening to my i-pod or using Facebook. I love being able to send a message through light speed but I am aware that I am involved in this "easy" life, I believe that we are on this planet for a purpose. I don't think all of this addiction that is making us so lazy is the purpose intended. This past weekend I was in Times Square standing with my friend we were looking around at all the flashing lights and advertisements. We both started saying how we felt as though we were living in a nightmare. Why is all of this necessary? Think about how much money these companies are spending on getting the word out about their products. If this country can build these fancy skyscraper adds why are their certain areas of New Orleans that still don’t have levies to protect people and communities from hurricanes? Our world is dealing with issues like global warming if inventors can come up with cameras on digital objects the size of credit cards why cant they put their minds together to slow down the process of the world running out of natural resources? Technology might not be a bad thing it just needs to be rethought so that we can try using it for problems that are much more life changing. Would people be able to survive if one day all technology was suddenly just erased from the planet? How many people would no longer to be able to function? For some its crazy to think that even just 100 years ago people were able to life and be happy with just the company of those surrounding them. A world that involves more face-to-face communication, and struggle to get information is very possible but is the world we live in now ready to handle something like that?