Aside: Internet Rising Documentary

I thought this was a very interesting documentary.  It covered so many of the topics we discussed in class.  It described the Internet as a means of creating a direct connection between people and ideas.

They brought up the issue of if Internet access should be a human right.  I think this is an interesting topic because in developed countries that are run based on the connectivity of the Internet, I think people that do not have a stable, high speed connection are put at a severe disadvantage.  This is only because our society as developed in a way that we have become dependent on this technology.  When thinking about the Internet in terms of the virtual world, it creates an alternative reality were a majority of people, to some extent, act in a way they would not in a face to face interaction.  The documentary mentioned how it creates a realm of fiction and fantasy.  I believe people use their digital lives as an escape to reality or as a way to recreate themselves in a different ‘life’. 

     The Internet is also used as a means of empowering individuals and giving them more freedom.  People are able to express themselves and connect to one other in a way that was never available in the past.  The documentary stated that the Internet has transformative power, but I think this is only in a certain context.  I think of the Internet as an enabler for change, but for anything substantial to actually take place people must take action. It enables communication and offers a tool for formation and spreading information. 

     I thought it was very interesting when the video discussed how these new emerging technologies are transforming us into ‘something else’.  I have read articles in the past about how technology has made physical changes in the structure of the human brain.  The video discuses how the image of an individual has been extended to the image of an individual holding an iphone.  This is an interesting idea because we are at the point where many people, mostly the younger generations, literally feel lost if they do not have their phone with them at all time.  When my phone has been broken for a few days, I have the constant feeling that I am missing something.  Our phones have become an extension of ourselves that allows us to be in constant communication with one another.  It scares me to think we have come this far and been this dependent in such a short period of time, where will we be ten years from now?