“Is Digital Media Bad For Us?”

“Is Digital Media Bad For Us?”

While there are many things to worry about as an artist in the digital age, let me begin by making it clear that I believe digital media is good for us.  I admit that there are some things we need to be mindful of and gain a better understanding of some things in order to be respectful and successful in this age of openness and diminished regard for secrecy and privacy.  The social-political worries concerning control of information and the consequences of leaks are real.  People’s reputations can be negatively impacted when their words leak out of context.  Politicians and high profile figures are particularly vulnerable in this regard.  However, on the positive side people have used the Internet and other social media tools to mobilize positive efforts of demanding democracy (e.g. demonstrations in Egypt).  Organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation have been established to make sure that we are able to use digital media such as the Internet for free speech, innovation, and digital rights overall.  Democracy Now also champions the same causes via their independent news program.  They are a source of diverse news and information that is needed to address some of our social-political worries.  Then there are the social-interpersonal worries that have been largely proven to be unfounded.  In the early 2000s people were all concerned about creating a generation of isolationists and youth with less than desirable social skills.  WRONG!  Many national studies have proven the contrary.  In fact, the Internet has had a positive effect on relationships and the ability to communicate face to face.  The Parks and Floyd 1995 study showed that on-line relationships were similar to those created face to face.  Another positive aspect has been highlighted by Mizuko Ito – young people are using new media to enhance learning opportunities.  I have used it for that very purpose and for improving my technological knowledge and skills.  I am a part of the Pokemon generation who uses digital media for social engagement and communication.  Most in our generation are not addicted to the Internet or video games and have not yielded  to the psychological-emotional or psychological-cognitive worries.  We can think and analyze even better because of our digital resources.  According to John Grohol’s Internet Addiction Guide, there is no conclusive evidence around Internet addiction.  Yes, people have used search engines, such as Google to do some quick thinking for them, but I agree with Nicholas Carr, Google is NOT making us stupid.  It is enabling us to conduct research quicker and to some degree Google and other search engines have reprogrammed how we process information.  That is not necessarily a bad thing.  I can relate, as a scuba diver and jet skier to Carr’s words, “Once I was a scuba diver in a sea of words…Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a ski jet”.  In this fast moving 21^st century world, that is okay.  While some continue to focus on what digital technology is doing to our minds, there really needs to be more focus on what digital technology is doing to our bodies, especially in light of the childhood obesity problems that are prevalent these days.  Our bodies need physical activity, which one does not get by sitting in front of a computer for hours.  We do get this kind of activity on assembly lines (e.g. the Charlie Chaplain clip on Industrialization).  We also need to be concerned about the dangers of multi-taking (e.g. texting while driving).  Our brains can only do so much.  Ergonomics is also an issue as a study shows that most workplace injuries are caused by the computer keyboard.  Finally, I plan on living a long healthy life with my keyboards – computer and piano.  Technology nourishes me, as discussed by Matt Richtel.  I love technology and I take advantage of all digital resources and devices.  I like this blogging stuff.  There’s a blog born every half second and this is my contribution.  As Wesch points out, I am the machine and the machine is using us in a good way, in my opinion. I don’t know what it all means but I like it!