Chapter 9: Discussion Question

The Web is rapidly becoming the major medium through which people communicate, make decisions,
and even construct their social identities. Think about the difference this has on the effects of society. The senior citizens, the modern age, the teens, even the pre-schoolers. We are all different ages explain some of the different stages you have gone through and what major adaptations you have experienced.

Discussion Forum Instructions:

Peer responses to classmates (minimum of two)

First peer below

It isn’t surprising to see toddlers playing games or watching videos on a tablet or smartphone. Young children are learning from YouTube and influenced by videos they watch on TikTok or making their own videos, creating identities early in life and in an online space. Adults are using the web to meet others professionally, dating, socializing, finding jobs, shopping, and just about anything imaginable is available online. We are adapting to this medium and all that it offers and as mentioned in the video, less on our own abilities. It no longer feels necessary to remember email addresses and phone numbers when we have smartphones that save it for us. Less information is researched from books when Google can find it faster.Senior citizens and some older generations have had to learn to adapt to the internet and its influence on our lives. Smartphones and internet access are almost a requirement to complete some basic tasks. Part of my job requires me to work at a COVID-19 testing site as needed where appointments need to be set up on the website and an account created where the test results are sent for each person testing. It has been a barrier for some of the population that are comfortable with technology or have an email address. We set it up to go to one of our own emails and call the client with the results as a workaround.When I was growing up, we eventually had dial-up internet on our phone line. This meant no one used it until my mom was sure she was in clear from being called into the hospital. Cell phones were not accessible or reasonably priced until around the time I graduated from high school and they were not smart, couldn’t even take a picture. Now my day revolves around technology and troubleshooting issues in our agency. Personally, I have adapted to relying heavily on the internet to look for recipes or meal ideas, take classes, start a business, stay connected, and do a majority of my shopping.   

Second peer below

Constructing a social identity on various social media platforms has both positives and negatives. It helps the elderly feel connected to distant family by seeing posted pictures or learning about their day to day lives, but it also makes them susceptible to hacking and fraud since they’re less familiar with web based scams. It helps kids learn at home, or allows them to talk to friends who have moved, but it also puts them in line with predatory tactics from online businesses or even worse predatory humans. The internet is full of false information with sites that looks like news sites but are just opinioned based leading to mass amounts of misinformation and no one doing any kind of thorough research, or even knowing how to do validate their sources when hearing this shock and awe type of news. The worst thing that the internet and social media brings is the negative effects on your mental health. The platforms are made to engage and keep you scrolling, liking, and coming back for validation on your own posts. “A 2018 British study tied social media use to decreased, disrupted, and delayed sleep, which is associated with depression, memory loss, and poor academic performance. Social media use can affect users’ physical health even more directly. Researchers know the connection between the mind and the gut can turn anxiety and depression into nausea, headaches, muscle tension, and tremors.” https:// (Links to an external site.)I know I have a unique experience as a millennial that I had all different aspects of the growth of the internet. From playing outside as a kid screen free, to learning about and being in chat rooms, to the rise of MySpace in the highschool years and Facebook in College. It’s been interesting and almost heartbreaking to see people on these sites find friendships or have increased FOMO. To feel like they trust someone but now that person has photos, intimate conversations, or similar things that they can blast around when maybe a relationship ends. There’s a sense of nostalgia that prevents a viewer from living their lives. A sense of perfection that comes from needing to take the perfect photo for the gram, and it keeps you from living in the moment. All in all I think the cons outweigh the pros of the social media and relationship aspect of the web, but it’s such a beast right now that it’s hard to fight. Find the balance so it doesn’t ruin your mental health while also keeping you in the known for future work.