Blog Post 12: Final Blog Post, My Final Takeaways

 Technology is a dominant part of life in today's society. Almost all data is available on the internet; whereas this innovation has made many things easier to do, it has also surfaced fresh challenges. One of the most significant shifts that comes to mind is the impact on the formative experiences of younger generations of people. Today's children are being exposed to the internet at historically earlier ages than ever before, and exposure is bound to shape their perception and interaction with the world in some way. The terminology of "iPad Kid" is often used to classify kids who spend time on devices before mastering verbal communication skills. Therefore, this shift has caused me to decide not to give my own kids electronic devices before they turn 3-4 years old.

As far as my own use of technology is concerned, I can see both sides of the argument to some extent. Similar to my peers, I recognize my significant dependency on my mobile phone. But at the same time, I am also painfully conscious of the large chunk of time it takes up. There have been so many times when I catch myself thinking, “Only five minutes,” only to subsequently realize that I used sixty minutes on TikTok. This is very infuriating regarding my important commitments, such as my studies, which require my focus. Due to the large block of time I spend on online platforms in the first place, refocusing later becomes very difficult. My mind constantly prompts me to check my alerts, and hence creates a cycle of distractions and prevents me from being focused. In response to this fact, I realized the importance of having a semblance of balance.

There are also some things about social media that I believe to be of great use. First and foremost is its capability of keeping in touch with the people whom I care about most. I have family members in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and friends who live in other states. We can be in constant contact with applications like Snapchat or Instagram. This helps us stay close to each other despite physical distance.

Having said that, I am also aware of the downfalls that come with it. According to the American Academy of Child and Psychiatry, teenagers spend more than nine hours a day staring at a screen, which is over one-third of the day alone. In addition to that, information can be misinterpreted too easily, with the tone of the sender being unreadable and creating undue conflict. On a larger scale, there is the problem of misinformation that spreads throughout the internet. News travels at a phenomenal speed, and sometimes too soon, with people believing lies and inaccuracies before facts can be established. Over time, I've grown more selective about what sources I decide to trust.

One thing I've come to realize is the internet footprint that people accumulate. Stuff that is put up on the internet is notoriously hard to remove completely, even with attempts to do so. This is always something that is on my mind, especially with age and thinking about the future and my own career direction. Employers actually do look at candidates' internet profiles. Happily enough, most of what's linked to me is not bad; nonetheless, not everyone is so lucky.

Ultimately, technology plays a significant role in my life. It has supported me in following my passion, helped me establish my long-term goals, and made me more at ease when interacting with others. But I've also seen how easily, if I'm not careful, technology can take over my life. As a result, I've been trying to use social media more sensibly by establishing time limits and making sure that I complete my tasks before starting to "rot." Social media and technology have undoubtedly transformed many aspects of our lives and personal development. I believe, though, that we can learn to use these tools productively and healthily if we put in enough thought and work. As I reflect on the semester, I see how important this Media Law and Literacy class has been to my learning about how the media affects our daily lives. From social media to more conventional sources like television and newspapers, the media is present everywhere. Understanding how media affects our identities, worldviews, and even political realities goes beyond simply consuming media. I've come to value critical thinking more and more as my knowledge of media literacy has expanded. Although people typically consume media passively, media literacy promotes a unique mindset that challenges us to think critically about a variety of topics. Why is the story being told? Why and by whom is the story being told? Who gains anything from this message? We can identify biases, presumptions, and covert agendas in the media we consume by considering this type of analysis.