Everyone knows how the internet has changed the American scene, as well as that of the rest of the world.
Students aren’t at the mercy of expensive literary searches at university anymore. Research is finished in half the time and is a more efficiently selective process. High school students can reap major rewards by having so much more educational information at their fingertips than ever before.
At the same time, the average person has the ability and wherewithal to generate blogs about nearly every subject known to man.
The Good
There are people with agendas out there, and there are lovely people who’re just trying to make it from day to day, surviving the onslaught of the modern age. And within all of these people there seems to be a surging desire to communicate with others about their lives, their ideas, and their aspirations.
A wife and mother can talk about her day and her frustrations with thousands of other moms around the world and gain solace in the knowledge that she’s not alone.
Kids can vent about how angst-filled their lives are, connecting with others who also feel the need to rip everyone around them. They can also find help and counseling online that they can’t find at home for various reasons.
And while all that “help” goes on, others are providing the stimulus for some already in-crisis kids to end their existence rather than face another day in the trenches.
The Bad/Down Side
The debate rages about limits on personal exposure and personal privacy. Entire volumes have appeared on all of these topics, both online and off. Writers don’t have to go any further than their desk to have enough material to span their lifetimes. Some of it is well-done, some dreadful, but always having a point.
As a writer, I watch news feeds each day, looking for tidbits to use for stories, articles, exploration, etc. Each day I shake my head in wonderment as I peruse the latest and greatest in the world of news. I wonder if everyone has gone totally insane, considering episodes like the one on the American Airlines flight this morning from Dallas to Chicago.
Soon I come to another story about a car costing nearly $300,000 that visited Harry Potter’s world and came away with his invisibility cloak. Yes, an invisible car is cool. We’ve had those kinds of military planes for a long time, but why would a person need one? The price tag along would make the car for the wealthy only. Do those going without adequate food on the table need another reason to resent those who’re living large?
There was the one about Coke and Pepsi changing their recipes to eliminate a particular chemical. I ask myself how long they’ve known about potential problems with that chemical and why they waited for a whistle-blower to press the issue.
We are bombarded with news 24/7 on CNN and other broadcast networks. We can’t escape from it, what with all the apps for phones now and hand-held computers. Dick Tracy watches/communicators are already on the market. How much more news do we need to fi
Everyone knows how the internet has changed the American scene, as well as that of the rest of the world.
Students aren’t at the mercy of expensive literary searches at university anymore. Research is finished in half the time and is a more efficiently selective process. High school students can reap major rewards by having so much more educational information at their fingertips than ever before.
At the same time, the average person has the ability and wherewithal to generate blogs about nearly every subject known to man.
The Good
There are people with agendas out there, and there are lovely people who’re just trying to make it from day to day, surviving the onslaught of the modern age. And within all of these people there seems to be a surging desire to communicate with others about their lives, their ideas, and their aspirations.
A wife and mother can talk about her day and her frustrations with thousands of other moms around the world and gain solace in the knowledge that she’s not alone.
Kids can vent about how angst-filled their lives are, connecting with others who also feel the need to rip everyone around them. They can also find help and counseling online that they can’t find at home for various reasons.
And while all that “help” goes on, others are providing the stimulus for some already in-crisis kids to end their existence rather than face another day in the trenches.
The Bad/Down Side
The debate rages about limits on personal exposure and personal privacy. Entire volumes have appeared on all of these topics, both online and off. Writers don’t have to go any further than their desk to have enough material to span their lifetimes. Some of it is well-done, some dreadful, but always having a point.
As a writer, I watch news feeds each day, looking for tidbits to use for stories, articles, exploration, etc. Each day I shake my head in wonderment as I peruse the latest and greatest in the world of news. I wonder if everyone has gone totally insane, considering episodes like the one on the American Airlines flight this morning from Dallas to Chicago.
Soon I come to another story about a car costing nearly $300,000 that visited Harry Potter’s world and came away with his invisibility cloak. Yes, an invisible car is cool. We’ve had those kinds of military planes for a long time, but why would a person need one? The price tag along would make the car for the wealthy only. Do those going without adequate food on the table need another reason to resent those who’re living large?
There was the one about Coke and Pepsi changing their recipes to eliminate a particular chemical. I ask myself how long they’ve known about potential problems with that chemical and why they waited for a whistle-blower to press the issue.
We are bombarded with news 24/7 on CNN and other broadcast networks. We can’t escape from it, what with all the apps for phones now and hand-held computers. Dick Tracy watches/communicators are already on the market. How much more news do we need to fi
“The price tag along would make the car for the wealthy only. Do those going without adequate food on the table need another reason to resent those who’re living large?”
Clauds, I’ve often disliked greatly the imbalance in our world of poverty stricken and the wealthy. While some, say, professional ball players, for instance, make an unsightly amount of money there’re some that don’t even know where there next meal will come from and are cold. It’s the sign, I believe, of relationship gone wrong and in this case it’s our relationship with money that is out of whack.
“There was the one about Coke and Pepsi changing their recipes to eliminate a particular chemical. I ask myself how long they’ve known about potential problems with that chemical and why they waited for a whistle-blower to press the issue.”
You’ve touched on another topic that is clearly, unsettling and an example of our trust (in our government and it’s regulations that are meant for our safety), being sorely abused. I recently conducted a mini research on the CCD (the colony collapse disorder of our honey bees), and discovered the real reason behind it was our government was allowing the chemical companies do the testing on their own chemicals (pesticides), and deeming them safe, had them on the market for the last nine years. Come to find out these “safe,” systemic pesticides are indeed very dangerous to the health of the colonies and in turn our own food supply etc.
Well, this has been an eye opening, rabble rousing (in a good way), post Claudsy. I didn’t tend to the questions you posed but I shall return later to see what you/others think about those, too.
Thank you and blessings,
Hannah
Even though I read some of the news each day, I try to ignore most of those that I know will raise my blood pressure above safe levels. I suppose it comes from knowing the patterns of political activity, patterns in military behavior and such. Training as a sociologist has its down side. I tend to extrapolate from the tiniest provocation.
Now, though, I’m finding less and less that’s safe for me to read. I really don’t like dealing the entertainment world. The superficiality of it all makes for upset stomachs and headaches.
Some would say that I’ve become intolerant of human activities as I’ve aged. I wonder if it’s intolerance or fatigue. Humans simply never seem to take the time to think about what they’re doing most of the time, or the consequences of their actions.
Don’t mind me. I’ve had a lousy night’s sleep due to noisy neighbors upstairs, and that tends to erase any smilie face I would normally use.
Have a great weekend, Hannah. I know you’ll take time to enjoy your family and the time you have together.
Take care and God bless,
Claudsy
This is exactly why I don’t watch news, entertainment style or otherwise. It IS tiring.
Sorry you didn’t get very good sleep, Clauds. Happy weekend to you, too.
Blessings,
Hannah
The way I look at it, Hannah, is: if that’s the worst that happens to me in a given week, I’m ahead of the game and fortunate.
Happy weekend to you, too.
Claudsy
Thank you!