The two episodes of Virtual Revolution really scared me, its like one strong point after the other but what really scares me is that I experienced some of the things discussed like for example the personal things I share with my family members abroad through sending an email or a private message and the things like where do I live, who are my siblings, parents, what school I go to, basic information that they use to promote advertisers. I find it selfish really, it’s not supposed to be the motive of the Internet but people changed it to something that’s more profit centered. Even the concept of privacy is alarming, just when you thought that you are all one browsing the net and getting all the information you want and need, the thing is there is someone tracking and studying your behavior through the activities you do online.
I think the most dangerous thing that you share online is the accumulative data they get through your online activities, they track what are your likes and dislikes, where do you hang out, who are your friends and the alarming part is your share all this things without you knowing its repercussions in the future. For now you may think that its okay nobody really care about what you post online, but secretly you are being a victim of a company or someone who controls the web. I think that people will be informed of this and what its effect may be in the future, people will start thinking twice before they post and share something online. People seems like they don’t care for now because they don’t know about this all they see is the rewards not the risks. The face of the web is so alluring that you just think its all good, its free, its easy to use and its limitless but what we don’t see is ourselves our being sold without us knowing. I think this is stealing, and stealing is bad. After watching the 2 episodes, how I wished that their will be a existing website who will actually protect my activities online and protect my right to privacy, like the Attention Trust.org, for sure I’ll sign up on their services.
This is really redefining who we are, the children now they are so dependent on the Internet that they relate to people differently. We don’t like being judge in real life, but basically after watching virtual revolution it made me think all my activities online the Internet uses that to be the basis on who I am, what I can be in the future. I learned that if you resist your true nature you turn out to be the worst version of you so if the younger generation don’t learn the basic rules on how to relate to people and how to be a human being, face to face no mediums in between such as the internet, they will turn out to be something they are not. I think I noticed about the generation now is they are boxed up with who they are on their Facebook page and it was mentioned on episode 3 or Virtual Revolution that we are limited on books we read, type of music we like and all the other shallow stuff. I believe we lack the “doing” part. We just press the “like” button about a campaign online and we think that it’s actually us being part of the campaign. The web is creating a generation who they know their true selves, weak, dependent and shallow. I believe in the saying that you are what you do, so if this generation is just dependent on the web and limited what it can offer then we should be really alarmed. 
Kids from two to 11 years of age are spending 63 percent more time online than they did five years ago, says a report released Monday from Nielsen Online. Children in that age range were online an average of 11 hours in May 2009 versus just 7 hours in May 2004.
Over the past five years, the total number of kids surfing the Net has shot up 18 percent to 16 million, says the report, while the overall Internet population has risen only 10 percent. The younger set now represents 9.5 percent of the online community.
Over all im not giving up just yet, I think that we can still revolutionized and evolve from this state. Ultimately as the consumer we can still be in control we just have to be aware and conscious and be responsible in utilizing the web.
sources:
The virtual revolution episode 3 and 4
hellcenter.wordpress.com
engtech.wordpress.com
- Jalyssa May Caccam
Although the net can keep track of our private information, I don't think that they'll use it against us. For me, they're professional in handling things. Yes, it's profit-driven but I don't think that we have to be scared.
ReplyDeleteThe transaction that we do on the net is just like having a full body check up. (Sorry for this gross and perverted metaphor). You let your doctor see your entire body but it's for a better reason. The doctor is professional enough in doing it that he won't take a picture of you naked and post it somewhere. You're opening up to a harmless transaction.
If the access of the net to our privacy does harm us, then this might have legal implications. After all, millions of people are on the net. Everybody's privacy is at stake, not just yours.
For me, they're professional in handling things. Yes, it's profit-driven but I don't think that we have to be scared.
ReplyDeleteI think though that we don't need to be scared, we still need to be cautious. Unlike the doctor-metaphor, the information is just in a a particular hospital wherein the data about the patient (ie. you) is IN the hospital only-- meaning it's not open to "hacking" (I mean, how can you "hack a hospital", like steal, if you are from Arabia, can you travel to St. Lukes just to get information? Something like that), it's secured (somehow). But with the Internet, it can be hacked. People with evil-intentions who are gifted with the right hacking skills can be dangerous.
Personal experience, I was sent a package (to my house) yes, like physical package in real life, saying I won something and I had to pay like $$. I wondered where could it be from since I couldn't remember joining contest in real life (?). Then I realized I posted my address into several sites (which looked like legit). So my point is, what if the package was something bad.. like a bomb (or anthrax) or something. It's dangerous.