As technology continues to evolve and our society becomes increasingly reliant on the Internet, every aspect of our lives are constantly being impacted and broadcasted by subtle uses of media. Social Media platforms are infiltrating our everyday lives and social interactions in ways that online users are not even realizing. In his novel, Greengard explains how advancing technology has evolved our society, rewiring the ways in which we go about our daily lives. The interconnected technological world recognizes relationships and patterns that are too convoluted for the human mind to understand, developing new levels of information and knowledge (1). In turn though, there comes unwanted consequences with the gains in technology. With the growing array of smart devices, the Internet of Things continues to be a “hotbed for hacking, data breaches, malware, cyber attacks, snooping, and a myriad of other problems” (1). Therefore, the more our world becomes impacted by the Internet of Things devices, the more our notion of security and privacy is in question and the boundaries between human and machine intelligence blurs. The future powerful nature of the Internet and Social Media platforms in our life initiates conversations regarding the need for contemporary legislation standards for the Internet. With the modern digital age allowing access to every aspect of our lives and our constant posting of user-generated content on Social Media, the legal system struggles to match the rapidity of our digital technology, demonstrating an inadequacy in current applicable legal doctrine. The nightmare of the “smart house” that is joked about amongst various film and television platforms, will eventually come to life as our utilization of and reliance on the Internet and Social Media platforms continues to increase rapidly. From taking this course, I have recognized my reliance on Social Media technologies and actively have attempted to decrease my time online. I never before realized the constant breaches in privacy and the surveillance tactics that I now feel while using Social Media platforms and the Internet. Through all of our assignments, debates, and discussions, I have learned exponentially more about the future implications of our digitizing society and the problems associated with such. Social Media is changing everyday, and these platforms will continue to evolve with our continued reliance on our devices. I am happy to announce that I have deleted some Social Media platforms, like Instagram and Tik Tok, since taking this course, and I hope to continue declining my usage of all platforms. Thank you so much for listening and actively staying up-to-date with my blog posts! I hope you’re well and stay healthy and safe during this unprecedented time.
Works Cited
- Greengard, Samuel. Internet of Things. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015.
