3 new mediums

Youtube.com is a very incredible innovation on the internet.  This new medium can share ametuer user defined content on a mass scale.  Anyone can upload videos and have them commented on or critisized.  This helps perpetuate the free flow of thoughts and ideas all over the world.




 
DVR/TIVO is another revolutionary idea that has evolved from normal cable.  Users have the ability to record their favorite shows and programs and store them to watch at a later date.  This is huge because it not only messes up the way tv ratings are gathered, but it also gives users the ability to fast forward through commercials on prerecorded programs.  It also gives us the chance to pause live tv shows and rewind if we missed something.



 
3D video technology is fastly becoming more and more popular.  Tons of new movies in the theater are offered in 3D.  Since it is thriving in the movie theater world, it is only natural that it should be brought to television.  The first round of 3D televisions are emerging and they bring with them a new era.  The way society watches tv is going to change, the fourth wall is coming down.  Now viewers can be apart of what they are watching and feel like they are in the world and be immersed in their programs among their favorite characters.  Television will be much more realistic, and we can reach out and touch the images we see.

The Mob

What are the, perhaps, unintended effects unleashed by our connectedness? Does anonymity plus connectivity always equal misbehavior and cruelty? How are we to explain some of the collective anger that seems to be unleashed online - and is it a result of the same anger characterizing much of our society's discourse, or is it the cause?

 

 Our growth of our connectedness through the internet is an amazing thing.  No longer will you lose touch with old high school friends.  The fact that ideas can free flow from one side of the world to the other and be commented on and changed means that our knowledge can grow at a must faster rate.  While some may see the anonymity as a detriment to the process, it is actually one of the driving forces.

Sometimes an idea might feel stupid or you may be afraid of the criticism you will receive.  With the option to share as many ideas as you want while remaining virtually anonymous, people are more likely to speak out.  In the same way, someone may be more willing to criticize the ideas of others if they know the person will not be able to identify them.  People can be more honest and cut through the bullshit so their ideas can evolve faster.

Society is not that angry as a whole.  The reason we see violence and hatred in movies and other types of media is because people are looking for something to shock them.  We want to be excited, it is one of our core values.  Also, these mediums are an outlet for any anger or frustration we do have.  It is a safe way of expressing ourselves.  The internet is just one more channel for society to use, and it can be done without fear of personal persecution.

At this point, it would be nearly impossible for society to go from the level of connectedness it has now to back before cell phones, social networks, message boards, and the internet really took off.  It would cripple society and everything would slow down.  You wouldn't be reading this blog and forming your own opinions on the opinions of others.