Saturday, September 10, 2016

A few things stood out for me from the class discussion. First, the answers to "how social" we are on the internet and the other was with regard to the type of social interaction some fellow students engage in on the web.

My questions which arise are this: "What are the implications of our sociability on the web?", "What does it say about us and how will this information be used in the future?". Generally, I'm thinking of the permanence and accessibility of the information. I know as an employer I have looked up potential employees' profiles on the web, and I know other employers often do the same. I also know employers who have not hired or fired employees based on their internet sociability. So this is what drives me to ask the first question noted above. 

Secondly, with regard to using sites to ask questions. I think this is a great tool, however there are some questions which may be better asked by professionals (not to say that all sites are peer-lead but many are and vary in quality). Such as when it comes to medical advice. At some point years ago I read that seeking medical advice was one of the top reasons many people turn to the internet for advice. There have also been studies to show that the internet has perpetuated some health myths which can and/or have in turn shown to impact health outcomes. My last question is, is our internet sociability impacting our health? Meaning, is it improved or is it hindered by access to health information and/or health advice on the web.

2 comments:

  1. I would agree about asking myself "What does (the implications of our sociability on the web) say about us and how will this information be used in the future?", as I often wonder what will happen with all this information in the future. It has been about a decade and we all laugh about how mySpace used to be the hot social network, but what will happen in another 10 or 100 years? How will we be seen years from now when people look back at us in history? It reminds me of a History course I took in undergrad where we debated if Egyptians really worshiped cats or just thought they were funny to draw on the walls. So will we be seen as dependent on machines or machines just a creation from us?

    I also found myself questioning the outcomes from having anyone be able to post information online. I've definitely been one of those people who looked up my symptoms on WebMD and thought I had a serious disease, when really it was a cold. I feel that we all want to believe that people posting on health sites are truthful but this isn't always the case. I feel that today many people would rather Google what is wrong with them than have to make an appointment with a doctor.

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  2. Hey Lisa, thank you for bringing such in-depth thoughts. I also find it's intimidating that data will always exist even if we delete it. It's like a trace of our DNA, once we leave it on the internet, it will always lead something to us. I posted my resume on Monster 3 years ago, and until today there are still recruiters calling my cellphone. I also realized that pieces of our information composed our personal branding. ICT turns us into our own PR and marketer. We choose the image we want to create online, and present the information to form the branding.

    As for the second question, I feel like it's about the freedom of speech online. How should we regulate it? Will the regulation violate people's rights of free speech?

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