Should we look up?

[3dnayelin]

I stumbled across this video a few weeks ago while scrolling through Youtube. Written, performed and directed by Gary Turk, this video holds a "powerful message" about social media. The video says we get lost in social media and we miss important moments in our lives, as well as being anti social. But isn’t that obvious? It’s not the social media itself, it’s us and the way we use it.I do believe in the message set forth in this video but everything isn't so black and white. We can have social media and use it to our advantage, as long as we use it wisely. Websites like youtube and facebook make sharing information easy. They let us connect with others. Of course it’s easier for us to communicate when the person you want to talk to isn’t in the room. But that doesn’t mean we’re all going to turn into robots.

Yes, the video was well made and it holds true in some points, but that doesn't mean we should stop using social media. Without social media, this video wouldn’t have been able to be viewed by so many people. Perhaps it is trying to make the same point I am. Social media as a tool has been anything but pervasive to society. People still know how to interact. We’re not all hooked up to the mainframe, we don’t all run away and hide from those we find attractive. 

We don’t want to become robots—it’s a legitimate fear—but like (almost) everything in the media, it’s fear mongering designed to make people scared and keep them in their place. People are so unaware! THIS is the problem. So many people are blind. They see things and don’t actually assess them themselves. You should always think for yourself, not just blindly follow the crowd. Analyse things in an intelligent way, don’t just share things that are “powerful” because it says in the title that they are.

Look at things in a positive way; don’t just let the media scare you into conformity.  The internet is one of the best invention so far if used correctly. 

[3smonica]

I completely agree on both side of this argument. We should pay attention to the people around us we have become a bit more anti social. Observing day by day , on the train no one ever talks to a stranger anymore everyone it listening to music or watching videos or texting. Although we have become anti social. I also agree with Nayelin, that if this technological development is used more wisely and conservatively we are still humans as we were before not robots. But technology has its limits, as the video showed how little kids, toddlers even use ipads and iphones while the parents just encourage them to play with it the child's social skill decrease day by day. Weakening your ability to socialize is not a positive change, although you can benefit from technology you can also change your whole life with technology. Whether by cyber bullying or by rumors and lies that people believe because its all over the internet. For example Monica Lewinsky, she was in love with the president during that time every one was calling her a "slut" or a "desperate women" , her life was ruined through the earliest ages of social media. And now she fights everyday to support victims of cyber bullying. This is just another reason we should use the internet wisely because we might miss special moments in ours lives where we could have met the one we love. But if a person uses the social media wisely ,life can be just as good with it.

[10wweronika]

In some ways, I agree with your opinion about the video. I've seen it couple of times already, but even when I watched it for the first time I thought about how silly it sounded to me. It's true, so many people use the internet, the social media in a wrong way. It can diminish our life quality, but it can also greatly improve it. I feel that if we learn to use this incredible invention wisely, we can achieve so much more. Social media has become this awful place of anonymous haters and silly, pointless, "viral" videos, but does it really have to be that way?

If we look at it from the positive side, social media is a place in which we can communicate faster and better with whoever we want. It helps out so many people with doing that. I can even tell this story from my personal experience, Facebook is one of the easiest way for me to communicate with some of my closest friends and even family in Poland. Social media has a very positive effect on my life and I think this proves that if used wisely, it can greatly improve our lives.

[6mhalle]

I really do find this video to be extremely powerful and completely agree with the point it is making. Personally, I know myself to be guilty of exactly what is being described in this video; being much too reliant upon technology in more that one way. When I do not know exactly where I am going, I rely on Google maps on my phone for directions. I listen to music from my phone almost every day while commuting and keep in touch with my friends through Instagram and Facebook. I do not even own a watch, therefore I rely on my phone even for the time. I believe that we never notice how reliant we have become on something until it is taken away from us. Spend a single day without Iphones, Ipads, or laptops and we all will most likely feel-to some degree or another-somewhat lost. Although I'll admit that I am reliant upon technology now, I am thankful that I did not grow up in an environment like this, with my eyes glued to a screen. It is important for children to learn to socialize from a young age and if our society continues on the path it is on, I do not think children growing up now will be able to ever develop necessary social skills. For instance, almost every time I am in a restaurant, I see families with young children who, instead of eating and socializing with their parents or siblings, are sitting and silently staring at an Ipad, phone, or tablet. It is wrong for parents to teach their children from such a young age that this is appropriate. In order to make a significant change, we must teach the youngest generations not to become too reliant on this technology.

[6pdasha]

The author of the video has a good point. People are becoming so caught up in social media that they are completely forgetting the real life around them. A couple weeks ago, I went to a concert with my friend. We were very excited to see the band. As soon as the performance started, my friend pulled out her phone and began to take pictures. And videos. At the beginning of EVERY song. And so did half of the people in the concert hall. I began to wonder, what was more important to those people - seeing the performers or having proof of seeing them? Was i the only person who actually wanted to experience the feeling rather than see everything through the screen of a phone? In today's world, people feel the need to share their experiences with their friends, and that's okay. We don't see our friends every single day. Some of them live far away and we rarely see them. We cant live our lives with our friends beside us every single moment. But we have to ask ourselves, is their knowledge of the ice cream we just ate that important to our appreciation of the ice cream? (I'm looking at you, Instagram users). Is the feeling of experience enough for us to appreciate something, or do we need proof? I hope that the next time I go to a concert, I won't need to record every moment of it. I'll just share that moment with my friend. Isn't that enough?

[10dtandrila]

www.huffingtonpost.com/priscilla-warner/social-media-antisocial_b_872376.html

Social media of any kind has both pros and cos and it is our decision whether to choose the pros or cons or both. It is true that social media is turning people into selfish humans trying to prove themselves to others. I personally believe that it is hard to completely shut down social media in today's society as social media has become necessities to our daily studies and jobs. However, we do have the choice to not use social media when we don't really need it. We can decide to interact with the environment and people who care about us instead of locking ourselves in rooms and staring at a screen all day. According o the Huffington post mentioned above, the author's life changed in a positive way as she turns away from paying attention to responses from random strangers to catching up with real friends and family. "I have on occasion sent heartfelt messages to people I've never met in real life. Some of those messages have led to friendships, and some have gone unanswered. I've received extraordinary emails from readers of a book I co-authored. But I know that I've probably not answered every single message I've ever received, and I'm not proud of that fact. I know that people are slipping through the cracks of my life, and I'm not sure that I can blame technology." This example from the article really sums the entire affect of social media. It can lead to us to new relationships that could remain for a long time but it could also occupy our time of meeting our existing good friends and family. The social media is not entirely guilty for changing our lives. It is us who need to make wise decision about the time when we should connect to rest of the world and when to ignore social media and stay in touch with closed ones by spending quality time with them in person.

[6arianne]

I absolutely agree with Gary Turk, though at times, I am guilty of what is exactly being said. In today’s age, social media is becoming a routine, a way to pass the time. Where kids once used to play outside, they now play on iPads and iPhones. Books are being replaced by posts by people we hardly know. Social media is meant to be social, but it has resulted in the opposite. When with others, some have become anti-social, unable to sit at a table without looking at their phones. While social media has made life easy for some, it takes away the ability to be present and in the moment.

On the other hand, social media has become an important component in the lives of students and workers. Information is now easily accesible, unlike before, and can be shared in just a matter of seconds. However, time should be limited on the use of social media as it can never replace the joy of actually being there for others. In fact, too much time looking at computer screens can damage our eyes. Taking just a little time off from technology will benefit us in more ways than one.