We have been looking at technology and the information age for a while and have discussed and read materials on how we are directly and indirectly affected by technology. Clearly, being a university student I would consider myself to be part of the youth generation in which we grew up with technology and were witness to the growth and developments of technological advancements over the last 15 years or so. This post will focus more on what an “information age” is and how we currently live in a technology age, the history and role of technology in regards to politics and how ICTs are related to control.
Sean Caley, a fellow classmate stated in his blog that “I usually always have my smartphone on me. I feel as though it can do just about everything I would need my laptop to do – plus it conveniently fits in my pocket!” This quote is almost the pure definition of what it means to say we are currently living in an information age. Having the World at your fingertips, being able to do banking online, buying tickets or even watching TV or movies online, the Internet is a major part of the technology age. Nowadays, it isn’t a stretch to say everyone has a cell phone or smart phone which have clearly developed and expanded over the years and allow users to be connected to the World with the touch of a button from something so small and light weight. Apple and other companies like Sony and Blackberry have also expanded from the cell phone world creating tablets, music players, etc. which allow you to take the World on the go with you. By having a portable television or downloading device on the go, technology has adapted to society and society has adapted to technology to make life easier. Manuel Castals suggests in his article The Network Societythat “society shapes technology according to the needs, values, and interests of people who use the technology. Furthermore, information and communication technologies are particularly sensitive to the effects of social uses on technology itself.” Being connected at all times has become a social norm and when you forget your phone or don’t check Facebook throughout the day you feel disconnected and ‘naked’ by not constantly being attached to the rest of the World. Although being connected constantly is a huge benefit for everyone, the idea that you cannot be without your phone, is not a great concept but then again that is what this age is about, technology, information and always being connected.
When you look at the history of technology and its’ relation to politics, clearly there have been major developments over the past 100 years, but more so recently. Social media has become a predominant part of our current culture and has expanded from just being used by a younger demographic. Social media is clearly a way to express opinions, ideas, share pictures, etc. at an easier level, and for politics, using social media and the Internet as a way to share their ideas, campaigns, etc. has become a new political trick or technique in trying to win votes, elections, etc. The Life and Timesarticle by Robin Mansell suggests “in Winston’s (1998, p.2) study, it revealed evidence of continuity between historical and modern social formations framed by the telegraph and the Internet.”
Mansell also suggests an opinion about ICTs, “within the framework of psychoanalytic and sociological theory, a mixed picture of the relationship between ICTs and empowerment and disempowerment emerges. In the 1980s and early 1990s, there was a fascination with the virtual worlds in which identities can be constructed, often to the neglect of the offline environments in which people live.” ICTs do play a major role in relation to control as we live in the information age where people take everything that they see as truth and do not feel the need to question what they are being told. There is an issue of Big Brother still being in effect as presented in George Orwell’s novel 1984 which showcases the same concept, but rather in today’s society, it can be argued that we are being controlled by what the media is presenting to us, a society though the use of ICTs.
Overall, media and technology are huge components in today’s society and technology in relation to media and in general have clearly developed and expanded so widely over the years that have made staying connected easier and easier. So the end question here can be, is there still the concept or idea that “Big Brother is Watching?” By becoming more media literate, society can become more educated on what they are being shown while still allowing technology to expand and continue the idea of a media revolution!
photo credits to google images
jadeboucher 