The Rise of Digital Media

In the article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Nicholas Carr lays the foundation for a compelling argument regarding how the Internet has managed to rework the wiring of our brains.  He dives into a newfound human tendency that suggests attention spans are shortened due to ease of access to a plethora of sources from all around the Internet.  Initially, I’m offended.  I read what I deem to be thousands of pages of material for my classes each semester and produce papers, projects, and presentations for said classes.  But for every novel, there is a related Sparknotes book published online; for each online journal article, there is an abstract; and for each Google search there are related keywords and similar searches.  Carr asserts: “The advantages of having immediate access to such an incredibly rich store of information are many, and they’ve been widely described and duly applauded.”  The Internet has undoubtedly made our lives easier, but does that mean it has necessarily made us stupider?  Who might this level playing field of knowledge disadvantage?

Reading news headlines, breaking news alerts sent to one’s iPhone, and Wikipedia searches are habitual actions that belong to the new generation.  But does a generation of skimming rather than reading impact our democracy?  Carr also advises that even newspaper fanatics can read a single page of top news stories in the New York Times, without having to thumb through the entire newspaper.  Does being the “skimming generation” make us less informed than previous generations who tediously read every word of the daily paper?  Admittedly, I subscribe to a news summarization site that sends me an email early each morning with the top stories and key facts for the upcoming day.  Coincidentally, that site is appropriately titled: “The Skimm.”  Until now, I merely thought I was minimizing the time it would take me to read a newspaper and not once have I stopped to contemplate the significance of my actions.

Reflecting seriously upon my daily Internet usage, I’m guilty again.  While reading the article, I managed to take a quick detour to both BuzzFeed and Pinterest.  I frequently end up seeing the film production of the book before I can finish the novel that the movie was based off of.  I believe that if someone were to put an iPad in front of me, I would instantly open the Safari app to begin searching the web, rather than opening the Kindle app.  These examples relate to the theory of electracy, as described in Ulmer’s article.  “’Electracy’ is to digital media what literacy is to alphabetic writing: an apparatus, or social machine, partly technological, partly institutional,” according to Ulmer.  Perhaps electracy is to blame for the changing environment of our digital media intake, but I believe it is also revolutionary.  The skill set necessary to transmit and receive digital media is one that will be studied for many years to come, and will be diligently taught to future generations.  

Hello, World

"Tellin' it like it is" is a phrase often heard to describe gentle, realistic, or sometimes just downright brutal honesty.  Known to my friends as the one to assuredly divulge my honest opinion, I aim to maintain the same truthfulness in my blog.  As I try my hand at blogging, I felt it necessary to approach the modern, digital public sphere in a way akin to my real life.

This past summer, I interned on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. for the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.  My second summer in Washington, I was granted an unbelievable opportunity to intern in an office that shed light on the inner workings of our government and directed reforms to better our nation.  While I certainly ran my fair share of errands, tediously proofread lengthy bills, and made an unthinkable number of copies, the experience was simply irreplaceable.  I learned more about our government's operations and daily activity in one summer than I could have ever imagined possible. After graduation, I hope to land a highly coveted position on the Hill and ultimately work as a legislative assistant or a press secretary thereafter.

From this class, I desire to gain a basic understanding of digital communications and how it can apply it to practical careers post-graduation.  With aspirations to be a press secretary for a congressman or campaign, a knowledge of effective blogging techniques, video editing, and creating digital media posts or videos will improve my skills to achieve successful career in the press field.  Potential blogging topics of interest to me include technology on Furman's campus, social media on college campuses, and the up and coming Greenville (detailing all things new to Greenville).