When it comes to
technology, something I had never given much thought to before was the way it
has influenced and changed politics. It
is not surprising that this has taken place, however, as in this digital world
we now live in it is inevitable that technology will have an impact upon just
about everything. Technology has become
the dominant force as Saskia Sassen explains, “technology is the independent
variable…it’s a given…it then applies to a dependent variable that is a
familiar object of study.” This shows
quite a big shift in the way the world operates. In Language
and the Internet, David Crystal explains how the Internet is a world of its
own, even having its own language.
The video
presentations by Raquel Recuero and Saskia Sassen, along with Bennett’s Changing Citizenship in the Digital Age all
focus on this integration of technology into politics and democracy, with a
strong focus on how young people fit into this equation. Bennett (2008) sums this up very well by
saying, “There is a need for caution and considerable creativity in thinking
about implementing more creative approaches to engage young people in
communication with each other about real political concerns” (p. 17). The political world itself has not
drastically changed, but many young people do not respond to it the way people
used to. This is really found on a
global scale. More often than not,
political issues are addressed or movements are started using the Internet as a
vehicle for change.
I do not
necessarily wish it was the case, but I was able to connect to the readings and
speakers. I have never been overly
involved in political issues, though this is something I am working to try to
become more aware of. It seems that most
people my age do primarily rely on the Internet as the main source of finding
out political information or getting involved.
There certainly is value in using the Internet to do this, but I think
that when it comes to politics, traditional methods of involvement, such as face-to-face
interactions, are just as important. I think that both should be used and that
people should not be motivated only
if the Internet is used.
Bennett, W. L. (2008). Changing citizenship in the digital age. Retrieved
from https://moodle.esc.edu/pluginfile.php/1699274/mod_page/content/6/Changing%20Citizenship%20in%20Digital%20Age.pdf
Crystal, D. (2004). Language and the internet. Retrieved from https://moodle.esc.edu/pluginfile.php/1699274/mod_page/content/6/david-crystal.pdf
Recuero, R. (2012, July 24). Digital youth, social movements, and democracy in
Brazil. Retrieved from http://connectedlearning.tv/raquel-recuero-digital-youth-social-movements-and-democracy-brazil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpw1GpHzAbc&feature=youtu.be
Face to face interaction is important, but unfortunately, I believe many interactions today are becoming impersonal. Email, text message, and phone calls replace the personal interactions that humans are notorious for. Conversely, to be successful in most real-world settings nowadays relies on this ability to communicate electronically. Great post, Christen.
ReplyDeleteI feel that that are a number of reasons for the disconnect that is going on with politics and young people. A lot of it has to do with the fact that young people are not being reached where they are at-- Things and issues that impact them personally aren't being addressed or made to seem important enough to bring to the forefront-- There is a real opportunity to reach people and encourage participation through the Internet-- it gives a voice and a platform to make changes that are important to young users.
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