So the first lecture (today) was basically an introduction to the subject. Housekeeping kind of things, assessments, etc. We did go through a number of questions on the subject itself though - how we distinguish between old and new technology, what are the main issues involved in said new communications technologies, and when and under what circumstances do new technologies become old?
The main question that arises from these then, is, what is 'new technology?'
Old technologies, we discussed, were oral communication, letters, cave drawings, radio, television - things that can be transmitted or broadcast.
New technologies were smartphones, digital television, social media. Things that allowed communication to happen on a whole new level and scale.
As for issues involved in these new technologies, they are many and complicated. The recent story of the News of the World phone hacking scandal highlights an important one of these issues - security. With the advent of these new communication technologies, we are broadcasting much more of ourselves - our private life, details, even bank numbers - to a place where it is arguably easier for others to access it. A simple google search can bring up this blog, for instance, or someones facebook account. Details of their life; where they live, their age, what they like to do - can be accessed by a stranger in seconds. These technologies empower us in communicating with friends, but also expose us to a whole new set of dangers.
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| Facebook photos - they don't just go away. |
Another issue that has arisen with these new technologies is that of ownership. We can post images online, allowing friends on our facebook account (for example) to see us having fun, and letting them know what we're up to. That's good. It's the point. But the tricky thing is when we upload a photo to the internet - it stays there. It doesn't go away, even if we delete it. Is the photo ours? If so, shouldn't we able to do with it what we like - like deleting it? Instead these images can't be deleted - not by us, at any rate. And the problems really begin when a friend uploads a photo of you - that you don't want public.
You can't delete it. You can't do anything about it, except beg your friend to take it down - and even then - it's still there. These potential to share pictures with friends, but effectively have little control over them raises issues of ownership - do we forfeit ownership of a picture or video when we upload it to the web?
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| Mobile phones have come a long way! |
Finally, when do these technologies become old? When does the new become the old? I'd suggest when they're superseded by new technologies. Television was new - and then there was colour. And then there were screens as thin as your finger. And now there's digital, and even that is becoming old. The latest technology in regards to television are 'smart televisions,' through which you can access the internet, and stream content
from the internet to your tv. And how long will that stay new? Until someone invents something better, something that does that -
and more. Technology is developing so rapidly however, that it probably won't take very long. I bought a mobile phone 4 years ago. It was relatively expensive, and could do everything - access radio, take pictures, it had a nice, large screen (about an inch.) And in 4 years, you can now access the internet, take HD video and post it online, video call people around the world - not to mention the incredible variety of 'apps' you can use. In 4 years, a phone has transformed from a phone, into a computer. The new becomes the old. And soon, that too, will pass.
References:
- Davies, N 2011,
Murdoch papers paid out £1m to gag phone-hacking victims, viewed 27 July 2011,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jul/08/murdoch-papers-phone-hacking
- Facebook 2010,
Facebook's Privacy Policy, viewed 27 July 2011,
http://www.facebook.com/terms.php#!/policy.php
