1-5: Influence of the Media

In my daily life, I rely heavily on new media.  While I am working, I am connected online through my company’s VPN to access email, instant messaging, iPhone, and content via the web-based information including the database I use to perform a majority of my job as well as customer relationship management tools such as PULSE or ServiceNow to make requests from other departments.  During my work hours, I am very connected.  Outside of work hours, I am just as connected through my personal laptop, cell phone and Kindle tablet.  On a daily basis, I am reading emails for both work and personal business, as well as periodically checking in on Facebook, reading blogs, or checking news sites as time permits.  I realize that I spend a large part of my life “connected” and have recently come to the conclusion that I periodically need to take a step back from the technology and enjoy more simple things like a visit with my parents, or a conversation with my husband over dinner, or read a book.  I was starting to feel overwhelmed, as if I had this mountainous to do list that I just needed to conquer in addition to all of the other things I “have to do” on a daily basis.  It is hard, however, because at times I do feel as if I am missing something, but I know that I’m not going to miss anything earth-shattering if I do not constantly check my phone every five minutes. 

From my perspective, the use of new media has opened me up to a wealth of sources of information, which can be both negative and positive.  For one thing, I have learned not to take everything I see on new media as the absolute truth, as the end all be all of a particular story.  I have learned to search out alternative sources of information to counter something that I may have seen or read that just does not seem right.  I think this has helped to enhance my critical thinking skills, a skill that I realize I was not tapping into as much as I should have been.  My eyes have been opened to new perspectives on issues that affect others around the world, and exploring ways in which I can help in some small way.  For instance, I am an animal lover, and in recent years I have become a vegan while also becoming more active in educating others about causes such as animal rescue.  I have had a few friends approach me on Facebook and say that what I have posted has made them think when it comes to issues such as pet adoption or factory farming.  I am not trying to change the world, and I would never berate anyone for their personal choices, as I would expect them to offer me the same consideration, but learning that I have helped someone look at an issue in a different way is heartening to me.  Overall, I believe that we are living in a wonderful age where we have access to these tools and can affect real change to shape the world in which we live.  Of course there will be those who will abuse these tools, and use them for bad rather than good – trolls are everywhere, after all, and misinformation can proliferate – but that does not mean that the entire landscape is poisoned and unusable.