Discussion 9 and 10 - Coursework Example

It has affected many different mechanisms in the way humans work and interact such as information gathering and information sharing. However, the advent of the Internet has also had many effects on the way that people think, they way that they structure their time, their perceptions and the manner in which they structure their interests. An example of this is social media, which is internet content that relies on content generated by users. Such social media includes websites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and MySpace.

For many the use of such sites has become a daily ritual, often supplanting things that they are meant to be doing, such as studying or working. This essay will examine the manner in which technology alters the structure of our interests in respect to the Internet and associated technologies. It will involve a in-depth review of the literature available, and if an unaddressed area still remains than a qualitative research method will be determined. References Ceruzzi, P. E. (2004). The "Problem" of Computer-Computer Communication, 1995-2000: A Technological Fix. In L. Rosner (Ed.), The Technological Fix (pp. 203-217). New York: Taylor & Francis Books, Inc.

 Discussion Two For this I originally planned to ‘fast’ from using the Internet. . As time progressed I found it much easier not to turn on the television and to find other activities. While the ‘fast’ was difficult at first and required a substantial amount of thought and effort to determine other activities I found that I learnt a lot about myself in the process. When I stopped the ‘fast’ I found that I did not watch television as much as before, preferring other activities, and it was not automatic for me to turn it on whenever I was in the same room.

In retrospect, I found that fasting from one form of technology increased my use of other technologies. I had expected that stopping using television would increase the amount of time that I spent with other people and outdoors, but this was not the case. In general I found that I spend increased time on the Internet, although I did not watch online movies or television episodes as I considered this to be cheating the spirit of the fast. Instead I spent a lot of time on social networking sites, especially Facebook, and playing games.

I considered that this experiment provided an interesting demonstration of the role that technology plays in our lives. Even though I restricted myself from using one particular form of technology, I found that my use of another increased. It was difficult at first not to watch television, and I imagine it would be extremely difficult not to use any form of technology for pleasure even for a day. Technology has become extremely integrated in our lives and this was evident during my ‘fast’ from