Technology and Connectivity

I believe the most important social effect of technology is the way that people are being able to connect and communicate to each other so much more quickly and efficiently, thus making the world “flat”. E-mail only did so much in that it helped people convey written messages quickly through the respective e-mail system. Now we have apps such as Apple’s iChat in which people can see each other and talk through iSight and other web cams. This is helping bridge the technology gap in that everyone isn’t so far away anymore. If you have a relative in Tokyo, they are a “click” away. My Dad uses his Apple account to post on his website of family get togethers and weddings. My family and friends have been applauding this because more and more of us are becoming connected. This has been greatly advanced through several social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace.
This effect of technology has to do with access, identity, and community. With much quicker broadband access, we are able to see each other over webcams and the like, thus creating a online identity for us, while supporting our own personal community through technology. We can connect to friends and family much quicker then before. I remember when AOL was all the rage and people felt so much more connected to one another through all of the ways AOL helped create a semi-social network. Facebook and MySpace are like the AOL profile on steroids.
The most disturbing cultural effect of technology in my opinion is the way it has created a subculture of people who use it for their own good, while inflicting potential harm on others. For example, people can act like idiots on message boards and the like, but will not act this way in real life. This is creating a subculture and possibly different identities in people. Another disturbing effect of technology is the “addiction” to these technologies. I know people who swear by the cell phone, Facebook , their Xbox 360, Wii, etc. and would not what to do without these technologies. I try to look back in the past when these things were not around and yeah sure we weren’t as connected in the past, but some people need to take a break from technology at least once a week. I usually choose Sunday not to use the Internet for more than a hour just to enjoy other things that have been put on the backburner because of the technological gadgets.