4. Technology and Massmedia and communication

4. Technology and Massmedia and communication

• Face to face communication vs. online communication (social-networking sites)

• Changes for the better / the worse

• Internet risks (hacking, phishing, fake identity, cyber-crime)

• Media power

• Future role of technologies

• Examples of cutting-edge technologies and how they have changed our mode of life

• Virtual reality

Technology is all around us. People often can’t even imagine how modern life is dependent on technique. Examples of its importance in everyday life are massmedia and social-networking sites.

Thanks to technical progress we are able to communicate through internet social sites. But is that something what we actually need? Online communication is comfortable for sure. Friends can be in contact almost all day and every day. Also is free. You need only Wi-Fi connection and mobile phone. On the other hand online communication has also its disadvantages. People are slowly losing social contact. Then is much harder to speak with someone in real life. Facebook and sites like this cause, that you waste your free time a lot. In my opinion is important not to become addicted on and keep real life with real people.

When we are talking about Facebook, there are also any other risks and it concern not only Facebook but whole internet. Things like cyber-crime, fake identities, phishing and hacking aren´t as unusual as people think. My parents always warned me about these cases, so I have fortunately no experience with anything negative.

What does these terms mean? Phishing means to get some information about person, like password or bank account number. Hacking is something similar. Person also hack your computer and get some information what he or she wants. Fake identity is something what you shouldn’t underestimate (podceňovat). Especially dating portals are dangerous. You never know what to expect.

But internet isn´t the only media we can use. Other massmedia are for example radio, television, broadsheet or billboards. These sources show us information from world. Information depends on many factors. Firstly, political ideology shows only what they want. It isn’t objective and determines us to make things as the country wants. This is how it works in communist countries. But even in Czech Republic I am sure, that reporters often says half-truth news. The second factor is type of medium. That means if it is serious journal or gossip.

Future of technologies is in my opinion quite predictable. Development will continue as fast as it is today and maybe a bit faster. After a few years we can see cars without driver, robots instead of people and many more gadgets which can enable our life to be faster than it is today. This idea seems a bit scary. To be honest, I am a bit afraid about my future and future our next generation.