Final Post - Disruptive Technologies

    For my final blog post, I have decided to follow a topic from the second section of our prompts. I feel that I have touched on the topic of my relationship with social media time and time again throughout my education, and I would like to branch out a bit further for my final post. I have decided to answer the question, “In what ways did blogging and social media platforms act as so-called “disruptive technologies?” I had never heard the term “disruptive technology” prior to today, but in brainstorming more about the topic, I realize that almost every piece of technology I use is disruptive to the kind of tech that older generations, like my parents, would have had access to. 

    Disruptive technology challenges the traditional platforms that used to be responsible for creating media and distributing it to viewers. Social media and blogging have been a top disruptive technology because they have decentralized the space that was once reserved for news sharing. The industry is no longer monopolized by mainstream news – it has been disrupted. 

    Technology is a medium for the spreading of information, but at the end of the day, humans are the ones narrating the happenings of the world. Once upon a time, one had to be a glammed out, suited-up anchor to give news to the public; however, today, any random person in their mom’s basement can hop online and talk to literally anyone across the world who is willing to listen. This truly disrupts the once centralized field of news, and it explains why blogging and engaging in social media news updates is ruining traditional media. Like never before, people feel empowered to spread their information, whether it be fact or fiction. We all have access to the medium that allows us to share our thoughts from our fingertips, and that is why social media has been dubbed “destructive technology.” 

    These new technologies that some call destructive do have huge positive factors though. One being speed and efficiency. People used to have to wait every morning for their once-daily fix of hot-off-the-press news. Or they had to wait all day until the nighttime news turned on. This could not be further from the truth of today. Nowadays, with every refresh of one’s news app, Instagram feed, or Facebook page, they will be met with another attention-catching story. Quick, efficient, and easy to navigate, social media has made finding news so much easier than it used to be. 

    Naturally, there are negatives attached to this quick-hitting loop of excitement. The constant bombardment of information has taken over people’s lives. People used to patiently go about their day and then be satisfied with their single daily fixing of current events, but now society is addicted to the rush. Disruptive technology is no longer just affecting news platforms; they’re now disrupting our lives, as many of us cannot go an hour without refreshing our content and engaging in absolutely anything put in front of us.  

    Sadly, this has led to humans becoming numb to the harsh realities of our world. When people are so bombarded with “breaking news,” they no longer take the time to appreciate the depths of the story they are viewing. In the blink of an eye, a social media user can scroll from a devastating school shooting to a surprising Grammy winner, to a terrorist attack, and then to a cute cat video. Which explains why society is so blind to the feelings of others – we simply don’t get the time to recognize the worth of a story. 

    Ultimately, destructive technology, especially surrounding social media, has completely overtaken the world we used to know. This tech has produced positives and negatives, but no matter if you enjoy the new way of engaging in the news, or the old traditional way, one must admit that there is no going back. 

Anti-War

    Prior to this assignment, I had never heard of AntiWar.com, or quite frankly, much of anything about the anti-war movement in general. I have grown up surrounded by mainstream media, and those voices were simply not part of the conversation. I can now see why, as the media we’re force-fed is filtered through politics and power. War, despite how horrific it is, brings countries leverage economically and politically. It’s wrapped up in this idea of patriotism, and that going to war is brave and honorable. It’s so deeply engrained, that completely avoiding conflict seems cowardly and uncharacteristic. Those who beg for no war are even seem as the radicals in this day and age.

    Reading through AntiWar.com has totally shifted my perspective. What stood out to me most was "the war at home” articles. This long list of articles highlighted the variety of horrors taking place here day to day. What’s refreshing and different about this site is that it’s not taking shots at other parties like most political discussion today. They’re calling out the flawed system as a whole. Which seems very honorable to me. I am not a citizen of this country, but I believe it’s that kind of critique that makes one a good citizen. Holding power accountable, no matter who’s in charge. 

    What also impressed me was the range of writers and how intriguingly chaotic the site is. New posts, blogs, and articles go up every day, showing how alive and relevant this movement is. It’s actually not a fringe idea; it’s a growing community.     The main issue is that voices like these are hard to find. They do exist, but popular platforms like Google, whether because of pressure or money, prioritize the voices that align with government agendas. Anti-war content isn’t all that good for business, so it gets filtered out. All in all, I've realized we can be leaders of change, but are handicapped by modern profiteers who must keep society silent.