Have you seen the movie “Idiocracy”? Well if you haven’t, the film is a satirical science fiction comedy about the future of humankind. Basically, Luke Wilson is frozen and then awakens in the future to discover humans are extremely dumb. So dumb in fact, they believe crops need sports drinks to survive because sports drinks contain “electrolytes.” People sit in futuristic Lazyboy chairs while watching multiple TV programs at one time and eat buckets of goo.

The movie didn’t do well at the box office but it did gain a cult following after DVD release. When you think about the movie as a reality check aimed at today’s society, it’s hilarious and scary at the same time. Could we possibly go down this path? Are we already there?

If you were to read the comment sections on certain Youtube videos or even online news outlets, you may come to the conclusion we are already in a state of “Idiocracy.”

The anonymity of the Internet allows users to feel confident in their surrounding, and it’s an open invitation to vomit-verbiage that most of us get caught up reading – a deer in the headlights if you will. Why? Why is this acceptable behavior? Why does a comment section breed pure ignorance? Even Harvard’s Facebook page isn’t safe: “everyones want to be in this university most popular in the universe.” Yes, and, unfortunately young Facebook user, you will not be attending Harvard anytime soon.

I generally follow several guidelines while trolling the internet:

1. I only leave comments that I would say to someone in-person.
2. I refuse to use TXT speak – you know the kind… LOL, 4, 2, BTW, FTW, U
3. I try my best to use proper grammar and spelling—I’m not perfect but I think effort goes a long way.

Where did we go wrong with the Internet?

The First Amendment allows for freedom of speech and does not infringe on the freedom of press, I get that. It is our right to say what we want; however, do we really need to know why Justin Bieber’s new haircut sucks? Why does every online conversation turn into a political debate? A gas leak on the west side of town is not an open invitation to debate which political party smells worse.

You are not a comedian. Producers for NBC are not reading your comments in search of the funniest new sitcom writer. Just stop.

In all fairness, one might say this blog post is feeding the negative fire and one might feel obligated to leave a negative comment. I invite that; let’s discuss why comment sections breed negativity and ignorance. I hope one day ignorant comments will become boring and obsolete, may we all stay positive!

Remember what mom said, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”

There is no doubt that social media and the internet are affecting the way we communicate, interact, learn and behave. What was once considered a younger generation’s fad, or way for introverts to finally socialize on their terms, has now crossed all boundaries from great-grandmothers on iPhones to four-year-olds uploading Youtube videos. The internet and social media are now a part of everyday people’s lives across the world. Thousands are signing up minute-to-minute on multiple platforms and instantly sharing conversations, photos and stories within their created networks. However, those that are engaged socially online are not the only ones affected by this newer form of interactive media.

In a recent article by Daniel Gulati, Facebook Is Making Us Miserable, on the Harvard Business Review he writes, “Gone are the days where Facebook merely complemented our real-life relationships. Now, Facebook is actually winning share of our core, off-line interactions.” So, for those who aren’t entrenched within the digital chat space, are now walking aimlessly through empty streets and coffee houses searching for physical attention that once graced metropolitans everywhere. Are those who are not incorporating social media into their daily lives losing relationships, and how else are they being affected? It seems those affected the most by social media are the ones who are not using it all.

 
The obvious affect it is having on the anti-digitized is the inability to stay in the loop with close friends and family. The often confused look of a coworker, who believes you actually went and watered a farm or witnessed a cat play a keyboard, can be seen near water-coolers daily. As more relationships grow and reconnect online, those who aren’t participating in social media seem to be unaware of the possibilities it holds. Although it is easy to say those who aren’t engaging online with others are out of loop, I think the public as a whole is affected by social media whether they’re on it or not.

 
Social Media have greatly affected our news organizations, magazines and print media. They have often depreciated journalism professionalism and changed the way people receive their news daily. Some may argue that it is the internet as a whole that has negatively affected the industry, however, for many of us we now “follow,” or “like” the same organizations that we once subscribed to. Demanding our information for free doesn’t necessarily destroy the industry; in fact there are new ways to advertise in this medium. News organizations and print media are either declining in existence or moving digital for new revenue, those who are not online or involved with social media are greatly affected by the change of platforms.

 
For many of us, the way we get our news and updates revolves around a constant check from smart-phones, laptops, or tablets. More importantly, social media can also be how we are quickly alerted in emergency situations. Universities, schools, utility companies, police, fire departments, and other public services can now connect with thousands of people in seconds. An instant update of severe weather, road closure, or shooting in progress can save lives by Facebook shares and Twitter retweets. Those not connected can lose out on the opportunity to avoid these emergency situations, but they can also lose the chance to alert others.

 
Technological progress in recent years has allowed humans to expand relationships and communication on platforms that didn’t seem possible 20 years ago. This new media has affected the world substantially; it has given power to the people to overthrow authoritarian governments, saved lives during disasters, and brought people together who may never have met without the ability to share online. We can understand that social media are affecting public opinion, forcing old media to change to new platforms, and at times widening a gap between generations; but for centuries humans have evolved in forms of communication, and it is up to new generations to understand that it is not the platform that affects society, it is the people within those platforms that affect society.

 
Of course we live in a democratic society, free to make choices, and we may choose not to be a part of an online social gathering. However, I think those who are not connected to social media are greatly affected by not being aware of the community, friends, and world that are a swipe, click, and upload away from discovery.

By Lane Martin

Martin is a guest blogger from Tucson, Ariz. He is an information technology support specialist at the University of Arizona and a self-proclaimed social media addict.

On Tuesday, Tim Cook took the reins as the new CEO of Apple in announcing the new iPhone 4S and  - if you believe the Internet – you would think the world was coming to an end.

Many expected the announcement of an iPhone 5 and bought in to the extreme hype that comes with an Apple launch, but that was never going to happen. This is why.

The iPhone 5 has to be LTE capable to compete with competitors in the market. The reason we aren’t seeing an iPhone 5 this year is the lack of widespread 4G LTE support from multiple carriers.

Verizon has a pretty quick rollout going, but others haven’t caught up.

Many would say that this is the other carrier’s fault and they deserve to not have the iPhone 5 at launch, but that is not in Apple’s best interest.

Apple doesn’t make its money based on carrier exclusivity anymore; they make it based on volume. The iPhone is the single most popular smartphone model in the world, and that translates to a high volume of sales. With only Verizon on 4G LTE, this would limit the initial sales of the iPhone 5, and ultimately Apple’s bottom line.

Simply put, the networks and the hardware have a symbiotic relationship in that one cannot be useful without the other and Apple knows this. (more…)