Encyclopedia of false information?

Wow! Those are the exact words that came to mind when I easily edited the information on a Wikipedia page. I can't believe how simple and quick it was to change a source of information. Students, professors, etc. use Wikipedia as a "valuable" source to retrieve information, articles, biographies, and so much more! It's intended to be a encyclopedia but how so when just about anyone can "correct" the information? Wiki is definitely on the top of most browsed sites. The moment you "Google" something the first link that usually appears is Wikipedia.

Any who! I went on to change the "Uses and Gratifications Theory" page on Wikipedia because it approaches how people seek out media to satisfy specific needs.

Below you will see the section BEFORE any changes.

“===New Media Examples of UGT===

The application of New Media to the Uses and Gratifications Theory has been positive.<ref name="WestTurner392401"/>  The introduction of the [[Internet]], [[social media]] and technological advances has provided another outlet for people to use and seek gratification through those sources. Based on the models developed by Katz, Blumler, Gurevitch and Lasswell, individuals can choose to seek out media in one outlet, all falling within the proscribed categories of need. The only difference now, is that the audience does not have to go to multiple media outlets to fulfill each of their needs. The [[Internet]] has created a digital library, allowing individuals to have access to all content from various mass medium outlets.”

Now below you will see the changes that  I made to "New Media Examples of UGT" in bold. 

“===New Media Examples of UGT===

The application of New Media to the Uses and Gratifications Theory has been positive.<ref name="WestTurner392401"/>  The introduction of the [[Internet]], [[social media]] and technological advances has greatly impacted the efficiency of our communicative acts. Instead of having to have a long conversation with a client about his kids and home life, before asking a quick questions about an order, a brief and quick email can be sent to accomplish the same task. While this has made business interactions easier but it also harmed our personal interactions. The many technological changes have been both for better and worse.

I'm still flabbergasted by how easy it is to change information on a site that millions of people turn to for research and such.

Is It Normal?

As a society we are so deeply engaged in social media that we fail to realize our level of dependency on social media. A great analogy would be a drug addict! Just like an addict we build a tolerance that requires more and more of the use of media outlets to keep us satisfied. Yes, it’s convenient and as a nation that accustom to speed we appreciate the easy and fast accessibility.  But honestly, despite the fast food and cars, do we need to have fast communication? I think its more of an addiction rather than a tool. College students have been surveyed and admitted that they can't function properly without being “plugged in”. We depend too much on our computer or phone screen to communicate with one another. We lost our sense of feeling comfortable in speaking in front of people. College students lack public speaking skills because they are so use to “tweeting” or “facebooking” a status or statement. Even though I am a child of the Millennial generation, I much rather appreciate an in-person conversation instead of a text message conversation. Young people today are so caught up on the virtual relationship concept that they forget how to actually socialize and hold an intellectual conversation. The high level of reliance on social media decreases the relationships formed between students, professors, staff, and friends.

But you may ask yourself, what would it be like to go without social media? You possibly can’t even begin to imagine a life without such necessities! Could it be possible to give up your phone, iPod, and computer? According to a study conducted by the International Center for Media and the Public Agenda (ICMPA), most college students can’t go without their media links to the world. If a student were asked to abstain from plugging into their media sources they would feel isolated and lonely. They would have the urge to check their e-mail and text messages. It’s like a tick goes off and you then feel anxiety to know what’s going on. I personally know when I’m in class I fidget at times when I feel my phone vibrate. I feel secluded from the world. So is it normal to constantly be in the know of things? Is it normal to constantly be plugged in? This reminds me of the concept behind The Matrix, I honestly loved that movie but it made me think! Are we like Neo, plugged into another world? Just like Neo we can be discouraged with the grim realities of the world outside social media that we continue to stay plugged in.

There was a line that stuck out to me in the film,

Neo: “This isn’t Real…”

Morpheus: “What is real? How do you define real?...”

The above conversation is so relevant to what young people think is reality versus virtual reality. The relationships they form online tampers with their capability to actually form real relationships. Just like the characters in the movie, young people are hopelessly dependent on the systems. Rather than experiencing life they are experiencing a simulated life programmed by computers or phones. There are many comparisons from the film to today such as, sleeping and wakening. When a character awaken they realize and see the truth of the world. Just as students, once unplugged, they are awakened from the world they are busy creating all day. As in the Matrix, they aren’t ready to be u n p l u g g e d.

Convenience or Addiction?

Living in the 21^st century brings many advantages. We have immediate access to just about everything including 24 hour pharmacies or corner stores. Let’s not forget the world’s entire database of knowledge is available at our very own fingertips via personal computer or Smartphone. There’s no surprise that your average American spends about 10 hours plugged into their various media platforms. Think about it! The moment you lose your cell phone you realize how important social media is to you. Once you’re away from your phone you feel UN-PLUGGED from society and the world around you. But, is it bad to feel un-plugged once in a while? Social media is a growing sensation! Becoming more and more a part of our daily lives. The last twenty years the rapid transformation of information and media occurred through the advancement of technologies such as the internet. Now new media means on-demand access to content anytime anywhere. The rise of new media has definitely increased communication between people across the world and internet. It provides people the opportunity to express themselves and exchange ideas through blogs (like this one), photos, sites, and other user-generated media.  The prime social media platforms are Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and etc.

According to a LawMarketing blog Use of Social Media

These commonly used social media channels are redefining how and what we communicate with potentially equally negative consequences. According to a Nielsen study, the average American spends more time on Facebook than any other US website. Just like your favorite fast food chain, social media has grown into a craving for people. It’s obvious that the internet is just convenient for people to use to communicate rather than writing a letter or picking up a phone. It definitely played a fundamental role in shifting how we communicate. There’s numerous of examples of how communication changed due to social media. For instance, when sentences are written it’s not in full text or complete thoughts, it’s written with acronym’s and array of fragments. It’s even to a point that emoticons replace words to express feelings and emotions. Are we really allowing this to redefine and reshape how we communicate within our societies?