the great seduction

1.) Keen defines Democratized media as anyone’s ability to hold the power of the media. Taking away the experts and the middle man. Anyone can post information on the internet, Wikipedia is a prime example of a user or people generated type of encyclopedia. Keens main problem with the public having the power to direct the trend of main stream media is as he states “ the real consequence of the Web 2.0 revolution is less culture, less reliable news and a chaos of useless information’’. It is hard to know what true information is when there is so much clutter of useless information and false information. This is due to the fact that there are no experts, no middle men. Without them how do we know fact from fiction in the internet that is full of amateur information? We are impressionable person who listen to everything that is put in front of us, for the sake of our society I would rather have experts telling me what is what then people who are not qualified to do so.

2. Keen has a harsher view on social media than Rushkoff has. Keen points out many flaws claiming that social media is destroying culture. He thinks technology can be used to for greater things but through this democratized media it is destroying art, culture and news. Also stating that the missing of accountability has had negative effects on society in our youth. Rushkoff has a better view of social media. However he recognizes its fast growing pace and sees that it is present in all facets of life. I agree more with Rushkoff because I am one of the users of Social Media, and I see the pros and cons but I don’t let it take over my life. I do fear however that kids growing up in an all internet world will lose appreciation and social skills that they can benefit from actually interacting in the real world. When I was growing up I didn’t have a computer not until I went to college did I have my own laptop, and I used our home computer I think at the age of 16 but it was only aim. I was always outside interacting with my friends. I don’t know who I would be if I spent all my time on the internet when I was a kid. I also don’t like the fact that kids have access to any information they want and I see future computers designed for kids that blocks most of the internet.