Getting Started: First Class Readings

   Being a Communication Studies major, it is almost impossible to find a subject in the department, as well as many areas of life, unaffected by the societal obsession and reliance on the internet and all things digital. After reading Is Google Making Us Stupid? and the article on Electracy, it only strengthened my knowledge of the importance of technology in every aspect of life, including social media, news, education, etc.
   While reading the first article, I couldn't help but feel as if I myself were in the author's shoes, experiencing the shift from from an eager digester of knowledge to a skimmer of an onslaught of information, annoyed by anything not meeting my quick and easy standards. Much as the author feels the hunger and thoughtfulness once attached to learning and consuming is endangered, I feel I rely too much on the internet for instant tidbits of information, such as the recently researched liter conversion chart, that while delivered at a gratifying pace, will filter through my mind before I can switch to my Facebook page. Another point of the article I found to be especially accurate was the argument that digital media not only changes the way we act, but also the way we think. I often find myself surfing the web on my laptop, watching a show on TV, and perusing Twitter on my iPhone all at the same time. Like the article suggests, I believe society has been taught to think that consuming, and focusing on, only one form of media at a time isn't enough. If we don't keep up with the waterfall of ideas and info, we might miss something, right? While I am certain I am not the only person who consumes and media simultaneously and rapidly, I can't help but wonder if others are conscience of this trend, and if they are, if it an easy change to go back to simple times or is this bound to define the future indefinitely?
   While I feel knowledgable about the above mentioned topic, Electracy is a new word to me, something that required a little outside research. The second article was slightly harder for me to understand, but ultimately it further provided evidence that there is a cultural importance to being digitally literate, such as it is important to be literate in a world dominated by print. To be successful in the growing and developing world that parallels a digital lifestyle, it is crucial to be able to navigate and evolve with the technological sphere. After reading this article, I think it is important to discuss the ways in which Electracy, of lack there of, can help or hinder future plans. In society today, what all goes into Electracy and how can knowledge of the digital world further success in future careers?