With the recent killing of Moammar Gaddafi, this subject seems almost perfect.
Conflict is viewed by the public much more easily than once before. And with the continuing widespread use of all electronic media devices and social networking sites, it’s only getting easier. It’s scary to get on YouTube and know that if I wanted to see exactly how Moammar Gaddafi died, I could.
It resembles the time of the Salem Witch Trials; when it was humane and normal to willingly watch such acts of violence. They would burn accused witches at stake, or force them to drown. Aren’t we all human? Is allowing this kind of torture to be largely seen or televised is wrong, or right?
The question is as old as war itself. Since the Revolutionary War, individuals have been documenting war activities. From sketching and drawing to pointing and shooting, people are fascinated with seeing the woes of war; without actually having to witness any violence themselves.
The war on images may also be viewed quite differently. The digital age makes photo-sharing more possible, enabling easier copyright and trademark violations by users. The ease and availability of the Internet leaves the uninformed user vulnerable.
There is another way that virtual image-sharing has actually been a benefit. Through social media sites, not-for-profit agencies and goodwill organizations have been able to share images of traumatic or special events to help rally public support for the cause.
“Today society is plagued with hyper-individualism that is exasperated by social media sites, but do they have the potential to be more than just spaces that promote consumerism and cultural hegemony?” (Quote taken from: mediate.com/articles/kingm1.cfm)
I believe they do. Social media sites also provide an outlet, for an otherwise frustrated world. They allow us to share our interests and with the whole world as the setting, the numbers get pretty interesting. Again, according to the article: mediate.com/articles/kingm1.cfm; “They (social networking sites) have millions of members worldwide, “81% of members of online communities use the Internet to participate in social causes, up from 75% in 2007, finds a survey by the Center for the Digital Future at University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication."
Any way you look at it, social media and file-sharing sites aren’t going away. Whether we decide to embrace them or hate them is up to us. They’re used in so many ways; I think it all passes over our heads. What is interesting is to reflect on what the article also suggests, “Just imagine how Dr. Martin Luther King or Cesar Chavez would have utilized Facebook…”
Conflict is viewed by the public much more easily than once before. And with the continuing widespread use of all electronic media devices and social networking sites, it’s only getting easier. It’s scary to get on YouTube and know that if I wanted to see exactly how Moammar Gaddafi died, I could.
It resembles the time of the Salem Witch Trials; when it was humane and normal to willingly watch such acts of violence. They would burn accused witches at stake, or force them to drown. Aren’t we all human? Is allowing this kind of torture to be largely seen or televised is wrong, or right?
The question is as old as war itself. Since the Revolutionary War, individuals have been documenting war activities. From sketching and drawing to pointing and shooting, people are fascinated with seeing the woes of war; without actually having to witness any violence themselves.
The war on images may also be viewed quite differently. The digital age makes photo-sharing more possible, enabling easier copyright and trademark violations by users. The ease and availability of the Internet leaves the uninformed user vulnerable.
There is another way that virtual image-sharing has actually been a benefit. Through social media sites, not-for-profit agencies and goodwill organizations have been able to share images of traumatic or special events to help rally public support for the cause.
“Today society is plagued with hyper-individualism that is exasperated by social media sites, but do they have the potential to be more than just spaces that promote consumerism and cultural hegemony?” (Quote taken from: mediate.com/articles/kingm1.cfm)
I believe they do. Social media sites also provide an outlet, for an otherwise frustrated world. They allow us to share our interests and with the whole world as the setting, the numbers get pretty interesting. Again, according to the article: mediate.com/articles/kingm1.cfm; “They (social networking sites) have millions of members worldwide, “81% of members of online communities use the Internet to participate in social causes, up from 75% in 2007, finds a survey by the Center for the Digital Future at University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication."
Any way you look at it, social media and file-sharing sites aren’t going away. Whether we decide to embrace them or hate them is up to us. They’re used in so many ways; I think it all passes over our heads. What is interesting is to reflect on what the article also suggests, “Just imagine how Dr. Martin Luther King or Cesar Chavez would have utilized Facebook…”
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