By: Ismeraly Torres / Contributing Writer
When Samuel Morse presented the first electronic telegraph in the mid-19th century, no one had truly imagined the heights that rapid traveling information could reach.
Before society itself could fully understand the effects and mechanics of this phenomenon, global media engulfed people.
Today, global media is erasing all concepts of borders as information and news reports travel within countries and overseas in a matter of seconds.
The concept of globalized media has also forcefully squeezed itself into playing an important role in modern culture.
The Internet has caused the greatest spike in the growth of global media. In reference to low culture, for example, social mediums such as Facebook and Twitter have become some of the public’s fastest and most popular ways of staying informed about the latest breaking news.
Facebook is currently used over 200 different countries. In the United States alone, there are over 156 million users.
College students are always on the move. Most students find themselves juggling between classes, work, friends and extracurricular activities. Fast Internet and fast information is exactly what a busy college student needs.
For these reasons, there seems to be a natural attraction to the Internet on behalf of the students. It is arguable that the Internet has become a vital part of student life when it comes to gathering information, staying informed and maintaining social status.
The power of these global mediums, and the effect it has on them personally, has become more and more apparent to students at our University.
“Just last year when Osama Bin Laden was killed, I remember waking up, signing on to Facebook and seeing all the status updates. After watching the local news, my assumptions had been confirmed. What surprised me the most, though, was that Facebook told me first,” said Silka Barrera, a sophomore biology student.
Media & Culture, 8th edition, released in 2011, illustrates that about 45 percent of society today consumes media by means of a computer or mobile device.
Although there still may be a selective number of people who take the time to sit and watch the local news every now and then, this amount does not compare to the number of people who look to their cell phones and computers for updates on both local and global news.
Like most people, University peers consistently have either a computer or cellular device at arm’s reach, if not both.
Some students have developed a dependency on the Internet. “I went on a trip during the winter break to Honduras. The week I spent there I had no access to the Internet, neither through my phone or a computer. I felt isolated from the world,” said Danny Torres, a freshman at the University.
Although the Internet started as simply a great way to “stay connected,” it has evolved into a system that has hooked, and willingly kept, the attention of students. Most students probably see the face of their computer more than they see their own face.
Because of the dependency students have on the Internet, it is easy to assume that one day, this system will be our everything.
The Internet is not bad, but it is powerful. Globalized media has not only developed quickly, but continues to grow because of the immense response it has received from the public.
College students in particular, including our very own Panthers, have easily adapted to the technological world of today and find the Internet to be the number one way in keeping up-to-date with news.
The only thing that remains is to think about how much further technology will take us, and consider the effects it will have on both current and future generations, whether good or bad.
opinion@fiusm.com
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