Ch.3

The ways in which Facebook and texting have changed us are numerous. This topic reminds me of when chapter three talks about innovation. Social media, like Facebook, and texting are probably the greatest innovations of our time. Social media especially has moved our society in ways no one could have ever imagined. Here are a few of the positive ways I can think of:
1) Social media has brought people together again. Reunions with old class mates, an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend, long lost relatives and childhood best friends. We are now able to reunite with these people once more and reconnect in friendship.
2) More connection with distant family members. For those of us who have family far away we can communicate with these family members and share our lives with them through picture and messages. We can talk with them daily, or even hourly if we choose.
3) We can look into each others lives through pictures and information that the person has given on favorite music, t.v. shows and political and religious views. This can give us a bigger picture of the people we talk with.
I personally have reunited with a couple childhood best friends and have been able to smooth over some relationships that have been somewhat broken over the years. I have found old classmates who I longed to talk with again and I am able to stay in contact with my aunts, cousins, and grandpa who all live far away. They get to see pictures of me and I of them. It's a pretty neat thing.
Texting has changed our society as well. I tend to question if texting is worse for our social health more then I do with social media.
A lot of people fear that because of social media and things like instant messaging or texting, we are all falling away from the fundamentals of socializing and the value of being together and talking face to face that our culture once had. Here though, are a couple positive things I can think of that texting has done to improve things.
1) If we are busy doing something, we don't have to drop everything to call someone to ask a simple question. You text, get back to work, then wait for the text back. Simple and time saving.
2) Texts can be sent while someone is at work or at school or occupied with something else. Once they are done and receive your text, they can answer. Texting gives people the freedom to reply when they can.
3) Texting important information can save a person the time it would take to write all that information down on paper. A text can be saved and used later for informational purposes such as trying to remember an address, phone number, or even a recipe someone has sent to you.

Our society has changed rapidly since texting and social media. People are beginning to lean on these things more now for connection to friends and family. Time seems of the essence and we never have enough of it, but if we can connect with people faster and more efficiently then we can save time. Now we even have the capability to have our voices heard by the news, congress, and others like it through Facebook and Twitter. People can grow their businesses and connect with other business professionals through sites like Linkedin. People can even connect with their favorite celebrities or music artists!!

I see so much good in these new ways of communication, but I also see old time values being lost in the midst. Face to face contact, verbal skills and HOW to talk with others, grammar, punctuation and sentence structure are all things that can get lost in the new way of talking with one another. Spelling words completely and correctly is almost a faux pas in the texting world. Overall, these social mediums are blessing and curses depending on how they are used. If we can use them and still maintain important things like spending time with on another then we will be OK, but as long as we use these tools as our only source of socialization, we may end up becoming an anti-social world.

Initial Thought

How much responsibility do I think individuals have to make things better for society?

I think there is a lot of responsibility on our parts to make things better. From a Christian and Biblical perspective, the Bible teaches me to take care of the orphans, the poor, and the widowed. God places huge emphasis on helping others and making that the focus of our life. I agree with this beyond just an obligation to believe it because I am a Christian. Thinking about my church in particular, Eastside Foursquare, we have been a part of building churches and schools in Manila, Philippines for over 20 years now. The church has taken it upon themselves to help out this impoverished community. I think the church, because of what we believe to be true in the Bible should be at the forefront of helping society.
Schools and other organizations should help in their own ways too with financial needs etc. The schools already have grants and help for those who are in need or have disabilities. I think this is important.
My only problem with taking full responsibility for others well being is the risk of enabling them to continue in something harmful to them or others. Take welfare for instance, there are lots of people on welfare, and also with food stamps, who use drugs. I know this because I used to be one of them. When I went to apply for this there was no way for them to tell if I was a addict or not. I know first hand that food stamps are traded on the streets for drugs, and free money given to someone each month can prolong the pain needed for change and can provide for more drug use. There is a place where I draw a line at helping others, when I think that helping them may actually hinder them. I have been on the streets, addicted to drugs and in need of things, but sometimes the more "help" I was given, the more comfortable it made it for me to stay in the mess I was in.