This week’s articles revolved around the power of social media on the younger generation as well as the power of Wikipedia. In both scenarios, the importance of a community group effort to find reliable and trustworthy information is evident. In the article about Instagram, these flop accounts are being made by teens to discuss not only about celebrities and current events but also about serious issues such as gun control and abortion. The distrust towards the main stream media and the news have caused an uprising of these types of accounts where many teens get together to talk and share ideas and cross-reference, with each other, the information put on there. Wikipedia, which is discussed in the second article, is similar to these accounts, in that anyone and everyone can edit and contribute to the pages like a massive group project. The unreliability and skepticism towards the news channels, newspaper and journalists have been the main motivation of these accounts and pages. By checking facts with each other and being able to edit or comment on someone else’s post or comment, each person is more or less fact-checking the information. It is like constructing reality on their own, which is something I think is important in this social media era we currently live in. The episode of Black Mirror focuses on the importance of social status and fake impressions on others. Where in both worlds, people are so consumed by technology and social rank. The uncanny resemblance of the episode with our present world is very unsettling. Our reality nowadays is so intertwined with the tech world presented on social media. The constant demand to have interesting lives and showcase to the world is how our reality is being constructed now. The pressure to appear perfect without regards for individualism and the fear of feeling left out is the main motivation for Lacie, the main character in this episode. Clearly, what is true from reading these articles and watching black mirror is the dependence of technology in our world and how it has affected us on an individual level with interpersonal relationships and I believe it has warped our sense of reality.
.
.
