Think before sending

A concept that caught my eye and interest was that on the new media. It covered new and inventive ways in which people are using computers and cell phones to communicate. I found the examples both interesting and in some cases amusing. While most of this doesn’t seem new anymore, it’s important to remember that digital media, in comparison to other forms of mass media, are still in their infancy and adolescence. While print media has been around for centuries, radio is early in its second century and TV has only been around for about 70 years. When you consider that computers weren’t common in households as recently as twenty years ago, and cell phones were even less common, there is still a lot for us to get to know about what they can do.

 

The part that really got me was the part about sexting. As if adult content wasn’t already out of control on the internet, the idea that people would start using their phones to pass on adult photos and have lewd conversations really shouldn’t surprise me. What I find surprising is how few people realize just how little privacy they have when using those forms of communication. In the olden days, phones had to be tapped for someone to hear a conversation. Now that text conversation you just had is available to anyone who can get access to your phone or the provider’s servers. Same with those cute pictures of your kids, or your significant other’s privates.