Tyler Coyner, a student at the University of Nevada in Reno, hacked into his old high school's computer system to change the grades for paying students. Coyner, along with 13 other individuals, have been arrested. No one is exactly sure how he hacked into the computer system, yet they believe he must have gained access through a password of some sort. While he attended high school, he "maintained" a 4.54 grade point average. Receiving such high marks earned him the salutatorian honour, usually given to the student with the second-highest marks at graduation.
This is so concerning because due to the technology that is readily available, people are too trusting. This high school probably never thought they needed more security surrounding their grading system. Due to this, grades were easily accessed and then altered. This is unfair to the kids who worked hard enough to deserve these grades. Now, this 19-year-old boy has a criminal record because he was lazy and would rather cheat his way through the schooling system.
This story reminds me of the documentary we watched in class. In Asia, children were taught a song that described "netiquette." They sung about always being honest and being careful of others online. It seems that in these countries, computer addiction is their biggest problem. I am sure they have hackers, but it seems to be more prevalent here in the states. As technology is rapidly advancing, we as a society need to follow some etiquette guidelines. Just as a child you are taught manners, people need to be taught what is and is not acceptable.
It is obvious that hacking into a high school's grading system is not ok, yet there is still a great deal of gray area. For example, is it still doing your own work if you use sparknotes or google translate? Where do we draw the line? I believe this is one of the biggest problems with society today. It's not the technology, it's what we're doing with it. We need to not misuse the power we are given. Technology is a privilege and should be treated as such.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Technology and Social Interaction
Technology has had a great influence on the way society communicates with each other. It is truly amazing to think that almost anyone in the world can easily be contacted. Through cell phones, texts, instant message, facebook, skype, blogs, online dating sites, games and so much more, we can broadcast ourselves. We can reach a myriad of people instantly. While two of my best friends were studying aboard in different countries, I was still able to keep in contact with them. I would be facebook chatting with one who was off to the pubs in Ireland, while I was reading a blog about my other friend snorkeling in Australia. Also, the creation of skype has changed the intimacy of how we communicate with others. Being able to see someone and their facial expression is key to a relationship. It is so much more personal than just words on a screen. In this sense, technology has furthered our ability to communicate with others.
However, I don't know if society, as a whole, has benefitted from this technology. Technology is omnipresent. It has taken over our lives. Read anyone's blog on "Media Diet" and it's apparent. We live as if our mobile devices are an extension of ourselves. We are constantly connected to our phones, computers and the internet. It is difficult to even imagine a day without being connected. So how does this affect the way we as a society communicates? I believe, especially with the younger generation, that we are entirely dependent on our technology as primary means of communication. Teenagers rarely pick up the phone and call someone, "just to chat." It's all about texting. Getting a response as soon as possible. This has made society 1. adverse to face to face communication and 2. impatient. Technology is just reinforcing our id. Our instant gratification.
Imagine all the things you can do online that is faster than actually doing it. Example: ordering a pizza online, instead of calling. Shopping online, looking up directions, reading a book or magazine. The list is exhaustive. While this is faster, it also takes anything personal out of the equation. For example, there's a new restaurant in town. Instead of asking your friends if it's any good, you just hop online and read reviews. While this is helpful, it diminishes conversations to have with other people. If this is society now, how will it be in 20, 50, or 100 years? Will people cease to have face to face communication at all?
Another aspect of online communication is safety. Many teen girls have run into the danger of befriending a person on the internet who is not who they say they are. Think about it. How easy would it be to create a fake facebook account. Or any account online for that matter. We trust too easy when we should be cautious. Technology is a great advancement. However, just like anything else, it needs to be used in moderation. We need to embrace the positive aspects and still communicate face to face with our peers.
However, I don't know if society, as a whole, has benefitted from this technology. Technology is omnipresent. It has taken over our lives. Read anyone's blog on "Media Diet" and it's apparent. We live as if our mobile devices are an extension of ourselves. We are constantly connected to our phones, computers and the internet. It is difficult to even imagine a day without being connected. So how does this affect the way we as a society communicates? I believe, especially with the younger generation, that we are entirely dependent on our technology as primary means of communication. Teenagers rarely pick up the phone and call someone, "just to chat." It's all about texting. Getting a response as soon as possible. This has made society 1. adverse to face to face communication and 2. impatient. Technology is just reinforcing our id. Our instant gratification.
Imagine all the things you can do online that is faster than actually doing it. Example: ordering a pizza online, instead of calling. Shopping online, looking up directions, reading a book or magazine. The list is exhaustive. While this is faster, it also takes anything personal out of the equation. For example, there's a new restaurant in town. Instead of asking your friends if it's any good, you just hop online and read reviews. While this is helpful, it diminishes conversations to have with other people. If this is society now, how will it be in 20, 50, or 100 years? Will people cease to have face to face communication at all?
Another aspect of online communication is safety. Many teen girls have run into the danger of befriending a person on the internet who is not who they say they are. Think about it. How easy would it be to create a fake facebook account. Or any account online for that matter. We trust too easy when we should be cautious. Technology is a great advancement. However, just like anything else, it needs to be used in moderation. We need to embrace the positive aspects and still communicate face to face with our peers.
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