01 - The Why: Introduction to this unit
It’s possible, even likely, that you will live into the 22nd century. Have you even stopped to consider what that might mean? You have already learned that humans really haven’t been reading and writing on a large scale for all that long when you look at our entire history. Compare that with now; your generation is reading and writing more than any other generation. It might not be books; your grammar and capitalization might need some work; maybe you don’t like to read anything that’s more than the short messages you receive from your friends and family, but that is not really the point. If you are to have influence, or a larger degree of control over your own life then it is in your interest to use the available tools well.
The news isn’t coming from CNN, it’s coming from Twitter and CNN reads it. You have just as much right to start a blog and share your ideas as anyone you see in the media. Sometimes it is the average person who can start a movement by sharing a personal story, or a video of injustice. Being able to navigate the modern word requires a degree of skepticism and efficiency that you might take for granted.
This unit will walk you through some current issues, and what some of the laws are regarding your rights to the web of information that is now the background to our daily lives. It will allow you to consider how ideas spread and the kinds of attributes that make one go viral. With everybody posting all of the time (often about what they are eating or where they are) it can be difficult to filter out that background noise and focus on the content that really matters and that can help you form connections to people around the world.
You can choose if you want to connect to people who are just like you and face the same issues and concerns, or you can take the opportunity to connect with people who are different from you and learn about some new perspectives. The point of all of this is to realize that we have a choice to take the incredible technology at our fingertips and use it for something positive in our lives.