Are we obsessed with our technologies? This week the Journalism Department held a program called, Disconnect to Reconnect, which students participated in removing all screens from them for three days. For most, it was hard at first, but at a certain point students started to feel relieved that they didn't have to constantly check their text messages, emails, or social media.
Being a journalism major and a marketing minor, I feel like I'm stuck in limbo. On one side, marketing is using technology more than it ever has, and it doesn't look like it will stop anytime soon. From scanning QR codes on our iPhones to getting information through Twitter about a certain company, marketers are constantly using technology. I will agree the benefits are endless from a marketers standpoint, but when is enough, enough?
On the other side, the journalism department has tried to engrave in us since freshman year to be wary of the uses of technologies. They stress how technologies are constantly surrounding us and we are immune to it. No one asks questions nor do they do anything about it.
With all of these technologies that we are using, we are always in front of a screen. Whether it being the first, second, or third screen we are always surrounded and even bombarded by them. One thing I can foresee is the lack of face-to-face interactions because of all these screens. We rely more on communicating via email or a text message rather than a letter or going to see someone in person. By being infront of all these screens is there a negative effect that it will have on us?
So what do you guys think? Do you think marketers are running a fine line between using technology efficiently? Or are they over using technology? What are the benefits or drawbacks that you can see with the uses of technology?
It's interesting how you stated that many students who did the technology fast felt relieved by the end to not have as much of an obligation to check all their "screens." I can relate. Although I didn't participate in the tech. fast this week, I noticed that someone emailed me on Friday and then again early on Saturday and seemed frustrated that I hadn't responded. I was taken aback because the issue was not as time-sensitive as the person was making it, and I figured that I would check my email later on Saturday since it is the weekend and I had made plans during the day. So it is situations like this where I feel that technology has sometimes made us expect too much of people and we do not think realistically. There needs to be a balance between "real life" and technologies. For example, the past year I have been using lots of different sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Skype. All of these are a lot to handle, so I try to make sure that I manage the technology I use and not get too lost in all the possibilities they offer.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I can see how people would think that marketers are over using technology but at the same time, do they have other options? Everyone is using technology today so, in order to compete with all these company's you have to use technology. Overall, I can't say that marketers are taking it to far with technology but rather technology is going to far. The marketers just have no choice.
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