Based on the quote from this chapter, ““revolution doesn’t happen when society adopts new technologies--it happens when society adopts new behaviors,” do you agree or disagree? Cite examples to support your position.
I tend to side both ways but for the most part I actually tend to disagree more than I agree. My opinion being the opposite, in that society changes when new technologies emerge and only then are the behaviors of society changed. I think a good example is Facebook and how social media has changed so drastically. There has been a movie to show the shift in social interaction (The Social Network) and it is evident in so many aspects of everyday life. Business’ are now making their own Facebook page to further network and update their latest news and events. Even smaller organizations, such as ones within the JMU community have their own pages which allow for the behavior of students to change and become more dependent on finding their information from Facebook as a main source. Other sources of information such as email, telephones and even text messaging are still very much active but social networking is a new technology that has seemed to take over and change the behaviors and way of communication between people.
Look deeper into the concept of a “information cascade.” Can you cite an example of where following the actions of others was a sound idea? Where doing so ended up being a poor choice?
An example where an informational cascade would be a sound idea would be in school. Students who work hard and make good grades and go above and beyond to further their education and others can see that as a motivation. Another example would be the laws. The same action taken by citizens and what the rules that are obeyed by is a good concept in which information cascade is a sound idea. One obvious example that I know everyone has heard off is jumping off a cliff, if someone did that would you do it too? Another poor choice when considering the concept of information cascade is drugs. A lot of people tend to give into peer pressure, but staying above the influence and not following what others do is the best way to go in this case.
In your first one - I think you may agree with Shirky more than you think... technologies can definitely inspire changes in behavior... but they alone aren't the revolution.
ReplyDeleteYour example is a great one - but you mention the behavior as the revolution - "it's the way communication is done" (to paraphrase).
HOw relevant is IC in social networking circles? Are people's behaviors being influenced by what they read through Facebook?