Networks and Communication

Internet communication technology includes email, texting, instant messaging, and video and audio messengers such as Skype. Such technology has a variety of strengths and weaknesses; lightning fast speed of communication tops the list of advantages - messages travel from sender to recipient almost instantaneously. This strength can also be a weakness as both companies and other parties can easily flood email in-boxes creating a virtual ocean of mail to sort through. Another advantage of email is low cost per message, all that is needed is internet access and some form of computer and one can send an email. Texting however comes at a monthly fee, which is extremely overpriced due to the almost non-existent cost of relaying a text message.

The major issues with such technologies that are frequently discussed are spam, texting and driving, and phishing. These issues are a problem because as people have become increasingly dependent on technology - millions have seemingly lost their common sense. Spam and possible phishing scams should be dealt with just like junk mail, if you do not know the sender and are not expecting the email - do not open it. Texting and driving is a problem because people split their attention between their phones and the road, this is also an easy fix - set your phone to vibrate or leave it in your bag. Bringing your phone with you and attempting to text while you drive is the older equivalent of trying to write a letter on horseback; people have to make a conscious attempt to remember that the road should be their only concern - their friends will still be there when they park, the world will not end if they wait until their commute is over. However insisting on texting and driving leads to injury and possibly death for not only the offender but other people driving on the same roads; this is a preventable event - society needs to re-learn how to be patient, lives literally hang in the balance.

The short Times article about the woman who took a 900 mile detour, a total of a day including a nap and gas refill. This not only shows the learned helplessness of modern society but the over-dependence on technology and the lack of common sense. People such as this treat technology as if it is manna from the hand of God himself, while it is supposed to be a tool just like a map or a telegraph. This woman blindly followed her GPS for 23 hours longer than the estimated 1 hour drive that she was supposed to undertake. The people in modern societies as previously stated need to use technology with common sense, and put a stop to the same sheep like behavior that led to the extinction of the dodo bird.(http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/01/15/belgian-woman-drives-900-miles-instead-of-90-thanks-to-her-gps/).