A New Generation

Jill Walker Rettberg's illustration on page 159 within her novel, "Blogging, Digital Media and Society Series (2008)" states, " In terms of privacy, democracy, and communication, blogging and social networking sites are changing our culture." This strong statement whether others realize it or not, is in fact true. Social networks are shaping our society in ways generations ago would have never imagined. As our society becomes more high-tech, the idea of one’s personal identity reveals itself as we develop new techniques of media. Let's face it, Face Book, YouTube, and many other social media sites are exposing the privacy of others every day. From uploading images, to posting blogs, ones identity becomes an aspect of publicity. Just as Rettberg implies on page 120, "as we study ourselves in a mirror, shaping our features so our reflections please us, we create a reflection of ourselves in a weblog." The main concepts identified throughout the text go on to explain the importance of blogging. Not only can others express their personal reflections, they may also develop into journalists and advertisers. As journalist, others can blog over a genre of topics that interest them as well as others. The examples provided within the book complimented the ways in which others choose to journal over blogs. The topic of advertisements via blogs has become a common way for the world of business to expand. Blogging has become just another way to expose one’s self, and or ideas. Our culture is indeed changing at a rapid speed. Whether it be interacting with those over the internet, or expressing yourself through media, blogging and many other networks are sculpting the next generation in ways people today could never imagine.