Crossroads

 

We find ourselves at a crossroads. Do we make technology the end all be all and rely on it to do everything for us? Or do we rely on it to make things easier for ourselves, but still maintain our own control? I would certainly be in trouble if I had to depend on a city map and my skills instead of Google maps! I do also travel with an Atlas because Google does not always know best.

There is a reason that technology, especially AI and VR are so frequently the topics of science fiction writers. There are some scary possibilities. We enjoy reading about those but do not necessarily want to experience them. There is nothing to say that what an author has written about will come to pass. That is why it is called fiction.

AI is an amazing tool while there are some potential scary outcomes, with a little foresight and understanding, there does not need to be.

The key is understanding technology and its uses. Those uses need to be responsible ones “for it [technology] is neither a promise of salvation, nor a prophecy of doom (para. 4). It is all about using the technology responsibly, not all that different from how we use our other tools. It does mean that we need to be more proactive with our technologies, not just those who program them, but us, those who use the technologies. Do you know what information about you companies are collecting and selling? You should, at the very least, be aware. That is an important part of being media literate.

We must move beyond simple acceptance, we need to read and become educated on making our digital experiences better and safer. We are all gatekeepers now, we need to take that duty seriously, not just sharing random videos or headlines to our social accounts. Ask questions. Become more media literate (Baran, 2021). This means understanding that while we have the freedom of speech/communication against persecution from the government (in this country) that is not true for private companies. Companies like Meta. At anytime Facebook or Twitter (X) can decide to remove content they do not like or approve of.

Everyone has their side of a story, as a media literate, educated, responsible, and ethical consumer of digital media, we should not only remember that, but we should demand to hear bothsides. Otherwise, we make judgments and choices with only some of the facts. If we do not deem all stories important, then only some have a voice. That is not what any of us want. After all, what happens if it is our voice that is silenced and our stories that are thought unimportant?

That is the beautiful thing about digital media, we are no longer at the mercy of what other
s believe we should know. The information is out there, and we all have the power to be story writers and producers of content (Baran, 2021., & Filak, 2020). That too is part of being media literate, knowing when to share the stories, and knowing when those stories are not yet ready for the world until more facts have been gathered.

There are times where technology may not work, power outages, driving across the west, being in another county, hiking in the wilderness. It is your responsibility to know another way, not just the digital one. Be able to save yourself if your technology stops working. Do not simply rely on AI to drive your car, remember the feeling of the freedom to drive yourself. Know how to read a map, do not just rely on Google maps to get you there (Sometimes, Google is wrong. Those algorithms that are used are programed by people and while AI is designed to learn from itself from those same algorithms, sometimes mistakes are made).

We should not run away from technology; it should be embraced. Technology is allowing us the ability to do things that we would never have been able to do otherwise. Technology in general, and AI specifically, is helping the educational, medical, and farming fields, we should simply remember that there are other options.

Standing at the technological crossroads, we should choose responsibility, education, and ethical choices striving to become media literate. This will allow us power over the mystical tech.

Interested in knowing more?