Smart Mobs- Chapters 7 & 8

In chapter 7 Rheingold discusses just how powerful text messages can be. Philipinos texted messaged many a rumor that the pope John Paul II had died. This led the nation into panic. This is just one example of how powerful text messages are and how much panic and chaos they can create. I believe that text messaging is not the only way to get messages to millions of people. The same message could have been displayed on the internet and the same amount of people probably would have found out. Just like children in Toyko use text messages to relay drama, jokes, and rumors between one another, the internet allows the same thing. I understand that both text messaging and the internet are both advanced technolodgy so in a sense it's talking about the same thing, but I believe the focus and blame lays on text messaging because it is a much newer concept than the internet. One of the things Rheingold discusses in chapter 8 is how to advoid the advances in technolodgy. Rheingold believes that it is up to a family to decide whether or not to keep up with the latest invention. I believe this is true to a certain extent, of course every family does not have to go out and buy the new flat screen televisions that hang on the wall, but what happens when every other child in school has a new gadget and your child is the only one without? How do you decide where to draw the line? Being a college student I use my computer and email to recieve all of my messages from professors and from the school, what if a child was to not have a computer? Would that child be worse off than the rest of the children with laptops? I believe that it is a family decision whether or not to buy their children the latest nike sneakers but I believe some things are necessary to keep up on. If I did not have a lap top at school I believe I would be worse off than those kids that did. For one I would not be able to take this online course, and I would be going to all those classes that the teachers send emails out to cancel. Not only that but what happens when a teacher sends an email out saying to bring a book to class at the last minute? Of course there are computers available around campus but one does not always have time to walk to these computers and check their emails. I do agree that with the amish man that said they do not like who the person becomes when they use these new devices. People tend to lose social skills when their constantly talking on their cell phone or on the internet. My main concern is how materialistic children are becoming with keeping up on fashion as well as these new technolodgies. Once again, I believe it is the choice of the families whether or not to keep up to date with advancing technolodgies.