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Veronica Diaz
Professor Azeem
Writing 114B
8 May 2015
The Media in our World
Technology has helped make the world a lot more aware of everything around us by
making communication much faster. Communication all over the world helps people come
together. However people like John Palfrey and Urs Gasser argue that technology has ruined our
generation and that communication with others has been killed. Although technology has
affected our generation negatively by taking over our old ways of communicating, by lessening
face to face communication and people constantly being stuck on their phones it has also
advanced positively. Technology has made it possible for us to help others without being directly
present. Without our presence for example giving a like on a picture so that a big company can
donate for every like or organizing huge events to promote change. I agree that with the help of
technology the media has raised social awareness on racist issues throughout the world for
example police brutality, a point that needs emphasizing since so many people do not see how
technology has helped us positively.
Racism has always been a huge issue in our world. To be racist is to be judgmental and
discriminate against a different race, because of feeling like your race is superior. Technology
has progressed in many forms over the years. Communication and technology are two main
factors of making people aware of what happens in the world. These forms have changed from
sending letters, making calls, to simply just sending text messages. Communication hasnt only
progressed over phones but also over the internet. The web has become a source of social
communication that most people have come to use at least once in their lifetime. Media is
everywhere we are, bulletins now have hashtags to promote social media and many other items
do too. These progressions have affected how racism is more visual in todays society. Use of

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the media has increased over the years, an important fact because the news travels a lot faster.
Today one picture or video can go viral in seconds, something that was not possible years before.
A picture or video going viral is very important because many people view this therefore those
people will let others know having the news travel quickly.
Using the internet has become such an important function in our world because we can
make others aware more easily instead of depending on the news to tell them a different story.
Another reason why the internet has made news travel a lot faster, is because of the fact that the
internet is used in many more places around the world. Today we do not only hear news about
our area but also about issues from across the world. Racism being such a big issue in our world
today has been brought more to light thanks to help of the media. Today people are able to record
their encounters with racism and post up videos, which results in people wanting change. The use
of technology has helped tremendously to expose many cops that try to take advantage of their
authority. Daily users of the internet are more aware of racism thanks to many people recording
police brutality against colored individuals. The prejudice against colored people has finally been
brought to light because of the use of the media and all the help that viral news has done. In
cases like Eric Garners, where authority figures failed in trying to lie because the media made
everyone aware of what occurred justice is being fought.
Eric Garner was a 43 year old man who was killed by police.This young man was found
outside a local shop where he often would go to make a living. The authority figures asked him
to remove himself from this spot but he insisted he was not doing anything wrong. Although Eric
Garner could have followed their instructions and removed himself he remained which cost him
his life. The authorities then used an illegal form of reinforcement to remove this young man.
They chokehold him which immediately caused Garner, who was an asthmatic man, to yell for
his life screaming I cant breathe. In an article found on CBS news written by Jericka Duncan

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the reader is made aware of how, A medical examiner called Garners death a homicide and said
he died from the chokehold(Duncan). A proof that regardless of pleads for his life the
authorities continued to choke Eric Garner cutting off his respiration and killing him. This case is
important with the way that social media and awareness has expanded because otherwise this
would have been another case that went unfought. Eric Garners case has served as a great
example alongside many of the other cases where colored men were victims of police brutality.
Garners case caught my attention because of how the media helped the truth be told.
On the same article written by Jericka Duncan she explains, An official from the police
union disputes those findings and said officers were correct in turning Garner on his side and
immediately calling an ambulance for help (Duncan). This police official believes findings of
the medical examiner, which declared the case a homicide were wrong. In many of the other
cases for example Mike Brown where the unarmed colored teen was shot down by policemen,
the police officials always blame the victim and tell their own story. Garners case has hit me as
one to be very special and important because the whole homicide was caught on tape. Regardless
of the authoritys words and arguments saying what they did was correct the media released this
video which went viral and made everyone aware of what really occurred. Cases like these prove
why the media has helped awareness on racism. The media has not only released information on
Eric Garners and Michael Browns case but also the many other innocent colored teens who
have been victims of police brutality.
The media is a great help in cases like racism with police brutality where an individuals
word is fought against a higher authority. Media is a great help in situations like the ones
mentioned because often times the authority figures have the higher power, therefore allowing
them to lie. The media and technology have helped the awareness of racism by allowing news to
travel faster and also by victims being able to attain visual evidence. For the reason that the

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media has benefited us with this major issue is why I believe some of the statements on Born
Digital written by John Palfrey and Urs Gasser are not fully correct. These authors express
themselves in a way that they make it clear they believe technology has changed our world in a
bad way. A statement is made on Born Digital saying, These changes, to be sure, are not at all
good, but they will be enduring (Palfrey, Gasser pg.12). Although technology has changed the
world in ways that would be negative, I do believe it has made more positive changes. For
example the way that individuals who are victims can speak up to many more people by putting
their stories online and getting more support from others. Palfrey and Gasser also mention how,
Research once meant a trip to a library (p.12) the new changes of technology obviously
have changed the old ways of the generations before us, today we get information from the
internet rather than just books. However just because we are not doing certain things how they
were done before, doesnt mean we are doing them the wrong way.
If we depended on the slower forms or in other words western ways to travel information
we would never know all the information we do today. For example in cases like the racism that
has occurred with police brutality, if we waited on news to travel how news traveled before not
many people would be aware of racism. I do believe that Palfrey and Gasser make a good point
in saying that at some point in life research was going to the library and looking for the
information rather than just typing something on a search engine. Perhaps finding some research
on books might be more accurate for historical information. However books get old and the more
years that pass the more changes there is. A media article can be more up to date rather than a
book that was written hundreds of years before. The media is a special way of researching
because people are able to speak their mind through this, not everyone can get published but
anyone can express their mind on the media. If technology was not as advanced as it is today
people would not be able to just go on the media to discover the illegal attacks authorities have

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done over these few years. If it were not for the media we would have to be depending on stories
that are told by the authorities in their own words, not the actual stories for example the videos
that tell the truth.
The truth of serious cases where racism is a great factor is very important in our society
because many people do not want to accept we still live with racism. The media bringing racism
into light has helped many individuals. Without the media families of victims of racist authorities
would have to deal with their situations all alone. However since the media has made it possible
to announce everything that occurs, many people can now come together and support these
people in their times of grief. Not only has the media helped to support these people but also to
assist in organizing protests and other types of event to encourage change in our society. The
media has made the communication of individuals all throughout the world which is important
because the news will not only stay local but awareness can be made worldwide.
In conclusion the use of media will always have both a positive and negative side.
Perhaps many media users are found to be too dependent on their media usage to look for most
of their information. Other media users may be using it just as a normal use, regardless of the
time spend on media it has really made a change in our generation. Racism has been an issue that
has been present for many years, however many people refuse to accept this. Although many
people choose to not make change or not pay attention to this current issue the use of the media
has helped many people be more aware. Although authorities have much power we feel more
empowered to question their authority now because of the proof we have of their abuse. The
media has made it possible for individuals to defend themselves as well as to tell others why we
should be united. I do believe that the advancement in technology today has helped the media
raise awareness against racism, a point that should be further considered since many people
disagree media is a positive factor of today.

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Works Cited
Duncan, Jericka. Eric Garner case: Video of chokehold's aftermath raises new questions. 6
December 2014. CBS news.

Palfrey, John and Gasser, Urs. Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of
Digital Natives. New York: Basic Books, 2008.17-31.Print.