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TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIETY: HELPFUL OR HARMFUL

Technology in Society: Helpful or Harmful

Megan Melendez

Northern Illinois University

May 11, 2011

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Abstract

Abstract

In the era of instant gratification and immediate feedback new technological

developments have allowed us as a society to modify the way we express our views and

voice our opinions. The capability of the Internet and the speed at which topics can be

researched and subsequent information relayed to others has changed the way we interact

with friends, conduct business, handle grievances and even convey positions on social

causes. In the appropriate hands, this luxury can serve to advance society by making us

better informed on a myriad of issues, however, should individuals or groups choose to

act recklessly, an intended consequences could be mis-information provided to the

public which can undoubtedly tarnish ones reputation and standing in within society or a

business community.

Introduction

Texting, e-mailing, and facebooking have become popular forms of communication over

the past few years. The way we contact our friends, family, and co-workers has

developed into instantaneous, brief exchanges of information rather than thoughtful

conversation. Almost everything can be done on the Internet; shopping, chatting, dating,

bullying, and even protesting. Although the World Wide Web has alleviated much of the

stress and hassle of daily activities it has also become a detriment to society. Technology

has also acted as a secret veil hiding those who seek moral retribution, but are afraid to

actively protest and voice their opinions. Throughout history people have actively fought

for causes they believe in. During the civil rights movement activists engaged in sit-ins,

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marches, and public speaking demonstrations. More recently the people of Egypt

engaged in active protests and demonstrations in order to display their dissatisfaction

with their current president. Both the civil rights movement and Egyptian protests had

monumental impacts across the world. These forms of protests are far more effective than

using the Internet as a primary outlet for expression.

What Is Anonymous

One group that exemplifies how protesting has shifted into viral methods rather than

more effective forms of protests such as rallies and demonstrations is the loosely formed

Internet group known as Anonymous. Anonymous is known as a group “hackivist,”

(those who resort to Internet hacking as an outlet to voicing their opinions). The group

originated on a discussion board website known as 4chan where people join to post their

opinions and thoughts on any topic, no matter how inappropriate (Ragan, 2011).

Members of the 4chan discussion board began expressing their discontents with the way

major corporations were exercising corrupt and unjust practices. They believed that the

best way to expose these companies was to hack into their system database and retrieve

private company documents and e-mails (Ragan, 2011).

Anonymous’ Methods are Unethical

Anonymous’ practices of hacking in order to expose companies hinders their

creditability. First off hacking is something that is unethical in itself regardless if it is for

a good cause. Hacking is in essence stealing someone’s personal information in order to

gain access to his or her private personal information. Not only is it a complete violation

of privacy, but it also proves that the hacker have little respect for others and their

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property. How can someone who is willing to engage himself or herself in violating

someone else’s personal private be labeled as a creditable source? With all of the

technology available to gain Internet access into private companies and groups it would

be easy for anyone to take any information, twist the words around, turn it into something

else, and make it seem like a scandal. There is no doubt that those involved with the

Anonymous group are computer geniuses. The fact that they are able to crack company

passwords and gain access to secret information proves that they know how to navigate a

technologically advanced computer database system. However, it seems that Anonymous

may be doing all of this hacking just to prove that they can.

Anonymous and Bank of America

In a recent case the group believed that Bank of America was engaging in mortgage

fraud. In order to find evidence to prove their accusations they were able to hack into

company database and access incriminating e-mails. Anonymous claims these e-mails

demonstrate that Bank of America is engaging in mortgage fraud, however critics and the

federal government are claiming that the e-mails are not creditable and do not prove

anything illegal (Comstock 2011). Anonymous group members are going to have a

difficult time proving why the e-mails prove that bank of America is involved in

unethical practices. There is a plethora of reasons why these e-mails are not creditable

nor do they prove anything incriminating. The e-mails were exposed by a disgruntled

former employee who is obviously bitter about losing his job. His list of grievances

towards the company mainly revolved around trivial things such as, employees not

wining awards they feel they deserve at the annual awards ceremony (Comstock, 2011).

This claim is simply a matter of opinion. By stating this as a main complaint when trying

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to prove a company commits mortgage fraud is not only irrelevant, but also proves that

this individual obviously feels a sense of entitlement. If his work were worthy of winning

an award, he would not have been fired from the company to begin with. Another

complaint he listed was that employees were encouraged to date each other. This claim is

so trivial and extraneous that it immediately disproves the employee’s creditability.

Another trivial claim made was that the company “took everything from me” (McCarthy,

2011). This is a desperate ploy to make Bank of America seem like an evil heartless

corporation. The employee was simply terminated for not living up to performance

standards and Bank of America is not responsible for finding him another job. The claim

is an extreme exaggeration and again proves why this one employee is not a creditable

source for trying to expose a huge corporation like Bank of America. The fact that

Anonymous is trying to use this single disgruntled employee as a source for making such

an incriminating claim about mortgage fraud speaks volumes about the group’s judgment

of character and creditability.

If Anonymous’ claims about Bank of America were valid, federal action would

have been taken immediately. These claims exemplify how in today’s society people

abuse the Internet. All Anonymous has are e-mails that they think prove mortgage fraud.

They do not have any hard copy transcripts, receipts, or official company documents that

support their claim. They think that they can accuse a company of mortgage fraud based

simply off of a few e-mails from an unhappy ex-employee. Anonymous group members

will not take ownership of their claims by stepping out and making a public statement,

and yet the issue is still receiving national attention. This exemplifies how are society is

so heavily reliant on the Internet as a source of information. Lately newscasters have

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constantly been reporting information that they from Twitter and Facebook. Twitter and

Facebook is not a reliable sources. Just because many Americans use the social networks,

doesn’t make them a reliable source. Any uneducated person with no knowledge on a

particular subject can make a Facebook or Twitter and post their thoughts. Yet the media

reports claims from these websites as if it were straight from a scholarly research journal.

If we took a step back and looked at the facts we would realize how ridiculous these

claims are because there is no hard evidence. We have not heard the voice of any

individual willing to get up and take an active vocal stand. Instead those accusing the

company are hiding behind the confines of the Internet. No movement has ever been

accomplished by sitting behind a computer and typing your feelings for only other

Internet bloggers to see. You cannot make progress fighting for a cause by hacking onto

a company website or hacking into someone else’s e-mail. The only effective way to

fight for a change or cause that you believe in is to actively voice your opinions and

passionately demonstrate for your cause.

Civil Rights Movement

The most monumental and effective protest in American History occurred during the civil

rights movement. The civil rights movement began in the early 1950s before the Internet

was created and formed into a worldwide phenomenon. However the methods of protest

such as sit-ins, marches, and boycotts used during this time period were more powerful

than any other movement to date. One of the most famous sit-in demonstrations began in

Greensboro North Carolina in February of 1961 (Cozzens, 1998). A group of African

American boys strongly believed that the practices of a local business were unjust. Just

because of the color of their skin they were denied service. In order to express their

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discontent they engaged in what is known as a peaceful form of protest. They sat at the

lunch counter of a local store until the owner treated them the same way he treated the

white customers. They sat there all day and yet they were still refused service. The next

day more people heard about what these kids were doing and they wanted to get

involved. Over the course of the next few days hundreds of people heard about this form

of peaceful protest and got involved. They even captured the attention of the media.

Before long word spread throughout the country and people in the north were also

beginning to boycott company chains that refused to serve African Americans (Cozzens,

1998). This became a widespread movement involving the entire country. The most

miraculous part is that these protestors were able to gain public attention for their cause

without the use of the Internet.

This was such a powerful and captivating movement because the activists were

physically demonstrating and actively representing their beliefs. People not involved in

the movement, to include elected political figures, were able to put a face to the voices

that were fighting for the cause they believed in. This type of demonstration requires an

incredible amount of courage and boldness. People were able to look into the eyes of

those that were engaging in unethical practices and tell them that they were wrong. This

method is far more effective than typing your feelings and opinions on a complaint blog

with the hopes that someone in authority will notice them and make a change. If you

want changes to be made you must voice your opinion thorough word of mouth, not

through e-mails and blogs. People in today’s society are too afraid of standing out in the

crowd, or being scrutinized for publicly voicing their opinion. During the civil rights

movement there was a great deal of arrests made, the police arrested many protestors who

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actually served prison time for publically expressing their opinions (Cozzens, 1998).

Society was not ready to hear or accept their message. but at the end of the day they made

such a monumentally significant impact on the world but at the end of the day they made

such a monumentally significant impact on the world that the repercussions were worth

it. Anonymous members are not going to the head Bank of America corporation and

demanding that the company engage in ethical practices because it is easier for them to

voice their opinions from the comfort of there own homes. It is all just a click away. This

type of protest will never be effective. People will forget what they read but will never

forget what they saw and heard.

Counter Argument

Some may argue that the use of technology as a form of protest is more effective because

you can communicate to a larger audience quickly and effectively. It is true that you will

be able to communicate more quickly through the Internet, however rapidity is not

always the most effective way to communicate to an audience. Just because more people

are able to read you written word do not mean that they fully understood your point. Is it

easy to misunderstand an author’s main point when reading a truncated text. Often times

I find myself reading an online article or journal and still unsure of the author’s purpose

and main points. When reading about someone’s believes and opinions it is also easy to

misinterpret their voice and tone when conveyed through text. It is much more difficult to

keep the attention of an audience when they are reading your words rather than hearing

them and seeing you speak them. If you are actively voicing your opinion your audience

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will easily be able to recognize the passion behind your argument. They will be able to

appreciate the courage it takes to stand up in front of a live audience and express your

concerns, but it is easy to dismiss and forget about a strongly worded article, but when

you witness someone speak passionately and convincingly it resonates in your mind well

after they are done speaking.

Egyptian Protests and Demonstrations

Technology can be a beneficial tool during protests and demonstrations, however it

should not be the only tool. The recent protests and demonstrations in Egypt are a perfect

example of how technology can be used to communicate and organize a protest. The

Egyptian people were fed up with their corrupt leader President Mubarak and were

determined to express the magnitude of their discontent (Assir, 2011). They decided that

the best way to demonstrate their frustrations and get results was to actively protest

throughout the largest and most populated cities. Hundreds and thousands of courageous

and spirited people gathered for eighteen straight days to demonstrate and prove to their

president that they would not stand for his corrupt and unjust practices any longer Crisis

in Egypt: How Did It Happen?, 2011). Social media did play a critical role in the

organization of these protests because the people of Egypt were able to communicate

about where to meet and what to expect. They were also able to rally support on social

media sites (Huessner, 2011). People were able to communicate quickly and efficiently

allowing the demonstrations to grow at an astoundingly rapid pace.

Internet and Egypt

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Despite the important role that social media sites played in the early stages of the

eighteen-day protest, it was not the only factor keeping the protests alive. A few days into

the protest the Egyptian government found a way to shut and block all Internet and cell

phone services (Huessner, 2011). This was a desperate attempt by the government to

stunt the growth of these protests and stop the people from communicating with one

other. This attack only further fueled the people to protest harder in order to over throw

the President. This forlorn attempt at calming down the protestors was completely

ineffective. Even though most of the country was unable to communicate with one

another using technology, the demonstrations did not falter. In fact it had the opposite

effect. Not being able to use the Internet added fuel to the fire, and enabled the people to

voice their opinions actively. Eventually after almost three weeks of demonstrations

President Mubarak resigned and the Egyptian people got what they were fighting so

unwaveringly for (Assir, 2011). This is another example of how the most effective forms

of protests are the ones that involve people actively demonstrating what they believe in

and it can be done without the Internet.

Conclusion

The Internet is hindering the way we directly communicate with one another. People have

become so adapt to sending a quick text or e-mail that they have forgotten the value

behind a face-to-face meeting and conversation. Even protesters are trying to use the

Internet as a primary outlet to expressing their concerns. The Internet is an important

factor in communicating quickly but should not be used by itself in an attempt to make a

change. The only way to successfully protest, demonstrate, and make a change to

government policies or company standards is to actively voice your opinions. Nothing is

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more meaningful then hearing and seeing a person speak passionately and convincingly

about a subject that is important to them.

If one is unhappy with the way they are being treated, the best way to express

concerns is through word of mouth. If one were to go out to dinner at a nice restaurant

one would expect that they would be treated kindly and served promptly. If they go to the

restaurant and have a negative experience, meaning there is terrible service, the waiter is

discourteous, and the food is undercooked it is likely that they would want to express

their discontent with the service they received. The best way to effectively communicate

your concerns is to speak directly to the manager. If you wait until you get home to send

an angry e-mail to the manager, it would not have the significant impact that directly

communicating with the manager would. By directly communicating the manager will be

able to see and empathize with and emotions you are trying to express. They will hear

your tone of voice and are more likely to make a personal connection and be

understanding of your unease. All of these things are difficult to identify with when

communicating through e-mail.

If people of today’s generation realized that it is much more meaningful it would

be to vocally express you opinions activists would be much more effective in fighting for

their cause. People are becoming less courageous and hiding behind anonymous Internet

posts and blogs as an outlet to voice their opinions. If members of Anonymous got up

from their sedentary computer stations and mirrored the methods used during the civil

rights movement or Egyptian protests rather than using ethical methods such as hacking,

their battle against corrupt companies would be much more successful.

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References

Assir, M. (2011). Q&A: Egyptian protests against Hosni Mubarak. News Middle East.

Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12324664

I chose to use this source because it was from a creditable news outlet and

answered key questions about the protests in Egypt.

Comstock, C. (2011). Bank of America "Leaks" Are a Let Down. Business Insider.

Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/bank-of-america-leaked-

emails-arent-related-to-foreclosures-2011-3

This source is an article that discussed why the Bank of America e-mails are

not incriminating to the company. I chose to use this particular source because

the author provided a solid argument and counter argument.

Cozzens, L. (1998, January). Civil Rights Movement 1955-1965 [Fact sheet]. In Watson.

Retrieved April 2011, from

http://www.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/citing.html

This website provides detailed information about methods of protest used

during the Civil Rights Movement.

Crisis in Egypt: How Did it Happen? (2011, January 29). CBC News. Retrieved from

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http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/01/29/f-faq-egypt-uprising.html

This source was an article from a reputable online news website and it

elaborated on the use of social media during the Egyptian protests and

demonstrations.

Huessner, K. M. (2011, January 28). How did Egypt Kill the Internet? ABC News.

Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/egypt-internet-switched-

off-happen-us/story?id=12786160

This article provided a detailed analysis of how technology played a role in the

Egyptian protestors communication.

McCarthy, R. (2011, March 11). Bank of America leaks allege "corruption and fraud."

The Huffington Post. Retrieved from

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/14/bank-of-america-anonymous-leak-

mortgage_n_835220.html

This source provided objective factual information about Anonymous and Bank

of America e-mail leaks.

Ragan, S. (2011, March 1). After dealing with Anonymous, HBGary's CEO resigns. The

Tech Harold, p. 3. Retrieved from

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http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/201109/6881/After-dealing-with-

Anonymous-HBGary-Federal-s-CEO-resigns?page=2

This was an article from an online news source that provides detailed information on how

Anonymous dealt with the hacking of the HBGary company and what exactly

Anonymous is.

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Documents

Web viewMore recently the people of Egypt engaged in active protests and ... database and retrieve private company ... of-america-leaked-emails-arent