When I first began this short write-up for class, I was a bit unsure of where to start. I had never written a blog before, much less a blog for a class. After going through the readings, ideas began trickling into my mind so here is my first blog post.
As I began reading, one of the first things that I began to think about was the fact that technologies--namely the technologies involved with mass media--are changing faster today than they have ever before. I think about my great grandparents who have been around since the early 1900's and even thought I have only been around for a small portion of their lifetime, I feel that I have seen nearly as many advances in technology. I also thought about a video I had once seen on Youtube titled "Did You Know? 'We are living in exponential times,'" and you can watch it here. The video basically gives statistics about the growth of both modern technology and society in general and it provokes much thought about both of those topics.
Another thing that the readings made me think about, as I am sure many of my classmates will agree, was the future of careers in mass media industry. As a student in my last year of school, and with a less than ideal economy, I find myself thinking about my future career with some concern. However, something about the readings in the Briggs book put my mind at ease (at least a little bit). There is always talk about how digital media and the Internet are causing conventional forms of media to "die," but there was one quote in the book that really spoke to me. It said, "The canal system was decommissioned by the advent of railroads. But it wasn't the end of transportation." It reassured me that, even though many of the careers in my field may be on their way out, there will always be something to be done in the field of mass communications.
