Tapscott

Tapscott's reading was very interesting. What was discussed was freedom, customization, scrutiny, integrity, collaboration, entertainment, speed and innovation.
Freedom is something we are all aware of and used to. Communication and information are some of the most basic things that are free to us. We have the internet which creates this unlimited amount of information that we have to filter through. We also have the internet to communicate through and it is all instant. What is also under this idea of freedom comes everything that the internet lets you do, and I want to relate it to consumerism and online shopping. Online shopping is one of the biggest problems I struggle with because there's always something I need or want and online shopping has so many options that cater to that need. "Net Geners seek the freedom to change jobs, freedom to take their own path, and to express themselves" (Tapscott). This quote kind of expresses how the internet gives a new generation time to understand themselves and express themselves in a better way.
Customization was an interesting because everything in the digital world is about changing and evolving. That is why Blackberry stopped becoming a thing. It stopped evolving and changing. Being able to customize even the smallest things like wallpaper, ringtones and screen savers can change how a person views the digital world. "Millions around the world don't have just access to the web, they are creating it by creating online content" (Tapscott, 35). I think that the amount of customization is great and it means that people are able to change and adapt to new ideas and new technologies which creates more advancement and the pattern continues.
Tapscott talks about how there are new scrutinizers. In class we talked about caution, hoax, and how there's more to fool us on the web. So older generations "marvel at the consumer research available on the internet, Net Gen expects it" (35). So the Net Gen is targeted by many companies and they know it. I know that the websites I visit follow me and what shows up on my news feed in Facebook on the side of the ads are items that I have previously visited. So the key here is to be cautious of what is being opened on your computer and everything that is being tracked.
The integrity was an interesting section because I could find myself really relating to it. The internet created an issue with stealing and copyright because everything could be downloaded and watched. Pirate Bay and YouTube is one example of how people are able to steal things offline but in class, the idea that people won't buy music on itunes but they will pay $100 for a ticket was an interesting concept. Because of the internet and access we have to free music brings the issue that is...we are cheap. That's it. We're too cheap to buy an album and pay for all their songs but we have no problem dropping up to $150 on great concert tickets because we value the live music experience. But we won't support the artist online. This is why Spotify has become so great. I use spotify every single day and it has changed the way I listen to music. I definitely find Spotify worth paying for because I get the student discount which makes it $5 a month for unlimited music. I'm not buying individual songs and I'm not stealing them. I am paying for an unlimited amount which is great.
Collaboration was something mentioned in Grown up Digital and I reminded me of the Smart Swarm that I previously did a book report on. It was a very similar idea just online. Facebook, Go Fund Me and other things like that are used all the time because of the simplicity of it. It's easy to use and easy to share. Speaking of sharing, there is also Google Docs that are used to share and edit documents. So people could be in a group project working on a powerpoint or paper, and everyone can edit, make changes, etc. So Google Docs is a huge advancement in collaboration online.
Speed and innovation to me kind of go together because technology has innovated quickly. The innovation kind of ties with collaboration, speed and entertainment because it includes all of it.