Digitally Civilized, and Grateful

When I think digital, I usually first think of a good DJ duo called Digitalism.  They have funky techno beats and warbles that can send anyone (well at least me) into a dancing mood.  In fact, when I was a senior in high school, I would listen to their stuff everyday in the car...until my brother got sick of it and forced me to add some variety.

But I'm not here to talk about my musical interests, no matter how digital their name may be.

This class suggests I first take a thought about how I fit into this digital society filled with instant news, art, information, music, and games all in one location.  Would I consider myself civilized with all of this intant gratification?

The answer is yes, for sure.  Previous to this class, I took Computer Science 124, so I know a bit about C++, code and the micro-architecture of a normal operating system.

Not only that, but also I keep a personal blog, I have a Facebook, I am savvy with Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint, I can work proficiently with Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Story.  Needless to say, I am the computer "genius" of the family, and end up helping them from video quality issues to personal preferences.

When it comes to the internet, I can easily find whatever I a looking for, whether it is a video of a new song, a research article, and answers to questions I may have.

Actually, now that I think about it, let's talk about musical interests shall we?

There is so much music online.  When you type in "Justin Bieber" into Youtube, hundreds of songs, parodies, and covers of Justin Bieber are available at the click of a mouse.  In fact, there are so many artists and DJs out there who are able to become famous by posting their work on the internet.  Remember Rebecca Black?  There is such a wide variety of music and so many new artists/DJs like Digitalism who were able to grow thanks to the internet.

Think about it.  When someone asks you your favorite genre or artist, usually you say "I like pretty much everything," or "There's too much good stuff to decide!"  That is because you are offered so many different artists, genres, and songs all over the internet.

Because of all of the internet, music has been able to grow and spread everywhere, and so many more people can participate in making music, videos or anything they want.  It's because of the internet that we know about Rebecca Black, Digitalism, or any recent artist for that matter.  People have the ability to show what they like to an inexhaustible audience thanks to this digital revolution we are in.

I cannot help but relate this to the 16th century invention of the Gutenberg press.  Because of this press, people were able to read such a wider range of articles, philosophies, and religious texts, and become a much more intelligent society.  So many more people became researchers and journalists because the Gutenberg press allowed for anyone(of course with the proper skill) to print their stories, observations, ideas, philosophies, and research for everyone to see.

Like the internet today, the Gutenberg press grasped the world's attention and allowed for anyone to learn and publish, creating a society of open discussion and participation.

Thanks to the internet, I know about Digitalism and many more musicians who would have never been seen or heard in this world if the internet was never created.