I overall agree with Michael Kinsley’s argument that modern technology has increased mankind’s personal freedom. I am so reliant on the internet, my computer and my television that I couldn’t even imagine a world without them. The internet is one of the greatest inventions of all time because it allows us to explore and connect to the world every night. Without those freedoms, such as the right to choose, which allows us to be independent; we would have limited options for entertainment and work. In turn the government would have an increased chance to take away our freedoms for nothing in return. In a way, modern technology does show slight similarities to the example of George Orwell’s 1984. What we buy, how we act and sometimes even how we think is controlled by what we see online and in films. Sometime in the future our freedom of speech could be in danger but that is not directly linked to technology. With the increased personal freedom comes increased personal responsibility. What is appropriate varies with different people in different areas. I think that anything in technology or the media is “potentially dangerous material”. Pornography is vulgar and everyone knows it exists; nobody is forced to watch it. The only cost of having too much personal freedom, in my opinion, is discovering something harmful. In the end we, especially in America, have the free will to pretty much use, watch, and do whatever we want.
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I agree with all of this, but I think it would be interesting to debate whether or not all of mankind should be given these personal freedoms that technology has granted us. What I mean by this is should young children be granted access to all that technology has to offer? The knowledge of how to make the homemade bombs that have been used in school shootings was acquired through the internet. I am not biased at all, but I think it would be interesting to see what Kinsley’s opinion would be on that.
-Brian Stewart
I agree with your statement that "..anything in technology or media is 'potentially dangerous material'". "Potentially dangerous material" or "patently offensive" material should not be assigned to few designated groups or material such as sexually explicit material. "Patently offensive" means that the material is obviously offensive to the public. Any material on the internet, media and television can be offensive to the public by riding against their beliefs or peace at mind. As you said "...nobody is forced to watch it".
-Jasper Newton
I agree that modern technology has increased our personal freedom. Personal freedom is what makes America such a great country. However, just as anything in life, there are always downsides. The negative result of such freedom is the discovery of "potentially dangerous material." But, does that give the government or anyone the right to censor material and suppress such a freedom? Everything that is revolutionary and monumental generally has a negative aspect to it as well. Life is a domain of positives and negatives paired together, it is just a matter of which outweighs the other.
-Justin Sander
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