Posts Tagged: free content

As media and technologies have advanced over the centuries, society has changed with it.  Has law kept up with all the changes and adapted adequately?

This was the final question I posed in my framing post earlier this week in regards to the sociocultural contest of interactive media.  After reading and discussing in class, I think it is apparent that society has outgrown the law and it needs to be rethought.  Digital mediums have brought copyright, sharing, and the idea of professional versus amateur to a whole new level.  Just as some societies may be afraid to adopt the new technologies in our world today, I believe our world is afraid to adapt new laws to accommodate these new technologies.  It’s time for a change and we can no longer fit our new world into our old regulation model.

The younger generation makes this issue apparent through their disregard for pirating consequences.  Although everyone knows that downloading copyrighted material is illegal and there is big talk that those who take part in these activities will be punished, we don’t hear of a lot of follow through action.  It’s common knowledge that a lot of younger people’s digital content was not paid for and that sharing this content with others is expected among friends.

So where are the repercussions.  If we don’t enforce the rules in this realm, how will other laws concerning wrongdoing be viewed?  Will vandalism and shoplifting also been seen as a something that can be brushed away or not taken seriously?  How will this shape the younger generation and what implications will this behavior and attitude toward law have on society in the future when they run the world?  Frankly, I am a little nervous to see how today’s kids will turn out.

I am also concerned about the trend toward free content online.  Unfortunately, since the Internet’s beginnings back in the late 1960s it was always deemed as and intended to be  a free medium.  However, I don’t believe people know how quickly the Internet would explode onto the societal scene and be integrated so deeply into our modern lives.  Although everyone today is accustomed to the idea of free content online, I think this needs to change.  Just because we are used to something doesn’t mean it is the best method.

As mentioned early, it seems that the world is afraid to change laws to adapt to the new digital lives we live.  Everyone demands free, free, free, free.  But in reality this isn’t possible or fair.  Internet users want a socialist society online but shutter at the idea in real life.  For some people, the Internet is their main world and their main source of income and societal development.  We can not treat the online world as if it is not connected to real lives.