Something has changed drastically in our society since I was a stripling.
That "something" is computers.
I can remember when there weren't any personal computers at all. I can remember when telephones were hooked to the wall. I even pre-date cordless phones.
Now everyone has a phone with them, all the time. (Except for me. I either lose or misplace or forget my phone frequently. I have never gotten used to having a phone on me all the time.)
Big Brother and Big Business are watching us as we use our computers. But there's a flip side to that. Equipped with phones that can record video, we are now watching Big Brother.
I call this the IPhone Rebellion.
If a police officer uses unusual or excessive force, someone might catch it on video and post it to the Internet. This has happened frequently over the past few months.
We had a situation in Baltimore, Maryland in which a young man was killed during the initial stages of arrest by the police. Has this ever happened before? You betcha. Has it ever been recorded on a cell phone? Not in Baltimore.
Who among us has not recoiled in horror at the video of that young person being dragged by police, his face twisted in agony? Speaking for Anne Johnson here, I was horrified. And I'm not young or African American. I cannot even imagine how African American citizens are dealing with this emotionally.
There are riots in the streets of Baltimore. I am calling this the second incident in the IPhone Rebellion. Someone snaps a video, loads it onto the Internet, everyone sees it, and some people react. Then we get soldiers on city streets, with armored vehicles and guns.
We also get alliances between urban gangs who have longstanding rivalries.
What do you call this? I lived through the 1960s, and I do know that rebellions are squashed with impunity in this country. But we have the Internet now. What are they going to do? Shut it down?
7 comments:
I agree...someone is screwed
Every private citizen is now a potential photo/video journalist. As for shutting down the internet, a committed repressive government can do it. China and Russia both successfully control the sites their citizens have access to. And didn't one of those middle-eastern countries shut down their internet during one of the Arab Spring uprisings? Can't remember now. I'm sure they tried though.
Our quaint little village in the early thirties had a brook a mill, but no power or domestic water,Phones! hardly. an hourly bus service yes.
Hi Anne, I answered your "Ask Me Anything" question at my blog today.
In every state in the Union it is absolutely legal to film police. The cops might tell you that it isn't and may take your phone and/or take you in, but it is completely legal to film police.
Doubt, these days, people are comfortable about sharing "postal" addresses ... heh.
Remember, where a person could actually "write"? By hand? Long distant Messages were between the writer and recipient? Might take days, months; years?
The reply might take; days, months, years?
Have we, as a world wide "society" - a social entity - 'progressed' - or retreated into tribal 'walled' entity. My belief is better, or more valid - than yours?.
So; what exactly has the 'iphone' connectivity achieved for the "Arab spring"?
So far, not much. If turmoil is the objective of Apple and electronic "internet" providers to increase market share - whatever.
Simply be aware, market forces rule. Not sensible governance.
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