The Smartphone Era

          The irony of this argument/confession is we had a classroom discussion in government about the cell phone’s evolution and the social effect on how we commutate in present day form which, was almost exclusively in text or email. Believe it or not there was actually a time when Smartphone’s or just cell phones weren’t around as frequently and us as a civilization talked among each other or pass letters around in classrooms yes, the original form. Wired, yes indeed but it also wasn’t so long ago.

An argument by Roger Cohen, of NY TIMES opinion pages online, “I am not alone in my illiteracy. All around me I see people struggling to understand, anxious they cannot keep up, outpaced by forces they cannot grasp. With knowledge of, and access to, the billions of people sharing the planet has come a new loneliness. How cold and callous is the little screen of our insidious temptation, working our fingers so hard to produce so little!” –Roger Cohen

            
          This is our plant’s new status quo to seek approval and acceptance more so than ever on our smart phones because of the fear of missing out on the social media outlets. “Once out of bed, we check our phones 221 times a day — an average of every 4.3 minutes — according to a U.K. study. It’s not that hard to believe that study at all. We, as a generation use our smart phones for everything now, but it’s kind of surprising how much the social media’s have a deep impact on our daily lives and routine. Now that the world is online and in tune with everything going on rather if its’s important news or just plain mockery with the latest trends and foodie picture post.  
           
          This argument is very interesting and sadly the truth is an eye opener about how us as a generation take a lot for grant and rely on the smart phones for the latest news and to stay connected in today’s world. Yes, I do agree with author’s claim, evidence, and logic on the smartphone era. The author has strong points about how technology has taken over the way we communicate, interpret news, and gather information. “Technology has upended not only newspapers. It has upended language itself, which is none other than a community’s system of communication. What is a community today? Can there be community at all with downward gazes? I am not sure.”  It’s very hard to disagree with the author’s points because they’re very much valid reasons, with strong evidence to back up his claims. I’m pretty sure we are all not bias to the claims because we use our phones for everything and to be connected to what’s going on around us.

Cybersecurity National Action Plan

President Obama’s term is numbered in the white house, but doesn’t mean that the president can’t go out with a bang. Forcing congress to make a move and putting the ball on the playing field and kicking it to congress. “I’m going to be holding their feet to the fire to make sure they execute on this in a timely fashion,” Obama.

An article by Tami Abdollah, of Time magazine, The President is asking for a $19 billion cyber security boost for the national federal government. The federal government cyber security system can definitely, benefit a lift in security measures. Especially, after all the scrutiny about the IRS that has been under the gun with cyber attacks and the IRS system shutting down and crapping out Time. If, the funding for the cyber security plan works its way up the federal ladder it would be an increase of more than 35 percent from last year’s funding in the fight against cyber attacks.

The article is an interesting read for a number of reasons. One, with all this entire presidential candidate running high in the media we, really do not interpret much on what’s going on inside the white house lately. The media is there but, it’s not as widely harassed and flamboyant as the other U.S news coverage. Secondly, it’s very interesting to know that our government relies on a very outdated cyber system. “Some software systems are downright ancient, with the Social Security Administration relying on systems from the 1960s.” Might be a bit of a reach but still 1960’s? Last but not least, it’s a very beneficial plan that has potential upside for the U.S government defense in cyber war attacks that is forever growing.