Many people have differing opinions on how we as individuals and as a society are being affected by the new "Digital Age". Marshall McLuhan seemed to believe with all that we gain from new technologies, we may risk losing some of our older functions. He saw new technologies as "extensions" of ourselves, and if we used the extensions to much it might result in "amputation". For example, one day maybe our use of automobiles will hender our ability to walk.
The Digital Age has also brought about and unheard amount of connection between individuals and societies, meaning that information can be spread rapidly. This can be seen as a double edged sword. For example, their is a search engine called Forestle that seeks to reduce CO2 emissions and save the rainforests. The Internet has also brought about a whole new criminal enterprise. Albert Gonzales was a computer hacker who stole and resold more than 170 million credit card and ATM numbers.
The Digital Age, in particular the internet, has also provided people with information that would have been otherwise impossible to obtain. For example, I learned about Albert Gonzales through Wikipedia, a wiki encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone.
With increased connectivity between individuals and groups of individuals, good moral behavior can be spread as can the bad. I believe that in this new globalized connected world, it still comes down the the morals of the individiual more than ever so in history, because these can be spread and reach others like wildfire. An individual's ideas can now start world wide movement at the click of a mouse.
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