The Danger of Trusting an Amateur

            In The Cult of the Amateur: how today’s Internet is killing our culture, Andrew Keen discusses the Web 2.0 revolution and how the “noble amateur would democratize the dictatorship of expertise” (p. 35).  He defined amateur as someone lacking credentials or not making money in their field of interest.  Keen argues that this revolution has led to a cult of the amateur, where those who know the least ‘persecute’ those who know the most (p. 43).  Keen disagrees with Wales who states everyone should be given equal voice regardless of their reputations or qualifications.  Keen claims that content created by these amateurs threaten the very center of professional institutions.  He questions how we can trust such content when the writers are not held accountable for producing accurate or reliable information.

            This cartoon is set in a surgical unit at a hospital where the doctors seem clueless to how to operate.  The caption beneath the comic tells the nurse to go on the Internet and search what to do next.

            The comic verifies Keen’s argument that the Internet is full of amateurs and our society puts too much trust in their content online.  Because of this, we are replacing experts with amateurs, which reduce experts’ jobs and value.  This artist is also insinuating that not only have we replaced experts’ jobs online, but also replaced professionals’ jobs in ‘the real world.’  This can be quite problematic when we rely on professional assistance for a number of things, especially health.  We must not undervalue experts’ skills because the consequences may lead to a world full of amateurs who lack accountability. 

Does Facebook Cause Depression?

Sherry Turkle’s book, Alone Together: Why we expect more from technology and less from each other, introduces the positives and negatives to our recent development of digital culture.  Now that connectivity to technology and social networking is the norm, it offers alternate ways for adolescents to experiment with identity (Turkle, p. 153).  Through sites like Facebook, adolescents can establish or alter their profile to fit who they either think they are or who they wish to portray.  As Turkle argues, this constant presentation of self on Facebook is a “particular source of stress because it is so important to high school social life” (p. 183).  She mentions that the web, instead of face-to-face interaction, is how teens are establishing sense of self and learning how to communicate.  This lack of face-to-face interaction can be seen as negative because online it is easier for people to ignore others feelings and not offer their full focus.  In addition, the constant need for approval and support can lead to a fragile personality (Turkle, 176). 

This news video reflects how ‘fragile personality’ and stress from Facebook can lead to much larger health effects, such as depression.

As Michelle Aycock, psychotherapist, states children question what is wrong with them when their own Facebook profile and activity does not match up to their peers (number of friends, number of likes) (time stamp 0:40).  Some teens will get negative feedback or comments on certain pictures they post and this can really cause self-esteem issues.  Teens also have misperceptions of their peers because others often share half-truths. 

          This video extends Sherry Turkle’s argument that Facebook causes stress in students due to the comparison of others’ profiles.  Especially because the teens need constant approval and their identity is not yet established, this could be very detrimental to their mental health.  Facebook does not cause depression, however, it is understood that Facebook can induce negative self-esteem, and that specifically, is linked to depression. 

Turkle, S. (2011). Alone together: Why we expect more from technology and less from each other. New York: Basic Books.

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Introduction to Digital Cultures UNIC 145-Fall 2012