Sources

I chose the topic of how the media (including online) affect children and their thoughts and beliefs about the real world. This topic is very important because we are all affecting by what we watch on TV, what sites we view on the internet, and also by what we read in magazines, newspapers, and web posts. As a culture we have started to focus on the quick and easy information versus those sources that could be more reliable. I found this to be true while investigating internet sources that seemed to be suspect: meaning I wasn't sure if the information on the page was credible or not. Obviously the sources and information that I found in the library were scholarly and clearly reliable, otherwise it would have not been published. It was more difficult for me to find internet sources that appeared to be reliable for correct information than it was getting the hard copy sources. This is because any Joe shmoe can post information about TV affecting children on the internet, but to have it in hard copy in a place like the library there are a lot more obstacles to make sure the information is accurate.
As a busy student of course I will agree that finding the online sources was a lot easier and less time consuming to retrieve but the down side to this is if the website sources contain trustworthy information or is someone's rant. Although this way of getting information is convenient it can be more troublesome than help and that is what I realized and will take from the assignment.
Overall I think that me saying these things only solidifies that our culture is so wrapped up in the quick and easy way out we often do not take into consideration the level of the knowledge that goes into a piece of work. For example from my life in the past month I have had to research a lot of information about a topic that I didn't know much about so the first thing I did to educate myself was hop on the web. Again some of the sites I found I am sure were acceptable but most were not, I would say the majority of the results were not dependable and that made finding correct information about my topic a little more tedious (because I had to go to the library). Having to go to library required me to be much more organized with my time and planning, so in that way it was a pain and that is the reason I don't use the library more often: lack of time. I think that this is the same reason why many people don't use these resources, because they take a little more time. Now that I know this, I will start at the library instead, rather than getting frustrated when I don't get legitimate website information. I guess you could say I have become better aware of the falsehoods that the internet can so easily possess. As a culture I believe that we will continue to use the quick and easy methods for finding information just because that is what we are accustomed to, and because we are impatient. Having reputable information should be valued more than the inaccurate information we can get at the click of a button. It is important for us to know the information we are getting (internet or not) is credible, but who is going to sit around and police that? No one, it is unrealistic and we just need to be better internet and information consumers.
When looking for information on the internet you have to be careful of what you take for real information and what could be false. From this assignment and others I have learned that I would rather know my information is reliable rather than "hoping for the best". One lesson I think our society could benefit from as well.