Thomas Friedman and Transparency
October 23, 2012
English 101
Queenan Versus Friedman
Transparency refers to having information available and accessible to the public. It exists in all facets of life, those including business, politics, education, media, social networks, law enforcement, etc. Everything that was personal and private before technology made its way to being public to the world, is no longer private after all. The aspect of keeping certain personal information and actions private is rapidly vanishing in our ever changing new transparent society. Authors like Thomas L. Friedman and Joe Queenan present their views on transparency and the ways in which they feel individuals should react to them. In “The Whole World is Watching,” Friedman believes that everyone is being watched, and due to this, all of society should be on its best behavior. On the contrary, in the article “Youtube This,” Queenan feels if people are engaging in similar actions, then one’s deeds are not any different from the others; hence they are all alike and shouldn’t be paid any attention to or changed. Both Friedman and Queenan make valid points with completely opposite ideas, yet I believe Queenan touches the base of reality more.
Now that technology is becoming more advanced, many individuals feel the need to expose every action and thought they make to the public. Social network users are constantly updating their profiles with posts, pictures, and videos; and at the same time other members are peeking at what is being posted. Ordinary people can easily be searched and found on the internet, not by their own choice, but because of how transparent our lives are now. “The Whole World is Watching” by Thomas Friedman clearly points out the importance of being observed and the effect it can have on people. With technology being so advanced, people are able to take videos and pictures and post them online for the world to see within seconds. Due to the widespread use and application of
English 101
Queenan Versus Friedman
Transparency refers to having information available and accessible to the public. It exists in all facets of life, those including business, politics, education, media, social networks, law enforcement, etc. Everything that was personal and private before technology made its way to being public to the world, is no longer private after all. The aspect of keeping certain personal information and actions private is rapidly vanishing in our ever changing new transparent society. Authors like Thomas L. Friedman and Joe Queenan present their views on transparency and the ways in which they feel individuals should react to them. In “The Whole World is Watching,” Friedman believes that everyone is being watched, and due to this, all of society should be on its best behavior. On the contrary, in the article “Youtube This,” Queenan feels if people are engaging in similar actions, then one’s deeds are not any different from the others; hence they are all alike and shouldn’t be paid any attention to or changed. Both Friedman and Queenan make valid points with completely opposite ideas, yet I believe Queenan touches the base of reality more.
Now that technology is becoming more advanced, many individuals feel the need to expose every action and thought they make to the public. Social network users are constantly updating their profiles with posts, pictures, and videos; and at the same time other members are peeking at what is being posted. Ordinary people can easily be searched and found on the internet, not by their own choice, but because of how transparent our lives are now. “The Whole World is Watching” by Thomas Friedman clearly points out the importance of being observed and the effect it can have on people. With technology being so advanced, people are able to take videos and pictures and post them online for the world to see within seconds. Due to the widespread use and application of