This world we live in takes a massive toll on who we are. Whether you choose to fall victim to that or not, it’s inevitable to happen.
Our society is such a strong force in steering us to make certain decisions every day. Going to school Monday through Friday is an expected task that we have to do. While we are at school, we follow a schedule and go through our day following the expectations of the school. The events that happen while you’re here shape who you are, even though you don’t get a say in coming in the first place.
When you walk into a store or restaurant, I highly doubt you think twice about the way everyone is behaving. It’s because no one is acting in a deviant or unacceptable way. Pleasant Valley teacher Trever Zahn said, “Our society, with the ongoing influence of technology (and surveillance through the use of technology) encourages most people to conform to social expectations.” It’s also going to lessen the chance of someone shoplifting or breaking the rules. By preventing that action, surveillance is shaping that person. That’s what influences them to conform to the social norms.
“As an individual, society makes you who you are. It either forces you to conform to expectations or encourages you to defy those expectations and make your own path. Either way, society has set the ‘rules of the game’ that you can follow or break. The choice comes down to you.” Zahn explained.
It’s our society that has set these unwritten rules that we happen to follow. Why do you have a Twitter, Instagram or other social media accounts? Is it because it’s popular and everybody else has one?
Abby Haessler has other thoughts. “I think a lot of who I am comes from my parents and my genes. I mean sure, I behave in ways where society influenced me, but in the end it comes down to the way I was raised and continue to be raised.” The decisions that we make are altered by the movements our society makes; movements as in changes and advances. Each one of us continues to “go with the flow” when changes are made and for some reason, we have no problem doing so. This backbone of who we are, our society, is a greater force we have a hard time controlling individually.
Vash Chintalapalli • Nov 2, 2018 at 9:49 am
I would characterize technology and society into different subcategories. Two different contributors of what helps make us who we are. I understand what you are implying with the surveillance cameras and social media; the expected behaviour to follow these “cues”. But blending that in with expected social customs is to defined. For example, school is a mandatory obligation set by our law. Whereas surveillance cameras and social media are choices that we still get to make. Well written article, I just wish the contributing factors of our “backbone” were more distinguished.