Travel, Family, and The Internet

I have been reading up on some travel blogs lately, mostly the ones that deal with Taiwan as I am going there  in about a month for a study abroad. Topics such as food, hotels, hot springs, Chinese operas, language guides etc. make for interesting reading. I felt that the ones that had family or personal experiences to be the most interesting and helpful. Hearing first hand accounts of language barriers, getting lost, and trying exotic food just gets me more excited about the trip I will take. One big thing that I have been considering since taking my Literature Appreciation class is to make a blog on my own travel experiences in Taiwan. I had never done blogging before this class but now I realize that it is an easy and fulfilling experience.

This new form of media allows for better communication of ideas and it reaches a wider audience. It is also a way for my family to keep up on me since I won't have a cell phone in Taiwan. Now they can read my experiences everyday with pictures and video right there. Although new media can have its drawbacks I believe that in communication between family and friends technology and new media have helped bridge the gap of physical distance. Even social networks like Facebook and Myspace have helped connect families where distance is an issue. Because of Facebook I can now see how my cousin is doing in the Army or how my family is doing in Kentucky. It is honestly a great day for me when I see my friends and family post wedding pics or just updates on their lives. Sure new media like anything else has brought with it many evils such as pornography, depictions of violence, identity theft, piracy etc. but I truly believe that it has brought many more benefits. Before these mediums I could never have gotten so readily the experience of not only reading travel tales from ordinary people, but seeing pics and videos within seconds. We are growing more and more connected whether we like it or not and as long as we continue to adapt to confront the evils of society we will be able to reap the benefits found in the emergence of new media.