SPACE AND EXCHANGES

SPACE AND EXCHANGES

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Through trade, conquest, emigration and communication, nations have always influenced others beyond their borders and have always been influenced, culturally, economically, politically or scientifically. Geographically, our world has never seemed smaller as transportation and telecommunications have accelerated the rhythm of exchanges. So, new forms of influence, new spaces – such as global cities – new forms of exchanges are emerging. Peoples and nations, thanks to this evolution, now keep on borrowing the languages and cultures of other peoples and nations at an ever increasing rate, thus deeply transforming our world.

TOPICS:

• ·         Globalization / global cities: globalization of exchanges, free market, competition. Seamy sides: sweatshops, child labour, exploitation of peoples and resources.
• ·         Trips / Gap Year: taking a year-off to travel and getting involved in humanitarian causes in underprivileged countries.
• ·         Immigration/ The American Dream
• ·         The conquest of space……

TOPIC STUDIED : THE WORLD.COM  . THE LIMITS TO A LIMITLESS SPACE

How life can be affected by uncontrolled exchanges on the Internet

• ·         Private Life: The dangers of meeting random men on chatting sites
• ·         Professional Life: hiring and firing thanks to social networks: how uncontrolled posts can endanger your professional life
• ·         Social Life : Addiction = How real social life and communication can disappear because of addiction to the Internet

DOCUMENTS STUDIED :

PRIVATE LIFE: raising people’s awareness to the dangers of  social networks (uncontrolled communication) 

• ·         VIDEO: Save the Children commercial (youtube)

• ·         Press article: On TV, Maine Teen’s Parents Warn of Dangers of Meeting Online (pressherald.com)
• ·         Video: The Dangers of Social Networking Sites
• ·         Video: Teens and Online Privacy

Virtual lives (meeting virtual friends in virtual worlds)

• ·         Press article : Virtual Lives (Newsweek)
• ·         Press article : rentafriend (the Guardian)+ website rentafriend.com (presentation video)

PROFESSIONAL LIFE: How publications on the Internet can affect your professional life

• ·         VIDEO: Experts Warn of Social Media Dangers when Job Searching (youtube)
• ·         Press article : Remember – The Internet never Forgets

SOCIAL LIFE / ADDICTIONS : How addictions to virtual life can destroy one’s social life and real communication

• ·         Press article: Craving your Next Web Fix( US News-Business and Technology)

•   RECAP:

BRIGHT SIDES:

1. Borders erased
2. Keep in touch with faraway relatives    
3. Get to know other people
4. Virtual life:perfect life
5. Communication facilitated
6. Asset for companies : communication
7. Job-search....

SEAMY SIDES:

1. No self-censor
2. Risky behaviours: photos, comments
3. Dangers: meetings with random people, bullying, abduction, kidnapping, murders
4. Fake exchanges, commercial aspects
5. Identity usurpation
6. Dangers for the professional life
7. Social consequences: Addiction...

• CONCLUSION : answer the question : to what extent can our life be affected by uncontrolled exchanges on the internet ?    How can the greatest tool of communication in our society turn out to be a real danger?
• You can present other aspects of the notion
• You may also conclude with a quotation .