ABSTRACT
The world of digital media is evolving rapidly. Connection to the internet is nearly ubiquitous. Many people access the internet not from their desks but from mobile devices while moving around in the world. As with most aspects of the modern world, there are tradeoffs. The more we become captivated by digital screens, the less we see of our environment, the less real it can become, and the greater the risk that we will lose some connection with the living world around us. Access to personal electronic devices by people who can afford them increases the potential for social inequality. On the other hand, digital technology has vastly increased our collective learning and our understanding of the planet both at a global scale and in detailed particulars. Through microscopy, telescopes, digital imaging, and computer simulations it has given us access to things we wouldn’t otherwise see, and it has greatly expanded our ability to connect with each other and form networks of communication and action.
