Chapter 4: Guiding Questions

Introduction

This research paper deals with how media and information technology is molding our culture (Mander & Goldsmith, 1996; Iyengar, 1991) through the increase merging of communication media in society (Cringely, 1999; Sanders, 2000; Schwartz, 2001). This chapter presents the information that I have gathered utilizing three different formats as described in detail in Chapter 3: Surveys, Interviews and Observations. References to supporting literature will be provided throughout the chapter along with graphs depicting the data collected from the various survey questions. Careful attention to the implications of both conflicting and supporting data will be analyzed.

There are four guiding questions to the overall research study:

In our society, what habits have evolved into becoming part of a daily routine that includes television and computers?
In what ways have television and computers affected communication between people in our society?
Are there certain conditions that may increase or decrease the potential for behavior modification in an individual when using a computer or television?
What technological advances increase the potential for subverting individual thought?