Review of Disconnect 

The film “Disconnect” is a film about technology and our addictions because of the internet. People are addicted to it, abusing it and using it to their own good and others harm, just to get the satisfied.

In the film, we see different examples and cases on the theme.

Three boys, all with different lives, are followed trough the movie as they are making troubles connected to internet and bullying on the internet. The two friends are abusing the third boy by giving themselves out for being a girl, in love with the lonely boy. This happens to be a terrible mistake when a picture is spread.

A man, forcing young boys to share pornographic videos over the internet, is abusing an 18-year-old man. Trough this website the 18-year old comes in touch with a reporter in a local TV-station, a woman with intentions of a good story.  

A couple getting their identity stolen by an unknown person on the internet. They have troubles in their marriage as their many problems starts to get serious

I do not think there are any familiar elements to me in this film, but I see the message it is sending. People today are too into electronic devices, technology and internet. They seem to forget the real world they are actually living in. The issues in this film are real, they are happening every day, and many of us are forgetting abut the downsides of all this technical help. It is very easy to hide behind the internet, and to set up a scene. It may not be, as it seems.

I did like the film because I think the message of it is important, and I think we forget sometimes. It is easy to forget about the bad things about it, as the good things are more important to us. I do not mean that Internet is all wrong, but everything is connected, and it is affecting each other.

The part of the film that made most impression on me was when the bullied kid committed suicide. The two boys abused his trust by sending him pictures and messages on Facebook with the intention to harm the boy. They wanted to make fun out of him by playing with his emotions. This actually happens in the real world all the time. Many of the times, it is a good ending to the story, but too many times do the children feel the urge to take their life to end their problems

We have to stop the internet bullying as this is affecting too many people. 

Technology – online or offline

Our generation are more “on” than “off”. Always connected, always attached, always reachable. The many consequences of this is still unknown, but many are struggling because of the constant social media pressure.

Technology can be a genius thing, if it is used right, and with the intention to use it wisely. Many are unknown about the many risks that follows with the internet. People take advantage of the unknown. In the preparation material (page 5 of 12, text 3 “If You Log On To The Web Today…) it says that “For every site that ever there was will gather your data simply because on the web today a notion of privacy is for unintelligent persons. People will take advantage of anything, use anything against you for the purpose to harm you. When it is on the internet, you cannot take it away.

There are advantages and disadvantages to the Internet, and smartphones, and tablets, and all the technical equipment we have in our lives.

The “new thing” now is to do online dating over apps, such as tinder. Tinder is an online dating app where the purpose is to “swipe you to true love”. Smartphone apps have turned courtship into an addictive pastime. People says, after trying it, that they are not sure they can go back to analogue dating. It is the new thing, technology is everywhere, and all the time either you want it or not. People are infinitely upgradeable and are able to learn new things quickly.

Children today grow up with technical equipment that was not planned when we were little. We had to go outside to play, with each other and use our imagination to play. Today, children are attached to social media, TV, smartphones, tablets and games from early stage of life. They do not know about anything else, because they are grown up with all the technology. They are used to it. Many scientists have done research to find links between various types of electronic media and the cognitive skills of school-aged children and adolescents. Some founds are frightening. They have found that it may be a link between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and media use, for instance.

(Page 10 of 12, Media and Attention, Cognition and School Achievement)

I agree with the thoughts in this preparation material, but I think it is sad that it has to be like this. That people today get sick of being available and online. It is a stressful world we live in, and many have problems with unwinding and taking breaks away from “their life”. Many today live a double life, one in the real world, one on the Internet. I do not think we can control it any longer either because the technology is everywhere. The development happens even faster. All we can do is to be careful, and think of out lives in another way. You can take breaks and unwind with good conscience. 

TASKS IN CLASS

1.       Do you think the colonies had good reason to declare Independence? Why?

I think the colonies had good reason to declare independence. No one should be

Submissive or feel inferior just because they were part of a colony founded hundreds of years ago. Thomas Jefferson said these words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights: Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. He did not want to be treated different and unreasonably by the founders just because he was a part of the inhabitants in the colony. They wanted to be a part of America, as an independent state.

2.       Should one country be able to colonize another? When should a colony be granted Independence?

I do not think a country should be able to colonize another because it takes away the rights and the privileges an independent has. They loose their ability to develop their society to the countries best. When a country colonizes another, they immediately starts to influent the culture and the society based on their culture and traditions.

The colonized country loose their identity.

A colony should be granted independence when they want so. It is almost breach of human rights when another country takes over and colonizes without permission. The minute they asks for independence, they should get it, if you ask me.

3.       The Bill of Rights guarantees Americans "the right to bear arms". Many Americans still feel this is important for personal safety and in case they need to revolt against their own government, they argue that the Minutemen and the local militias only won the fight for Independence because they had firearms.

What do you think?

Should everyone have the right to bear arms? All kinds of arms?

I do not think Americans need the right to bear arms. It is a safe country with functioning police and army, and they do not have to feel unsafe. In addition, they have an argument for weapon that says, “If they need to revolt against their own government, they need the right to bear arms”.  I do not think this ever would be a scenario when they have a working democracy. If this would be a problem, there would no longer be a democracy. When they also argument with events that happened under the Independence War, they have to little to argument for, and I mean the arguments against it weights more in this discussion.

All the school-massacres have happened because of the right to bear weapon for everyone.

If they absolutely need a system like this, I think they should test the persons and consider if they are suitable and responsible enough to handle a gun.

When it comes to different types of arms, I think it would be up to the person itself, but the government should approve it.

4.       If you were to present your nation's history in the same way as above, which events would you choose? Why?

I would have chosen to write about;

The Viking-era (800-1050)

This era began with the attack on Lindisfarne in North-England.

The Vikings lived of plundering, sailing and taking land.

The independence in 1814

Norway got a formal constitution in 1814 after being in union with Denmark.

The union lasted from 1380 to 1814. Norway later, that year entered a new union with Sweden.

The dissolution of the union in 1905

Domestic self-government, but they shared king with Sweden and their foreign politics.

World War 2 (1939-1945)

Started in September 1939. Norway declared themselves as a neutral country, but was occupied 9 April 1940. The occupation lasted for five years.