Summary: As online gaming companies position themselves to tap an entertainment market that is projected to explode, researchers question the safety of deeply immersive virtual worlds. In this program, MIT psychologist and sociologist Sherry Turkle; David Greenfield, author of Virtual Addiction; Richard Garriott, creator of Ultima Online; Brad McQuaid, co-creator of EverQuest; representatives of Sony...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: Most people learn traditional standards of behavior and respect for others by the time they are teenagers-but many don't realize that those rules are just as valid in cyberspace. This program helps students take the high road on the information superhighway and avoid the temptations of the fast lane, pointing the way toward an ethically sound Internet presence and lifestyle. Guidelines for the...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2007
View online at AVOD
Summary: Meet Kyle MacDonald, an unemployed young Canadian with a crazy-wonderful dream: to trade his way up from one red paperclip to a house in just one year using only his blog as his bartering tool. This program-an intriguing example of online entrepreneurship, a case study of an ingenious marketing stunt, and a testament to the transformative power of doing well by doing good-sums up a genuinely...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2008
View online at AVOD
Summary: No email, no Facebook, no blogging. No Google for researching term papers, even. From here on out it's pencils, spiral notebooks, typewriters, and good old-fashioned library books. What twenty-something in his or her right mind would partake of such insanity? Answer: three college students who have volunteered to spend 30 days without touching or using a computer. Documenting their "digital...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2010
View online at AVOD
Summary: Digital technology plays an increasingly significant-and, many believe, unethical and intrusive-role in the lives of Americans. This CNBC program examines the rapidly growing data-mining and surveillance industries and brings examples of dubious and hurtful information-sharing to light. Case studies include a man whose cell phone records were acquired by his former employer, a woman whose...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2008
View online at AVOD
Summary: The teenage years have always been tough-but digital technology has raised the dangers of the social battlefield to a whole new level. This ABC News program reports on how cell phones, digital cameras, and personal websites encourage and amplify the frequent cruelty of teen behavior. With the help of an experiment conducted by Brigham Young University child development researchers, the program...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2007
View online at AVOD
Summary: Does too much e-mail induce physical and mental stress? What impact does excessive e-mail have on business and the economy? Can companies and employees change their e-mail habits for the better? This program studies the phenomenon of the e-mail avalanche-its origins, its effects on work and everyday life, and how it can be avoided or at least reduced. Expert commentary is provided by Dr. Cary...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2008
View online at AVOD
Summary: With nano-enabled drugs that destroy diseased cells and enable tissue repair, doctors may one day extend life expectancy far beyond our current capabilities—at least in countries wealthy enough to afford the technology. But the medicine that so radically redefines our standards of health and mortality will also profoundly challenge our social support systems and cultural values. In this Fred...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2008
View online at AVOD
Summary: In this Fred Friendly Seminar moderated by Harvard Law School's Arthur Miller, panelists such as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer; Nadine Strossen, president of the ACLU; Jamie Gorelick, of the U.S. Department of Justice; Professor Stephen Carter, of Yale Law School; and others examine the fine balance between the power of the government and the rights of the individual in a fictional...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: Civil liberties advocates have warned against government surveillance for decades. Today, corporations use technology to monitor employees and customers. Is big business the new big brother? This program addresses the growing debate about our "surveillance society" and its erosion of privacy and anonymity-which could become casualties of the war for market supremacy as well as the war on...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2007
View online at AVOD
Summary: Americans have grown used to being watched at ATMs, in lobbies, and even while driving. Now they are being tracked by satellite if they rent a car or make a cellular phone call and timed if they use an electronic pass to pay a toll. In this program, ABC News anchor Ted Koppel and correspondent John Donvan survey the increasing intrusion-real or perceived-of technology into Americans' privacy....
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2006
View online at AVOD
Summary: Blogs may be driving print journalists out of business, but they're doing wonders for the teaching profession. This program helps educators learn more about blogging and the best ways to integrate it into the classroom. Showing how blogs help communicate ideas and connect readers worldwide, the video focuses on the benefits of blogging for both teachers and students. Specific topics include...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2010
View online at AVOD
Summary: It goes by many names-digital outsourcing, micropayment, or an assortment of other harmless monikers. But when the hungry and desperate supply round-the-clock online labor for pennies or nothing, the term "slavery" starts to gain validity. This program examines the issue on a global level as it reveals the human cost of exploitative Internet businesses. Viewers meet struggling Serbian camera...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2010
View online at AVOD
Summary: Nanotechnology will likely transform the security and surveillance industries in the near future. Governments, corporations, and even individuals may have highly sophisticated sensors and tracking apparatus at their disposal—keeping tabs on everyone from customers to potential terrorists to aging parents. In this Fred Friendly Seminar moderated by Peabody award-winning correspondent John...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2009
View online at AVOD
Summary: Computer bugs are no mere prank. A disruption of global communications networks by today's sophisticated worms and viruses is costing companies billions and can do lasting damage to the world's economic health. This NewsHour program begins by defining these binary invaders and then examines the escalating security challenges of keeping networks free of infection. Members of the Computer...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2006
View online at AVOD
Summary: Although genetic modification of plants and animals has been going on since the dawn of agriculture, technological changes of unprecedented scope have taken place in the food industry within the past few decades. This program explores the impact of technology on food production and the development of new and emerging foods. Viewers are introduced to recently devised methods of genetic...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2009
View online at AVOD
Summary: This program features profiles of three women who have forged successful careers in e-commerce: Kerry Sizer, a programmer who has helped shape her company's online business model; Sheila Zoghaib, a webmaster who administers multimedia learning websites; and Barbara-Judith Caron, a web consultant tasked with staying on top of current trends and tastes in website design. Additional information...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2008
View online at AVOD
Summary: In a world of information overload, information literacy has become a survival skill. But what exactly does information literacy mean? With a focus on the Internet, this video explains how to conduct solid online research by collecting information in an organized, efficient, and ethical way. Professor Maurita Holland of the University of Michigan School of Information provides expert commentary...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2006
View online at AVOD
Summary: The high-tech revolution is led by children, many of whom possess skills that baffle their parents. From chat rooms to Web pages to kid-created Internet companies, this video explores computer-assisted learning and the value of the "virtual classroom.
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: Is the surveillance society inevitable? In No Place to Hide, Peter Jennings examines high-tech monitoring methods that promise greater safety and security but threaten personal privacy. The program shows how Acxiom, ChoicePoint, and other companies use supercomputers to obtain data on more than 90 percent of American households-and how law enforcement and government intelligence agencies...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: Since prehistoric times, the preservation of food has played an essential role in human survival-providing the stability and cultural traditions needed to create societies. This program looks at motivations and methods for preserving and processing food, how these take shape in various cultures, and the health considerations which present-day food suppliers and vendors must take into account....
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2009
View online at AVOD
Summary: The field of information technology is continually expanding. What is it like to work in this dynamic industry? Focusing on IT positions at IBM's overseas operation in Australia, this video outlines the qualifications necessary to be an IT professional while describing associated duties in the areas of product development, sales and marketing, and system development, maintenance, and support....
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2009
View online at AVOD
Summary: What would modern life be like without technology? Where has technology made a difference? This program explores how the equipment we often take for granted has become an integral part of our daily lives. At work, at school, and in the home, technology has become one of our most valuable resources. Robots, computers, and many other types of high-tech hardware are introduced.
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: Children still dream of becoming firefighters or astronauts-and many parents still nudge their offspring toward professions like doctor or lawyer. However, an increasing number of young people view freewheeling entrepreneurship as a valid career choice-and enjoy solid parental endorsement along the way. This program reports on successful ventures undertaken by kids as young as 10 using the same...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2007