The episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that we watched in class on Wednesday was very entertaining but not completely superficial. If the writes were trying to convey a message about the role of computers in our lives this was a creative way to do so. The whole concept of a monster, demon, or whatever you want to call him, living and acting through a computer gave me an the impression of how computers can really consume ones life.

Although the computer is informational and has many good uses, this episode allowed me to see the negatives of the role a computer plays. No longer do we need to use books why spend our time searching for the information one would need in a book when you can search the web and timely. As they said in the episode, "Information is not bound. Reality is virtual you're not alive without it." Its a little scary to think that people are so addicted and rely so heavily on a computer that they wouldn't be "alive" without it. The episode also showed how even ten years ago when the episodes were made, that computers were prevalent and technology was growing.

The episode showed web cams picking up pictures of Buffy and tracking all her information off the computer. That is very dangerous how anyone can find your information and how information about someone you need to know something about may not even be correct. People are hiding behind their computers and can be anyone they want to be as Malcolm did. The episode was a great way to see how on line relationships can happen and the good and bad with them. You never know who can find you and who you are really getting involved with.

I feel if the writers were trying to convey a message about the Internet and computers, not only do they take over peoples lives but people are completely manipulated by technology. Also in the episode it gave me the idea that computer as handy as they can be they do not contain all knowledge. Even having files on a computer which may seem so efficient and better then all the paper it was not enough to tell the nurse in the episode that a boy was allergic to penicillin. The episode made me think about how computers can contain viruses and if your computer gets one you could potentially lose everything you have stored on your computer. So as great as a computer may seem they are not perfect. What gave me this impression was when someone in the show said about "demon in the Internet."

The last thing I thought about while watching this episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was how it is mind boggling how the Internet and computers are growing on us and technology even ten years ago in the episode was great, I can't even imagine ten years into the future how people will be using it. It is basically like Malcolm lived and created himself, communicated and had an identity through the Internet and computer. That is kind of how people are today. We use the computer and Internet for everything we do, to communicate, gain knowledge, find people, do work, upload and download files, and much more. The computer saves and stores everything we do. We create an identity of ourselves through our computers. And if you don't like your identity then I guess, like in the episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you could just be somebody else.