Do you or anyone else you know use any of the following?
AIM
FaceBook
MSN Live Messenger
MySpace
Skype
Twitter
...a cell phone? Text messaging? Using any of the listed above on a cell phone?
I'm sure that many of you personally use them, had used them, or at least know a handful of people who frequently uses them daily.
Technology can be a wonderful thing. However, have you ever considered what it, as in social networking sites, are really doing to us?
On 1 hand, it is quite convenient to be able to check up on what other people are doing (online or in "real life") via computers and cellphones, but on the other hand, it seems that these online communication tools (OCTs) are creating multiple subcultures.
Of the few, the one that will be discussed in this post in reference to complete dependence of online for any and all communication.
As many of you are probably aware, technology grows at an amazing rate. It opens us to communicate with people who live on the other side of the world with relative ease. However, what is it really that compels us to communicate with, for example, our friends who live maybe down the street via online?
This is not to say that OCTs are completely bad and should be banned. However, this is more in reference to those who specifically use OCTs for all forms of communication; essentially the degree of use.
Many of you will say that you don't really use OCTs in your life, but with society today and how everything is structured around technology and being able to quickly communicate is essentially demanded by everyone, it is essentially impossible to live a life without ever encountering OCT.
But what exactly is the reason why so many of use exclusively use OCTs other than it being convenient and quick? Maybe there's more of a reason why we do so.
I mean seriously think about it. It is understandable to use it to get things done quickly but to those who use it in excess might have some underlying reason that he/she is not revealing to others.
It might be for reasons of fear; fear of judgement. It would seem reasonable for someone to fear judgement from others be it their physical state of being, the clothing being worn, and other things. Is the internet essentially the cloak from society? Is the internet being used to hide their physical being and in exchange for socializing via their virtual self with their mind (i.e. the real part of the real self); the online identifier (i.e. user name) being a medium?
What do you think about this? Please comment below.
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I agree with your post. I really dislike the fact that having an account on a social networking site like Facebook is now a necessity. I have a Facebook account, but I use it only for communicating with my friends, or people that I actually talk to. Some people, however, have every person they ever met added on Facebook; friends, bosses, acquaitences, and even people they don't like or have no reason to talk to. Why? I don't want my bosses to read my status updates (when I even make them). What do they care?
ReplyDeleteIt is frightening that people use OCTs more often than actually trying to talk to a person. And because of it, it seems like people are then losing their own ability to communicate verbally. People can now message people in a variety of ways to being up an issue rather than confront a person face-to-face. By using an online tool like Facebook messaging, you can avoid seeing a negative reaction. But then the issue is dragged out even longer because you have to wait for a reply. If you spoke with them face-to-face, thoguh, while you may have to witness a negative reaction and it may lead to an arguement, the issue will be resolved much sooner, and both parties can get on with their lives.
Even as I'm trying to post this comment, the website is telling me I need to "Comment as:" and is asking me to input information from either my e-mail or other kind of account. Why? Why can I not just post as anonymous anymore? Is it not enough that I just sign my name at the bottom of the post? I don't like this. I don't like internet connectivity. Yes, it helps in some ways, but it harms in many more.
-Rob
is is frightening indeed, but that's the kind of world that we are living in today.
ReplyDeleteit is important for each and every one of us to come to a point of understanding where technology is a good thing, nothing to be scared of, but being able to monitor the use is equally as important.
The fear you express is not new. It is reminiscent of the fear people of yore had when modern pieces of technology were born, like radio or TV. It's always a bit scary for the older generation that has done things a certain way to see things evolve into a different way. However, I think we should not "fear" online communication as much as you describe. You say that you should communicate instead with your "real self". As a classmate of yours, I know you are a student of psychology, and probably dabbled in some philosophy here or there. As such, you would understand that it is very difficult to isolate what really is "you". We know that it is not just the physical body, and it is a fleeting thing to pin down. The transmission of our ideas, our thoughts, seems to me in this way, an even more direct way of sharing "ourselves", as you with this blog-site. I do understand and appreciate the need for physical interaction, and I really do think that won't suffer as much, since it is a need deeply ingrained in us as human beings to seek out physical companionship and relations. It is my belief, however, that OCT will not hinder that, in fact, it could only lead to more opportunities to do so.
ReplyDeleteBTW, the above comment was left by me, Marcia Alvarez (from psych personality). Been reading the blogs, but hadn't commented yet.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have to thank you for reading this blog and finally beginning to comment.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I will say that even though I now have a BA in psychology, I'm trying to push this blog from any bias that I may have developed by virtue of being a psychology major in college and from any experiences that I've had.
In that sense, if one were to label this as some school of thought, I would consider this blog (as a whole) to be more of a philosophical outlook on technology with psychological aspects hinted at as supports and criticisms.
Again, thank you for reading my blog entries and commenting. I appreciate any and all. Please continue to do so.
An additional comment...
ReplyDeleteIn regards to technology, I tend to understand it as a means by which we can do more things, albeit in a less physical f2f (face to face) manner.
But some people tend to shy away (if fear is too much of a word) and this shying/fearing of this opportunity may be where (in some cases) hostility at those who utilize it come from.
People say "Get a life." or "Do something with your life." at those who intensely use OCTs, but the "reality" of it is that the "life" has already been gotten, and that individual chose the online medium as a primary way of communicating, socializing, and working whereas the "real world" is more of a secondary medium by which similar (not all) things of such nature can be done.
Keep in mind that technology is both a blessing and curse in that sense.
What I really am trying to say will probably make more sense as I continue to post more entries. I have a general idea as to the other entries that I will be posting, but there is just far too many things to discuss for me to continuously post non stop.
That'd be asking for far too much considering how long each of my entries tend to be.
So please keep up with reading my entries and commenting as I will continue to post more entries and reply back to most (if not all) comments that I receive.
You do not have to agree with me. Disagreeing is always the fun part of discussions as it tends to lead to heated debates, which ultimately tends to yield brilliant ideas.