Burkitt: Conclusion

I found this book to be a very challenging read, but very gratifying as well. This chapter in particular really drives home the point that the essence of ourselves is not solely something internal, but it is made up of the social constructions we live and communicate in. I feel we learn more about ourselves through our communication and interactions with others much like Mead and Bakhtin illustrate: "in these interrelationships that we come to identify our self through the image of some of the selves around us" (p.188).
I enjoyed how this book took into consideration many of the different philosophies and ideologies regarding the self. It presents a clear picture of many different perspectives on the self, and how we learn to find "the self". I also like the idea that it is possible to be both a social being as well as an individual. The balance between these two conflicting identities can be hard to manage at times, but as we mature we learn to find a balance, and ultimately find ourselves.

Discourses of Attention response

This was by far my favorite article from this course. I think this was only article I read that kept my attention throughout its entirety, wink wink. All jokes aside, I found it very interesting reading about the  effects of television on our attention span, and how over the years, ideas regarding the public's attention span have changed. I loved the quote from Kate Moody regarding television's effect on the mind: "Television habituates the mind to short takes, not to the continuity of thought required by reading"(588). I couldn't have summarized how I believe television effects us more eloquently. This is something my parents have been telling me for years, and I have agreed on, yet can't fully bring myself to turn the TV off, and pick up a book more often. I think it assumed by most that our generation doesn't read as often as previous ones, but it also seems true that even feature length movies our too involved for our attention spans. TV is becoming much more popular than movies, and even the movies that are popular are ginormous-budget action flicks with as little dialogue as possible. As much as this article saddened me, it motivated me to put down the remote and pick up a book.

The World-Wide Web response

I found this article very interesting because it gives us a time capsule back to the mid 1990's, when the internet was just beginning to gain popularity. Reading about the world-wide web when it was just becoming a useful tool to share information from different locations makes me realize how far we have come since the birth of the internet, as well as how much I take the world wide web for granted. My favorite part of the article was in the conclusion when the author discusses the potential improvements in the future for the web, "The web does not yet meet it's design goal as being a pool of knowledge that is as easy to update as to read"(797). In todays world, updating information on the web has become so easy, that most users of the internet update information using social media or blogs. It's fascinating to see how far we have come in the area of the world-wide web since this article was written.

A Virtual Death and a Real Dilemma response

The article A Virtual Death and a Real Dilemma, highlights the emotional investments people commit to regarding online communities and blogs. When a kansas woman creates a fictional daughter with leukemia, she receives immediate support and love via online interaction. The fluidity of online personas can allow anyone to pose or create as someone else: "One of the most touted beliefs about Internet communication is that the medium strips away users' offline identities and leaves them free to reconstruct a tetherless online persona" (203). Debbie Swenson used the internet to wipe away reality and create a fictional daughter who garnered sympathy, love, and support through her blog. However, when the hoax was revealed, many followers of Kaycee Swenson were devastated and hurt by the betrayal. I find it very interesting how so many people can form such a strong bond to an online persona. Never the less, it makes sense to me how these people would feel hurt when they realized that all of their care and support was for naught. This is yet another reminder to be skeptical of what you read and see on the internet.

The End Of Books

While reading the article, The End of Books by Robert Coover, I found myself questioning some of Coovers ideas and conclusions. There is certainly no doubt in my mind how influential and groundbreaking hypertext was and currently is, however I do not think that books and hypertext are mutually exclusive. I was, and currently am a little confused as to what hypertext truly means in the context Coover talks about in his article. I understand that hypertext is media viewed on a device with hyperlinks embedded into it, yet I am not so sure what differentiates the internet from hypertext. Also in regards to hypertext fiction, I am either completely unaware of its impact, or Coover overrated its literary prowess. While it seems to me that hypertext fiction never really caught on with the general public, books are still widely available and being printed daily. It seems to me that E-books with devices such as iPads and Kindles are keeping books more relevant than Coover thought they would be.  I would appreciate any feedback offering a little more insight into this article because I definitely feel as if I am missing something.

Blogging: self presentation and privacy response

This article focused on a few main points regarding blogging; why people blog and privacy associated with blogging. People write blogs on a variety of different topics ranging from gossip to business and health. However, a large majority of people blog about their own personal life and the events and perspectives they experience. The study in the article showed that a majority of bloggers treat their personal blogs similarly to a journal. Blogging can act as time of self reflection and personal expression. What I find interesting about blogging is that a number of people write about personal events yet are also worried about privacy at the same time. I was always under the impression that whatever you post on the internet is essentially public information, and therefore I wouldn't use blogging as a diary or journal. In the research conducted in the article it showed that bloggers on average cared more about protecting personal information than preventing crime, environmental issues, or national security. While many bloggers use password protection for their blogs, as well as pseudonyms, many people leave hints accidentally that can make their blogs indentifiable. In conclusion, I can certainly see the benefits of blogging, however in my personal case I would only blog about sports or music, rather than personal issues and experiences.

Media Exploration Project update

Hi Everybody. For my media exploration project I will be looking into what role social and new media plays in activism. I will focus on the recent events throughout the arab world in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia. I will also look at smaller activist movements and domestic movements that have been sparked or aided by social media. I want to research this topic because I am extremely interested in the potential that social media has to aid social change. I have heard a little about how facebook and twitter were used to organize protests and meetings in Egypt. However I have not examined how big a role these social media sites were in overthrowing a government and igniting a revolution. The ability to organize and connect thousands of people via the internet, who all have the same cause they are fighting for, is extraordinary and will change the way activism is approached. I look forward to researching this topic and learning more about this fascinating topic.

Navigating Technomedia response

I found this article very insightful and interesting. I first learned what technomedia is: "media technologies that are defined by interoperability between devices, usually using the internet as the connective medium" (p. 3). I then learned how the effects of technomedia have shaped our society and how we use media and technology. I never thought about how media used to be separate of technology. Each type of media had its own device to access that specific media. However, with the rise of the internet, media like television, became accessible on a varity of technological devices such as computers and phones. In todays society, technomedia allows us to access any type of media on almost any type of technological device. The implications technomedia has are very broad, because unlike other era's of communication which were either labeled "information" or "communication" systems, technomedia eliminates the boundaries because of it's ability to act as both. I agree with the author when he says technomedia "challenges thought and pushes it toward the future" (p.18). The fluidity that media has through an array of different devices allows us to spread information and thoughts with efficiency and speed.

Personal Dynamic Media response

I found this article very fascinating and inspiring. To read the about the thought process of some of the most influential technological minds of our time, and to see how the innovations of the 1960's and 70's still effect our world today was very interesting. The whole idea of the Dynabook was groundbreaking, and to see how commonplace notebook computers are today is astonishing. Kay and Goldberg had it right when they predicted the dynabook to be a flexible and dynamic medium, which would create endless possibilities for its users. They also envisioned a computer to be used by everyone. In today's world, the oldest to the youngest of our citizens use computers for a multitude of applications. The range of uses a dynabook carries in modern society is amazing, as well as the ability for the dynabook to be so personalized by its users. Every hobby, job, passion, and social need can be met by using a personal computer, not to mention the filing and record keeping capabilites. The world we live in will be forever linked to dynabooks as well as dependent.

From Computer Power and Human Reason response

The excerpt from the book From Computer Power and Human Reason, gives a very interesting perspective into Joseph Weizenbaum's conversational computer program ELIZA, as well as some more ethical questions regarding the progression of technology and the ability they have to reproduce human capabilities. Weizenbaum was especially surprised when practicing psychiatrists actually suggested one day using an automated machine like ELIZA to treat patients. I, like Weizenbaum, would seriously question this idea of using technology to act as a healer, because I believe there is more to the healing process than a simple technique that can be used to uncover emotional and mental problems. The connection that a therapist and patient is one of many examples that is impossible to emulate with technology. It is scary to think that people can form such close emotional bonds to machines and begin to views them as beings with the capacity for empathy and other human emotions. As technology continues to evolve, it will become harder and harder to preserve some jobs and activities which are suited for humans because of the economic benefits that a computer could have. Pretty soon I can envision a world where computers are a significant part of the workforce.

Second Life response

The article Second Life, delves into the very interesting topic of gender in cyber worlds such as second life. The article explains that cyber worlds have been "celebrated as an opportunity for liberation from conventional gender roles, and criticized as white-male shaped spaces"(6-7). In my personal experience, most female avatars in cyber worlds are overly sexualized and firmly entrenched into gender roles; Lara Croft of Tomb Raider comes to mind. I found it vey interesting that the first Female Avatars were essentially male with a patch uploaded to add female characteristics. It wasn't until later that female characters were actually rendered into the virtual worlds.

In the experiment described, both women opted to go into Second Life with male avatars. Some of this decision was based out of curiosity, but also fear. Much like experiences in their real lives, some women feel like being a woman is an open invitation to be objectified sexually. As the researchers entered the world of Second Life, they soon noticed how the men were tall and muscular, and the women were slim and big breasted. Their hopes of gender liberation were somewhat dashed as they realized that the physical traits and norms of the real world had manifested in Second Life as well. However, they found the entire platform itself is rigged for the stereotypical ideals for gender, as users start with avatars that already have the romanticized traits associated with the ideal man and woman. While the idea of liberating oneself from gender has promise in a cyber world such as second life, the reality is that our gender roles and stereotypes our so entrenched in our society that they carry over to cyber worlds seamlessly.

The Technology and The Society response

I found the article The Technology and The Society very interesting and somewhat hard to comprehend. One of the main focuses of the article examines the ongoing debate between technological determinists, and symptomatic technologists. Technological determinism, research and development are "assumed self generating" (29). In other words, new technology is invented independent of society. After the technology is invented, the technology creates new societies or social conditions that wouldn't have occurred without the invention. The symptomatic technology viewpoint suggests that there are other factors that contribute to social change beside the technology, while the technology is just a smaller symptom of the societal shift taking place. In a nutshell, technology "is either a self acting force which creates new ways of life, or it is a self acting force which provides materials for a new way of life" (29).

I also found it very interesting when the article discusses the use of major broadcasting throughout history. The use of broadcasting was very prominent in Nazi Germany in order to control the population and retain political power. However the article also shows that the rise of broadcasting in democratic nations came from economic motivation. It is fascinating to see the different uses for major broadcasting throughout history.

Community Media response

The article Community Media was a very in depth look at the importance of independent and community media. Although somewhat outdated, the core principles touched on in the article, ring more true than ever in todays society. The article explains "community media is not just do-it-yourself, it is also do-it-your-own-way" (186). In contemporary society there are numerous ways for everyday citizens to create their own media in many different formats. With the onset of social networking sites such as twitter and facebook, media can be spread amongst communities at alarming speed. Take into account the ability for people to create blogs and video on youtube, the possibilities are endless for creating media.
The article also discussed the importance community media has in influencing and protecting our civil liberties and promoting democracy. It is very comparable to the recent circumstances in Egypt and Libya, where community media, via Twitter and Facebook helped prompt revolutions and bring an end to dictatorships. While it is unclear how these two countries will progress after their respective revolutions, it none-the-less demonstrates the power that community media has on societies.

Just Like Me Only Better response

The article, Just Like Me Only Better, brought up some very interesting points and opened my eyes to a completely new world of Second Life. The article begins by giving us a brief background on the term Avatar, and discusses the purpose behind them. The article tells us thatAvatar originally comes from the Sanskrit term which means the human form that differnt God's took when they entered Earth. I found it very interesting to see how the term has changed from its original meaning to a cyber representation of self in today's world.

I also found it very interesting in the article when Erwin Goffman is quoted. I found it very precise and elegant when Goffman stated " in all social interactions the desire of each participant is to regulate the impression that is transmitted to others, through roles". If we as humans constantly want to regulate the image of how others perceive us, creating an Avatar is an ideal way to control how other people view us. I think this is the main reason why Second Life and the creation of an Avatar is becoming so popular. By creating an Avatar we possess all the control of how others view us. In face-to-face communication we can not completely change the way we look or the sound of our voice in order to manage others opinions of us. However, in an Avatar world we can create our own physical appearance exactly the way we want it.

According to the results of the study, the stereotypical standards of western beauty are the most predominant choice of people creating avatars. Fair skin, straight hair, and large eyes are often equated with beauty although people from all different nationalities create avatars. The article inferred that western beauty ideals are often prevalent because the users are trying to portray a positive impression to other users as Goffman stated earlier.

Uses and Gratifications Response

The article Explaining Why Young Adults Use Myspace and Facebook Through Uses and Gratifications Theory, presented an efficient and easy-to-read analysis of why young people use social networking sites to fulfill their social needs and wants. The introduction to the research, talks bout how many young adults have turned to the use of SNS because of the ability to instantly gratify their wants and needs. While more traditional forms of communication and media, such as face-to-face interaction and television are still used frequently, sites such as Myspace and Facebook allow users to communicate and experience entertainment at the same time. I found this very interesting, as it has definitely been accurate in my own personal use of social network sites. Before the days of SNS, I would often use some sort of combination of movies, radio, television, and face-to-face communication to fulfill my social needs as well as for entertainment and relaxation purposes. However, with the creation of SNS, I was able to relax, be entertained, and communicate all at the same place: Facebook or Myspace.

The results of the research conducted found that young adults use SNS for the efficiency, convenience, popularity, curiosity of others, and relationship formation and reinforcement. These all seem like logical reasons why SNS would be popular, especially amongst young adults. The ability to instantly meet our social needs and wants will continue to push SNS as the main form of communication for young generations.

Social Selves Ch. 2

The second chapter of Burkitt's Social Selves, touched on some really fascinating material and philosophies regarding consciousness and the pragmatist view of the self. I found it especially interesting regarding William James opinions toward consciousness: "consciousness could no longer be seen as belonging to some inner transcendental self, but had to be understood as an evolutionary product"(pg. 33). After the publication of Darwin's views on evolution, James thought that human consciousness was a social way to transcend biological evolution. He says that consciousness gives people a choice to ignore their natural instincts, and create a society where physical and instinctual strength is somewhat obsolete. He uses the example that consciousness gives humans a moral system to take care of our elders and the sick, whereas natural selection would promote the "survival of the fittest" scenario.

The ideas in chapter 2 could relate to social media, because our social network profiles are extensions of our self-consciousness. Our profiles are socially constructed extensions of self that each promote our own personal moral codes and ethical boundaries.

Consequences of Online Social Networking response

The study Antecedents and Consequences of Online Social Networking Behavior, published by Adam Acar, was an interesting experiment used to identify different aspects of social networking and to compare online social networks to normal social networks. Because of the lack of academic writing on this subject, Acar has virtually no evidence to compare his findings too. In his experiment he hypothesized that people with lower self esteem have fewer social contacts, people with poor body image have fewer contacts, and other conjectures regarding anxiety as well as extroversion/introversion. I found his hypotheses were very logical and rational and if found to be true would offer very important information about social networking.

To find his results, Acar used a survery based experiment with about 400 students. 94% of those students had a facebook profile and another 29% had a myspace account. In his results he found that online social networks are significantly larger than ones offline. He also found that social network sites have no substantial effect on anxiety levels or body image. One aspect of the survey I found very interesting was differences based on gender. While women are often though to be much more selective of whom they let in their network, woman have much higher friend acceptance rates and are "poked" much more often than men. I also found it interesting that people with more strangers in their network are found to have lower self esteem. Initially it would seem that people with more strangers are more extroverted and have higher self esteem, however it also says to me that people who have lower self esteem are desperate for more contacts and thus have more strangers in their network.

The Medium is the Message response

I found Marshall McLuhan's article The Medium is the Message very thought provoking and somewhat radical. I have always regarded the medium of a message important, but never to the extent that McLuhan promotes. In practicing communication throughout my life, I have always taken into account the medium of the message I am sending, however I never thought that over a period of time the medium is in fact more or as important as the message. The first interesting idea I gleaned from McLuhan was the lightbulb example. He states that a lightbulb has no message or content at all, but the medium is so profound that it can change society. Although the lightbulb is not delivering a message with text or voice, the medium has the power to enable people to bring light where there is darkness and ultimately offer a huge social change.

The next thing that really jumped out at me during this reading was the analogy of a burglar with a piece of meat. McLuhan compares the message to a chunk of meat,  the burglar is the medium, and society is the dog. Instead of noticing the burglar in our house we only see the meat, and are blinded to everything else. McLuhan says that as a society we ignore the medium too often, which can be dangerous. McLuhan argues that over a period of time, the medium in which we receive our messages can shift society down a dangerous path. After reading this article is has become more apparent to me that the medium through which we receive our messages does say a lot about society that we rarely think about.

Social Selves Ch. 1

In reading the first chapter of Social Selves, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the breadth of ideas regarding self. The idea of Self, as well as asking the question who am I?, are enormously complex concepts which require the help of philosophers such as Nietzsche, Durkheim, and Kant, and many others, to even begin to fathom the possible answers. Burkitt dives in head first into the many different ideas to help us grasp some sort of interpretation of the relationship between self and society.

In the first chapter I received a crash course into the philosophy and psychology of understanding self. I learned about the connection of self to society, and how many philosophers such as Durkheim and Marx believe the self is a construction of a capitalistic society in which society is not something external to self. I was somewhat disappointed that the author chose only to focus on the western ideas of self, as I feel it would be very interesting to contrast some eastern philosophies of the illusionary self with our society today.

I thought the ideas in the first chapter of the Burkitt text were very interesting when related to the social media explosion we have experienced. It's interesting to ask why we feel the need to create Facebook and Twitter accounts , and how our interactions on these social media sites affect our interpretations of our selves.

Man-Computer Symbiosis response

In the article Man-Computer Symbiosis, it is interesting to see a 50-year-old perspective on something that is becoming more real and real each day in our society. To have read this article when it was originally published would’ve made me laugh, with computers the size of warehouses. However, as technology continues to progress at an unprecedented rate, I can definitely imagine a real symbiotic relationship between man and machine in the near future. As computers continue to become more powerful while shrinking in size, soon we will be able to computerize cells in our body and program them to fight disease and repair organs. It sounds scary, but futurist Ray Kurzweil doesn’t think it’s that far off.

It’s hard to imagine a world with machines and humans living together as the author does, and even if we imagine it, its hard not to be cynical. However, I do believe it will soon be a reality and its up to the computer engineers and scientists to responsibly harness the incredible power of these machines and use them for the good of the human population. Yet it’s hard not to be scared that our world ends up like the Matrix and we all become slaves to technology and the relationship turns from a symbiosis to one where we are merely slaves to machines.

Response to: Quality of Online Social Relationships

The article Quality of Online Social Relationships was very thought provoking and interesting. It also confirmed what I thought to be true in that face-to-face interaction is generally more effective in creating and maintaining a social relationship. The experiment amongst college students in the article show that while most often in work and social settings, face-to-face and phone communication is most useful, in terms of exchanging information, e-mail is more efficient. This made sense to me because often I use e-mail for short questions and exchanging information in order to arrange a face-to-face meeting. However, in sustaining or creating a relationship, I have never found e-mail to be much use at all.

When the article discusses the statistics on Internet social groups it was interesting to see the overall ineffectiveness of Listservs to create and maintain a social setting with high interaction and little turnover. The data in the article shows that Listservs are most effective with a small number of people ranging from 3 to 15. However when the group becomes larger, the turnover of the group rises and interaction and responses to e-mails within the group plummets. I have been in these types of social groups before and I never felt a sense of identity from the group or responded to the emails.

In conclusion I was not surprised to learn that relationships started and maintained over the Internet are not as effective as other means of communications. This article made me think what the results would look like if similar experiments were conducted with social media sites such as Facebook and twitter, in place of e-mail. I have a feeling results would be much different because of the ability to chat instantly and post pictures of yourself on these social media sites. What do you think?