I thought our class discussion about digital culture and the way it has changed our interaction with each other was very interesting. It raises some issues that could only be dealt with in our generation.
Is an online relationship a "real" relationship? Conventional wisdom says "No, of course not"- but after a girl in our class talked about meeting her husband online and coming to love him through there, I wondered. I used to get incredibly irritated at friends on Myspace who would change their relationship status all the time. Occasionally it felt like they had made it public for a reason, as a way of grabbing attention from the rest of the internet- "Look! I'm single and depressed about it!" or "Hey! I'm in a relationship and I need some congratulatory affirmation!" This still happens on Facebook, and I still find it irritating. It's just a fact of life at this point, I suppose.
A month or so ago a girl I knew at a different college was killed in a car accident. I found out about it via Facebook and it was one of the most surreal experiences I've had. If I hadn't had a profile I don't think I would have found out. I didn't get a phone call or any other form of communication- I just noticed people updating their statuses with condolences and messages of well-wishing. It was chilling. We live in a wired world, where not only do we receive updates on the most mundane aspects of life (thank you, twitter) but we can even hear about something as tragic as a death. All within the space of a few minutes.
I'm still divided on whether instantaneous information is a positive or negative. Of course being able to hear about something like a fire or flood or other national disaster is good to have information about sooner rather than later, so that people can be in a position to help or keep people safe. But what has it done to our attention spans? What little patience we have is stretched to the breaking point if a load screen takes longer than 15 seconds. It could be the way we're raised- it could be me personally. I'm more apt, though, to blame the internet (if I'm playing the blame game at all. and why shouldn't I? it's my blog). There was an article in the New York Times recently that ties in rather nicely to all this.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/fashion/12THISLIFE.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=smartphones%20at%20dinner&st=cse
I have no qualms about living in the age that I do now. I love where I am, the people I am near. I love that I can email my friend who lives in Hawaii at my own convenience, and that he can respond in a leisurely fashion. I love that I can shop online, find out directions to things, watch my favorite shows via Netflix Instant Streaming. I am always hesitant, however, to say how amazing the internet is and what a positive affect it has had on our lives.
I love how Barker talks about participation in the web community. Things like viral videos help build suspense for films that don't have a budget, and I love the bit about how the Arctic Monkeys got their momentum built solely through building their fanbase on the internet until they were recognizable. The potential for community is amazing and astounding and I am always impressed when I hear about the positive impact the internet can have. Hey, being able to write blogs instead of physically handing in papers is a huge step forward, in my mind. Wouldn't be possible all that long ago.
It was, however, made us perhaps more self-centered. How many friends on my Facebook? How many views on my Deviantart? How many clicks on my Youtube video? I believe the group who presented this stuff in class was on to something when they said one reason people join online community sites like Myspace or Facebook is for selfish reasons, or at least to get attention for themselves in some way. Not that everyone within a social network is inherently self-centered or looking for attention. People just want to know that they have a platform, that they have a place to be listened to. Social networking provides a medium for people to measure just such a thing.
Read: Game Over: Press Start to Continue. It's a book about the birth of Nintendo. It's unofficial, but still very informative and a great read for anyone who wants to know about how video games became such an enormous industry in America.
Listen: Anything by the Arctic Monkeys.
Watch: The Social Network. Apparently it's a pretty harsh look at how social networking developed and it's impact.
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