33 minutes! But I could be watching Family Guy during that time...I guess I'll do it. After finally sitting down and watching the video by Wesch I found myself pleasantly surprised and thoroughly intrigued. The Huxleyian/Orwellian truly drew my attention in, as I am a fan of both authors and their associated works.
Firstly, the social networking examples presented in the video are relevant because like it or not they are here to stay. Youtube? A audio/video outlet for anyone to post any thought or feeling that comes to mind. People can actually make people watch each other at their own option. People create a community, and can even contact and comment on each others uploaded videos.
With the establishment of media ecology comes a whole new environment for the self to exist on. In my opinion, the self is whatever the person at the computer wants it to be. No matter who you are or whatever your status is, as long as you have an Internet connection and keyboard everyone has equal rights to being heard and interacting on the Internet. People can communicate with people in a variety of ways. Myspace, blogging, videos posted on Youtube, and comments are just a few ways to converse with the fellow webmankind. People also seek to maintain their own self- authenticity, and their Internet authenticity becomes essential to their existence. People have new ways of looking at themselves and others in their day to day lives.
Honestly, the role of self is a role people can make as big or as minor as they want it to be. People can feel important on the internet, and can actually feel they are contributing to a community.
The context collapse concept plays an enormous role in self awareness and self consciousness, and people's "self" takes on a whole new role.
Social networking clearly has the potential to succeed in education. If everyone else in the world is using social networking in their day to day lives outside of school, wouldn't seem absurd NOT to include it inside the classroom? I think one of the most important aspect social network has for education is the exchange of ideas. Students, as well as teachers can exchange information and share ideas with each freely and easily. People no longer have to rely on a few close people, but they can gain insight on ideas from people globally. Anything that helps people learn and exchange information at such an efficient rate has a powerful impact on the future.
After watching the video, my views on social networking had change slightly. I always understood the importance of social networking, but I had never thought about how important it was to people's self image and that exchange of certain images amongst each other. I now see how people can use different forms of social networking to act as a form of interaction and feeling connected. I really only used to think of it as just a way for people to stay in touch, but it really means so much more. It is in fact a lifestyle.
Question: Can anyone think of the detrimental consequences of the sudden advancements in technology? Does anyone think web-based interaction can have negative impacts on social interaction? Will people lose their standard social forms of behavior and manners face to face?
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As far as any negative impacts on social interaction, I think theres really no such thing as negative or positive, there are just impacts. Web-based interaction is a form of social interaction and it doens't change who we are as humans. It might change the way we view ourselves or our society, but we have always had the potential for this type of interaction and we have the potential for many other, yet to be discovered (or studied), types of interactions. The human condition is what it is and we are simply in a position to just try to keep up with learning about what that really means.
ReplyDeleteThe only detriment i can think that social networking might bring to social interaction is what Wesch referred to as public hate. Posting a comment is an anonymous act, you can claim to be whoever you want and do not have to face the consequences of that action. This could decrease social decorum because accountability decreases. Before technology, if you said something slanderous, there were witnesses and you had to choose what you said. That is not the case with posting comments or blogs.
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