The more I watch this documentary, and navigate the website, the more astounded I am at the multiple ways people have accessed, and taken control of, our new digital world. One of my favorite segments in the portion of the film dealing with relationships and identity comes in the form of an 83-year-old Jewish woman, who along with her grandson Avrom became famous through a television show she has online, Feed Me Bubbe.
One thing Bubbe notes is the void that she feels her show may be filling in some people's lives. Do you think that people are reaching out because they're lonely and isolated, or do you think that it's not that computers are isolating us... but are bringing isolated people together?
Along those lines, consider the following:
I love how Rushkoff and Dretzin avoid placing gamers in a box. In the film, Rushkoff even says he "knows better than to assume all gamers are geeks" (paraphrase), and notes how gaming doesn't isolate people, but may, in fact, uncovering a new way for people to be intimate.
I encourage you to navigate the myriad of clips (that didn't make it into the final documentary!) and find something that interests you - feel free to shed some light on something I've missed! What strikes you the most about online identities? Especially check out the socializing page. Where do you fit in among all of these ideas and claims?
What do you think?
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When I was younger it was drilled into my head that you do not talk to anyone online that you do not know, and especially DO NOT meet them! I find it just absolutely absurd that people do this, and not just a few but a lot of people. I know not everyone is like me but when I was little you met people in school, sports, church, etc... I understand that playing WOW is a hobby that people enjoy and that is how they meet people but I do not feel that it is a proper way of meeting people? I know the world is changing and things like this are becoming more acceptable but I still find it hard to believe. I am not against people doing this, but you know I will never meet up with someone that I have “met” online. Now in response to the “feed me Bubbe” I think this is an absolutely great way of using the internet. It keeps her spirits up and keeps her working for something, something she enjoys doing. I feel the internet and devices need to be used responsibly. By responsible I mean Bubbe is using it in a way that helps her in a positive way. I was watching CBS Sunday morning news video “Texting: Can we pull the plug on our obsession?” which has to do with what we have been talking about in class and some of the things they brought up are just astounding. I put the link to the video below it is a little long but it is interesting.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57523072/texting-can-we-pull-the-plug-on-our-obsession/?tag=showDoorFlexGridRight;SunMoImageStack
There is one clip in here that really upsets me. They talk about a toddler playing with an iPad and she loves playing with it, but when given a magazine she doesn't want it. A toddler is already addicted to an iPad and I think it is sad. I know just the other day in class someone brought up that their niece plays with an iPad and it reminded me of this clip and it just breaks my heart. I feel it is irresponsible to let toddlers play with devices and use the internet instead of reading a book or coloring. Just because we have become “addicted” to our devices does not mean that we should let our children start young.
My parents had me in typing courses and computer classes as soon as I was able to read, basically. They wanted to make sure I knew how to use the technology that was growing so quickly. However, growing up I was also told to not talk to strangers on the internet. I wasn't allowed to have a facebook, a myspace, or any other social networking sites. I was lucky to have AIM to talk to my friends from school, even. My parents kept my laptop on lockdown in high school and would make sure I didn't have these things. Granted, I knew how to delete my history and had them anyway. I used the websites responsibly, though. I only added friends I knew and kept everything as private as I could to people outside of my friends lists. I started going to different online forums and talking to people that I didn't know, but I still kept my identity pretty secret. I made a few close friends that I would instant message and things of that nature.
DeleteMy first point in telling this is that you can make friends safely on the internet. Some of my closest friends that I have today I met online and I'm actually sitting next to one of those people right now. I always make sure to skype with people before I meet them, and I've not had any problems with online predators thus far.
My second point is that my parents wanted me to know how to use technology. I'm extremely grateful for that. I wish they would have taught me how to be safe online instead of just telling me I couldn't do these things, because while I had the common sense to keep everything private I could have ended up in a very sticky situation. I think it's wonderful that young children and toddlers are learning how to use tablets at such a young age because it's going to help them in the future. They are going to be much better at functioning in school and the business world if they have the upper hand of knowing these things from that age. It is sad that the child turned away the magazine, but if you give them technology and books simultaneously then it can all work out for the best. Don't keep that technology from children, though. That could be harmful in their progression into teen and adult years when they need that knowledge. So long as they are being taught to use all of these new devices safely and responsibly I don't see any problems.
To "My Life With Technology," what is the warrant in your argument that a toddler using an iPad instead of a magazine is sad? Remember what Prensky says in Digital_Nation? What if this is merely a different way of accessing the same kind of fun we had as children with coloring books... only now you're coloring on a device? Some people would argue that an iPad gives young children even greater possibilities in terms of activities, especially learning games, that a magazine would not.
DeleteThat's the devil's advocate position. There's also the side that claims that starting kids out on machines can affect them detrimentally.
I mean... anyone interested in a causal link between growing up with technology and the ride of ADHD in children? I'm just taking a stab at it, honestly, I don't know if there *is* a rise in ADHD. But one has to wonder.
My point being, there are two sides to this tale, each with different warrants (different unstated assumptions on how we should value this kind of technology, in this case).
As a kid I too grew up in computer courses and typing classes. Most of these were required by the school and were to help us get involved with technology so that we could use it as a tool. I don't think any of my kindergarden teachers would have ever thought that they were teaching kids into addiction, they only realized what we could do. The fact that kids are becoming addicted to computers and gaming, and south korean kids are now learning computer safety is what shocked/ impressed me most. It is becoming increasingly apparent that it is a problem, lets just find solutions like these so that we can learn to use technology responsibly.
DeleteWhile watching the film during class one of the main things that stuck out to me was all the talk about gaming. I get that there is a lot of people with problems with over gaming. For example, the 15 year old in this film who had to go to a camp for two weeks and still could only think about gaming. Although there are many of people like this you can't really blame them. I say this because since they grew up with gaming it's only natural for them to do it for fun instead of back in the day when people might have done things different. Also, in many countries they have video game tournaments and from these tournaments I've seen many people play competitively and even win up to $100,000. However for people that do play competitively they also have to practice daily which could even out to a full time job or even more. They also become sponsored in some cases and they have to play in order to make income.
ReplyDeleteI thought the following clip was very interesting:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/relationships/identity/famous-for-15-minutes.html?play
The speaker explains the difference in times from parents to children in modern times because there is such a dramatic difference in technological use. Children used to be able to learn "everything" from their parents, but now, parents don't know the latest technologies, and they're learning with their children. The speaker mentioned that this is basically an unknown zone to parents because they feel lost when it comes to assisting their children. Children have also created this sense of property when it comes to online features. This is dangerous because it creates a wall between children and the outside world. As "WFalls2012" mentioned, the child who went to an Internet camp has a natural gaming instinct because that's what he's grown up in.
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ReplyDeleteI think that people are reaching out because they’re lonely and that computers are just the *means through which these lonely people are being brought together. At the same time, however, I think that the reason why these people might feel isolated in the first place is because of their computers. What exactly do I mean? Let’s take a step back for a minute. Spending time on your computer often keeps you from socializing with those physically around you, right? I mean, if you saw someone who was constantly on their laptop, with their headphones plugged in, would you approach them? It’s almost like the universal sign for ‘do not disturb’. But, at the same time, couldn’t that person be connecting with other people online? It’s kind of like a tradeoff, connecting with those who aren’t in your current vicinity while giving up interaction with those who currently surround you. It can isolate you from society, while bringing you together with others, all at the same time. Take the documentary clip posted above about EverQuest gamers. The game may bring them together with other EverQuest users but their intense devotion to the game can also keep them completely isolated from those outside of their virtual world. Honestly, I think it’s a two way street. Does anyone agree?
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your acknowledgment of the "two-way street" here, and I think it's very important to recognize the give-and-take. But we have to ask ourselves, what is it about friends we make in physical vicinity that is "better than" virtual friends? How do we navigate this two-way street while being able to pay attention to how others are navigating it? For example, if you argue that gaming is negative because it isolates, and I argue that it's good because it brings people together... we have two completely different warrants, or unstated assumptions, about just how beneficial online relationships are!
Deletehttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/relationships/socializing/how-jonathan-met-kitten.html This is essentially the story of me and my current girlfriend. We met on an MMORPG and became close friends through every type of communication to keep in touch. We were best friends for five years before we met in person, and when we met I instantly knew that my feelings for her were real. A few months after our first meet I asked her out, and we both are extremely happy that we are together. Even though it's a long distance relationship for now, Skype, along with other devices, is making it a lot easier for us to feel closer than we really are. We plan on getting married and move in together after I graduate from college. I can not wait! I am one of those people that met their soulmate online, and I could not be happier!
ReplyDeleteHuzzah! Always good to hear real life examples expressed here - you have a personal perspective that resonates here, and could be a useful voice in dispelling some of the issues many of us may have with online relationships. Perhaps a blog entry exploring how you navigate these waters is in order? I think it'd be highly educational for everyone here! I know I'd be interested to hear more of this story!
Delete“Do you think that people are reaching out because they're lonely and isolated, or do you think that it's not that computers are isolating us... but are bringing isolated people together?”
ReplyDeleteI think that is might be some of both. I believe that with the rise in the usage of computers, and technology in general, that there has been a decreasing necessity for people to form “clicks” outside of the computer because they can do so online. So in a sense, the computer is facilitating the isolation of people because they don’t feel as strongly about forming meaningful relationships off of the computer. But it (the computer), by isolating people from face-to-face contact, is bringing people together who lack stronger “offline” relationships.
Another section that I found interesting from the Socialization portion of the PBS Digital_Nation website (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/relationships/socializing/):
The increased usage of social networking sites has dramatically increased, especially with younger users. Facebook, at least at the time of the formation of the documentary, had over 250 million active users. The uses of websites such as this bring people together and are “sections of the internet that are your own” (The Rise of Social Networking.) According to Henry Jenkins ( Your Kids and Social Media) this freedom is causing younger generations, who are more likely to be active users on social networking sites, to stand up for their rights, especially freedom of speech, and offers connections with the larger national and international publics. This usage shows that the users are “the readers and authors of their culture.” It never would have occurred to me to view the users of social networking sites as the authors of our culture, and I like the phrasing of this quote because I think that there is truth in it.
I agree that Bubbe could be filling a void that people have in their lives, lost loved ones and difficult life situations being the least. But I feel that if the world was the same as it was before the internet, that these people would find the solutions to their own problems. I believe that with technology and the health problems it comes with, as well as the fact that there seems to be an illness associated with every personality type, that these problems began with a dependence on technology for sympathy and compassion. It seems to be that as people begin to broaden their social groups and become more confident, they lose the ability to deal with real life. I feel that without the digital crutch many people would be severely depressed hermits. It is disappointing to see the resiliance and culture that was cultivated and groomed, is withering, becoming an unkempt, weed choked empty flower pot.
ReplyDeleteWhat aspects of culture are withering? When you call them "cultivated and groomed," whose culture are you referring to? I find this argument interesting, especially because it resonates so much with so many people... what is your experience with this withering culture? If we're young enough to not have had much experience with life outside of technology and the uses of the digital world... what can we claim we are losing? I'd love to hear this fleshed out! Would there be a way to turn this into a causal argument?
DeleteTechnology is clearly a part of every day life in developed countries like ours. Therefore it is right to assume that just like caffeine, just like drugs and alcohol that teens have easy access to whether we will admit it or not, communication technology will have addicting qualities as well. This being said, I do not think that it is okay for teenagers to be glued to the internet or online gaming. One may argue that they were raised with technology like this, or that it helps kids learn. But it does not have to be something that cuts us off from human interaction. The boy in the Digital Nation video who barely has time to scarf down a dinner with his mother before rushing back to the computer is facing a serious addiction problem. Now, I am not pushing an ultra-conservative approach with the belief that we can exist in this day and age without technology. Technology is everywhere, it's on my lap. And when I say technology, not just in the form of Apple or Macintosh products; technology helps us cross the street, it helps us reach the top floors of our dorms, technology helps us advance. In the EverQuest Fan Faire clip, the interviews prove how technology brings people together who share a common interest. It also helps Bubbe share her recipes and grandmotherly wisdom with the population online. Just as everything with addicting qualities, communication technology should be used as if it is an extension of our own human abilities, and in moderation so we don't lose ourselves to the digital world.
ReplyDeleteI found this comment on the Digital Nation website, and it is pretty much how I feel about spending too much time gaming: "The time wasted on a pc is time away from solving real world problems and building and achieving something real and tangible that actually makes a physical difference in other peoples lives." Now, I think it's fine to spend a couple of hours playing games (as long as it's not preventing you from doing work or schoolwork). Humans need relaxation time, and playing computer games is one way to provide that. However, when people start to spend all day playing games, it changes from being time relaxing to time wasted. Playing games for too much time is not productive; you are not learning anything helpful for the real world or working on something important. Instead, you are wasting your valuable time on virtual goals that have no impact in real life.
ReplyDeleteNot only does it waste time, but staying up until sunrise playing video game impacts the rest of your life as well. Staying up so late deprives you of sleep and results in you not working as well as you could otherwise. This leads to anything from simply not reaching your fullest potential to being fired for bad work. Playing games too much can also negatively impact your social life. The excess time you waste could be used to get to know and to develop relationships with real people. The vast majority of people playing games online never meet the people they might talk to every day. In a way, all this time spent talking is wasted, because it is almost impossible to develop a meaningful relationship that helps you mature through anonymous conversations over strategy.
I was especially struck by the video about dr. who and kitten communicating in what seemed to be the most basic chatroom ever for 6 years and then meeting in person. It seemed so bizarre that she was his age and they could actually interact in person. I always figured that there was a 50% chance that everyone you met online was some predator or lying about who they are so it seems strange that they could be the same age and be so darn cute together. I want updates on their lives..... maybe they'll make a movie about it or something.
ReplyDeleteIt is so strange how technology does creep into your life though. I constantly find myself wanting to use it in some way. Listening to music, checking facebook, quasi-legally gaining data, recording and editing my own music and videos... It's all very strange how my life seems to revolve around my computer. I remember a time when getting to use my dad's computer was a privilege and so was breaking out the Olde Nintendo Entertainment System. I spent my time outside, or playing with legos.... or inventing worlds in oversized cardboard boxes..... What is this obsession with preformed text boxes and virtual worlds that others created?
Get out there and LIVE, DAMN YOU, LIVE!
I think that people rely on technology too much and are too wrapped up in technology. I believe that it is good for the most part. I agree with The Man With Words in that technology does creep into our lives too much and I also remember i time when internet access and a computer was a privilege.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing I really dont understand about technology today is that peoples' lives are all lived solely through the virtual world. All of their progress through the day has to be posted or it "isnt important"...people have to constantly tell others what they do every second of the day. In addition, all of this info is posted publicly for all to see. What every happened to privacy?!
I find it strange for people to become enveloped and addicted to an online world. I feel like having such strong ties to people you don't know or "aquaintaces" online, might affect how you make friends in real life. I don't think that it is a good thing and I think that it is unnatural. Though some of them do make lifelong friends, I think they like the thought of being anonymous and meeting anonymous people.
ReplyDeleteI believe that we could never be too wired, being updated is a good thing. This way people are able to keep in touch with what is going on around them as well as resume thier own lives. Its true that too much dependency on technology can be inhibiting at times when it may suddenly not be available but it is even more inhibiting to not be able to navigate it in today's society. The positives in being tech savy and wired outwiegh the negatives because the civilized world is moving more and more forward at an exponential rate.
ReplyDeleteSeeing Bubbe and how she wanted to be involved with technology was different. Most elderly people I know don't even want to try to learn about the technology. I found it interesting that she said if older people don't change with technology, or at least learn about it, it will completely pass them by and they will be ignorant about newer things. I feel like most elderly people probably don't have the mental ability to become good at using technology.
ReplyDeleteI feel the only way we can keep progressing and becoming more powerful at this pass is by using technology as much as we need it. There is no such thing as. Hearing people are using technology way too much just doesn't make sense to me. The only way that would be true if we were trying to go back and live like people from the seventeen hundreds. I feel that technology has only made life easier and more enlightening, the more we use technology the faster humans move forward and become stronger.
ReplyDeleteI feel like people reach out to Bubbe through email because it is so much easier. It doesn't take away from how personal the email is. What matters is the content of the message not the way that it is sent to her.
ReplyDeleteI found Digital Nation extremely interesting because of how technology has effected us today and still the mystery as to how it will in the future. It intrigues me to know we humans created technology but yet we don’t have control of it. We may have some idea as to what it may do to us, but with different cultures, mindsets and outlook on ourselves and life it is difficult to determine a precise outcome to this technological mess. For many of us it gives us voice, freedom of speech, self-esteem and interaction for those we care for but at the time my question is, the same as in the video, what is the level of deepness we share with those we keep in contact with? Or is it a different level of interaction that we have not yet developed the understanding to comprehend this new world stream.
ReplyDeleteIn the clip of Sarah’s secret she has this persona she portrays in public and a totally different persona online. I relate to her, in the sense that I share a lot of things that I wouldn’t share in public. Which led to my other comment. Its not so much the effect of technology because as we saw in Digital Nations, kids born around technology have an easy time dealing with it, but perhaps what is keeping many people inside blogging, gaming, and posting things is that gives them a sense of a voice. In their schools, work and even at home people don’t feel that others understand them. So maybe we should change our views in giving people the opportunity of having a voice in PUBLIC rather than scrutinizing them and making them more insecure. In that way we won’t have the question of technology’s effect, because we do know what is the effect. Simply we need to change society first.
I have never actually met a random stranger online and become friends with them, but I have added people on Facebook that I went to school with. I have become really good friends with these people through Facebook but it also included face-to-face interactions and hanging out with them. That being said, those relationships may not have been possible without Facebook as an ice breaker. I personally don't like the idea of meeting some total stranger online and letting them into my life because you never know who to trust now a days. I could be wrong, but it just seems to me that you can't make that good of a connection with someone without that face-to-face time. I think people are becoming too shy and depending on technology to make friendships instead of stepping out and making the relationships happen and it is starting to hurt us as a society.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/relationships/socializing/the-rise-of-social-networking.html?play
ReplyDeleteI think that this clip is interesting(but outdated. Myspace? What?). The girl at the end saying that she had over 2000 friends is an interesting part of social networking, because it's almost entirely certain that you don't really know even close to that many people. Part of social networking is putting yourself out there to people you barely even know, and your online identity can make the basis of who they think you are.
It is evident that technology has enabled people to from relationships with people in a virtual setting that would not be possible in the real world. Examples such as the positive influence Bubbe has had on many peoples' lives illustrates the positive ways that people are able to use current technology to add value to their lives. On the other hand, the clip "Sarah's Secret" is an eye-opening video as she explains how the internet and online communication helps fuel her eating disorder. Her online identity, which she claims is the real her, is much different than the happy-go-lucky persona she has while at school. This demonstrates how technology can have a negative effect on us and challenges our identity. While the online identity may allow Sarah to "be herself" I think that in her case it has more of a negative impact as it is causes her to continue a dangerous and unhealthy lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteThe capabilities that internet provides allows people to explore their identity, for the better or for the worse. While it seems that the good outweighs the bad in this argument as there are countless examples of how its added value to people's lives, it is important to recognize how this change in society may be dangerous and the risks cannot be ignored.