"We should not forget that interactive media are based on a computer, which is not a human being. We can write emails to friends, buy online without entering a store, chat with unknown people, maybe fall in love with unknown people all without moving from our chair. We can even forget about the outer world, the real one. All this, though, is very different from a real chat with a friend, a day of shopping, and a first date. This is, as far as I am concerned, the biggest risk about the spread of interactive media: losing contact with the world around us. We must not forget that a computer will never be able to replace personal relationships. After all, we all need to interact with real people and places. The emotion that derives from facing such masterpieces as La Gioconda could never be replaced by the most detailed virtual tour of the Louvre. In the same way, a real hug or smile will always transmit emotions that are impossible to feel through an apathetic computer screen. (Sophia)"
Whether we like the Internet or not its here to stay. In the article coming of age with the media the authors explores how the Internet is woven into our daily lives using documentation from 72 college students to support the findings. From the information presented in this article I have come to understand that the Internet is a form of communication where knowledge is readily available and social interactions are easily made. Our society is dependent on the Internet and is only becoming more and more dependent as time moves on. There is no way around the Internet craze it has become interwoven into the everyday lives of the people of our society.
The study describes four key aspects of our lives in which the internet and other related media have come to change the way we live and perceive our world. The four domains the article focuses on are; self, family, real communities (I would like to change the domain name to outside communities because as the article describes to many people their is no difference between their real world and their virtual world because they are so tightly entwined), and virtual communities.
SELF: the Internet has changed the way we see ourselves and the ways in which we services and "pamper" ourselves in the current day. The article talks briefly about how the Internet has become a place to shop and lavish oneself, often without noticing the ramifications of the spending. There is no need to interact with people anymore, and this can be seen as both a positive and a negative thing, depending on the individual. For people who often have trouble with social anxiety the Internet is a great way to get needed materials without the awkward feelings and panic attacks, but others see it as a way to socially isolate oneself from the rest of the society.
Social awkwardness was also mentioned in the article when discussing how people express themselves and who they are through the Internet media. Often people who are shy or socially awkward face to face have a lot easier time communicating online. By typing the person has time to formulate a thought and get it down on "paper" the way they want before sending it, that person can also review what the person has said previously and refer back to it when needed. People often become outgoing when speaking online and can feel comfortable expressing who they are. With so many users online people are now finding it easier to connect with people they find similar to themselves. Although the Internet has enabled these people to feel more comfortable with them, there are negative aspects to online communication. People often find it easier to lie about their height, age, and sex online along with other things and it is harder to distinguish between truth and a lie from behind a computer monitor.
FAMILY: the Internet can have both positive and negative effects on the family structure. I will start with the positive, which is the access to a convenient and cheap form of communication called email or instant messenger (and in our case Skype). This easy form of communication can keep a whole family updated on the status of each member of the family, from any distance. This was mentioned as very important in the interviews with college students done in the article. The negative effect on the family is the "freeness" of the Internet. The Internet allows you to virtually have everything at your fingertips, and often times everything is too much. The article referenced children’s easy access to free porn as a negative affect on the family. The article did not mention, however, the effect that Internet and other interactive media have on face-to-face interactions among family members. This is more of a concern now with new cell phone technologies making it possible to be in communication with people at all times. I would have liked to see more information about the effects of other interactive media on the family, particularly the way that teenagers communicate with other people in their household.
OUTSIDE COMMUNITY: the Internet affects the way we see the world around us. The way we interact with the world and other people on it has dramatically changed since the Internet was mainstreamed in 1993. The expression "what a small world" seems to have a whole different meaning since the invention of the Internet. People from all around the world have easy access to information about anywhere in the world; news, weather, fashion, and travel information is easily accessed with a tap of a finger. Schools are changing the way they perceive technology and the way they utilize it in the schools. Children are no longer expected to memorize needless facts but instead are expected to use the Internet. Research strategies have now also changed and the Internet is now a valid resource tool. Libraries have also begun to use the Internet instead of card catalogs for easier convenience.
VIRTUAL COMMUNITY: the virtual community has come about since the invention of the Internet. This includes chat rooms, Instant Messaging, and social networking sites (like facebook, MySpace, and twitter). These enable people to create their own worlds and identities online. Today most peoples virtual lives are so entwined with their outside life that they cant decipher between them (definitely now with text messaging and surfing the internet available right on our phones).
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