This week in my electronic communications class we watched an episode of “True Life: I Live another Life on the Web”. It was about three girls who have completely different lives online than they do in the “real” world. One girl name Keiko is an avid “Second Life” participant, which is 3D virtual world of occupying residents. She’s an aspiring singer-songwriter and is very popular in her virtual world as a rock star but can not find the nerve release her music to the real world because of stage fright. Another girl Judy has a social anxiety disorder; can’t stand to be large crowds because she feels as if all eyes are on her. So to compensate for inability to socially communicate she has created her own personal website, which shall I say is a bit risqué. She takes naked photos in order to receive positive feedback from men that she does not receive in person. She’s so involved in her website that she has a guy paying her rent, which there is no word to describe how I feel about that. Lastly, there was a girl name Maleri. She also did questionable things on the internet that she would never do in person. She did sexual favors such as showing…and I quote “Goods” to different men as a way to heighten her self-esteem.
So what do all these women have in common? They all have such a dependence on the internet for their self-esteem. Their lack of confidence in themselves shows by the extent they go to get the missing elements: attention satisfaction, acceptance, and approval. This relates right back to the “Virtual Community” article as to why people only communicate online, and why they join online communities. People join online communities to find others with the same common interest, which relates to Keiko’s situation. People also join because they need that sense of belonging and acceptance as in Maleri and Judy’s case.
It’s seems to be that the virtual world is beginning to offer more for people than the real world. People are taking expressing themselves in manners that do not really portray who they really are. I believe this could be a negative in the future because no one can hide behind a computer for the rest of their live it’s going to take effort to move into the real world and leave behind the virtual life.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Blog Like Your Life Depended On It.
Blogging involves an individual who creating questions for discussion and or beginning commentary. Who would have ever thought blogging would have reached a level where people blog like there lives depended on it. I read an article called “Blogging Like The World Depended On It: Transforming social networking into social change”. http://www.newsweek.com/id/163022. I think the title of this article speaks for its self. A website, change.org a two year old online-community website, is completely dedicated to addressing all of the world’s latest problems. The managing editor of this website is envisioning this site as place where it can be a “one-stop shop” for the opportunity to discuss news on the any given topics, concerns, and tools for taking action. He stated that “We use blogging to create communities around issues and connect people to actions”. This website has had different involved members who have created communities that have touched lives through the development of non-profit organizations, and raising money for different causes. Tom Watson, the author of the book “Cause Wired: Plugging In, Getting Involved, Changing the World" states that “there is definitely a role for this (blogging) in the world of social entrepreneurship”.
This article takes me back to the article that I had to read for class called “Virtual Community: Why People Hang Out Online”. People hang out online for reasons such as information exchange, and social support, which is exactly what the article the above talks about. There is constant exchanging of news and information that is accessible to everyone which is necessary in the sustainability of virtual community. The social support is another important theme of that article. The non-profit organizations that were formed on change.org are catering to those who have issues and need support. The world wide support is attracting to people to the blogging community; expanding the virtual interactive population.
I believe that this article is an awesome example of virtual communities because of it being that place where social change is happening. Change.org is that website that exudes all the components of a virtual community. People blog for the enjoyment because the blogger who is involved in this community knows that a life may be touched, and someone’s life could depend on it. This also shows the future of social networking, it’s no longer for just entertainment purposes, but also for expanding on, and meeting the needs of others.
This article takes me back to the article that I had to read for class called “Virtual Community: Why People Hang Out Online”. People hang out online for reasons such as information exchange, and social support, which is exactly what the article the above talks about. There is constant exchanging of news and information that is accessible to everyone which is necessary in the sustainability of virtual community. The social support is another important theme of that article. The non-profit organizations that were formed on change.org are catering to those who have issues and need support. The world wide support is attracting to people to the blogging community; expanding the virtual interactive population.
I believe that this article is an awesome example of virtual communities because of it being that place where social change is happening. Change.org is that website that exudes all the components of a virtual community. People blog for the enjoyment because the blogger who is involved in this community knows that a life may be touched, and someone’s life could depend on it. This also shows the future of social networking, it’s no longer for just entertainment purposes, but also for expanding on, and meeting the needs of others.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Face to Facebook
I recently ran upon an article on cnn.com, “Face to Facebook: Social Networks Hit the Streets”, http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/09/25/social.networking/index.html#cnnSTCText. This article states that facebook and myspace are of course the reasons people procrastinate, network, and make business connections. According to a social networking expert, Catherine Fake, social networking is only in its prime, the future of these networks is way more exciting. She is the co-founder of Flickr in 2004, and has been an active blogger, and online groupie. Fake states, and I quote, “Online sociality is really the nature of the internet”. She has read that 25 % of internet traffic is online is social networking. The evolution of these social networking is starting to become selective on the people you choose to have contact with. There has been a change from just random befriending to choosing a more selective social group.
Social networking is also becoming more of collaboration more than anything. The article states that it’s more a real-world sociability. An example would be if someone places a picture of maybe a resort they have visited, someone else may see it and that could spark connection to information be given about how this is the place to see. What better way to receive information about something than to get from someone who has experienced it. This is how Fake described the success of Flickr, the consistency of interaction.
This article is so relevant because for the past week for my electronic communications class has been reading and commenting on different article about the creation of online communities, and everything a community needs to succeed. This article talks about how people in social network share comments and form groups based on common interests. This is similar to how communities are formed. Being in a community involves constant interaction which seems to be the reason social networks like Facebook and Myspace are so popular and prosperous. People enjoy the comments that are being left about their pictures or show you interest based on something they see you both have in common. I am actually excited about the evolution that is taking place with social networking because it allows for more interaction and expands my circle to a broader community.
I believe the expansion of social networking could potentially reach a point where that maybe the only way to communicate with others. That could be advantageous; it would make it easier and faster to connect others. However, that could completely have a reverse affect and keep people from truly engaging on a personal level, which can lead to miscommunication and misinformation
Social networking is also becoming more of collaboration more than anything. The article states that it’s more a real-world sociability. An example would be if someone places a picture of maybe a resort they have visited, someone else may see it and that could spark connection to information be given about how this is the place to see. What better way to receive information about something than to get from someone who has experienced it. This is how Fake described the success of Flickr, the consistency of interaction.
This article is so relevant because for the past week for my electronic communications class has been reading and commenting on different article about the creation of online communities, and everything a community needs to succeed. This article talks about how people in social network share comments and form groups based on common interests. This is similar to how communities are formed. Being in a community involves constant interaction which seems to be the reason social networks like Facebook and Myspace are so popular and prosperous. People enjoy the comments that are being left about their pictures or show you interest based on something they see you both have in common. I am actually excited about the evolution that is taking place with social networking because it allows for more interaction and expands my circle to a broader community.
I believe the expansion of social networking could potentially reach a point where that maybe the only way to communicate with others. That could be advantageous; it would make it easier and faster to connect others. However, that could completely have a reverse affect and keep people from truly engaging on a personal level, which can lead to miscommunication and misinformation
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