There is this old song by Wynonna Judd called Grandpa Tell Me Bout The Good Ole days. (Linked it for all of you that are too young to know the Judds :). This song is how most people from this generation feel about a time without computers. It is foreign to digital kids and teens to know a world where you cannot "friend someone," "write on their wall" and "IM" someone.
In the Pew report much of the beginning describes the ideals of both sides of the fence. One being the notion that the internet is helping today's society connect, therefore, making people closer than ever and their communities larger than ever. On the other hand, there are those that fear that the interpersonal relationships and the sense of community is getting swallowed whole in cyberspace somewhere. While Pew's report was filled with abundant information (65 pages worth!) I found this statement to stand out in the text:
"The internet has fostered transformation in community from densely knit villages and
neighborhoods to more sparsely knit social networks. Because individuals-rather than households- are separately connected, the internet and the cell phone have transformed communication from house to house to person to person. There is `networked individualism. Rather than relying on a single community for social capital, individuals often must actively seek out a variety of appropriate people and resources for different situations."
In essence, I felt this statement summed up the results of the findings. This statement provides such a strong support of how the internet and cell phones have connected people. Yes, it admits that relationships are "sparsely knit" rather than "densely knit" but explains that although the former is true, the internet has fostered the transformation even still. It also supports the idea that having the internet among communities allow for individuals and groups to seek out people for various and specific situations, which in return creates more of a community withou borders.
I was suprised by the positive spin the article placed on the internet being such a unique fit to all types of communities. I was also intrigued by the discussion later in the pew report about the idea of email essentially filling the void of communication. I would have argued, before reading this report, that email is a cop out to face to face communication, but found this argument to be persuasive. The concept that is allows you to be freely communicating with others even when they are not up for immediate conversation is actually expanding the ties between the individuals. In the end, the concept of replacement was reassuring to those like me that worry the internet is taking over interpersonal relationships. The replacement hypothesis reported that ties were not severed among majority of groups that email, text, or IM. Instead, ties are strengthened and research says the users of these connections have stronger relationships because of the other ways they can connect.
I agree, the internet have brought people back together and closer than ever. But, I hate that I have to get on the internet to get connected to people. People are doing away with the telephone, and leaning more to texting on the net. Internet communication make a person miss out on daily activities and responsibilities. I understand that techology have changed, but I like the old way.
ReplyDelete"The internet has fostered transformation in community from densely knit villages and neighborhoods to more sparsely knit social networks"
ReplyDeleteWhen I stop and think about it, when I was in my late teens and early 20's, my "world" was the town that I lived in. Obviously, I knew of other places but my world, my "reality", was a relatively small geographical location and people and places outside of it were surreal (for lack of a better word), places you dreamt of but never really went to. Today, because of the glory of the internet and Facebook and email, I can keep in touch with friends and schoolmates all over the country and my world, my reality, is considerably larger. Now, take the person here from another country with family and friends back home, keeping in touch via emali, texting, and Facebook. Their world is much larger where as before the internet, their world wold have just shifted from their native land to their new location and probably would have gotten smaller until they got to know people. That's the power of the internet. Think locally, act globally.
Great points, especially about the expanding social networks we enjoy. I know for me it's much easier to keep track of the people I know, who live all over the country, and some in other countries, because of the internet. I would probably lose touch with them without it.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest I am not a Facebook person but it was very helpful when my brother died this past January we were able to get in-touch with everybody and post his program of where the funeral was going to take place. So yes I do agree that all social networks are not bad. Well it's never the social network its the people on it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with so many of your points, Niki. I think that because there is this fear of face-to-face communication will cease to exist, that it will just make it all the more special when you do meet f2f. Digital communication has helped alot, and scared alot.
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