As was the main theme of the PBS documentary, our generation, the iPod, internet, Youtube generation is a generation like no other before. The way we think, act and express ourselves is largely influenced by a small screen, a key board and the click of a mouse. With Second Life and other sites like Facebook and Myspace, we have created our own reality. A reality in which we can say, do and feel anyway we wnat without any implications or expectations. Yet many questions have arose. Has this gotten out of hand or this just normal? Is this the way it is supposed to, in fact just another human adaptation to the next frontier.
In fact, Second Life in particular seems to be an even more "realistic" version of The Sims which is of course one the best selling games in the world where one can create their own reality as well. Yet Second Life actually puts one inside of it.
This begs the question. Are we so tired of our actual reality, to stressed out with the so called real world that we need to create a new one in order to be happy. But are we actually happy? With each new development more questions come into play. Especially in todyas society where we are bombarded at every moment with technology. Maybe we feel as though we have lost control over our own non technological reality that we need to somehow create a reality through it.
As with the reality or what it maybe, the effect is obvious. As with Obama's campaign, there is now proof that is created reality actually has a enormous effect on the one already here. Obama became President through these means of interacting.
Another question seems to be, is this good or bad? Like all things in life, it is not so simple. There are of course numerous negative effects but positive as well. The fact that one can make and imapct and connect with someone who they might otherwise have not have shows that the world is getting closer together than ever before. We know what is not only going in our best friend's life but someone across the world at the same time.
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ReplyDeleteis this normal or gettin out of hand?? thats a serious question to pose..maybe gettin outta hand. the outside world has much more to offer..
ReplyDeleteI like to look for the greater good in the world and would like to assume that "normal" people would use social networking for its positive aspects but that may not even be the case. It could very well be possible that we as humans have become so reliant on technology that we use it to develop our own virtual identities instead of seeing the world and working on an actual identity. Though somewhat pessimistic you present a good argument. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteI found your ideas very interesting and indeed eye-opening. "Are we so tired of our actual reality"? thats a great question! I think that perhaps this begs the question of what we call reality. To quote Wally "Famous" Amos (from the QC Planner) "Life is just a mirror, and what you swee out there, you must first see inside of you." I think that we each see reality as different from the next person, we each emphasize different aspects of the reality that presents itself before us. I think that what a person focuses on could/may be seen as a reflection of what can be found inside that person.
ReplyDeleteMaybe your right and we are tired of reality, maybe we are tired of seeing things as a reflection of ourselves, and in cyber space we can create any reality we want - whether its a mirror of our true selves or not.
I'm going out and on a limb here, I hope you enjoy it.
Overall I think the pros definitely outweigh the cons, with regards to online social networking, but I totally agree with the fact that with the reduction in real life face to face relationships, we might actually be hurting the younger generation by not emphasising the importance in continuing or rather increasing the amount of real life communications or relationship or better yet socializing that they are participating in because they might be isolating themselves and really not exposing themselves to an ability that they may need in the future.
ReplyDeleteThere are positives and negatives to everything, and I think the implications might not be realized for years to come. I definitely agree with you though on the point about escaping into our own created world, of electronics and the internet and technology in general. We sit on trains isolated by our earphones blasting our ipods. We sit at the coffee shop on our laptops, sometimes never uttering a word all day to anyone nearby. We became closer yet farther. There is a balance I suppose but maybe its too early too tell where that point is.
ReplyDeletePeople most certainly do use the internet at the social networks that it features from games to websites as a means of abandoning real world communication. Because games and the fiction that can come with some of these synthetic social atmospheres, people can dive into a world with little to no disappointment or backlash from real world activities, reactions, etc. But I also must say that these are in extreme situations. Someone who allows themselves to be overtaken by a game, or by a fake world that doesn't consist of real human interaction must have had some kind of personal issues from the very beginning to succumb to something so unorthodox.
ReplyDeleteYour insights were very good and interesting. You have a lot of bad and good aspects about social networking. I totally agree with you and hopefully the negativity about it will not affect the younger generation.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you have spend hours on making this summary.BTW, you got your point that Second LIfe is a Convenient tool to make friends and to get know more things that you don't normally see that around you
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