Essay

Marc Prensky's "Emerging Online Life of the Digital Native" and Dave Weinberger's "A New World" both present different views of contemporary internet users. In light of your own experiences with new technologies do you think they are accurate portrayals? Discuss why or why not with specific examples.

Marc Prensky's "Emerging Online Life of the Digital Native" and Dave Weinberger's "A New World" both present different views of internet users. Prensky describes those who have grown up with the internet as ‘digital natives’, people who are able to speak the digital language of computers. Conversely, Weinberger presents internet users as people who create specific and sometimes multiple online personalities that they try out on the web. By comparing these and other views with my own experiences of new technologies I will investigate whether or not these are accurate portrayals of contemporary internet users.

They key theme of Prensky’s article is this; “students are not just using technology differently today, but are approaching their life and their daily activities differently because of the technology” (Prensky, 2004, p. 1). Satchell, Zic & Singh (2005, p. 1) provide an example of this in relation to the popularity of social networking sites stating, “there is a sense that an event is not complete until it is shared through text, voice or images.”

From my own experience, I find these ideas be an accurate portrayal of contemporary internet users. For example, my friends and I often comment “I’m going to make that my Facebook status”. We choose the most entertaining/comical/odd moment of our day to share with others. As there are over 300 million users on Facebook worldwide, one can only imagine this to be a global phenomenon (Facebook: Press Room, 2009, para. 1).

(see the below clip for more information on the affects of social networking sites on relationships)

This relates to Weinberger’s discussion of creating an ‘online identity’, an edited version of yourself that you choose to portray online (Weinberger, 2002, p. 4). Weinberger goes on to describe this phenomenon as such; “we are rewriting ourselves on the Web, hearing voices we’re surprised to find coming from us, saying things we might not have expected” (Weinberger, 2002, p. 5). Satchell et al. (2005, p. 1) also explore the notion of creating an online identity describing how internet users “derive pleasure from creating a digital identity that reveals the persona they wish to convey.”

From my own experience I find this to be a true reflection of contemporary internet users. When I first created my MySpace, and later my Facebook page, I spent many hours choosing the right background, music, pictures, interests and quotes that best personified how I wanted people to see me. My online identity is my ideal self, rather than my actual self, because I have the ability to edit my online self.

The other key point of Prensky’s (2004) article is that of the digital natives versus the digital immigrants. Prensky describes digital natives as “native speakers of the digital language of computers, video games and the internet” whereas digital immigrants are those who “were not born into the digital world but have…adopted many or most aspects of the new technology” (Prensky, 2001, p. 1). Prensky goes on to describe how all aspects of the digital natives lives are being affected by the influence of this new technology.

My own experience with new communication technologies supports Prensky’s ideas of the pervasive nature of technology. For example, at this particular moment, I have ten windows open on my computer; an online dictionary and thesaurus, Google, the library catalogue, the library’s online referencing tool, a number of journal articles, Microsoft Word, my blog and Facebook. This one example shows how contemporary internet users are communicating, sharing, learning, searching, programming, socialising and evolving vastly differently than previous generations.

Another interesting point that Weinberger (2002, p. 6) raises is whether the Web is making us more or less social, or more specifically “what is the Web doing to us as social animals?” Blais, Craig, Pepler & Connolly (2007, p. 2) describe how young people “are better able to be their ‘true selves’ when communicating on the Internet than when communicating face-to-face”. Barah & McKenna (2004, p. 12) also researched this issue and found that the relative anonymity and lack of physical and nonverbal cues in computer-mediated communication (CMC) resulted in the formation of more meaningful relationships.

Drawing upon my own experiences I do agree that due to the lack of physical and nonverbal cues in CMC I tend to be somewhat more adventurous online than in my everyday life. However, with regards to revealing more of my ‘true self’ online, I disagree. I will explain why with reference to Erving Goffman’s sociological theory of dramaturgy. Goffman likened people in everyday life to actors on a stage, constantly ‘acting’ or modifying our behaviors to meet different social situations or expectations (Goffman in Newman, 2006, p. 189). This acting is our ‘front stage’, the part of ourselves we allow everyone to see whereas our ‘back stage’ is our true selves, what we only reveal to our closest friends or family (ibid). Blais et al. seem to argue that due to the anonymity of the internet, people are more willing to ‘drop the act’ and reveal their ‘back stage’ selves. Perhaps this is true when talking anonymously to a stranger in a chat room, however the majority of online communication is with people you already know. Therefore I find it hard to believe that people would be any more willing to reveal their true selves online, than they would be in person.

(For more information on Goffman’s theory of dramaturgy click here)

A further sociological issue raised by Prensky’s (2004, p. 3) is ‘lookism’. Lookism is defined as “discrimination or prejudice based on a person’s physical appearance” (Lookism, 2009, para. 1). Prensky (2004, p. 3) explains how lookism does not exist in the mainly text based medium of CMC and therefore allows an opportunity for those who are the least communicative in person, to flourish in an online environment. Stritzke, Nguyen & Durkin (2004) further investigate this issue, specifically in relation to shyness. Their findings showed that “because of the absence of face-to-face evaluative feedback in CMC it…may be more congenial than traditional interactions to some individuals such as shy people” (Stritzke et al., 2004, p. 2).

My own experiences with CMC would lead me to believe this to be an accurate portrayal of contemporary internet users. Firstly, I have noticed that some of my shyer friends, who have trouble speaking up in conversations, have far more to say when I talk to them online. Secondly, with regards to lookism, a less extreme example that comes to mind is blushing. I blush very easily when nervous (eg when I’m trying to impress a new friend or prospective partner) which is embarrassing for me. Recently I have taken to talking to new acquaintances online a few times before meeting up again. In this format, I avoid the issue of lookism and have the luxury of presenting my ideal self to my prospective partner/friend.

(see the below clip for more information on lookism)

From the above discussion I concluded that Prensky provided an accurate portrayal of internet users daily lives being influenced by technology, the changing nature of digital natives interactions with their world and the benefits of CMC in eliminating issues of lookism. I also concluded that Weinberger’s ideas of internet users creating and online identity to be an accurate portrayal of contemporary internet users. However I disagreed with his theory that due to the anonymity of the internet, people are more willing to reveal their true selves. The pervasive and ubiquitous nature of new communication technologies affect our lives in many ways and are sure to continue to affect us in the future in ways we cannot yet imagine.

References

Bargh, J., & McKenna, K. (2004). The Internet and Social Life [Electronic version]. Annual Review of Psychology, 55(1), 573-590.

Blais, J., Craig, W., Pepler, D., & Connolly, J. (2007). Adolescents Online: The Importance of Internet Activity Choices to Salient Relationships [Electronic version]. Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 37(5), 522-537.

Burns, T. (1992). Erving Goffman, London: Routledge.

Facebook: Press Room. (2009). Retrieved October 22, 2009, from

http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

Lookism. (2009). Retrieved October 22, 2009, from

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lookism

Lookism: The Unspoken Prejudice. (2009). Retrieved October 22, 2009 from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaLKIB7s-oY

Newman, D. (2006). Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life. Thousand Oaks, California: Pine Forge Press.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants [Electronic version]. On The Horizon, 9(5), 1-6.

Prensky, M. (2004). The Emerging Online Life of the Digital Native: What They Do Differently Because of Technology, and How They Do It. Retrieved October 20, 2009, from

http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/PrenskyThe_Emerging_Online_Life_of_the_Digital_Native-03.pdf

Satchell, C., Zic, J., & Singh, S. (2005). Creating the Ideal Digital Self: 3G Mobile Phone Content Production and Distribution as Social Communication, Retrieved October 22, 2009, from http://eprints.qut.edu.au/12618/1/12618.pdf

Social Networking and Relationships. (2009). Retrieved October 22, 2009, from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRnXkCVDZuY

Stritzke, W., Nguyen, A., & Durkin, K. (2004). Shyness and Computer-Mediated Communication: A Self-Presentational Theory Perspective [Electronic version]. Media Psychology, 6(1), 1-22.

Weinberger, D. (2002). Small Pieces Loosely Joined: Chapter 1 - A New World. Retrieved October 20, 2009, from

http://www.smallpieces.com/content/chapter1.html

Lecture Week 10 - Video Games

This weeks lecture was all about video games!!! Not that I am a gamer myself but a lecture about games? Decidedly more interesting than any other of my subjects at the moment, even if the lecture is at the ungodly hour of 8am....

So, up until 2005 it was widely believed that 80% of gamers were 18-25 year old males.


After 2005 someone thought it might be a good idea to actually do some more research on the subject and surprise surprise, they found that things had changed...


Current statistics show that the demographics of todays gamers are;
59% 18-40 year old males
41% females

What?! Females play videogames?!?!?!?!? Was the general reaction. But if you look at the wide variety of video games & consoles that are available at the moment including the Wii, Wii fit, Eye Toy, Singstar, Buzz, Guitar Hero, Rock Band, DS etc, you can see that many of these are specifically targeting a female audience.

Videogames are an interesting field to study as they encompass so many different forms of media. These include;

• PC Games (mostly played by men)
• Console Games
• Online Games (online communities are starting to become more popular with women)
• Arcade Games
• Mobile Gaming (mostly played by women)

There is also a large variety of different genres games can be

• First person shooter (mostly males)
• Strategy (mostly males)
• Puzzle (mostly females)
• Fitness (mostly females)

Some people (like our lecturor, don't like playing video games as they are too similar to real life. Similar to real life, many games require you to put in alot of time & effort to

• find out what the objectives are
• find out how to achieve them
• figure out how to use the controls
• then work, earn money & slowly learn how to win at the game

Another interesting fact was that studies show that gamers can have special skills. These include

• improvement in short term memory
• superior dexterity
• increaced periferal vision
• ability to make split second decisions

Another interesting point was that the importance to the gamer of finishing the game increases with age. For example, children just enjoy playing the game, they don't care so much about wining or completing the game. However as gamers get older, the importance of achievement in the game becomes more important.


There are three main ways you can study video games;

• Social Sciences Approach - looks at the effects games have on people eg increased levels of violence?
• Humanities Approach - studies the meaning & context of games and considers them to be artifacts or mediums of art. Its also interested in the narratives that feature heavily in many games.
• Industry & Engineering Approach - interested in the development of games and new technologies.
  

Tute Week 10 - Artwork

This is a photo I took during my travels through Europe. Its of Montmartre, a church in Paris that's on a hill that overlooks the whole city. As you can see it was a beautiful day in Paris and I really loved the contrast of the vibrant blue sky and the grey white of the church. Probably the best photo I took during my whole six months in Europe. Hope you like it too :)

Lecture Week 9 - teach yourself software

This weeks lecture was all about the various (and apparently easy) ways you can teach yourself how to use software. I was happy to see that my theory of just fiddling around until you can get it to work is actually a valid way to learn!

Jason did have some more specific tips though;

• First of all, figure out what you need to do.
• You will probably end up changing your mind on what you need to do several times, this is ok.
• You can't learn advanced software in a few days, but you can learn to do something!
• Fiddle around and play with the program. Do something, anything!
• Save your work religiously. Save it in different formats, on a USB, on the hard drive, on the internet, email it to yourself. And save it often!!!
• Try the help file (although they are often not very helpful...)
• Screw the help file and search your question online instead. Some nerd will probably have already figured out the answer for you.
  
• Join forums and ask questions - more places to find friendly, helpful nerds.
• Tutorial books and videos can actually be helpful (unlike the help option...)
• Don't take a course to learn how to use the software, they will just make you do the above anyway!
• Don't get too cocky, a soon as you master the software, a new version or package will come along that you will be a novice at again. You need to constantly keep updating your skills.
  

So I'm off to teach myself how to become a pro at Photoshop! Wish me luck!

Tute Week 9

So, this week have had alot of different tasks to complete.

Sign an e-petition

The petition I signed was to protest against the governments cuts to Youth Allowance. You can find the e-petition here. Evidence that I signed the petition below.


Respond to a professional blogger at a major news site

The blog I responded to is by Amanda Mead, she writes a Media blog for The Australian. I commented on her story about a new show on the ABC by John Safran, a comedian who hosts a show on Triple J radio.


What is Barak Obama up to today?

Apparently he just went on David Letterman!



Find out who your local, state & federal representatives are

Local (Southport) - Ron Clarke
State - Peter Lawlor
Federal - Stuart Robert


Look up the Queensland or Australian hansard to find the last time your local member spoke in parliament

Thursday 17th September 2009.


Let your local member know what you think about their last speech

I went to Peter Lawlors website and found his contact details so that I could email him. See my message below.



Read the lecture and the readings, pursue a couple of the topics that you find most interesting and then post your blog with your well-considered thoughts about the theory and practice of politics.

One of the issues I was interested in and chose to investigate further was that of the citizen hacker. Stephen Stockwell provides a useful definition; "Hacking extends to cover any militant and creative intervention into any aspect of the media flow". The idea of the 'citizen hacker' proposes the notion that everyday people, through the use of new communication technologies such as social networking sites, YouTube, email, SMS etc can open up new channels of communication & deliberation, and therefore bring about social change. The internet has definatetly opened up many new channels of communication for people, and if they use them for beneficial purposes such as researching and voicing their political opinions, then this is definately better for society. A well informed society means they are more likely to elect the right people, and be aware if their government is decieving them and needs to be pulled back into line.

Another one of the interesting points raised in the article was that forwarding a political satire sketch could class you as being a 'citizen hacker'. On this note, here's one I thought was midly entertaining.

Another interesting (but confusing...) issue was Plato's Allegory of the Cave. The story goes that a bunch of prisoners are tied up for their whole lives so that they can only look at a wall. Behind them is a fire and between the fire and them, other people walk, carry things etc. The prisoners, use words to describe what they see eg 'man', 'cow' etc. However in reality they have never actually seen a 'man' or a 'cow', what they have actually seen is just a shadow. Having only ever seen the wall & the shadows, they believe this to be the only reality that is possible. If then, one of the prisoners is freed and he is shown the 'man' and the 'cow' who made the shadows, he would not be able to recognise or name them. If he was shown the outside world he would feel betrayed that this 'alternate' reality existed as he had only known the cave and the shadows. Plato argues the prisoner would be much happier to go back to his life of the cave and the shadows, to what he knows and is familiar with.

I'm going to have my own informed guess as to what this all means. I initially see examples between this story and the movie The Matrix. The character Cypher has been removed from the Matrix but wants to be put back. He knows that the Matrix is fake and that the real world is reality, but he would rather be put back into the Matrix and continue to live in ignorance. This is like the prisoner in Platos story that would rather go back into the cave of shadows than live in the outside world.

I also think it relates to the issue of our perception of reality. If for example, the government did implement a censorship program on the internet (see below for futher discussion on this issue) then they may block sites that criticized the government or provided information that the governement did not want the people to know. If society is uninformed or recieved a distorted version of reality, then we cannot enact our rights to stand up against corrupt government or campaign for our rights. It is our perception of reality that shapes our knowledge, opinions and therefore actions.

What do you think of the Australian Government's plans to censor the internet (the so-called "Clean Feed")???

From what I've read and heard about the issue, it doesn't sound like a good idea at all. Some issues include;

• legal as well as illegal material will be blocked
• what age group will the internet be made appropriate for? 15 years olds? 5 year olds?
• who decides what material is acceptable for Australians to view?
• how will these lists be created and who will maintain them?
• a filter will decrease internet speeds considerably, some say up to 80%!
• testing shows that up to 10,000of every 1 million sites would be incorrectly blocked
• the task of maintaining the list of 'blacklisted' sites would be overwhelming
• the lists of blocked sites will probably be secret, how are we to know what else the government has blocked?
• no other democracy has such a filter on their internet
• misses other issues people face on the internet eg cyber-bullying, identity theft etc
• expensive, money better spent elsewhere
• raises issues of free speech
• public does not support it

All in all I think its a very bad idea, mainly because we won't be able to know what sites the government has blocked. We could be like China where they block any sites that say bad things about the government so their people remain ignorant. Democracy is not possible without free speech. By filtering the internet as the government proposes, they will be eliminating free speech as anything on the internet that the government does not want us to see, they will be able to block.

For further information on this issue see the No Clean Feed website, they provide alot of detailed information and valid arguments regarding the issue.

What place does censorship have in a democracy?

As discussed above, democracy cannot exist without free speech. It is a democratic right. Once censorship is used to delete messages the government doesn't want its people to hear, then democracy fails.

A more graphic example of this issue can be seen in the below YouTube clip. In this instance, the censorship that is being used in Nepal is alot more extreme than an internet filter. This video is about the murder of journalists in the country as a form of censorship. Luckily as Australian's we don't have to face issues like this, however its good to be aware of situations such as this so we can be thankful that we live in a fully functioning democracy.

Lecture Week 8 - CyberPolics and eDemocracy

This week we had a guest lecturer, Stephen Stockwell. He talked about politics and the internet and the many options available for politically minded people to express their opinions online, and the ways in which political parties & leaders attempt to use the internet to influence voters.


Democracy

Firstly, CyberPolitcs is about the use of the internet for political activity, the politics of the internet and any political activities that are carried out on the internet.

eDemocracy is about the internet's influence on politics and democracy. Its about more active participation of the people in political activities, thanks to access to the internet. It covers everything from political parties campaigning on the internet to people using blogs & forums to critcise the government in power.

Democracy is a system of government in which either the actual governing is carried out by the people governed (direct democracy), or the power to do so is granted by them (as in representative democracy) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy). Common definitions include 'the rule of the many', 'the rule of the majority' and 'government of the people, by the people, for the people'.


Mass Media

The Second Media Age is said to be characterised by decentralised media systems with global reach that are readily accessible to all. This availability of communication of many to many is said to produce a new type of politics. We are said to be experiencing the second media age now, due to the invention and wide use of the internet.

The internet may be open to more effective and invasive manipulation than older media forms due to its rapid commercialisation and potential to record and analyse all information transmitted.

There are also problems associated with the use of the internet as a means for political communication. For example, those who produce the political message cannot control how the audience reads the information, they may interpret it in a variety of different ways. For example, they can simply accept the message, they can draw an alternative reading from the material or they can simply oppose the provided message. People produce their own interpretations of the messages they receive.

Television is an example of communication that reaches across class, gender, ethnic, national, and other boundaries and as such, allows the audience to be citizens of a symbolic community. In this situation, the only political power the audience has is to change the channel if they do not like the message being received.


Free Speech & Censorship

The idea of free speech is an essential part of democracy, however in Australia, we don't have the constitutional right to free speech. The internet poses threats to free speech with issues such as copyright and censorship hampering peoples ability to speak their minds.


Hackers

Hackers are computer programmers who have a desire to understand the intricacies of computing systems. They break into systems to look around and understand. They seek to free information and don't see computer systems as corporate property. Hackers are different from crackers who damage or steal data. Hackers adhere to The Hacker Ethic, their code which states their belief in the free sharing of information, and their intent to never harm the data they find. We are all hackers when we seeks ways around bugs, use tricks or guesses not fully understanding what we are doing until the program works the way we want it to.


Cyberpunk

Cyberpunk is a science fiction genre based on the possibilities present in computers, genetics, body modifications and corporate developments in the near future. These films often involve megacorporations, artificial intelligence, hackers and/or advanced science and their effects on social breakdown or radical social change. The Matrix is one example of a cyberpunk film.

Cyberpunk Themes

• Technology & Mythology - morals such as knowledge brings awareness of suffering & attendant responsibility, technological advancement comes at a price, scientific advancement & technological development have unexpected consequences. Cyberpunk seeks to de-mythoologise technology and re-mythologise technology.
• Utopia & Dystopia - Utopias are imaginary places where everything is perfect because people and technology are in harmony. Technology is sometimes seen as Utopia, we can create our own perfect virtual world and get rid of the real one...until someone turns off the switch! There are also examples of modern technological dystopias such as George Orwell's 1984.
• Cities as Machines - this is focused on the idea that the shape of a city dictates the kind of lives that people in that city will lead. Three conflicting ideas central to this theme are the city is a machine for living, creating human life whilst also being created by humans, the city is a natral thing created by humans like a bee-hive or ants nest might be, and the city is a living being, a cyborg which combines human tissue with synthetic infrastructure.
• Technological Change - The earliest forms of communication were created by one source and consumed by many receivers. There was only a small number of people who were able to be the producers of the message. The internet has now changed this and allowed anyone to produce the message and to also allow the receivers to interact with the message. Does this use of the internet signal the start of a second media age?
• Modernism to Postmodernism - new media brings with it new issues; the need to protect rights of access, equity of access, the means to strenthen & enhance existing community structures, the development of the democratic process, the development of a global community, the development of strategies for implementing and enforcing global laws, intellectual property laws, freedom of speech.

Below is an interesting and informative YouTube clip about cyberpunk. It provides some useful examples of movies that fit the genre that helps to give you a better understanding of what cyberpunk is all about.

Tute Week 8 - download some freeware

So, our tutorial task for this week was to go to download and use one of the freeware sites Jason mentioned in the lecture.

I chose to download iTunes because I have always been a media player girl so I thought I'd give it a go.

It was very easy to download and super easy to use. I especially liked the different views it had where you could import the album artwork for all the cd's and make it look like you were flicking through your record collection.

Its also really easy to create playlists and sync them with your iPod. And it was easy to import music and burn CD's. Other things I really liked was the shuffle option and just the overall asthetics and ease of use. Its clearly a program that has been designed for ease of use rather than Media Player which is often confusing and frustrating to use, and not very pretty to look at at all. I'm converted, I love iTunes :) Check out how pretty is looks below.




I also had a look at another freeware site Jason mentioned, KeyPass. I downloaded it & checked it out. At first it was a little hard to find the right one to download as I was using a Mac, but once I found the right one, it only took a minute or so to download. It was also easy to use, to add new passwords in and to copy and paste the passwords once into the sites when you entered them. I can see how this would be a very useful program for someone who has alot of different passwords for email, work, banking etc. Although for me, I use Firefox and it automatically remembers all my passwords for me so I don't really need to use KeyPass at the moment.