Thoughts on New Media Industries

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Virtual Cultures... to be or not to be

The technological advances in the new media industries can only be described as incredible. Things once imagined in sci-fi fantasies are now a reality. However whilst the physical technology is extraordinary, what its actually being applied to is far more awe inspiring.

But before we explore the modern cyber world, it is important to back at how far we have come.

Once upon a time…

• You had to write letters, not emails
• You had to get “double prints” if you wanted to share your photos with your friends
• The radio was the only way to listen to music without paying for it
• Students had to take actual notes, and carry around stacks of books.
• Great search had to be taken to find a friend with the same obsession for Star Wars, war hammer or “weird emo music”
• Keeping in touch with friends meant hours on the phone, which, most often, lead to you both drifting apart.

Fortunately these days are long gone. Telecommunication technology is not only enabling our intellectual expression, but is facilitating a new culture of social interaction. Whilst traditional communities and social networks were limited by geographical location, or the slow delivery or The Australian Post, today content, interest and opinion can be shared instantaneously, anywhere, anytime, by anyone (Flew 2005, 62). Unfortunately, as is the case with most change, a fear of these virtual cultures is nested (particularly with balding middle aged men and their wives who often use the phrase “in my day…”), with communities concerned that such technologies are creating anti social and “unruly” youths. Parents often express anxieties centre on the fear that children become socially isolated as a result of online games and activities, and that they come to see the computer as compensation for lack of human contact and friendship (Silnow, 1984).

It could be suggested that such beliefs are simply due to a lack of understanding. Virtual culture, driven by online communities and content sharing is facilitation a level of human interaction which would have been previously impossible. Individuals can seek out users of shared interest from across the global. They can experience cultures, ideas and ideologies that would never have been possible for them in their physical world. Furthermore social networks such as Facebook and MySpace not only invite new friends, but allow users to build upon and uphold existing, physical world friendships, keeping alive contacts which would have died if letters were relied upon.

And it’s only going to get bigger. From email to msn to MySpace and into the future the virtual world is ever expanding, fearing it will not wish it away. so embrace, participate and experience beyond your physical world!

6 comments:

Cool James said...

Great search had to be taken to find a friend with the same obsession for Star Wars, war hammer or “weird emo music”
?


All this time, I'd thought you and Daniel met at uni, how was I to know that you secretly met on a forum at warhammer.com?


haha, no, you're right, the limitless catering to niche audiences on the web is a real blessing to those with "unconventional" social skills. Or bad taste in music.

Daniel Explosion said...

As James so helpfully pointed out (again) the phenomenon of virtual cultures has made it extremely easy for users with certain niche interests and possessing 'unconventional' social skills to connect with users of similiar interests. Despite this I think the stereotype of Internet nerds with 'unconventional' social skills is generally wrong.
Although there most definately is people out there who embody the sterotype of socially crippled chat-room freaks the majority of people searching for friends online are wanting to meet their friends in person (eventually) and are simply using the Internet as an aid to find the sort of people that they would actually want to meet.
I would personally think that a lot of people use the Internet as a friend 'filter' rather than their sole form of social interaction (eg dating sites). Considering there is so many different people in the world with so many different interests I don't see why it should be unconventional to get a head-start on things by using the Internet to make sure you only meet the 'right' people.

emma marie said...

I agree that it's ok to use the internet to make sure you meet the 'right' people...but how do you even know that they are the right people? You don't even know who they are! They could be talking to some fat balding 40yr old virgin pretending to be 20yr old Cindy from California with blonde hair and big boobs. I guess to some extent its ok to pretend to be someone else in the virtual world because nobody is going to know and both parties are getting a thrill in chatting to somebody with seemingly similar interests to their own. But what happens when they want to take their communications to the next level and meet face to face? My friends brother is part of a dating site and quite recently struck up a conversation with "sophie" a 21yr old from the Gold Coast. Her picture showed her to be caucasian have blonde hair and a slim figure. However when he went on a real life date with her he discovered that she was completely the opposite. Overweight, not caucasian and had black hair. Naturally he was very taken aback and offended that she lied to him like that. If someone is willing to go to such extremes to lie about their appearance i would find it hard to believe that their personality was for real also. So how then can you make sure that these people in the virtual world are the 'right' people?

Of course i do admit that it's almost impossible to meet the 'right' people in real life too. But in a face to face setting there is much less likelihood for somebody to pretend to be someone they're not.

genevieve said...

I agree that yes we have moved forward in the devices we use to communicate and keep in touch with one another, and it does make it easier. But online communication devices raise many issues with safety and fraud. On the phone you can recognise the voice, in person you get what you see and even in letters you may recognise hand writing style.

You make the point of being able to use MySpace or Facebook to find new friends, but how do you know who they really are? Is this is safe way for young people to communicate? Could there be a way (other than privatising profiles) to make Facebook or MySpace safer to eliminate the worry factor for parents?

I suppose you cannot. Parents will worry over most things.

The lack of understanding that you pin on parents (or the older generation)may be due to the fact that they are stuck in their times where letter writing and Kodak double prints were the norm. Its hard to change old habits.

If the virtual world continues to expand and become greater and more used, will there be an entire generation who is completely lost due to their upbringing?

Also issues of bosses prying into employees private life arise. Landlords, parents, ex-boyfriends or girlfriends, potential employees. How do you know that you are not shooting yourself in the foot by putting too much information out there? Available to whoever may seek it.

Perhaps a few links to other sources would have helped to build your credibility.

I find your post very interesting; it would have been difficult to stop writing on this topic. Well done.

NW said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
NW said...

As with most media, the sword is double edged for the internet. It's true you don't necessarily know "who" you are meeting online (if you are using the virtual world for making friends) but I would argue in many cases that is the point.

I'm not suggesting all people online are nerds with limited social skills, but rather that people purposefully create alter egos they play out online for whatever reasons without the intention of extending those relationships in the physical world. I propose a significant number of people purposefully become ‘someone else’ online because they can. They don't have to defend their desires or sensor their opinions and they are rarely judged or held accountable because the internet offers them anonymity. Second Life for example offers a range of real life interactions and experience in a virtual context with no expectations that those relationships be extended into the physical world or necessarily, that you be who you say you are.

AND…

"Virtual culture, driven by online communities and content sharing is facilitating a level of human interaction which would have been previously impossible."
But is this necessarily a good thing?

I’m not so much concerned about the future of online human interaction but rather how physical human interaction has and will continue to suffer as a result of changing expectations and standards largely influenced by new media. The passive nature of email for example, discourages people from confrontation and direct communication. How many of us have sent an email to enquire about something when we could have just as easily (and arguably with a much faster response) picked up the phone and asked someone directly? What about the dangers associated with anonymous communication online? And finally, has anyone noticed how relaxed expectations of credibility and authority have become with relation to information sources online?

How do we ensure physical human interaction and traditional standards of communication do not suffer as a result of lowered standards and decreased expectations of credibility, trust, and integrity that are permitted online?