After I finished reading Baym chapter 6, Rainie & Wellman (2012), Lenhart et al. (2010), and listened to Nancy Baym on WBUR’s Radio Boston, I have learned that the internet and new technologies such as email, IM, Chat, blogs, texting, and mobile devices are evolving very fast to become a very important part in our lives. These new technologies are not affecting our lives and relationships in a bad way; instead, they are adding into it and facilitating it. Therefore, the over all message from these studies is that very soon all these new technologies will be the norm in our society just like the telephone and the television and the other technologies that faced the same criticize when they first come out. Everything new can be under notice and critique from people, but when people take their time and experience it they will get used to it, and then it will become something not unusual.
One expression that I liked from listening to Nancy Baym Radio is when they had the discussion about how people can stop anything they feel not comfortable doing it because they have the choice to do so. For example, if they think that texting too much everyday is taking from their valuable family time, they can stop it and make certain hour everyday for family face-to-face time. After all we should control our devices not the opposite. Additionally, we should find a balance in everything in our lives so we won’t do something that would affect something else in a bad way. Though, unlike what Baym think that it is rare to walk into a room where five people in it not looking to each others in the eye because they are busy looking down at their laptop or IPod or any other devices. In fact, I disagree with Baym on this point because I have seen this lots of time; especially, in school. As soon as I enter any of classroom on campus I found everybody busy texting or checking their emails, etc. Until ten years a go you would go to the classroom chat with your classmates until the professor comes. Today, the semester would finish and you do not know the name of your classmate who is sitting next to you or remember how they look like.
Another thing that I like is in Baym, ch.6 ,P. 141 “ people who had more social ties in their local communities were more likely to use internet in order to meet new people…Belongers belong everywhere.”This is so true because if someone sociable in nature wherever he goes can make new friends whether it is in his or her community or online. Whereas, if someone is not sociable in nature no matter where he go or what kind of devices or technologies they own they would never use it or try to find new friends. My husband is a good example for this. He has zero friends and all the friends that we have they are mine. After all his brothers put too much pressure on him he created a Facebook account but he never used it and whenever his brothers need something from him they send me a message. He always say that the only reason he carry his cell phone is for emergencies and if he is missing someone it would be nicer to call this person or visit him. Even though I am completely the opposite, and my friends list is getting larger day after day, I do respect his opinion because we are all different and each one of us has the choice to chose what to do in his or her life in the way they feel comfortable about it. The main point is to respect and love the others the way they are and not try change them if you really wanted to have them in your life.
You bring up an interesting example about being consumed by our phones before class rather than talking to each other. I made a point on a comment I made to another post that CMC can acutally enhance and strengthen face-to-face relationships. But, as you said, I think it can also prohibit us from developing relationships as well. Sometimes in an uncomfortable environment we will resort to using our phones to contact people we are comfortable with, thus decreasing our chances for developing new friendships or relationships. You’re example of class room interactivity, or lackthereof, is a perfect example. I think everything has pros and cons. But like it or not, CMC isn’t going away anytime soon. It’ll eventually evolve into something else, but for now we need to adapt to it and balance how we use it.
I also liked the expression that people can stop they do not feel comfortable doing. I think there is nothing wrong with using technology as long as we can find a balance for having time to handle our offline lives. If we are neglecting a part of our lives we can always minimize spending so much time online if that is taking away from our real offline lives.
I really enjoyed your post! I agree we do attend classes without even getting to know each other. We are all so busy doing other things and focus on our devices instead of getting to know the person that sit beside us every day. I also agree that we shouldn’t try to change one another but just love each other. People can stop anything that they feel uncomfortable with however, many people act as if it is and addiction that they have no control over.
thank,Tim, you,too, have a point and I agree with you that everything has pros and cons, and that we need to adapt to the CMC since it is a fact and part of our lives, and find that balance into how we use it to get the advantages without being addictied to it or without ignoring other important things in our lives.
Thank, Scoe, I’m just missing those days when we used to go to school early just to meet with our friends to chat. I also beleive that no matter what you do you can not change somebody because we all different. Why try to make a copy of you if you can learn something new from someone else. Those differences can attrack us to each others and create very strong realationships, trust me!
Thanks, Martha, I diffenitely, like everybody else have the choice whether to do something or not. We don’t have to have to do whatever everybody is doing. Just be yourself, and if you are not happy doing something, simply, STOP IT!
The ways in which CMCs affect our interactions with classmates are interesting to observe. As you pointed out, there are classes in which you might never introduce yourself to someone before or after class because many choose to interact through technology during those times instead. However, from my experience, classmates represent a category many seem less likely to connect with via social media, particularly. For example, I typically have not ended up connecting with those friends of mine I met in class virtually until after we had the opportunity to connect and interact outside of the artificial classroom environment.
I will admit that before and after class I check my phone for social media updates, text messages and missed calls. I agree that we could do better as individuals when it comes to communicating outside of technology. Sometimes thats really how classmates interact is through facebook, twitter, email and even blogging. It does consume our lives a little bit more than it should.