As we’ve studied over this semester, online communication has a huge impact on how people interact with each other. People joke about how “young people” are glued to their iPhones, and they’re mostly right! The internet is “youth space,” and teenagers use it to interact with each other in the same way they used to hang out at the mall. They gossip, flirt, joke, and get to know each other- except that instead of the food court, they’re meeting in a chat room (boyd, 2009). People use online space to build popularity. For example, many teenagers will become obsessed with tweeting famous people, and will brag when they get tweeted back by Miley Cyrus or another celebrity (boyd, 2009).
This internet culture creates issues, and perhaps the biggest one is the longevity of online communication. Instead of just talking in person and having to gossip about what someone said, you can simply post their comment in cyberspace. People are going to be able to relive a job applicant’s entire teenage life through social media archives (boyd, 2009). Adults are afraid that the internet makes it easier for their children to be harmed physically; teenagers are merely afraid of the internet harming their social health. That may be why even teenagers often edit their Facebook privacy settings; they realize that unflattering images and posts about their ex-boyfriends may not help their social lives (boyd & Hargittai, 2010). Of course, we cannot forget the rising rate of smartphone owners. 35% of American adults own a smartphone, allowing them to access online communication sites anywhere This drastically alters the communication atmosphere. Now, applications like Vine and Instagram are encouraging people to stay online- even when they are with friends in person. 72% of smartphone users use their phones for entertainment when they’re bored with real life (Smith, 2011).
While it is hard for these writers to predict the exact problems that will arise in media in the next 5 or 20 years, Baym writes: “We all need to be savvy interpreters of the messages in popular media and interactions instead of taking them at face value” (2010, p. 150). Technology is constantly adapted to come out with something bigger and better, and many new applications and websites are created constantly to help with problems in our real lives. Baym strongly urges people to take a step back and evaluate the internet communication tools they use. While these tools can be very helpful, balance is key. People need to fully understand how to mix their real life relationships with their internet relationships, and know that it’s not “good vs. evil” – instead, these are all just unique ways to create communication in our busy society.
I think it was boyd who mentioned that, even for young people, computer-mediated communication is not one size fits all. As an example, she pointed out that popular kids use social media to keep up a certain image. Other kids use it to leverage a broader network of peers to find others with similar interests.
I thought the privacy conversation was interesting. Privacy is definitely an issue that most of us take into account when using computer-mediated communication, with it’s email at work, social network sites or text messages. Just look at some of the high profile cases in recent months to see examples of how CMC records are used in criminal cases.
I strongly agree that balance is key. Yes, we need the internet and it can be very useful but we can find a balance where it does not interfere with our offline relationships. We can find the appropriate times to use the internet and the time when we have to be present in real time.
I appreciated Baym’s writing on finding a balance. I don’t believe that we have yet absorbed smart phone usage into our social norms. I see a lot of people out eating dinner, and one or more at the table are staring at their smartphone screen the whole night. At this point, the technology is new and people haven’t quite integrated their usage in with polite behavior, or what is considered appropriate hasn’t changed yet in light of the mass adoption. I think one or the other will give, but hasn’t yet, and that is what is creating a lot of the mass hysteria. I’m hoping that as we become accustomed to our phones and we aren’t so impressed by them anymore, we’ll be able to set them aside at the dinner table. I also hope that as their usefulness expands (have you seen 3D printing??) that people will put their fears aside and welcome what the technology has to offer.