Words, Words, Words.
—Hamlet

Oftentimes, communication becomes a laborious task. Many of us constantly blasting Tweets, punching out emails, replying to texts, and answering phone calls. Sometimes we don’t know how to say what we’re feeling, and other times we can predict exactly how someone will reply when asked, “So, how’s it going?” “Oh, you know, pretty good.” It seems we find communication boring, as if it were some chore like doing the laundry. Other times, it presents us with challenges so great we don’t know how to face them. Whatever we might feel about communicating, it’s almost certain that we almost always take it for granted. Take words themselves, for example. Words — the basic, yet complex building blocks of language — are the tools we use to give our thoughts and experiences meaning. The ancient Hebrews went as far as to say that life and death were in the power of words.

So, it only makes sense that, as mankind experiences new things, he will craft new words to give his experience meaning. With the introduction of new, incredible technologies into our every-day lives, which undoubtedly change the way we experience life, we have begun to create new words to describe and share our experiences. Although scholars are undoubtedly correct in their assertion that text message, IM, and email communiques affect the way we interact in so-called “real life,” adding new words and expressions to our vocabularies, this is nothing new under the sun. For instance, before World War II, one would have been hard pressed to find the word “genocide” used to describe the systematic slaughter of a people group. But, after humanity experienced the Holocaust, we drew upon that and began using a new word to describe our experience. In a similar manner, the introduction of new technology has demanded that we continue coming up with new ways of describing our experiences.

I’ve never enjoyed talking on the phone. It’s always felt a little awkward for me. Perhaps it’s because I simply prefer to see the person I’m speaking with, or perhaps it’s because I migrated to the Internet at an early age, adopting email and MySpace as my primary means of exchanging correspondence. But, it’s not just that I feel awkward, I sound awkward. For some reason, when I pick up the phone to receive or make a call, my voice inevitably climbs to abnormally high octaves. I’m usually able to make a conscious decision to lower my voice before making a call. So, if I don’t think about it beforehand, you might be a bit puzzled to hear the voice of a pubescent boy answering my phone. You know, though, that’s just the way it is; there’s something about the media we use to communicate that change the way we might normally communicate face t0 face.

When it comes to communicating via Internet means, such as Facebook or Twitter, many of us face other such communication conundrums. When is it appropriate to use emoticons, or to omit them? Oftentimes, while emoticons and acronyms were created to ease the process of online communication, they create a whole new set of challenges for us to overcome. A man might feel that the use of emoticons makes him appear effeminate and overly-sensitive, or a woman might fear that smiley face will make her co-worker think she’s flirting with him. Also, many non-natives of the digital realm will find themselves struggling to make sense of acronyms, as portrayed humorously by Phil’s character from the show Modern Family, when he explains to viewers that he’s a cool dad who knows all the hip text lingo, citing, “WTF: Why The Face…” However, regardless of age, learning to converse in this new form of language is a challenge all of us, at some level, must conquer. Let’s just think about this: the English language has taken thousands of years to evolve into what it is today, and it is totally different from what it was in the days of Shakespeare, just a short few hundred years ago. Today, we must struggle to keep up with a language which is now evolving much faster with the introduction of the web.

The plot thickens as languages begin influencing each other through the web. Take English and Spanish, for example. As someone with ties with the Latin community, it is humorous to see Latinos beginning to incorporate English words, phrases, and acronyms – sometimes with humorous results – into their online communication.

“You keep on using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.” -Inigo Montoya, Princess Bride

It is not uncommon to see English profanities peppered throughout a status or tweet which may simply describe a scrumptious sandwich or pleasant afternoon walk, as such words are viewed as hip outside the United States. While this may be a purely humorous example, it illustrates the challenge and beauty of global interconnectivity with regards to language. We have a lot of work to do to keep up, even as sites like Facebook begin incorporating embedded translators to make interaction easier. But, we also have so many opportunities to learn about the world beyond our homes, and beyond even our borders.

When it comes to crime in the Bluff City, my father has always said it best. “Memphis is just like any other city,” he used to tell me. “There are good parts, and bad parts. If you stay out of the bad parts, chances are that you’ll be okay.”

The “hopes and fears” of the connected masses as discussed by Baym harkens back to the all-too familiar technological commentary of Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death. In the opening pages of this thought provoking paper-back, Postman contrasts the forecasts of George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, two prominent 20^th century philosophers. Orwell believed that censorship by “the man” would suppress the masses, while Huxley feared that the masses would suppress themselves with diversions. In Postman’s words, “…Orwell feared that what we hate would ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love would ruin us” (Postman). Postman’s work asserts that we were already witnessing the fulfillment of Huxley’s prophesy when he finished Amusing in 1985, and many tend to echo his sentiments. Today, these feelings are most often re-directed toward the internet. Many have begun to feel concerned that perhaps we have accumulated troves of information and content so vast that we cease to see its value or relevance.

However, in reading Baym and Herring, we begin to see that many express more visceral fears of what the internet is, or may become. These authors remind us of the reality that the internet is reflective of the human condition. As such, while the web offers opportunities to learn and explore, it is not without a dark side. The sexual exploitation of children on the internet, even beyond child pornography, is far more common than many of us would care to admit. So, it should not be surprising that, upon witnessing such instances of degradation in the media, some begin to fear the internet. Indeed, it is not unwise for one to have a healthy awareness for how some choose to employ the web for such purposes.

Nonetheless, it is also important to remember that the internet, just like a big city, has good parts and bad parts. We ought to continue to use the internet to learn and explore. Because, as long as we are wise and avoid the bad parts, we’ll probably be okay.

Postman, Niel. Amusing Ourselves to Death. London: Peguin Books, 1985. Google Books. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.

According to Horrigan’s research, I am what the kids call a Digital Collaborator. In essence, a Digital Collaborator is someone using the internet on a regular basis to not only share his thoughts, but also his craft. In Horrigan’s words, “Using blogs and other content-creation applications, they collaborate with others online to express themselves creatively.”

In completing the survey, I took into account that I have, on occasion, used the internet as a means to share various pieces of art and writing with my social network. But, I believe that it would be inaccurate to say that I use the internet primarily as a medium for creative expression. Although I have recently begun exploring the many exciting opportunities the internet offers for building a portfolio and personal brand ―particularly from the perspective of a designer ― I currently occupy the role of a consumer more than that of a producer. Honestly, I would very much like to be a Digital Collaborator. However, I’m probably more of an Ambivalent Networker. So, while I appreciate Horrigan’s vote of confidence, I’m not quite there yet.