How the Internet Ably Changes the Global Social Structure - Research Paper Example

?KONY (my point is how the Internet ably changes global social structure and support children in Uganda) Introduction A few decades ago, gettinginformation was difficult if not nearly impossible. Thanks to internet innovation, information is now available in great amount. Information accessibility and transmission is much quicker than it was a few years ago. There is more information in circulation than the human mind can contain (Information clutter). Humankind has been amazed by the far reaching impact of the innovation of a century-long internet revolution. It has enabled connection of billions of individuals across the world, and has had them accessing, creating, and transmitting mega and terabytes of data. Like a super highway, flow of data and information follows a route to a specific location specified by the binary numbers contained within the packets of data being transmitted. The cyberspace is characterized by vast information sites, forums, blogs, and online applications. This, in itself, makes these virtual worlds an enigma to many. Internet innovation has virtually made the world to do away with boundaries and become a digital village. The speed of information flow is also unbelievable. At a click of a mouse button, chunks of data are sent, received, and shared by billions of tech savvies. It then remains a wonder what internet revolution can be. Internet revolution comes with hype and excitement, and promises heaven for the tech savvies. At the same time, if not responsibly used, it brings hell closer to humanity. Huge numbers of high level cybercrimes have been reported in the recent past. Highly regarded and sensitive information of governments has leaked; unauthorized sensitive information has been leaking to the public. The other question that arises is whether the right to privacy of individuals in organizations will stand a test of time in the advent of the internet revolution (Burstein and Kline 145). Internet is a necessary evil despite its possible negative effects. It has had a dramatic effect on a number of fields that are critical to humanity, for example, knowledge world, personal systems, and social spectra (Green 135). Internet poses to humanity both positive and negative consequences and this cuts across socio-economic, political, and even spiritual realms. The challenge to humanity is how to best harness the positive impacts of internet technology, and at the same time keeping to minimum the possible negative effects to individuals and the society at large (Burstein and Kline 356). Personal and Family Empowerment The net is one of the most powerful empowerment tools to persons and families as it provides more than three-dimensional benefits that include a wider range of information baskets to select from. It helps then to meet their needs, wants, special interests, and entertainment demands.  Quick accessibility of information as a result of internet revolution has enabled individuals to take advantage of opportunities for the betterment of their lives. The Internet can possibly feed one’s imaginations and fasten people’s emotional commitment to great ideas (Firestone and Garmer 124). It has enabled families and individuals to join discussion groups about social issues. They can also publish their works and keep others informed about grassroots action groups and locally-based businesses (Firestone and Garmer 146). Things we wonder can, therefore, direct our ability to create something that brings the world closer, which is a desire of the humanity (Egan 166). To be more specific, the Internet separates the mind from ethnicity, class, gender, and other discriminatory characteristics used to marginalize people (Green 452). The internet renders physical disabilities irrelevant (Hackman and Kato 454). This is because people do not “present” themselves. Instead, they “represent” themselves on the computer. Green states that people are encouraged to evaluate the relevance of their concepts over any physical discrimination (7). The internet adds some extra power to individuals, allowing them to inject their ideas and voices into the cyberspace public arena and, therefore, to be judged according to the merit of their ideas. Social Empowerment At the same time, families and individuals empower themselves by utilizing the Internet. It should be noted that a democratic society expands as each and every person starts develop one’s voice as an aspect of a broader issue of empowerment and possibility. Interactions within a connected community have the ability to increase levels of mutual understanding, about data. These interactions can also present persons into active roles socially. They can bring about creative action possibilities (Helgesen 56). Each one’s voice is essential for the “critical diversity” needed to address vital questions, identify power relations that are oppressive, criticize usual social conditions, and also reach new heights of understanding. Just like sea waves spread in a sea, information empowers people more as they share various aspects and issues (Helgesen 45). If profuse links are the characteristic definition of the information age, it is only fair to assume that the Internet offers such windows of opportunities for us to be able to take part in a worldwide discussion. The greatest advantage of the Internet is the chance to facilitate the vast interchange of ideas and knowledge and create intimate relationships between diverse individuals across the whole world. With internet, people have initiated a conversation that enables the world to be more of a one community (Burstein and Kline 356). Something new is hovering around the earth—an avenue for individuals to interact with others in an easier manner, no matter where they are. Suddenly, and with little or no planning, a worldwide conversation and an information leeway have emerged in less than ten years. This has made people anywhere in the world next-door neighbors. As Baldwin notes, democracy demands responsible people who are ready to showcase their ideas and beliefs to be publicly criticized and also take part in the overall social order (56). Individuals who can connect to the internet have, in proximity, the power to start or join a new arena for dialogue. The ‘magic’ of the Internet is that it is an invention that places cultural acts and all forms of symbolization in the participant’s hands (Burstein and Kline 356). The Internet brings together common individuals to interchange political issues and ideas. People can state their own opinions and ask for feedback in order to increase their social knowledge. People can take part in discussions where anyone in the “audience” can contribute and add to the public knowledge. Individuals or organizations can conduct research projects with various groups from the entire world, share problems and interests, and create new from all corners of the world. What is of importance is the support that technology has on people’s network (Lipnack and Stamps 158). According to Green, empowerment takes its course as we move out of the traditional confines and boundaries and embrace and shape new possibilities. These new possibilities give us the chance to work for freedom, to put pressure on ourselves and our comrades as we keep our minds and hearts open to face reality even as we jointly imagine ways to break and move beyond the boundaries. If there is a world with no boundaries, it has to be the internet. With “near primitive conditions of a frontier” (Green 8), people can eliminate physical limits as online communities evolve in grassroots manner, where any human challenge is addressed (Burstein and Kline 356). Redefining Personal Life The way a technological society redefines the nature of knowledge about the person and social relations is an obvious challenge to empowerment (Green 48). Green, a social critic, argues that we are turning into a “technopoly” society whereby our thoughts and actions are determined or ruled by technology, and that the internet has become a symbol of immediate life highlights with strong variety and options of skills, entertainment, and anonymity (19). Green further warns that new technologies change our interests’ structure – the character of our interests or the things we think of and character of our symbols or the things we think with as regards the nature of the community or the development arena of our thoughts (20). The fundamentals to empowerment include intellectual depth, creative autonomy as well as dialogical development of meaning (Morgaine 45). However, the development of these reflective abilities can be dented by the internet. The internet can dictate one’s perception of reality and dominate every life’s aspect (Foster 25). Moreover, information comes to us quickly as “one screen” at a time, making us to view the ‘best’ knowledge as that which has been packaged into a lively, entertaining, and instantly gratifying form. People have become careless consumers of the electronically produced data that flows from the internet and, therefore, they have become more captivated by sophisticated images and less creative on complex issues (Baldwin 52). Even before the public availability of the internet, the technological mindset has always led people to expect to find a tool that quickly solves every problem (Green 45). Green further explains that we rush into technological solutions rather than taking the time on reflective human interaction, critical struggle, and pride in craft. Green echoes this by saying that skills and not ideas are the determinants of successful use of the internet (78). The internet environment is multi-linear, allowing the continual attention shifting, thus changing our view of personal success. We are even likely to liken efficiency with technical skill, the ability to surf from one site to another or enter a newsgroup or even log on to a forum to find instant answers to less-defined problems (Green 58). In the future, individuals are likely to struggle to attain the valued traits of being quick and efficient rather than being reflective and thorough. Baldwin explains that empowerment depends on the development of mature identity combined with self-understanding, self-reflection, and crucial awareness of external reality and opportunity (56). The constant shifting of the internet world challenges the existing ideas of both identities and reality. Internet’s virtual reality and information are vaguer and more open to fantasy compared to physical or tangible experience. Most of the computer users seem to use the movement into cyberspace as liberation from the constraints of the real life (Green 11). Therefore, internet-based information is fluid as it is only represented by words and not by actions. It is usually constantly experimental, fragmented, and mostly confused (Foster 45). In addition, an individual works alone in the internet in the absence of a tangible social context, and this autonomy, without fear of social critique and grounded consequences, can disintegrate into self-absorption (Foster 56). Kony 2012 Kony 2012 documentary is an internet awareness campaign, which aims at bringing John Kony, the head of the Lord’s Resistance Army, to arrest. The Kony 2012 was designed by unseen children who aimed at portraying Kony as an unpopular, and hence encourage the American authority to arrest him so he can set an example of the global injustices. Ideally, Kony is perceived to be an extremely wicked character because he participated in kidnapping of children and enrolling them in his militia. To make the matter worse, he subjected them to sex slavery for abuse by his militia. Kony, who is thought to get power from divine sources, is also accused of being possessed by authoritative spirits that push their directives through him. John Kony is indeed responsible for numerous crimes against humanity, as well as several war crimes, which places him on the frontline of leading international criminal courts’ hunted men. The short video attempts to drum up support from across Africa, to paint Kony as a very infamous man with the aim of creating awareness to eventually bring him to book. The pictures showing a multitude of people placing placards and stickers in all cities of Africa is an example of an attempt to create this awareness (Burstein and Kline 356). This documentary eventually occasioned a “Cover the Night” on Facebook, which drew a lot of members who agreed to take part in the event of 20th April. The documentary tries to make Kony a very famous personality so as to attract the attention of the US government, which in turn, is expected to send soldiers to keep vigil in central Africa and eventually capture Kony. This documentary has raised a very critical concern for Ugandan’s children as well as any other group of people in the world who could be tormented by injustices committed by individuals who do not have a human heart. The kind of awareness created here, despite facing some limitations, has unearthed some terrible atrocities that have happened in Uganda and that would have gone under if not voiced. The existence of ruthless characters like Kony would have remained ignorant in the minds of many had it not been for efforts to address this issue. Although the documentary does not propose long-term approach to be followed when Kony is finally bought to book, use of social media to create awareness is a powerful tool which will not fail to bring some positive changes (Burstein and Kline 356). Community According to Wellman, the society has moved from group-based to network-based relationships as a result of internet, which has contributed widely to decoupling community and geographical close relationships (256). This calls for fresh perception and amendment of the previous ways of life. Alongside with this, Katz et al (forthcoming) argued that, though the internet users have fewer associates in the immediate neighborhood, they can chat with their cell phones and visit friends regularly. Whether the internet is harmful or not can be judged from one’s assessment on how people deal with it. For instance, Baldwin argues that use of emails on cell phones has replaced the self-reported way of communication, and that people have lost contact with their social environment (56). Contrary to that, Burstein and Kline values online communications through email as it is a medium that increases accumulation of group capital (396). Certainly, a rising number of literatures advocate that internet boosts group ties by strengthening the existing interaction patterns. Information on a countrywide assessment of internet users revealed that, email being one of the significant ways of communication, provide regular contact with friends and relatives. In addition, the study suggests that internet use and social capital should be distinguished from other internet use. Unlike men, internet does not seem to interfere with social capital of women as they utilize it to harmonize other channels of communication. A study conducted by Kraut et al (forthcoming) further emphasized on the importance of internet, revealing that it increases the interaction and closeness among relatives and friends, and more so to those who viewed social-support network as unimportant before they started using internet (56). Internet cannot be matched with other forms of media. This is because of its capability of bringing people together, from miles away, allowing online interactions as well as discussions and /or chat rooms. There are various shapes and sizes of online communities. They include virtual communities that unite people who are far away geographically, and did not have acquaintances previously. Internet is capable of facilitating communication among friends and community networks. To avoid misunderstanding and incongruity, online community research should be distinguished from other forms of internet. Multi-user dungeons or MUDs and newsgroups, are some of the examples of online role-playing games that have been studied previously. Green provides that, online ethnography has provided useful approach on statuses, concerns, and issues of identity formation of particular groups (568). It should be noted that, as the technology grows, those involved in newsgroup and online games decreases. Thus, the researchers must track users’ latest large and growing online communities. Members view the settings to be of great importance, as it makes it possible for people with less interest to communicate, participate and find companionship at a lower price from long distances. A further study conducted on online community by Rheingold’s stressed that, the members of online network should be granted social support (56). A comparison conducted by other researchers between online community and real-life social network concluded that online communities are not based on a close relationship or demographic characteristics, but on shared interests. However, communities are required to develop standards to govern intimidation or offensive language on issues related to racial, gender and sexual dynamics, which complicate online interaction. Different studies have differing aims; that is, some focus on the impact of internet on geographical communities while others focus on virtual communities. A typical study on computerized community highlights significance of investigating online interaction in the perspective of offline on a daily basis. The study discovered that internet users retain community attachment through face-to-face and computer mediated communications. Even though the internet users retain long distance relationship than the non internet users do, they interact with their neighbors often. They are also familiar with their neighbors more than the unconnected users. A related community study discovered that social-capital building is one of the activities that utilize internet. The individual-level participation and attachment only increased to those residents who were active at the beginning of the experiment. In addition, a study conducted by scholarly network found that a large number of emails are between people who interact face-to-face, in spite of the fact that internet retain long distance interactions. Therefore, it is recommended that the internet does not substitute other channels of interaction, but uphold the ties of community by boosting harmony. Conclusion Internet is essentially a very strong tool for protecting the interest of children in Uganda as well as any other part of the word. There is a wealth of information concerned with children soldiers as well as sites that give highlights on issues related with children slavery, Kony 2012 being one of them. Since the internet is becoming a very essential tool for creating everyday experiences and since it has the potential to influence the global social structure and the way of life, it is of particular interest to consider its role in everyday life (Foster 29). In view of this discussion, internet helps to create mass awareness and empower people in the society. Therefore, it is hard to disassociate ourselves from what it offers. Works Cited Baldwin, Edith. “Family empowerment as a focus for home economics education”, Journal of Vocational Home Economics Education 8.1 (1990): 1-12. Print. Baldwin, Edith. Family well-being: A conceptualization guide to professional practice. In D. Mitstifer (Ed.), toward a theory of family well-being. East Lansing, MI: Kappa Omicron Nu, 1996. Print. Burstein, Daniel, and David Kline. Road-warriors: Dreams and nightmares along the information highway. New York: Dutton, 1995. Print. Firestone, Charles, and Adam Garmer. 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Wellman, Bally. “Physical place and cyber-place: The rise of networked Individualism.” International Journal for Urban and Regional Research 25(2001): 227-52. Print. Read More