Socializing On the Internet Is Reshaping Our Society - Research Paper Example

Do you think that socializing on the Internet is reshaping our society? The incoming of the second media age and multiple digital platforms has created new societal trends and the growth of social networking has created a new social model, which has redefined contemporary culture, particularly youth culture. For example, related to the digital revolution has been the radicalisation of communication modes, with the inception of chat rooms, email, instant messaging and blogs. In turn these novel communication modes have reshaped social interaction in the contemporary social framework within the continuous movement towards global homogenous cultural paradigms (Volmer & Precourt, 2008). The creation of multi-faceted digital space has seen a significant uptake by youth on a global scale, thereby perpetuating a domino effect on culture, sub-cultures and social behaviour through the changing communication trends with social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Bebo (Cross, 2004: 3). For example, Bellah et al (1998) comment that social networking has created “lifestyle enclaves, social networks formed by people who share some feature of private life and who express their identity through shared patterns of appearance, consumption and leisure activities, which often serve to differentiate them sharply from those with other lifestyles” (Bellah et al, 1998: 335 in Andersson, 2002:104). The reality of social networking and continued growth has fuelled debate as to whether social interaction on the internet is reshaping society, particularly when considered in context of youth culture. For example, the diversity of social spaces through networks such as Facebook, internet chat rooms and MySpace for example not only changes the way in which teenagers interact, it provides a backdrop for a multitude of complex interrelated factors, which are difficult to monitor (Cross, 2004). For example, whilst the social networking distribution model has revolutionised instantaneous communication, the anonymity afforded by the technology has also highlighted the dangers raised by modern technology as a facilitator of online crime, such as cyber-bullying, stalking, identity theft and hacking. This in turn clearly raises issues about the wider impacts of online social interaction on behaviour and society, and this paper critically evaluates whether socializing on the internet is reshaping behaviour. In analysing this issue, this paper will undertake a contextual evaluation with specific reference to the cultural impact on youth behaviour and the growing concerns regarding online bullying through social networks. It is submitted at the outset that the prolific transformation of the Internet into a commercial model and consumer orientated medium has further created gaps in the youth culture and the contemporary construction of youth culture in terms of how young people utilise online information streams and web based services. However, the literature review reveals that the central focus when considering the impact of the internet particularly on youth has focused on threats such as cyber bullying, crime and paedophilia, with little attention being given to online game playing, entertainment and shopping. It is submitted that these trends shape youth culture, which in turn impacts changes in socio-cultural trends and social behaviour (Bennett & Harris, 2004). Moreover, research from as early as 1998 indicates that this aspect of the Internet is central role in the constructions of contemporary youth culture (Bennett & Harris, 2004:47). Bennett and Harris further posit that the role and impact of technology in youth culture has created polarised theories such as postmodernism on the one hand to the cultural studies approach on the other (Bennett & Harris, 2004: 78). The post modern rationale opines that youth is shaped by cultural norms. This in turn shapes the concept of “age identity” and in context of the Internet model and therefore youth starts earlier now as a result of the commercialisation of popular culture young people, who are introduced to adult consumption and adult issues much earlier in their lives (Leary & Hoyle, 2009: 402). Bennett & Harris further comment that contemporary perspectives on consumption form an important concept in post-modern thought, which directly correlates with the post modern explanation for the impact of the internet medium on youth culture. Some commentators argue that people do not construct their identity according to their social class and but through consumer tastes and as such this directly acknowledge the influence that new media has on how young people construct their identity (Bennett & Harris 2007, Leary & Hoyle, 2009). Nevertheless, it is submitted that the polarisation of the cultural studies approach and the post-modernist approach arguably ignores the important observations of both and that the interrelationship between the two should be considered in further research regarding the impact of the internet on youth culture and domino impact on evolving sub-cultures. Indeed, Tapcott posited in 1998 that the current young generation is “the first to grow up surrounded by digital media” the ramifications of which are starting to filter through into contemporary societal and business culture (Tapcott, 1998; Bennett & Harris 2004: 118). For example, if we consider by analogy the internet usage in America, a leading study undertaken by the Pew Internet &American Life Project in 2008 highlighted that more than half of all online American youths between 12 and 17 use an online social networking site. The survey also found that the older teen girls in particular like to use these sites to reinforce existing relationships and flirt with boys. Overall, the report highlighted the social importance attached to the internet by teens and the key findings of the Pew Report were as follows: 1) 55% of online teens have created an online personal profile such as MySpace or Facebook; 2) 66% who have created a profile have limited access to their profiles; 3) 48% of teens visit social networking websites daily or more often, 26% visit once a day, 22% visit several times a day; 4) Older girls aged 15-17 are more likely to use social networking sites and online profiles; 5) 70% of older girls have used an online social network compared with 54% of older boys and 70% of older girls create an online profile while only 57% of boys have done so (Pew Internet and American Life Project, 2008). The Report highlights the explosive growth of these sites as a contemporary social phenomenon, which in turn has generated parental concern about risks regarding the public availability of information (Internet and American Life Project, 2008). In considering the reasoning behind the teen use of such social networking sites, the results of the Pew Report indicated the following: 1) 91% of all social networking teens say they use sites to stay in touch with friends they see frequently; 2) 72% use to make plans with friends, 49% to make new friends; 3) Older boys within the demographic tested use social networking to make new friends; 4) 17% of all social networking teens use the sites to flirt; and 5) Older boys using social networking are more likely to use the site as a means to flirt. It is evident from the report that MySpace dominated the social networking world and whilst Facebook is increasingly popular across the ages, MySpace remains culturally important as a means for independent and mainstream music (Internet and American Life Project, 2008). However, the concern raised by this is that MySpace is open to anyone with loose age restrictions and a user can create any type of profile increasing anonymity (www.pewinternet.org). To this end, Facebook is more closed as individuals can only be added when verified and often Facebook requires users to register and create a profile in their real name. In observing the impact of this phenomenon on youth and behaviour, Cross refers to McLuhan’s extrapolation of the global village, where the world is turned into a single community through the nature of digital spaces (Cross, 2004). To this end, more than merely offering vast information and entertainment to audiences, the new media format provides youths a self identity, a sense of individuality and a way to think differently from the others (Cross, 2004: 20). With the new media today, youths thinking and attitudes towards life may be manoeuvred in one way or another given these factors, it can be seen that the new media are relatively important in the lives of young people (Turkle, 1996; Leary & Hoyle, 2009). With this new media age, the sociability factor is clearly changing dynamics through patterns of behaviour, modes of accessing information and entertainment as well as ways of seeing the world and interacting with one another have changed (Cross, 2004). Indeed, Anderson and Miles expressly refer to the fact that through new media, the impact on youth is “selling young people an element of identity” (Anderson and Miles, 1999: 108). Moreover, it is posited that the active engagement in new media, particularly with electronic media for their own needs and purposes as can be utilised as a means of escaping from stress, relaxation or social contact (Cross, 2004). This is further fuelled by the greater mobility due to the ability to move from one place to another without physical travel (Cross, 2004). For example, the Internet and mobile phone are effective tools for the transmission of information and experience to everyone and physical distance is no longer a barrier to the communication process (Cross, 2004). As such, it has been argued that the digital media is shaping youth culture by changing patterns of communication and redefining community life through providing broader cultural options (Bennett & Harris, 2004). For example, in the Young People New Media Survey conducted in 2005 in the UK, it was found that one third of young people use a computer for purposes other than studies during their leisure time (www.facingthechallenge.org). Moreover, it has been argued that the computer medium offers youth the change of creating identities for one’s self. They can take multiple identities, switch genders, appearances and other aspects of the self to invent a new character (Tapscott, 1998; Turkle, S. 1996). This is evidenced through virtual reality mediums such as Nintendo, GameBoy, PlayStation and Sega that provides arenas for communication and interaction (Abbott, 1998). A prime example of this is the use of multi user domains in the computer model, where social virtual realities are created whereby multiple users from all over the world log into their individual computer joining communities that only exist in the computer (Turkle, 1996:156). They further act as tools for the expression of player’s imagination where players could communicate with one another, fight against each other or create new objects that others could interact with in the game (Turkle, 1996: 157). Howard heralded the Internet as the “new era of contemporary society” (in Tapscott, 1998). Nevertheless, notwithstanding the multiple opportunities for efficiency and self identity, there are clearly significant consequences of the new media models such as post modern fragmentation (Turkle, 1996; Livingstone, 2002). For example, instead of supporting a stable identity, new media can conversely fragment and result in portraying multiple identities (Turkle, 1996:160). To this end, many post modern theorists posit that the society has now become a mere mass where individuals and social classes are no longer existing and that time at home is spent more with media than family members, shifting the societal trends in family relationships. Indeed, Turkle observes that new media “crumbling down the walls of distance” (Turkle, 1990: 170) where social relationships are diminishing as communication is not undertaken in solely face to face interactions. Moreover, the new media model clearly creates a risk of controlling youth’s consciousness, controlling how they think. In fact the serious social and health ramifications of using social networking has been much publicised (Leary & Hoyle, 2009). Additionally, on the other side of the spectrum, linked to the Internet technology and social interaction online is the low cost, ease of use and anonymity, which has also made the Internet a breeding ground for criminal activity, leading to unforeseeable consequences with malicious activity such as hacking and viruses, which have been difficult to police due to jurisdictional difficulties and difficulties with identity tracking of offenders (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009). Reports have highlighted that cybercrime is now one of the fastest growing criminal activities in the world and covers a huge range of illegal activity such as hacking, downloading pornography, use of chat rooms to engage in illegal activity with underage victims, virus attacks; stalking by e-mail and creating websites that promote xenophobia (CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey 2008). The use of computer networks with the Internet have made criminal’s jobs easier and policing harder and provides predators a new place to target someone for criminal acts and increase the likelihood of avoiding liability (CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey 2008). The problem and perceived risk to youth online users in particular and the use by youth offenders to perpetuate criminal activities on the other side of the spectrum is so widespread (with major Internet Service Providers (“ISP”) claiming that reports of cyber stalking is at least 15 a month and on the rise), that the Council of Europe along with USA, Canada and Japan brought into force the International Treaty on Cybercrime 2001 (“the Convention”). Moreover, the work of Hinduja and Patchin highlights how the online model has facilitated youth perpetuated crime with a rising trend in cyberbullying, denial of server attacks and identity fraud and in turn points to some worrying trends in perception of acceptable social behaviour (Hinduja, & Patchin, 2009: 19) There is no actual universal definition of cyberstalking or cyberbullying, which has become a worryingly increasing phenomenon online however in general terms it involves the use of the Internet, e-mail or other electronic communications devices to stalk another person (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009: 89). Indeed, online harassment can take many forms, however cyberstalking is common to offline harassment in that stalkers are motivated often by a desire to control their victims (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009: 89). Moreover, Hinduja & Patchin’s work demonstrates an escalating trend in cyberstalking and cyberbullying among older adolescents (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009: 90). Furthermore, despite the similar behavioural tendencies, the Internet provides new avenues for stalkers and cyberbullies. The technology is more sophisticated and enables perpetrators to hide their identity and use programs to send messages at regular or random intervals without even being present at the computer terminal. This again sits uneasily with the definition of “misuse” under the Act (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009: 130). Moreover, the National Crime Prevention Council reports that cyber bullying is increasingly impacting American teens and Hinduja and Patchin’s report highlighted the wider ramifications of children suffering from online bullying such as truancy and increased propensity towards substance abuse (Hinduja & Patchin 2009) Additionally, online stalkers can engage third parties by using Internet chat rooms and message boards under an anonymous name. This makes it difficult for law enforcement officers to identify, locate or arrest the offender. The anonymity of the Internet provides opportunities for would be cyber stalkers and they can conceal their identity by using different ISPs and/or adopting different screen names (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009). Online harassment can take many forms, however cyberstalking is common to offline harassment in that stalkers are motivated often by a desire to control their victims and engage in similar behavioural traits to achieve their desire for power and control (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009). Additionally, the fact that the Internet is non-confrontational enables stalkers who cannot face their victims much braver to harass and send harassing or threatening electronic communication to a victim (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009). Furthermore, despite the similar behavioural tendencies, the Internet provides new avenues for stalkers. The technology is more sophisticated and enables stalkers to hide their identity and use programs to send messages at regular or random intervals without even being present at the computer terminal. Accordingly, the above analysis highlights that the communication channels enabled by the Internet and in particular the social networking phenomenon, has revolutionised the way in which we communicate. In turn, the social interaction on the internet has not only enabled access to wider cultures, it has also reshaped society through enabling the creation of sub cultures and online groups united by common interests. In turn, social interaction on the internet has clearly redefined contemporary culture as highlighted by contextual reference to youth culture. However, on the other side of the spectrum, the worrying growth of online bullying and stalking also suggest a marked shift in attitudes to acceptable social behaviour. As a result, the development of social interaction on the Internet has clearly reshaped society and social norms. BIBLIOGRAPHY Abbott, C. (1998). Making Connections: Young People and the Internet. In Sefton-Green, J. (ed) Digital Diversions: Youth Culture in the Age of Multimedia, pp. 84-105 UCL Press Anderson, A. & Miles, S. (1999). Just Do It. Young People, the Global Media and the Construction of Consumer Meanings. In Youth and Global Media, Ralph, S. (ed), Luton: University of Luton Press. Bennett, A. & Harris, K. (2004). After Subculture: Critical Studies in Contemporary Youth Culture. Palgrave Macmillan Cross, R. (2004). The Hidden Power of Social Networks: Understanding How Work Really Gets Done. Harvard Business School Press. Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2009). Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullies. Sage Publications: Corwin Press. Leary, & Hoyle (2009) Handbook of individual differences in social behaviour. Tapscott, D. (1998). 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