Communicating in a Virtual World - Research Paper Example

Communicating in a Virtual World The age of information technology has surpassed our wildest imaginations. Judging on the speed of developments and technical innovations, information technology may yet surpass our biggest expectations. Communication technology affects the ways in which individuals interact in social and cyber realms. The usual and traditional ways of communicating and socializing with each other are now considered outmoded forms of communication. Conversations can now be carried out without the need for face to face contact with each other. This paper shall explore how communication technology has affected the ways in which individuals interact with each other in the social and cyber realms. It shall also assess how communication technology changes the way we interact with each other face-to-face. Communication technology has affected the ways in which individuals deal with experiences of abuse. Battered women have access to a new medium where they can gain support and protection from their violent and unfortunate circumstances. Survivors of domestic abuse are now online and they are assisting other women going through the same difficulties they have encountered in the past. Some studies have revealed that more women are surfing the net. The American Psychological Association has also revealed that one in three adult women have experienced abuse. They further extrapolate that since women are surfing the web more than men, it is reasonable to assume that some of these women are victims of abuse. Psychologists prove these assumptions to be true by revealing that online resources for help groups have a large number of email requests for advocacy and crisis support (Kranz, as quoted by Kranz & Nakamura “Documents”). Online help groups for domestic violence has now become a useful and powerful avenue as it provides a medium for populations who are unable to personally get help for their psychological and physical suffering. The internet reduces cost and eliminates the inconvenience of having to personally consult with psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Critical communication can also be transmitted in a convenient and timely manner through the internet. “The Internet can alleviate physical and geographic barriers for people with mobility limitations due to disabilities, those who live in rural areas with limited support resources available to them, and those with care-giving responsibilities who are unable to leave their home” (Kranz & Nakamura “Documents”). It is also easier to access people with similar interests and experiences and with whom the victims can relate and open up to. Even if these individuals never get to meet face to face, the emotional support that they can give to each other can translate across cyberspace. However, just as the internet can also help victims of abuse, it can also increase and exacerbate the abuse. Perpetrators of abuse can use the internet to control and keep track of their partners. Wireless cell phones can now be used to eavesdrop on other people. Cell phones can be placed in strategic places around the house to pick up conversations and activities going on while the perpetrator is away. Abusive partners can tamper with their partner’s emails in order to intercept and re-direct incoming mail into their accounts. This allows them to monitor the emails that their partner is receiving and use these mails as reasons for further abuse. Some abusive partners can also use web cameras in order to monitor home and internet activity. (Krank & Nakamura “Documents”). These are just some of the ways abusers have now used the advancements in communication technology to further abuse and control their partners. Abused partners now have restricted activities and diminished control over their lives because of the constant fear that they are being watched and monitored whatever they do and wherever they go. Nevertheless the benefits of the present communication technologies are endless. Social networking websites allow individuals to expand their circle of friends, to simply keep in touch with each other, and even to involve themselves in social and political advocacies. Through social networking, it is convenient for friends to keep in touch with each other across the miles and even across oceans. They can share experiences with each other through the pictures and videos they post in their MySpace or their Friendster page. They can also indicate their interests and hobbies in these networking websites. As a result, “these sites don’t necessarily exist for purposes of creating romance or looking for partners, but they do capitalize on the desire for people to meet others who have similar interests and qualities” (Hanson, p. 86). Social networking websites also allow cultural exchanges between individuals of different nationalities and traditions. Shared interests often cut across borders. An American may find out that he shares similar interests with an Asian halfway across the globe. And social networking allows them to open up about their culture, their lives, and their countries in general. Now, the American and the Asian are no longer just focused on what they read and learn in their classes about the history of nations a million miles away, they are personally connecting with these people because of the social networking websites. As some advocates of social networking claim, “a social network can supply you with pen pals from all over the globe. What better way to promote cultural understanding?” (Mercer “Internet & Technology). Social networking has also been the new medium by which the younger generation can get themselves involved in political and social advocacies. Obama’s election campaign through the social networking groups like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter was able to entice the younger generation of voters to become involved and to be aware of his programs and policies (Jones “Business Library”). Through social networking, the Gaza-Israel conflict was also brought into a new light. The true face of war was presented through the eyes of the Israeli bloggers who served as the eyes and the ears of the media and the rest of the world into what was actually happening in Israel and the Gaza strip. Through social networking and through online technology like YouTube, some Israeli youths were able to present to the world that “Israel was fighting Hamas rather than regular Palestinians. They worked to influence online discussions on YouTube, Facebook, and Al Jazeera, and tried to change commonly used language of the war – referring to Hamas as terrorists rather than fighters…” (Gilinski “Worldview”). Online political discussions have been made possible through communication technology. Through social networks like Facebook and MySpace, political and social discussions may be started on any issue or topic – ranging from a political candidate to global warming. Members interested in participating in the topic discussion can share their thoughts and opinions in the discussion panel. Through this discussion forum, members are made more aware of the issues they discuss; it encourages them to research about the topic they are discussing; and they can critically analyze an issue while considering the opinions and views of other contributors to the discussion. “The ability of the internet to unite those of disparate backgrounds has great potential for fostering debate and discussion of issues in the civic arena…” (Holt, as quoted by Kushin, p. 7). Communication technology also gives the younger generation a chance to find and establish their identity. With various social networking groups, they can decide to join groups based on their interests. Their niche and identity is carved based on their choice interests. They can choose to relate and communicate with other youngsters who are homosexual, who are anorexic, who are obese, who have learning disabilities, etc. Through the internet, they can express their opinions, their pain, and their true identity without fear of being rebuked by members (Bower, pp. 200-201). All in all, this mode of expression is beneficial for teenagers and for the younger generation who often find it difficult to grapple with their identities because of the clichéd expectations of society and of their families. Teenagers are especially at crucial stages in their lives of struggling with their identity and “giving teens the chance to find others who have similar interests…helps guarantee that they are comfortable with who they are, which…is an important aspect of adolescent literacy” (Braun, p. 78). Through communication technology, information has now become available to anyone with internet access. Information and knowledge is no longer exclusive to those who go to schools or who have access to libraries, books, newspapers and magazines. Those belonging to the upper and middle class families usually use the internet to sent instant text messages to their friends, however, those who belong to the lower classes use the internet to get as much information they could about their homework or about their lessons. The internet has become the ultimate equalizer. It has also become a valuable resource in areas where people can hardly afford computers let alone internet connectivity. Ghana in West Africa is one such area. Surveys have revealed that many of those who have gone online in these parts of Africa have done so in order to access information regarding AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases, nutrition, exercise, drug-use and pregnancy (Bower, p. 205). Many users rank the internet as their primary source of information about sexual health-related information. They educate themselves about the important aspects of their health and education without having to enroll or step into the confines of the academe. Computer technology has also engendered diversity in communication and social networking. Although social network groups are usually formed by like-minded people, new connections are often made to different people of different interests online. “Friends forwarding messages to third parties provide indirect contact between unconnected people who can then make indirect contact…[it] extends the social range of networks: allowing people to maintain more ties and fostering more specialized relationships” (Wellman, pp. 252-253). As a result, there is a more dynamic connection and network among internet users who are no longer confined and limited by their immediate circle of friends. Face-to-face contact has little chance of giving way to a more diverse social network. People’s physical interactions would still be limited by their need to gravitate towards like-minded people. But this like-mindedness is stripped bare by the present innovations in communication technology. And in the present trend of globalization, communication technology now caters to both diversity and familiarity. About 10 years ago, the trend in communication technology was very much focused on the electronic mail. Friends and family members kept in touch with each other without having to wait for postal mail to be delivered. It was already a medium preferred over the regular mail because it was less tedious, it was expeditious, and it was cheaper. And now with the birth of a variety of social network websites, communication technology has become more than just a way of keeping in touch and being updated about each other’s lives, it has also become a means of meeting new friends. The ubiquity and simplicity of these networks have also been favored by most individuals because a person can post anything on his page; thereafter, members interested can read or look over blogs, videos, or photos posted. It is possible to “passively put something out there and let people engage with it” (Waters “Technology”). There is no obligation placed on members and followers to comment or even look into the information posted on a Facebook or any other social networking page. And yet, discussions about the material posted will still be picked up by those who are interested. As a result, the social networking built up by our present communication technology has become an alternative medium for people to express their opinions about what they see and hear. Cellular phones have also managed to improve and revolutionize our communication technology. Cell phones have now become handier, cheaper, and more accessible to the masses. They are also presently equipped with more features which allow users to send text messages, to check their emails, to watch television, or even listen to music through their phones. It has now become a must-have commodity not just for the working groups, but also for the school-age children and teenagers. With many features now incorporated in cell phones, people are now using it for a variety of purposes. They use it as their alarm clocks, as their phone books, as their MP3 players, as their calculators, and as their internet connection. “The intervention of the modern mobile phone has profoundly altered the way we communicate with friends and family, how we work, live, act, play, and develop and maintain social relationships” (Rehm, p. 2). Text-messaging has also become the new and favored form of communication used and explored in cell phones. Text messaging is actually the easiest way to communicate with other people because there is no need for internet connectivity; all that is needed is a cellular phone. Many people, especially in the younger set prefer sending text messages rather than calling. They can send short messages to their friends and loved ones even when they are busy. Sending text messages would not take too much of one’s time, and more importantly, it is also a cheaper way of communicating with each other. Some people also favor this form of communication because they find it easier to express themselves through text messages especially when the subject is a delicate or sensitive. People find it easier to ask someone on a date, to break up, or just get to know another person through text messages. In the romance department, some people prefer to send and receive text messages of love from their partners at various times of their day. They opine that, “the brevity of a text message gives it a certain poetic beauty” (Lung, as quoted by Noguchi “Technology”). And for those in the early stages of a relationship, text messaging can be an important tool in either accepting or rejecting the advances of a potential suitor. In an article in the New York Times, Sandra Barron (pp. 219-223) narrated how she was able to ‘start’ and eventually ‘end’ a relationship with someone through text messaging without the relationship ever progressing to the first dinner date. Her experience was able to show how text messaging was able to save her from a potentially disastrous relationship. Although text messaging also dragged her into engaging the wrong guy into a flirtatious relationship, she was eventually able to get away from it easily. Had she entered the relationship in the traditional face-to-face contact, she would have been too deep into the relationship before she ever discovered that she made a mistake. Communication technology has plunged the world into a big social network. Facebook, Friendster, MySpace, cellular phones, and text messaging are just some of the media available for everyone to access. These media have allowed us to communicate with each other on a wider and a more diverse scale. Our world has now become smaller and the physical borders of the world’s nations have also become less cumbersome. Social networking has allowed us to expand our circle of friends and to get to know other people who share our interests and our problems. The internet has now become a means for abused and help-seeking people to get assistance and support for their problems. The internet has also become a more open and ubiquitous means of communicating with each other regardless of distance, culture, and nationality. Communications technology has now allowed us to regularly keep in touch with our friends and family across miles and oceans without it costing us thousands of dollars in phone bills. Communication technology has indeed managed to affect how we relate to other people and how we socialize not just with our friends and family, but also how we view the rest of the world. Works Cited Barron, S. “R We d8ting?” Sunday Styles. 24 July 2005. New York Times. 28 May 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/24/fashion/sundaystyles/24LOVE.html?pagewanted=all Braun, L. “Teens, technology, and literacy: or, Why bad grammar isn't always bad”. p. 78. 2007. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited Bower, B. “Growing Up Online”. pp. 199-205. 17 June 2006. Science News. Washington-169, no. 24, Gilinksy, J. “How Social Media War Was Waged in Gaza-Israel Conflict”. World View. 13 February 2009. Public Broadcasting System. 28 May 2009 http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2009/02/how-social-media-war-was-waged-in-gaza-israel-conflict044.html Hanson, J. “24/7: how cell phones and the Internet change the way we live, work, and play”. p. 86. 2007. Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007 Jones, A. “The politics of Web strategy: Obama's smart use of the Web helped him tap into key Demographics”. Business Library. November 2008. Find Articles. 28 May 2009 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1365/is_4_39/ai_n30962655/?tag=untagged Kranz, A. & Nakamura, K. “Helpful or Harmful? How Innovative Communication Technology Affects Survivors of Intimate Violence”. Documents. (8 May 2002). Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse. 29 May 2009 http://www.mincava.umn.edu/documents/5survivortech/5survivortech.html Mercer, L. “Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networking”. Internet & Technology. Social Networking. 28 May 2009 http://socialnetworking.lovetoknow.com/Advantages_and_Disadvantages_of_Social_Networking Noguchi, Y. “Life and Romance in 160 Characters or Less”. Technology. 29 December 2005. The Washington Post. 28 May 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/28/AR2005122801430.html Rehm, N. “The Modern Cell Phone: Communicating Culture, Not Conversation”. (n.d). p. 2. Simon Fraser University. 28 May 2009 http://www.sfu.ca/~roman/page70/page78/files/page78_1.pdf Silvio. “Can Social Networking Technology Undo Old Political Networks?” Blogs. 04 February 2009. World Bank. 28 May 2009 https://publicsphere.worldbank.org/can-social-networking-technology-undo-old-political-networks Waters, D. “Social networks 'are new e-mail'”. Technology. 15 March 2009. BBC News. 28 may 2009 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7942304.stm Wellman, B. “Community from Neighborhood to Network”. pp. 250-253. October 2005. Communications-ACM, 48: 10. Read More