The Use of the Internet as a Social Activity and Self-Expression - Coursework Example

THE USE OF THE INTERNET AS A SOCIAL ACTIVITY AND SELF-EXPRESSION INTRODUCTION The origins of the internet s back to as early as 1960s. Its evolution changed the course of communication and computer technology spanning a diversity of people and cultures. The benefits that the Internet has accorded are so enormous and innovative that the generation today could not imagine a world without it. Even the most primitive of cultures have already been reached by the technology of the Internet. This essay aims to examine the use of the Internet as a social activity and as a means for self-expression. Specifically, this paper will address the statement: “the internet has presented individuals with real possibilities for self-expression, conversation and creative work.” To appreciate its relevance, a brief history of the origins of the Internet would initially be discussed. Other various uses of the Internet, aside from the focal points, would also be presented. What is exciting in this technological development is that it has not stopped evolving and there is still a vast future ahead. A lot of stakeholders have the desire to continue their quest to discover new applications and uses which would define the future of the Internet. However, the consequences of information overload and accessibility to data have tremendous effects on the traditional concepts of culture. Our way of life, due to the technology provided by the Internet, will never be the same. THE INTERNET’S EFFECT TO MEDIA AND CULTURE The existence of the Internet begun with the “Galactic Network” concept written by J.C.R. Licklider of MIT in August 1962. According to Leiner, et.al. (2003), the history of the Internet revolves around four distinct aspects: the technological aspect, operational and management aspect, social aspect, and commercialization aspect. The emergence of new media technologies such as the cable, satellite and the Internet has a tremendous impact on the traditional forms of mass media. In a book on Media and Cultural Theory, Freedman wrote that “a combination of technological innovations (concerning digitization) and cultural shifts (towards a more individualistic consumer society) appear to have handed new media technologies a competitive advantage over their predecessors” (“Internet Transformations”, 275). With more and more people utilizing the Internet for various purposes, there had been significant declines in primetime viewing of broadcast networks and circulations in magazines and broadsheets. USES OF THE INTERNET The Internet boasts of a variety of uses for a wide range of clientele. From among the famous users of the Internet, our teenagers of today are seen to be the primary consumers of the Internet. A study conducted by Rainie (2004) revealed that teenagers do the specified tasks in the Internet in the following decreasing order: (1) for email; (2) surf for fun; (3) play games; (4) for instant messages; (5) to get health information; (6) for news; (7) to pursue hobbies; (8) research products; (9) listen to music; and (10) as chat rooms, from among others. In addition to these, the Internet is seen as a medium for social activity and as a means for self-expression. Individuals utilize the Internet to interact with others for various reasons: to communicate with friends, to search for old acquaintances, to form new alliances, to establish business relations, to build bridges instead of walls. Further, the Internet can be used to express oneself, either through verbal or written communication (email) or through other means (music, appreciation of the art, widening one’s horizon through surfing and connecting with friends). Freedman (2006) confirmed the Internet’s capability to present individuals with real possibilities for self-expression, conversation and creative work through blogging, peer-to-peer (P2P) network exchanges and easy access to previously restricted mediated media forms (p. 278). INTERNET AS A SOCIAL ACTIVITY Social activity is simply defined as “activity considered appropriate on social occasions” (AudioEnglish.net). Sociologists viewed the social structure as having an impact on both culture and technology. Broom and Selznick (1977) averred that “the central place of technology is reflected in the themes and values of modern culture, including major ideas of social theory”. Man’s ability to advance through technology, like the evolution of the Internet, exemplifies one of the theories of growth in culture. Accordingly, “technological change affected social organization (and social activities), which in turn, influenced culture or people’s way of life” (ibid). In a book by Kiesler (1997), she acknowledged that “what makes the Internet special is not the technology per se, but the social interactions it is inspiring”. Sproull and Faraj, who wrote a chapter in Kiesler’s book, examined the perspective that “the net is a social technology that allows people with common interests to find each other, gather, and sustain connections over time”. It is interesting to note that Sproull and Faraj distinguished real world social gatherings versus electronic gatherings through the Internet. According to them, electronic gatherings are marked by three distinct social attributes: (1) location or distance is not a barrier for communications through the Internet; (2) physical presence is not visible; and (3) the costs associated with this type of social gathering are considerably low. There are numerous sites which support social or electronic gathering depending on the purpose of the user. From among the famous group sites available are: WELL, AmericaOnline (AOL), Prodigy, Compuserve, USENET, to name a few. Of course, the following websites played significant parts in making the Internet a phenomenon: Google, Yahoo, YouTube. Facebook, MySpace and Bebo are known as the three most famous social networking websites from more than 140 notable, well known sites. One can just imagine the choices social beings have with all the advantages of working in the comfort of one’s home and with very little expenses associated with this type of electronic social interaction. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this type of social activity? In the same study written by Sproull and Faraj, they identified that “electronic groups do not provide direct physical or economic resources but they frequently offer information that may lead to them, such as leads or advice about jobs or items for sale” (ibid). Groups specializing on technical matters are able to provide professional advice on specific products or services. Information are also provided by social and political groups such as “Soc.feminism” which present movie and/or book reviews, among other issues. Of course, entertainment is offered by social groups such as USENET, through games, jokes, and even sex. The availability of affiliation is another advantage that the Internet offers. Whatever the purpose is: medical advice, health concerns, job openings, music and arts, the Internet through social networking websites could achieve one’s goals. Of course, there are disadvantages to this type of social gathering. For one, direct reciprocity is not immediately available as opposed to real face-to-face situations. In addition, although high quality information is readily and easily available, there is still a possibility of a degree of error and poor information that the internet could provide. Furthermore, there are tendencies that people spend a large amount of time in front of their computers reading group messages. And, in anticipating for responses, one should take into account the time difference between countries all over the globe. INTERNET AS A MEANS FOR SELF-EXPRESSION Self-expression is defined as “the expression of ones individuality (usually through creative activities)”(wordnet) and “the means by which ones personal characteristics are displayed; showing ones internal beliefs or character by means of external actions/changes” (en.wiktionary). Creative activities here mean activities veering towards the arts, music, painting, dance and even sports. The Internet provides ample sources of artistic activities where individuals could delve into. But like social activity, self expression through electronic means have its consequences. In an article written by Pareles (2006), he asks the readers to decipher what Internet users should do with the flood of information that is available at one flick of the keyboard. He noted that “all that free-flowing self-expression presents a grandly promising anarchy, an assault on established notions of professionalism, a legal morass and a technological remix of the processes of folk culture. And simply unleashing it could be the easy part. Now we have to figure out what to do with it: Ignore it? Sort it? Add more of our own?” Since it is a vehicle for self expression, can one just do whatever one desires with it? Pareles averred that “in past eras, most self-expression stayed close to home. Users generated traditional cultures and honed regional styles, concentrated by geographical isolation”. With the technology provide by the Internet, even amateur talents are given the opportunity to share their creativity and “invite the world to see” (ibid). Practically, there have been stories where aspiring singers record their craft and show their talent through YouTube. Lo and behold! They become famous. They get to be invited by celebrities to flaunt their creative skills and even to join professional groups and bands. An example of this is: Arnel Pineda, a Filipino, who uploaded his singing skills through YouTube was eventually “discovered” by the famous singing group, Journey. He was then officially hired as the group’s lead singer. The danger of conveying self expression through the internet is its effect in traditional culture. According to Pareles (2006), “folk cultures often work incrementally, adding bits of individuality to a well-established tradition, with time and memory determining what will last. In the user-generated realm, tradition is anything prerecorded, and all existing works seem to be there for the taking, copyrights aside.” In addition, with the voluminous pile of self expression available through websites, an aspiring amateur is faced with statistically high percentage of lack to be recognized. Another relevant discourse on self expression through the Internet is written by MacKinnon (2006). She recognizes three companies which are “are revolutionizing the way millions of Americans inform and entertain themselves and one another: Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft. These companies--none of which set out to be media companies--are now innovators in new forms of participatory media, born of the read-write web”. She acknowledged these companies comprising a self expression sector which grows into a multimillion dollar industry. More importantly, MacKinnon emphasized that “the read-write web empowers people who didnt have the resources to get their own voices heard in the past, and has the potential to empower many more”. With the easy access and freedom that the Internet provides, an individual can utilize this medium effectively for self expression. One should be wary, however, that aside from the positive effects, there are negative factors which excessive and abusive usage of the Internet provides. Freedman (2006) enumerated the following trends and tendencies of the Internet, which impact media and culture, to wit: (1) production and distributions costs are significantly lowered; (2) barriers of time and location are eradicated; (3) ‘ disaggregation of editorial and advertising material’ are facilitated; (4) direct target market for different and specific purposes are focused ; and (5) competes directly with offline media. The discourse specifically identified that the Internet posed very high commercial threat to the music industry because of the easy access to downloaded musical scores. CONCLUSION Society is now faced with advancement in technology which pervades and dominates all facets of a person’s life. Broom and Selznick (1997) emphasized this era when “efficiency prevails over self expression and personal values, and the growing authority of technical experts undermines democratic ideals”. Sociologists have envisioned the fast pace of technological breakthroughs as risky in the sense that “new devices are put to work before there is the capacity or the will to control destructive side effects” (ibid). The Internet was proven to have a tremendous impact on the traditional forms of media. But needless to say, the old forms are not totally replaced nor eradicated by this electronic medium. Our culture has adapted to the utilization of both the old and new forms of media simultaneously. Being aware of both the positive and negative effects of the Internet would enable the individual to decide a balancing of time and effort spent browsing or surfing this electronic source. Computers create risks of intrusion and abuse of power simply by making large amounts of information available quickly and at very low cost. In the end, the benefits one would derive from this medium should always be weighed against the costs associated with utilizing it to achieve one’s goals. Works Cited Leiner, Barry M., et.al. “A Brief History of the Internet.” March 9, 2009. Freedman, Des. “Internet Transformations”. Media and Cultural Theory in Curran, J. & Morley, D. (ed.) Media and Cultural Theory. 2006. London: Routledge. Rainie, Lee. “The Adoption of the Internet and its Impact on Society and Culture”. 2004. March 9, 2009 “Social Activity.” AudioEnglish.Net. March 9, 2009 Broom, Leonard and Philip Selznick. Sociology. A Text with Adapted Readings. New York. Harper & Row, Publishers. 1977. Kiesler, Sara. Culture of the Internet. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1997. Sproull, Lee and Samer Faraj. “Atheism, Sex and Databases: The Net as a Social Technology”. Culture of the Internet. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1997. “Definitions of Self-expression”. Web definitions. March 10, 2009. Pareles, Jon. “2006, Brought to You, by You”. The New York Times. December 10, 2006. March 10, 2009. MacKinnon, Rebecca. “The Self-Expression Sector”. The Nation. July 3, 2006. March 10, 2009. < http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060703/mackinnon> Read More