Hey all,
Here is a short blurb that should hopefully introduce me to the world.
My name is Radhika Arora. I'm not in a normal college like most of you but rather I'm in ITD which means Internal Transfer Division for all those who may be confused. I used to be a mechanical engineer but am transferring to Communication. It's going to be a big change but I already know I made the right decision for me. I'm in a Greek organization (Kappa Delta) which takes up most of my time apart from school and work. I love to read (I'm a total nerd at heart) and my favorite thing to do besides that is testing out new food. I hail from a tiny town near NYC called Chestnut Ridge, but my heart still belongs to my original hometowns, New Delhi, India and Kathmandu, Nepal. I was born on an ironic day. In America, my birthday is known as Black Monday, the day the Wall Street market crashed approximately 600 points. In India, however, I was born on Dhanteras, which is a holiday in which money is celebrated and everyone buys silver.
I love the Internet. It is one of my favorite pastimes. However, there are a lot of phenomenons concerning it that intrigue me. One of them in particular has to do with Internet Love. The idea of people falling in love after meeting in a chat room, or through a match making site among other channels has always aroused my curiosity.
The idea that people can fall in love without ever actually meeting each other first and foremost challenges one on what the definition of love actually is. If someone believes that love is a meeting of two souls that instantaneously recognize each other, then yes, love can be found over a computer mediated interaction. However, if one defines love as getting to know someone through their words, actions and reactions, then no, love cannot be found over the Internet. The idea of true love found without a face to face interaction tugs on my heart since it allows for two people to love each other for their personalities (i.e. who they truly are) without allowing any prejudices. However, the cynic in me cannot believe that a person can be truly honest while interacting in a computer mediated environment.
Some may offer up the criticism that sometimes these people talk on the phone. Again, the phone is a technological mediated environment that takes away many of the factors we use in order to get to know a person such as body language.
Others may offer up the criticism that there is always web cam, or video conferencing. However, these can also be manipulated to the advantage or disadvantage of someone.
Putting aside the philosophical discussion of what love truly is as well as the problems with technology mediated interactions, I wanted to describe to you a few different scenarios that I personally have seen people go through when dealing with online love. The first one of course being the truly Utopian version
The Perfect Scenario - this is the scenario that all of us dream about when thinking about online love.
Person A and Person B meet online. They start talking. It starts off slow but soon they are talking every night about anything and everything. They soon transition to phone calls and even using the web cam sometimes. They decide on a meeting date. They meet, and it was as they dreamed, perfect!
This scenario almost never happens! The next couple of examples are more likely.
Person A and Person B meet online. They talk extensively using all forms of technology. They start dating, and almost immediately are telling each other that this is love. They visit each other rarely but only due to the actual distance between them. One day, Person A finds out that Person B had been lying all along. Person B actually had someone else and had not been in love at all.
Person A and Person B meet online. They get along very well. They are both teenagers who have much in common. A couple months pass by. Person B is pushing for a meeting. Person A is extremely hesitant but gives in eventually. When they meet in person, Person A realizes that Person B is in actuality a pedophile who was just looking for a teenager to manipulate.
These examples show why technology mediated interactions are just not enough to fall in love. In these interactions, there is always time to formulate answers, giving the person time to actually think before speaking. This causes the receiver to get a untrue perception of the sender.
There are quite a few online spaces that online dating can take place in. One being the world wide web with sites such as match.com. Another is electronic mail (e-mail) as many people use e-mail to send messages back and forth. Another is synchronous chats such as IM which is used by people to interact with each other almost simultaneously (real time). Lastly we have interactive video and voice which allows people to hear and see each other.
Hope you guys enjoyed my little (well maybe not so much) introduction to the world of online dating.
Monday, August 27, 2007
OVERHEARD!
What’s up everyone? My name is Jason Georges and I’m a junior in the school of Industrial and Labor Relations. I transferred to Cornell from NYU after my freshman year and I’m really enjoying Cornell so far. I especially like ILR because it allows me to take courses in many different disciplines like econ, collective bargaining, history, and law and doesn’t lock me down to one area of study. On campus I’m on the steering committee for the Cornell Ambassadors, involved in the Interfraternity Council (IFC), and active in my fraternity.
I’m originally from NYC and I think it’s the greatest place in the world. So you’re probably wondering if I love the city so much then why did I transfer out of NYU? Basically I wanted to spend my undergraduate career away from the city in a place that had an actual campus and what could be more un-NYC than Ithaca/Cornell. However, to stay connected to the city I checkout Overheard in New York (www.overheardinnewyork.com) on a daily basis. Overheard in NY is a blog that posts fragments of conversations overheard by bystanders in New York City. Most of the conversations are hilarious and point out the wittiness of life in NYC. Because the conversations are overheard by bystanders the people in the conversation are usually referred to by a generic names such as “bimbette,” “dumb tourist,” “hipster,” etc.
So why do so many people participate in this Internet phenomenon? I believe that one reason is purely for entertainment. The internet is crowded with news sites such as Google News and nytimes.com. Many people just want a break from that type of media and so they turn to sites that are purely for entertainment such as TMZ.com and YouTube. What is more entertaining than laughing at people that you don’t know? A lot of times I’ll be reading through the Overheard in NYblog and I’ll l literally start laughing out loud because I can imagine myself seeing the conversation happen in real life. The second major reason that I think people contribute to the site is because for whatever reason they enjoy laughing at the cluelessness or naivety of others. I know that it sounds mean but hearing people say dumb things makes you feel better about yourself because you believe that you’re more intelligent than they are.
The “overheard blog” phenomenon has become so popular that it has spread to Chicago, Philly, Pittsburgh, and other cities across the country. There’s even an Overheard at Cornell version (http://overheardatcornell.blogspot.com). I’ll post some of my good ones below. Enjoy!
-Overheard at Cornell-
Girl 1: So, I bought this new outfit the other day... I gave it to my roommate to try on cause I wasn't sure if I liked how it looked or not. But I do.
Girl 2: Why weren't you sure?
Girl 1: Well, my roommate is like 4'11'' and it looks good on her but I'm way taller and it looks really skanky on me.
Girl 2: How skanky?
Girl 1: Pretty skanky, but I'm going to wear it tonight anyway.
-Bailey Hall
Balcher 1: What's going on tonight?
Balcher 2: I dunno, apparently everyone and their mom is going saki bombing tonight.
Balcher 3: Why are people's moms here?
-Balch Hall
Bro #1: The other night I got so drunk ... I went on facebook and started
messing around and had no idea what was I was doing ... and I wrote on my
own wall.
Bro #2: Dude, that's awesome.
-Willard Straight Hall
-Overheard in New York-
God Squad Lady: Praise Jesus! You won't be saved without Jesus! You have to start believing in Jesus to be saved! Jesus will always be there for you!
Suit #1: Would it be so awful if we pushed her out when the doors open?
Suit #2: No. Jesus will save her.
--4 Train
Tourist man: Pardon me, officer, can you tell us where Orchard Street is?
Cop: See that naked Chinese guy?
Tourist man: Ummm...Yeah.
Cop: Walk down to him and make a left.
Tourist man: Um, thanks.
Cop: No problem.
--Corner of Delancey Street
Bimbette #1: Cancun is just a place for girls to go to on Spring break and be the whores that they really are.
Bimbette #2: Oh my God, I know! We should go there next year!
Bimbette #1: Totally! --45th St & 5th Ave
Older woman: Excuse me, miss?
Younger woman: Yeah?
Older woman: Your veil, your burqa is very beautiful. I didn't know your people were allowed to wear it in bright colors.
Younger woman: It's not a burqa, it's a poncho. I'm Jewish. It's for the rain. I got it at TJ Maxx.
--53rd & 7th
Chick: Omigod, I totally want an Asian baby. Asians make the best mixers. Like vodka.
--49th & 10th
I’m originally from NYC and I think it’s the greatest place in the world. So you’re probably wondering if I love the city so much then why did I transfer out of NYU? Basically I wanted to spend my undergraduate career away from the city in a place that had an actual campus and what could be more un-NYC than Ithaca/Cornell. However, to stay connected to the city I checkout Overheard in New York (www.overheardinnewyork.com) on a daily basis. Overheard in NY is a blog that posts fragments of conversations overheard by bystanders in New York City. Most of the conversations are hilarious and point out the wittiness of life in NYC. Because the conversations are overheard by bystanders the people in the conversation are usually referred to by a generic names such as “bimbette,” “dumb tourist,” “hipster,” etc.
So why do so many people participate in this Internet phenomenon? I believe that one reason is purely for entertainment. The internet is crowded with news sites such as Google News and nytimes.com. Many people just want a break from that type of media and so they turn to sites that are purely for entertainment such as TMZ.com and YouTube. What is more entertaining than laughing at people that you don’t know? A lot of times I’ll be reading through the Overheard in NYblog and I’ll l literally start laughing out loud because I can imagine myself seeing the conversation happen in real life. The second major reason that I think people contribute to the site is because for whatever reason they enjoy laughing at the cluelessness or naivety of others. I know that it sounds mean but hearing people say dumb things makes you feel better about yourself because you believe that you’re more intelligent than they are.
The “overheard blog” phenomenon has become so popular that it has spread to Chicago, Philly, Pittsburgh, and other cities across the country. There’s even an Overheard at Cornell version (http://overheardatcornell.blogspot.com). I’ll post some of my good ones below. Enjoy!
-Overheard at Cornell-
Girl 1: So, I bought this new outfit the other day... I gave it to my roommate to try on cause I wasn't sure if I liked how it looked or not. But I do.
Girl 2: Why weren't you sure?
Girl 1: Well, my roommate is like 4'11'' and it looks good on her but I'm way taller and it looks really skanky on me.
Girl 2: How skanky?
Girl 1: Pretty skanky, but I'm going to wear it tonight anyway.
-Bailey Hall
Balcher 1: What's going on tonight?
Balcher 2: I dunno, apparently everyone and their mom is going saki bombing tonight.
Balcher 3: Why are people's moms here?
-Balch Hall
Bro #1: The other night I got so drunk ... I went on facebook and started
messing around and had no idea what was I was doing ... and I wrote on my
own wall.
Bro #2: Dude, that's awesome.
-Willard Straight Hall
-Overheard in New York-
God Squad Lady: Praise Jesus! You won't be saved without Jesus! You have to start believing in Jesus to be saved! Jesus will always be there for you!
Suit #1: Would it be so awful if we pushed her out when the doors open?
Suit #2: No. Jesus will save her.
--4 Train
Tourist man: Pardon me, officer, can you tell us where Orchard Street is?
Cop: See that naked Chinese guy?
Tourist man: Ummm...Yeah.
Cop: Walk down to him and make a left.
Tourist man: Um, thanks.
Cop: No problem.
--Corner of Delancey Street
Bimbette #1: Cancun is just a place for girls to go to on Spring break and be the whores that they really are.
Bimbette #2: Oh my God, I know! We should go there next year!
Bimbette #1: Totally! --45th St & 5th Ave
Older woman: Excuse me, miss?
Younger woman: Yeah?
Older woman: Your veil, your burqa is very beautiful. I didn't know your people were allowed to wear it in bright colors.
Younger woman: It's not a burqa, it's a poncho. I'm Jewish. It's for the rain. I got it at TJ Maxx.
--53rd & 7th
Chick: Omigod, I totally want an Asian baby. Asians make the best mixers. Like vodka.
--49th & 10th
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Email: The Crutch
Hello Everyone. My name is Peter, or Pete, I won’t actually notice the difference spoken verbally, but I will when it is typed out. I am a junior in communications, just transferred in last semester from the Hum Ec school where I was studying Nutrition. I am a pole vaulter on the Varsity track team here, which is very important because it takes like 20+ hours a week of my time. I am a hobby kind of person, probably because I grew up without television. So I’ve had tons of hobbies, but the one that I’m still doing at Cornell is carving/whittling. I am working on mass producing a couple of designs, and through the process I came up with something very interesting about the internet and social interactions with people.
When trying to contact retailers about giving me feedback on my designs, I wussed out. Instead of going in person like I planned, and talking to whoever the buyer for the shop was, I made a nice fancy, personalized email to each one, sent them out and got 0/17 responses. Nothing. This frustrated me a great deal because I didn’t get positive or negative responses, just nothing. I didn’t know how to continue, I didn’t know what to change, I just knew something about what I did, didn’t work, and did not motivate those I was contacting to respond to me.
I have decided to give up on that, and never try to get information or feedback from someone I have never met before, via email. All contacts of that sort must be made in person and then can be followed up with emails out of ease, but the relationship should be tangible and interpersonal. The phenomenon I have encountered and am very interested in, is the comfort I got in just sending and email, and avoiding the face to face, and also the comfort they got by just deleting my email and ignoring me, which would have been harder, face to face.
Wallace wrote the book well after email was established as a method of communicating and interacting socially, so she has it stuck pretty well as its own environment on the Web. She is quite right in that it is now an “indispensable technology”. I think all of us at Cornell respect that because as addicting as facebook is, or online gaming or any other internet environment that captures our attention, nothing affects me quite like having no access to my email. I feel lost and hopeless. I can see why it is so easy to use as a crutch for uneasy social interactions. The body language and tone of voice and so many other things that hold a lot of the “warmth” or “cold” in a conversation are lost, and so it feels much more neutral and less intimidating.
I feel like I intuitively know what the crutch is about substituting email for personal interaction, but I would like to know more and why it is so easy, so I can change myself or my emails to solve my problems, and open more doors.
I'm Glad We're Green
My full name is Andrew C. Meehan, though I'm usually referred to as "Andy." I sometimes regret that my parents did not endow me with the name Austin (due the behest of my grandfather), because Austin Meehan sounds dope. On Facebook, my profile name is Andy Darling; it's a play on the name of a transsexual in the Warhol clique circa 68. I hadn't changed my profile in months, so the name change was done to hold my interest.
My Cornell stats read: Junior, Nutritional Science (CALS, major), Food Business (CALS, minor). My interests lie in combining a science discipline with a background in business/economics. I started a Food blog the summer of my Sophomore year of high school. I enjoyed writing, baking, and eating at new locales, so I combined them into this blog: Minor Gourmandry. I no longer update it. My fans have gone.
I also co-host Nude Beach on Slope Radio/TV. Featuring interesting music to dance or color to.
As for internet-based activity, I find the phenomena of collaborative networks extremely appealing. The possibilities of Web 2.0 (and 3.0, the "semantic web") are seemingly boundless, as the structure of the internet grows into a smarter, faster, and more capable iteration. I suppose Wikipedia is a good example of the key "folksonomy" concept of Web 2.0--the idea that hordes of interconnected but random/anonymous users can collaborate in a grass-roots fashion to create a larger whole--but the magnificence of the concept is sometimes bogged down by temporal debates, e.g. academia vs. Wikipedia. The real brilliance of Wikipedia is the willing labor force and the ostensibly democratic medium -- the concept, on the whole, eludes Wallace's presentation of the individual self on the web. The vast majority of contributors do not earn a red cent to edit, write, translate, and publish the articles on the site. The are motivated by the whole product, the collaboration, the furtive glamour, and more. The oddities are many: there is no dyadic social interaction (no CMC), no individualized benefit, and an emphasis on the big picture (which is a rarity in of itself).
The concept of remote, open source-based collaboration will advance the pace of development of any project that finds it way onto a server and onto the web. Open source web platforms, where many people have the editing tools, will, I believe, will allow for a digitized library of textual, visual, auditory, and other sensory information. I see a time when Google Earth's NYC, for example, is a picture perfect representation of the physical city -- each gallery and storefront detailed in high-definition. And in this digital city, you can enter a store, and browse and purchase its latest products. All vendors, all public areas: named and identified and linked.
Only a openly collaborative web network will allow for the web to evolve in such a direction. Each contributor, each citizen, would need the tools to upload pictures and digital information. Anyone can contribute, everyone will benefit. This is the open source web model.
My Cornell stats read: Junior, Nutritional Science (CALS, major), Food Business (CALS, minor). My interests lie in combining a science discipline with a background in business/economics. I started a Food blog the summer of my Sophomore year of high school. I enjoyed writing, baking, and eating at new locales, so I combined them into this blog: Minor Gourmandry. I no longer update it. My fans have gone.
I also co-host Nude Beach on Slope Radio/TV. Featuring interesting music to dance or color to.
As for internet-based activity, I find the phenomena of collaborative networks extremely appealing. The possibilities of Web 2.0 (and 3.0, the "semantic web") are seemingly boundless, as the structure of the internet grows into a smarter, faster, and more capable iteration. I suppose Wikipedia is a good example of the key "folksonomy" concept of Web 2.0--the idea that hordes of interconnected but random/anonymous users can collaborate in a grass-roots fashion to create a larger whole--but the magnificence of the concept is sometimes bogged down by temporal debates, e.g. academia vs. Wikipedia. The real brilliance of Wikipedia is the willing labor force and the ostensibly democratic medium -- the concept, on the whole, eludes Wallace's presentation of the individual self on the web. The vast majority of contributors do not earn a red cent to edit, write, translate, and publish the articles on the site. The are motivated by the whole product, the collaboration, the furtive glamour, and more. The oddities are many: there is no dyadic social interaction (no CMC), no individualized benefit, and an emphasis on the big picture (which is a rarity in of itself).
The concept of remote, open source-based collaboration will advance the pace of development of any project that finds it way onto a server and onto the web. Open source web platforms, where many people have the editing tools, will, I believe, will allow for a digitized library of textual, visual, auditory, and other sensory information. I see a time when Google Earth's NYC, for example, is a picture perfect representation of the physical city -- each gallery and storefront detailed in high-definition. And in this digital city, you can enter a store, and browse and purchase its latest products. All vendors, all public areas: named and identified and linked.
Only a openly collaborative web network will allow for the web to evolve in such a direction. Each contributor, each citizen, would need the tools to upload pictures and digital information. Anyone can contribute, everyone will benefit. This is the open source web model.
Control of the Sidekick on our lives
Hi! My name is Anthony Gonzalez and I am a Junior here at Cornell majoring in Animal Sciences. I just transferred over from a college on Long Island, finishing up my pre-reqs to go to veterinary school. I am a NYS Licensed Veterinary Technician and I obviously love animals, and my five dogs at home can attest to that. I am Puerto Rican and lived there for five years. I love sleeping and eating, who doesn’t? I am a reality show junkie and cannot function correctly without my weekly dose.
I never realized how much my T-mobile sidekick played a crucial role in my social life until I arrived at Cornell. For those who don’t know, a sidekick is similar to a blackberry where you can text, email, send pictures, download songs all with the push of a button. However, the greatest feature for me on the sidekick is AIM. Everyone back at home has the sidekick and we find ourselves communicating on it 24/7. No longer are we texting or calling each other on the phone, everything is done through AIM. So coming up to Cornell, T-mobile doesn’t have much service up here so my sidekick doesn’t work! The first few days I was going crazy, felt like I was in rehab going through sidekick withdrawal. I found myself not knowing how to communicate with people without the use of my sidekick. Sounds strange when normally you would just pick up a phone and dial there number. However the use of AIM on the sidekick was engraved into our minds so the thought of using another form of communication seemed impractical.
Then I began thinking, what makes AIM on the sidekick so addicting that we make it the default form of communicating? AIM has been around for a while on regular desktops and wasn’t as appealing as the sidekick. The synchronous chats on AIM provided the most convenient form of communication. You’re able to chat with several different people at the same time without having to stop speaking and call them back like on a telephone. You can just switch screens and continue right from where you left off. There can be no misunderstanding of what was said because it’s clearly spelled out on the screen. The sidekick is also great because it’s mobile. Being the length of a soda-can and lightweight you can take it anywhere and stay in touch with people everywhere you go. You don’t need to worry about people overhearing the conversation you’re having. Initiating a conversation is also much easier than over the phone. When you call someone you have to start with a decent greeting, "Hey Diana, how are you? How was your day?" then you can get to the purpose of you calling and ending the conversation "Alrighty, I’ll let you go thanks." But online you can just type your question "what time is the movie?" and end the conversation just as quickly "ok see ya then." With synchronous chats we are depending less and less on verbal or face to face communications. However, our dependence on technology may be becoming an unhealthy aspect of our lives, as we seem lost when the technology we are so used to becomes unavailable.
I never realized how much my T-mobile sidekick played a crucial role in my social life until I arrived at Cornell. For those who don’t know, a sidekick is similar to a blackberry where you can text, email, send pictures, download songs all with the push of a button. However, the greatest feature for me on the sidekick is AIM. Everyone back at home has the sidekick and we find ourselves communicating on it 24/7. No longer are we texting or calling each other on the phone, everything is done through AIM. So coming up to Cornell, T-mobile doesn’t have much service up here so my sidekick doesn’t work! The first few days I was going crazy, felt like I was in rehab going through sidekick withdrawal. I found myself not knowing how to communicate with people without the use of my sidekick. Sounds strange when normally you would just pick up a phone and dial there number. However the use of AIM on the sidekick was engraved into our minds so the thought of using another form of communication seemed impractical.
Then I began thinking, what makes AIM on the sidekick so addicting that we make it the default form of communicating? AIM has been around for a while on regular desktops and wasn’t as appealing as the sidekick. The synchronous chats on AIM provided the most convenient form of communication. You’re able to chat with several different people at the same time without having to stop speaking and call them back like on a telephone. You can just switch screens and continue right from where you left off. There can be no misunderstanding of what was said because it’s clearly spelled out on the screen. The sidekick is also great because it’s mobile. Being the length of a soda-can and lightweight you can take it anywhere and stay in touch with people everywhere you go. You don’t need to worry about people overhearing the conversation you’re having. Initiating a conversation is also much easier than over the phone. When you call someone you have to start with a decent greeting, "Hey Diana, how are you? How was your day?" then you can get to the purpose of you calling and ending the conversation "Alrighty, I’ll let you go thanks." But online you can just type your question "what time is the movie?" and end the conversation just as quickly "ok see ya then." With synchronous chats we are depending less and less on verbal or face to face communications. However, our dependence on technology may be becoming an unhealthy aspect of our lives, as we seem lost when the technology we are so used to becomes unavailable.
FA: Facebookers Anonymous
Hey, I'm Chrissy. I'm a freshman in the school of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, and I had no idea that this class would be mainly (all?) upperclassmen. It looked interesting, so I took it. I'm from the Chicago area, and a huge Cubs and Bears fan. No one else here is, but it's cool. I'm pretty freaked out about being here because I'm afraid that I won't remember how to actually do work. I'm also outgoing and social and I like to do pretty much everything. I think I'm joining debate, and I'm in the Traditions program. I might want to go to law school, but thats a long way away. I think I'm funny. I laugh a lot. I lost my voice this week and I now sound like a man.
Today I want to talk about facebook. If we were to classify facebook in terms of internet spaces, I think facebook would into a category of its own. It serves as a kind of email provider, because you can send messages that no one can read but the recipient, but it also serves as a type of more personal asynchronous discussion forum because people can continuously post on one another's walls, or respond to previously made posts. I suppose I'd have to say it's a combination of the two. I'm wondering why this paragraph is suddenly a different font, but I can't figure out how to fix it. Sorry that was random.
The internet-related phenomenon that I'm going to delve into is actually really ironic, because I'm currently flipping between my facebook page and this blog. I guess what I'd like to know is why people (read: me) so easily become so "addicted" to facebook, and why people opt to "get to know each other" through facebook as opposed to meeting face to face. These topics might seem kind of generic, but I'm genuinely interested in why and how as a society we have become so dependent on CMC (or computer-mediated conversation), and whether or not this dependence has encouraged us to connect with others on a more superficial level.
It also seems somewhat ironic to me that in an envoirnment where intra-personal connection is virtually nonexistent, people place so much emphasis on outward appearance. Before facebook, there were certainly ways of finding out what another person looked like online, but has facebook's ability to load thousands of pictures onto one web page made us become even more obsessed with physical perfection? I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure everyone I know has, at one point, creeped someone on facebook simply for the purpose of judging their appearance. There's even a facebook group called "I Thought You Were Hot Until I Clicked 'View More Pictures'". I should know, I'm in it. Just kidding. In all seriousness though, is facebook's superficial nature simply a product of our decreasing desire to actually know one another, or has the creation of facebook pushed us further and further away from each other? Do we depend on validation from our facebook friends to make us feel good about ourselves, or do we simply fear real-life rejection? We are all addicts, and facebook is our crack. I'd like to know why.
Today I want to talk about facebook. If we were to classify facebook in terms of internet spaces, I think facebook would into a category of its own. It serves as a kind of email provider, because you can send messages that no one can read but the recipient, but it also serves as a type of more personal asynchronous discussion forum because people can continuously post on one another's walls, or respond to previously made posts. I suppose I'd have to say it's a combination of the two. I'm wondering why this paragraph is suddenly a different font, but I can't figure out how to fix it. Sorry that was random.
The internet-related phenomenon that I'm going to delve into is actually really ironic, because I'm currently flipping between my facebook page and this blog. I guess what I'd like to know is why people (read: me) so easily become so "addicted" to facebook, and why people opt to "get to know each other" through facebook as opposed to meeting face to face. These topics might seem kind of generic, but I'm genuinely interested in why and how as a society we have become so dependent on CMC (or computer-mediated conversation), and whether or not this dependence has encouraged us to connect with others on a more superficial level.
It also seems somewhat ironic to me that in an envoirnment where intra-personal connection is virtually nonexistent, people place so much emphasis on outward appearance. Before facebook, there were certainly ways of finding out what another person looked like online, but has facebook's ability to load thousands of pictures onto one web page made us become even more obsessed with physical perfection? I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure everyone I know has, at one point, creeped someone on facebook simply for the purpose of judging their appearance. There's even a facebook group called "I Thought You Were Hot Until I Clicked 'View More Pictures'". I should know, I'm in it. Just kidding. In all seriousness though, is facebook's superficial nature simply a product of our decreasing desire to actually know one another, or has the creation of facebook pushed us further and further away from each other? Do we depend on validation from our facebook friends to make us feel good about ourselves, or do we simply fear real-life rejection? We are all addicts, and facebook is our crack. I'd like to know why.
Ay BayB Gurl, let me git dat FAYCEBOOK!
Wassup guys, my name is Eric Dial. I am currently a sophomore in AgLife hoping to major in Communication. I love playing sports, namely Basketball and Football. My favorite football team is the St. Louis Rams. I'm abnormally big, but as long as you don't spit in my face I won't harm you. I am full-blooded Native American, have 3 awesome brothers(twin, older, and younger), and go figure...I'm multi-colored!!!! I always get the "holy crap that guy has spots all over his skin" kinda look, but that's fine. Part of me digs the attention. I walked into my mom's kindergarten class one day and this little girl says to me, "You're like my dog, you're brown and white!!!" She just ran off giggling and all I could do was laugh. It is most definitely something to smile about and for the life of me, I can't understand why I used to think this was a bad thing.
"oh what's going on in my news feed!?!?!"
"i have got to update my status"
"OMG i can't believe she poked me back!"
Facebook people. I'm hooked, you're hooked, everyone and their f-ing grandma is hooked on facebook. The question is not when the madness will end, but what about facebook has kept it going for so long? Sure it started out being a way to keep in touch with relatives, friends, what have you. But so did MySpace, and whether Tom wants to admit it or not, MySpace is steadily decreasing in the amount of Cool New People. So why oh why is facebook only getting stronger? Is it because of the new applications that you are invited to join everyday? Is it the feeling of being important because someone poked you or wrote on your wall? I can't speak for everybody, but I can tell you why I check MY facebook at least 3 times a day.
I love to keep in touch with people. That's one of the biggest reasons I have a facebook account and will continue to do so. Everytime I've went on a trip or anytime I have met new people, I desperately try to keep in touch with them. Some of you might say, well that is what the cell phone is for or why don't you just e-mail them. Facebook is convenient!!!!! It's fast, it's easy, and it's free as long as you have a computer with internet access. Not only is it all of the above, but it's also fun. Facebook adds new applications every day, from letting people know your favorite team to being able to send alcoholic beverages to anyone of your choice. And who would hate that?!? Even if you don't consume alcohol, if you recieve a drink, indirectly people are telling you: "You're awesome", "I'd have a drink with you", "I'm willing to get shit faced with you" That has to make you feel special in some kind of way. Who doesn't enjoy the feeling of being invited somewhere or asked to do something or just being written to!
Ok, so who has ever met this really hot guy or girl at a party and wanted their number!?!?! If you raised your hand put it down!!!!! First time phone conversations are ALWAYS awkward. What if he or she doesn't remember you? What if they don't even remember what you look like? All my dudes out there. Let's take a walk. Don't ask a girl for them digits!!!!! Ask her for that facebook. Let me tell you what entails asking for that facebook.
1. You at least have her name!
2. Her profile pic can give you a visual image...in case you can't remember from the previous night cause you were SO gone.
3. You have her interests!!!! A conversation starter. Not only do you know if you guys enjoy doing the same things, you can find out if you like watching the same things, reading the same things, and even listening to the same things.
4. You can befriend HER friends. Getting in good with the friends is never a bad thing.
Facebook, in my book (most definitely made a little joke right there-hell yea that was intentional- feel free to laugh), is a good thing. It is easy to understand why it has been around for a while and hasn't just been another fad. I enjoy checking it and if you don't have one, I suggest you get one.
"oh what's going on in my news feed!?!?!"
"i have got to update my status"
"OMG i can't believe she poked me back!"
Facebook people. I'm hooked, you're hooked, everyone and their f-ing grandma is hooked on facebook. The question is not when the madness will end, but what about facebook has kept it going for so long? Sure it started out being a way to keep in touch with relatives, friends, what have you. But so did MySpace, and whether Tom wants to admit it or not, MySpace is steadily decreasing in the amount of Cool New People. So why oh why is facebook only getting stronger? Is it because of the new applications that you are invited to join everyday? Is it the feeling of being important because someone poked you or wrote on your wall? I can't speak for everybody, but I can tell you why I check MY facebook at least 3 times a day.
I love to keep in touch with people. That's one of the biggest reasons I have a facebook account and will continue to do so. Everytime I've went on a trip or anytime I have met new people, I desperately try to keep in touch with them. Some of you might say, well that is what the cell phone is for or why don't you just e-mail them. Facebook is convenient!!!!! It's fast, it's easy, and it's free as long as you have a computer with internet access. Not only is it all of the above, but it's also fun. Facebook adds new applications every day, from letting people know your favorite team to being able to send alcoholic beverages to anyone of your choice. And who would hate that?!? Even if you don't consume alcohol, if you recieve a drink, indirectly people are telling you: "You're awesome", "I'd have a drink with you", "I'm willing to get shit faced with you" That has to make you feel special in some kind of way. Who doesn't enjoy the feeling of being invited somewhere or asked to do something or just being written to!
Ok, so who has ever met this really hot guy or girl at a party and wanted their number!?!?! If you raised your hand put it down!!!!! First time phone conversations are ALWAYS awkward. What if he or she doesn't remember you? What if they don't even remember what you look like? All my dudes out there. Let's take a walk. Don't ask a girl for them digits!!!!! Ask her for that facebook. Let me tell you what entails asking for that facebook.
1. You at least have her name!
2. Her profile pic can give you a visual image...in case you can't remember from the previous night cause you were SO gone.
3. You have her interests!!!! A conversation starter. Not only do you know if you guys enjoy doing the same things, you can find out if you like watching the same things, reading the same things, and even listening to the same things.
4. You can befriend HER friends. Getting in good with the friends is never a bad thing.
Facebook, in my book (most definitely made a little joke right there-hell yea that was intentional- feel free to laugh), is a good thing. It is easy to understand why it has been around for a while and hasn't just been another fad. I enjoy checking it and if you don't have one, I suggest you get one.
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