Chapter 15:
The global village allows users from around the world to communicate with each other with the ability to connect. Global communication collapse time and space allowing people from all parts of the world to work together. Two observers of this concept suggested that bridging time and space joins people into a large collective. The Internet retribalization is the idea that Internet users will assign themselves to their own “digital neighborhoods” that share their own interests, beliefs and attitudes. While the Internet brings people together on a global scale it may cause social isolation. This is due to the decrease in face-to-face communication in the workplace. The medium theory examines the characteristics of each medium, instead of the content that flows through medium. In the case study: China and the Internet, China wants to increase their advancement in technology and increase global commerce. While doing this, China wants to control the incoming and outgoing Internet traffic. This firewall restricts users access to specific websites such as pornographic sites, international news sources and many more. If any suspicion of illegal activity Chinese authorities will monitor users email accounts to determine the accuracy of the claim that will potentially lead to a prison sentence. Technology determinism argues that the characteristics in a new technology paves the direction of the development and creates social change. Social determinism technological developments are caused by some type of social change or social need.
Online Reading:
The digital divide is a term that covers a wide range of social differences with the use of digital equipment such as computers. To be more precise the digital divide is a gap between individuals and geographical areas where their opportunity to access information is limited. It is argued that the digital divide is a social problem that needs to be eradicated or reduced. The British Government is setting in place policy initiatives to improve digital participation. A reason behind the problem with the digital divide is having access to the Internet. If people do have access, the next problem they have is the operational and formal Internet skills that are needed to navigate and retrieve information. A fully networked society in the future seems unlikely if the root causes of the digital divide are not resolved. The digital divide is reducing with more and more people adopting technology and gaining the needed skills to properly use the social phenomenon.
Chapter Questions:
1. Do you think Internet retribalization is true that people will tend to be in groups that share their own interests or do you believe on the Internet, people will have the tendency to go outside the social norm and try to be part of something different?
2. In the case study, do you agree with what China is doing by controlling the data flow along with restricting what can and cannot be posted/viewed online? With the controlling factor China has does this reduce the amount of deception that occurs online?
Online Reading Questions:
1. Do you think all the countries in the world need to adopt digital divide policies to ensure that everybody has the opportunity to experience the digital life? If countries were required what type of policies might they use?
2. Do you know anyone who refuses to use technology such as smartphones or computers? If yes, what is their reason? If no, why might somebody not want to participate in the use of technology?
Chapter 15:
ReplyDelete1. I think that people will stick with their own interests and fall into groups that share their own interests and beliefs. I know that would be the case for me anyway. I do not think that people get on the internet and look at things they are not interested in. With FB you can "like" a certain page that interests you, and with cookies that just leads to more adds and pages that pop up that follow along similair lines.
2. No, I do not agree with what China is doing by controlling the data flow and restricting what can be viewed online. I think it is wrong and is propaganda by their government to restrict knowledge of their citizens. Yes, their is still ways around it and they can recieve news from around the world, but they are not as informed of what is happening as much as they could be or should be.
I think with the amount of control China has over their internet, that the amount of deception would be reduced. Their is still probably deception that goes on, but I do not think that it is as much as what happens in the U.S.
Online Reading:
1. I do not think that all countries in the world need to adopt a digital divide policy. If people want to use the interntet, then there are plenty of possible ways that they can make it happen. I think it would be a waste of money if a country made it so that wherever someone is, they are able to access the internet. If they made it a requirement to be connected online, then I think the government should be required to pay for people to get a computer if they do not already have one, and should have to somehow teach people who are internet illiterate to use it properly and efficiently.
2. I used to have an iPhone until I lost it one night, and now I just have a tracphone that I got at Wal-Mart. I do not have internet acces on it, I cannot take or recieve photos, and there are no games on it. Honestly, I like it much more than having a smartphone. When you look around a classroom before class starts, everyone has their heads down in their phones playing games, taking snapchats of themselves or on FB. I find all those things a huge waste of time and they are dumbing themselves. They divide society into individuals and they make us almost "zombie" like.
Chapter Questions
ReplyDelete1. I think Internet retribalization and sharing of common interests will prevail over users trying to be a part of something different. I think that a majority of users are trying to find a niche group of people they can relate to as well as share common interests with. Using the internet as a means of going against the social norm is something that surely does happen and the internet is a great platform to do so but people have to put in less effort to find common interests among other users. Through the use of cookies, websites can advertise your common interests back to users in unique ways to entice them into finding something interesting in the way of websites and commercial products.
2. I don't agree with what China is doing by controlling the data flow on the internet. By controlling what is posted/viewed online, China is manipulating what type of content is available to users; to me, this screams deception. By regulating and controlling what content is made available China is creating its own form of deception and propaganda.
Online Reading
1. I don't think that a digital divide is needed to ensure everyone has the opportunity to experience digital life. There will always be a generation that doesn't want to use the internet and has no interest in doing so. In many places of the world where people cannot afford a computer or internet access there are other ways to experience digital life. Many of these places have internet cafes or free, public wifi and other forms of free access. A policy one could follow is that all ISP's are required to offer a very cheap and affordable internet service to all customers.
2. My father refuses to use a cell phone, although he does use a computer and accesses the internet every day. The reason my father refuses to have a cell phone is that if he owned a phone he would be "too reachable" and he enjoys the fact that people can't contact him at any time. I understand people's sentiments about now wanting to use a cell phone since the recent exposure of the NSA.
Chapter 15
ReplyDelete1. I believe it to be both because some people are looking for people who share their interests where others what someone different. I like finding people who are different because if you were surrounded by people with the same interests all the time their would be no new adventures or new things to try. Normally your close friends with have the same interests as you but for more adventure you would choose different. I think most people would look for people who have the same interests online because it your playing games or other things you need to have something in common.
2. I do not agree with what china is doing because if people cannot see it then why is it available everywhere else. They have no right on controlling what people view. It is like having big brother looking over your shoulder. Somethings my want to be under supervision maybe for children and teens but for for adults it is unneeded. It has not stop people deceiving others online because they are stopping people from viewing things but not controlling people tricking others.
Online
1.I do not think all countries should have internet because some cultures do not use anything digital. Having people use digital is not right because if they really wanted it they can get it somehow. It would be like have the amish use cell phones or live in homes with ovens, and other things.
2.My dad is a dentist and he only used paper files for patient information. He has been using them for 30 years until this year when he was forced to switch to technology controlled files on patients. They have adjusted but my dad is still not happy that he had to switch. He has a computer and laptop at home but will never get a smartphone because he has no need or use for it. My mom has a smartphone and she has no idea how to use it and rarely using the internet on her phone.
Chapter 15
ReplyDelete1. I do think that Internet retribaliazation is true. I think that people would get bored more easily with trying to be a part of something different because it isn’t already an interest to them, they have to try to make it an interest. I think groups who share interests are tighter, and have a higher level of emotional communication which makes the group more of an advantage to the member instead of a group they have to learn about to get satisfaction out of. I think that a group that has common interests is also more likely to satisfy needs, such as belonging, entertainment, and knowledge exchange compared to a group outside of the social norm.
2. I do not agree with the fact that the Chinese people can’t even read general information because that is an invasion of basic rights. I think that their idea of restricting posts and views on certain things is too controlling. However every system of government is different, and with that said I think that they have good intentions of trying to eliminate some crime. I think that is a positive, but I think that the levels of restriction are too high and invasive. I don’t think that their control will reduce deception online too much because people always find loopholes. I think that there are way too many people and sites to monitor for illegal activities for it to possibly reduce the amount.
Online reading
1. I do not think all countries need to adopt a digital divide policy because I do not think that it is something that should be forced. I think that for countries who barely use the internet that the internet isn’t a priority because in those countries, clean water and shelter is hard to come by. Therefore I’m sure the last thing on their mind is an internet connection. I think that for countries like those it would be an ignorant thing to do when they go without on so many other basic needs. I also think that making countries have a policy would ruin certain cultures, and their way of life.
2. I myself have never owned a smart phone and I don’t plan on getting one anytime soon. My reasoning is because when you are the person without the smartphone you see how lame people have become. When you are the person with the smartphone you are just like everyone else in my classes who sit on their phone and don’t talk all day. I come home from class to see all my roomates on their smart phones in the same room but not even talking. It bothers me so much that people let a stupid phone, not smart phone, ruin their intellectual, and social lives. I think that smart phones are making people extremely rude and ignorant. At one point in time, when you actually had an in depth conversation with someone, you looked them in the eyes, and game them your whole being. Instead people get bored, look at their phones during conversations, take calls and leave the room, stop listening because you have a text, or notification from Facebook or Twitter.
Chapter 15 Questions
ReplyDelete1. When you think about Internet groups the first thing that came to mind is how people join certain newspapers. If you join MSNBC you are joining a predominately liberal news site, and if you join Fox you are joining a predominately conservative site. The reason people will join sites that support views common to theirs. According to Mandel and Van der Leun (1996), “in the Net, as in the world, people tend to gravitate to groups and associations that , as individuals, they perceive will be comfortable in their interests” (p.316). Although I feel this is completely true, I don’t agree with this philosophy at all. This is why you have so many ignorant politicians and news casters. The problem with people only listening to their own views, and similar views you never get a wide variety to form your own opinions. If you’re constantly around people who are similar to you, the world will become bias. So in this context if you are always on MSNBC or FOX new website then you will only hear one side of the story. Which in any case the truth is always in the middle. So although I feel Retribalization is completely true I do not feel it is a good thing at all. People need to be more open-minded and get out of their comfort zones. Because people tend to always seem to go with social and cultural norms similar to theirs.
2. To some extent I do agree with what China its doing. Because to be honest like we talked about in class you should not be able to bully a kid until they kill themselves. As the text book says, “Finding a balance between freedom of expression and disruptive discourse is difficult” (p.317). I find this to be spot on, although things online may be disruptive it’s hard to say if it should be censored or not because of our rights as an American. This is why I think it should be a case by case basis when talking about what should be allowed or not allowed on the internet. For example child pornography is illegal; it is one of the only things the U.S actually censors on the internet. I think that laws should be made similar to this for other things on the internet. Yes by china controlling data flow does reduce the amount of deception that occurs because if your government is blocking what you can do and places laws on it then I doubt people want to face the consequences. But that is not to say that people still will not find ways around it.
Online Reading Questions
1. Although I do think there should be a world internet policy, it will never happen. The main reason it will never happen is because every country has its own laws and beliefs of what is right and wrong. For example in France it is illegal for anyone to sell Nazi memorabilia or anything that has to do with the Nazi’s. Here in America we can sell anything we want and if we want to sell a Nazi WWII pin which has the logo on it then we can, and there is nothing France can do about it. Another problem with International laws of the internet is that if someone does commit a crime where would they go? Would an American who commits an internet crime go to chine etc.? So I think it would be way too hard to do this. But if countries were required to do this I don’t know if any country would listen, and I’m not sure that anyone would respect it. The world and cultures are just too different to have a certain set of laws that pertain to everyone.
2. Yes I do know people who refuse to use technology such as a computer or smartphone. My grandma refuses to do this but she has a good reason. She is 75 years old and learning something so complicated would just be too hard for her. She has tried to use a computer once and just didn’t even know where to start. So in her case I understand why she doesn’t want to use technology, but if you are a younger person there should be no reason why not use technology it will only make your life easier.
Chapter Questions:
ReplyDelete1. I believe it to be both. Human nature is to stick with what they know, since anything else will be uncomfortable. Humans like routine because they fear the unknown. On the internet however, I do believe people will also venture out and try new things more so than offline. The reason is because of the anonymity factor. They are less likely to be humiliated or scared, and if something happens that invokes their emotions, they can just unplug and go about their normal lives like nothing happened. Due to this most would not be afraid to test the "Outside the norm" waters.
2. I absolutely do not agree with what China is doing by controlling data flow. This is censorship and the only reason they do it is because they have a lot of dissent amongst its citizens and they want to attempt to manage the reputation of China. Effectively all it is doing is make them hated more. I don’t believe it reduces the amount of deception because now China can write whatever they want, truth or fiction, and nobody can stop them or call them out on it. All the attempt is, is to silence those who oppose or know the truth. By doing that it makes the voices that are silenced more powerful .
Online Reading Questions:
1. It would be nice is everyone, not just countries, but corporations and the like try to reduce the digital divide. One huge drawback I see to this, is if the governments do bring policies about to close the gap, that will give them greater power of the internet. What China is doing could theoretically happen to every country if they are major stakeholders in the infrastructure and operation of closing the gap. I think it is best to be done privately to allow for better adoption and less policy in order to keep the internet open as intended.
2. No I don’t know anyone who flat out does not use new age technology. I know of a couple of reasons not to use it however. One who cherishes their privacy would do well as to not use new age technology because of all the implications of its use. We are always connected to the grid and as it has come to light the past few years, someone is always watching or tracking you. Information that was private before the dawn and boom of technology is not private anymore. Medical records being leaked, top secret government files are leaked, and other information could be had with technology in this day and age. It also is a time waster. Man hours are being lost because of the vastness of the internet. Stuff people never had, can be had now and that distracts.
Chapter 15:
ReplyDelete1. I think that the idea of Internet Retribalization is true. I think that the people that a person is going to connect with the most on the internet are the people that share the same interests and have the same similarities as them. That is the reason that there are social norms in the first place, because the majority of people tend to follow them. So I believe that while the internet does give people a chance to venture out of their comfort zone and try new groups to try and connect with people that the majority of people will join groups with people that have similar interests because it builds a relationship with more depth that way.
2. I don't agree with China controlling what is able to be viewed on the internet, but it seems as though citizens can still acquire the censored information other ways online by signing up for email newsletters which is good. I also don't think that censoring the data that the citizens can view will lower deception, I feel as though perhaps it could even increase the amount of deception that happens online, especially if citizens are worried about whether the content that they post is something that would be allowed by China or if they will have to worry about revealing their true selves online.
Online:
1. I don't think that countries necessarily should adopt the digital divide policies to make everyone more technologically savvy. I think that it is a nice idea that everyone who would want to use the internet and technology would be given the opportunity to try it, but I think that it is impossible to fund programs that would give people the technologies as well as teaching them how to use the technologies. There are many places that are completely without cell towers or any internet access whatsoever, and personally I feel like if you never have it, you never know what you’re missing out on. If countries did require a policy like this I would perhaps just giving basic information about personal and private safety on the internet as this seems to be a topic that many people are wary about and is very important.
2. An old coworker of mine was 65 years old and refused to upgrade his basic phone to a smart phone, which in honesty was a good thing because he could barely make a simple phone call half of the time. He also refused to use the internet to submit help desk tickets to the IT department at the bank when he had issues, and instead would call them all day long if he had issues until they were solved. His reasoning especially for the second issues, is that he preferred the personal connection that a phone call gave more than an emailed reply from a help desk ticket. He also liked being able to talk through the process with the team since he wasn't very tech savvy, because he was worried he wouldn't be able to follow their emailed instructions. We helped him as much as we could, but I think that perhaps the bank should have given him the training that he needed to use the technologies that he was required to use for his job.
1. I would say its like a mixture of the two. When I try "join" a group online I tend to seek out a group that has the same liked and dislikes that I do, but on the internet you can say you like those things just to be in the group. People tend to want to try new things and on the internet you can do that without any backlash
ReplyDelete2. No I do not agree with it, but that is how their country runs. there is not much you can do about something if that's how their government works and wants things done. By blocking news from other countries, the people don't know what is going on outside of their world. So the Chinese Government can say what they want about a story and then spin it so that it is in their favor.
1.I do not think it is necessarily a good idea to do this. There are a lot more things we could be focusing on then making people better with the internet. I feel is that if we make everyone better with the internet, there will be more problems then then positive outcomes when it all adds up in the end. They would have to provide the way to access the internet and an access point to get on it ,or a network and a computer with all of the necessary software.
2.I know my grandmother doesn't want to use it. The reason is that i would be to complicated for her to figure it out. She would only use it to see her grandchildren and keep in touch with family members, but that is what we have phones for. When growing up if you didn't have this technology whats the point of using it now? If there isn't a life altering benefit from it most people don't want to use it. If they didn't need it before, they don't need it now.
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ReplyDeleteChapter Questions:
ReplyDelete1. I think Internet retribalization is true that people will tend to be in groups that share their own interests as they would in person, people tend to surround themselves with others who are like them.
2. I agree with Chinas controlling data flow and restricting what can and cannot be posted. Online deception will occur regardless of what is implemented to control what is posted, because people are going to be deceptive regardless.
Online Reading Questions:
1. I think all the countries in the world need to adopt digital divide policies to ensure that everybody has the opportunity to experience the digital life. The type of policies that might be used would be that all schools have computers and online access.
2. My grandma refuses to use technology because she believes it gets in the way of family time. When you don’t have technology you are connected to your family better than those who use technology because people using technology are so caught up in their phones or computer where people without technology have closer relationships.