Burkitt

 I found this chapter to be very insightful. It was interesting to read about the story where the man went to pay his respects for Princess Diana, who had just died. He admitted that the death of Princess Diana had a bigger impact on him then the death of his own mother. The media plays a big role in how we get so caught up in celebrities’ lives. We become attached and always want to know what the latest gossip is. We become so attached; we sometimes forget that the ones closest to us in our lives are the most important. In the chapter is always talked about how people can take the time to make sure you are still friends with someone that lives far away, yet you barely know your next door neighbor. Communication these days, like texting, emailing, and even using Facebook makes communicating with others much easier, allowing you to sustain those close relationships.

Virtual Death and a Real Dilemma

In the article “A Virtual Death and a Real Dilemma” it talks about how much time people can invest their time when it comes to online communities. This emotional attachment that people can create towards these online communities can create issues and confusion in their future. In the article it states, “One of the most touted beliefs about Internet communication is that the medium strips away users' offline identities and leaves them free to reconstruct a tether less online persona” (p.203), which I totally agree with. In online worlds people are given the freedom to create a whole new identity. I’ve read in the newspaper before about grown women who created a fictional online identity. She pretended to be a sixteen year old and did this so she would be able to torment another sixteen year old girl that had been bullying her daughter. This online bullying ended with the girl committing suicide. It’s said to read stories like this. People should never get so involved or emotionally connected to online communities.

The End of Books

From my understanding, “The End of Books” article was talking about how the advances of technology have and are going to continue to make hardcover literature outdated. Advances with computers have allowed us to read news, magazine, and literature articles online. It’s made readings more accessible. Online classes have become more popular and some classes I have taken on campus make us get the readings from the web. More and more people prefer to read articles online, but I still like have the physical textbook in front of me. Throughout the article the author talks about hypertext and it is hard to understand what he truly means by that. It sounds like the author is referring hypertext to be used as a type of storage for any type of literature. He thinks hypertext has a different writing style in comparison to hardcover literature.

Research Topic

Research Question: "What are the effects that social networking sites have on teenagers and young adults?" I chose this topic because I am interested in understanding, if any, the effects Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., may have on teenagers. I either want to focus my study on teenagers’ ages 13-18 or ages 13-21. I’m curious to why social networking sites have become such an important part of teenagers’ lives. They are constantly talking about them and it has become something they will look back on as a part of their childhood. I want to know the reasons teenagers use these sites, what makes them sign up?
For entertainment?
To meet new friends?
To be able to feel more confident about themselves in the online world?
I am hoping to answer these questions so I am able to get a better understanding why social networking sites have become popular within teenagers.

Technomedia

This article was interesting because it gave incite to how technology has changed our world and how we communicate with others. It defines technomedia as, “media technologies that are defined by interoperability between devices, usually using the internet as the connective medium” (Han, p.3). Technomedia is also referred to as media technologies, and they never replace each other, instead they work with each other. Technomedia today is shown through the evolution of the cell phone. Cell phones use to only be good for making and receiving calls. Today they are capable of texting, taking photos, listening to music, having internet access, and also you are still able make and receive phone calls. The article points out that, “The internet is clearest illustration of technomedia” (Han, p.4). The internet has given us the power to communicate, learn, and be entertained. With a click, we can search and find answers to any questions we may have.

Dynabook

I liked reading this article because it’s amazing to read about how the inventions from the 60’s and 70’s still have effect on our world today. The dynabook looks similar to the iPad today, more of a tablet, yet it has a small keyboard at the bottom.  It’s crazy to think that ideas like this were already being proposed back then. This idea of the dynabook was to create an easier and dynamic medium between users. They thought computers like this would then be used by all, creating a more flexible way to communicate with others. In today’s society, almost everyone owns or has access to a computer. Having this capability allows us communicate faster with others on a social and professional level. Dynabook gave the way for a more creative way in how others communicate with others.

Second Life

This article reminded me of the “Just Like Me Only Better” article. This articled talked about second life in the online world. It focused on gender roles and how people want their avatars to look like they wished they looked like in real life. It reminded me of the “Just Like Me Only Better” article because most of the people in the online world made themselves look more attractive. They compared it to gender stereotypes because men made themselves tall and muscular, while women made themselves have bigger breasts with small skinny bodies.  Society has told us that looking like this is the only way for you to feel good about yourself. People are too judgmental and only care about what people look like on the outside before they get to know them. By creating more attractive avatars, you are able to feel like you fit in this online world.

Technology and the Society

This article was interesting to read because it gave examples about the history of technology and the social effects it has caused. The article firsts talks about the effects of technology and reasons why it has caused these effects. The technological determinism is described as, “New technologies are discovered, by essentially internal process of research and development, which then sets the condition for social change and progress” (p.3).  Progress within these inventions has created the modern world. The second reason is that technology has become a medium in the way we communicate.  Today cell phones have become the most common way we communicate. It’s made the way we communicate with others easier, for example, texting. You are able to send a message without have to call in the hopes they will answer.  Technology has changed our social environment. Television has become more than just a way for news stations to report on important topics, it has become a form of entertainment. There are too many channels with too many shows to pick from to watch. Sometimes I believe it has complicated our world than make it easier.

Just Like Me Only Better

This article was about avatars and their creators. In the article it describes that the word avatar came from the Sanskrit term, which stood for the different forms God’s would take when they would enter Earth. When reading through the study, it’s interesting to find out that many of the avatars looked alike. They were similar to stereotypical western beauty, even when their creators were from other cultures. They had long straight hair, big eyes, and lighter skin. Many people aloes chose to create avatars that resembled them, but more idealized versions. Women would give themselves bigger boobs and men made them have bigger muscles. By creating an avatar you are able to create someone complete different from yourself, someone that you almost wish you could be. You could make this person act different, look different, helping you separate yourself from your real “social self.”