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The essay “What Defines a Meme” by James Gleik discusses what a meme is and how it relates biologically. The definition of a meme in its most basic form a complex form of idea that is passed from one person to another. Other examples of ideas could be presented as objects or photos. Back years ago a meme was just a written concept, but in today's world due to technology it is visual. Examples of technological advances include computer, tv, phones, tablets, so on and so forth. He compares meme, which represent the virtual world, to biology like viruses. Gleik thinks that memes are like viruses because they can duplicate and spread fast. Meme control us and hinder human experiences, where the right thing is that we should be able to control our own experiences in order to enrich and benefit ourselves. Lucy P. Marcus tries to understand the value of relationships that occur online and how it compares to connectedness. In her essay, “What it Means Today to be “Connected””, she defines connectedness as being able to come and be together, to share ideas, and put them to good …show more content…
He argues that the internet is a form of a “resentment machine” for the digital creative group that has lost their mojo, and it is a new creation of themselves. They are basically miserable people who lack skills and inspiration for the good of the work, so they fill the void with online self instead of bigger better things. Society has caused them to think that we need to compete to order to succeed, which leads to cultural consumption. deBoer admits, “... there is little hope for the survival of the fully realized self” (Culture 86). He believes that cultural consumption means nothing. It is just emptiness and an illusion, where people are not themselves and are not doing things for
The audience can empathize easily with Sue and the death of her youngest and this allows the audience to understand the usefulness of Facebook “friends”; however, Dailey’s shift to present the other side of the argument with Bugeja’s forward truth of the flaws in online social networks. Bugeja convinces the reader that reality provides a more intimate level of support that the virtual world can never offer. Dailey could have ended the article on a stronger note that Facebook “friends” only serves as an additive to friendships to reality. In reference to Henry Adams infamous quote, Facebook “friends” cannot be made but built from existing
5). By never losing touch with acquaintances made throughout life, we lose what has made “good old-fashioned” losing touch so good (para. 5). We lose real friendships and “long-forgotten photos and mixtapes” (para. 5). Without these natural aspects that are so important to friendship, friends have not only lost their worth, but the whole point of a friendship has been lost as well. Arguing that losing touch is a necessity of friendship, Brown suggests that maybe the issue could be resolved if only social networks would create a “Fade Utility” app that would allow unintended friends to gradually blur into a sepia cast, similar to the way unintended friends naturally fade away from our lives (para. 6). Maybe if networks treated friendships the way nature does, providing opportunities for people to reach out to lost friends if they choose, then online friendships might hold the same meaning as natural friendships, where the title “friend” is not just a banner of status, but a position in a
She recalls a disagreement that took place on Facebook between her and a close friend over a few comments placed on her timeline. Wortham describes how she felt embarrassed over the pointless argument. She discloses “I’m the first one to confess my undying love of the Web’s rich culture and community, which is deeply embedded in my life. But that feud with a friend forced me to consider that the lens of the Web might be warping my perspective and damaging some important relationships” (171). Introducing her personal feelings and perspective of how she feels Facebook is taking over her own emotional response online weakens her argument. Wortham reasons that others feel the same as she does. She says, “This has alarmed some people, convincing them that it’s time to pull the plug and forgo the service altogether” (171). Wortham does not bring in other testimonies of those who feel the same as she does, therefore the readers are only introduced to her personal
Are technology and the media shedding the very fabric of the existence we have known? As technology and the media spread their influence, the debate over the inherent advantages and disadvantages intensifies. Although opinions vary widely on the subject, two writers offer similar views: Professor Sherry Turkle, director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self, in her article “Can You Hear Me Now” and Naomi Rockler-Gladen, who formerly taught media studies at Colorado State University, with her article “Me Against the Media: From the Trenches of a Media Lit Class.” Turkle asserts that technology has changed how people develop and view themselves, while at the same time affecting their concepts of time management and focus (270). Similarly, Rockler-Gladen believes media and its inherent advertising have had a profound effect on the values and thinking of the public (284). I could not agree more with Professor Turkle and Ms. Rockler-Gladen; the effects technology and media have worried and annoyed me for quite so time. The benefits of technology and media are undeniable, but so then are the flaws. People are beginning to shift their focus away from the physical world to the virtual world as they find it easier and more comfortable. The intended purpose of technology and media was to be a tool to improve the quality of life, not shackles to tie people to their devices. I no longer recognize this changed world and long for the simple world of my youth.
In “The Social Networks”, Neal Gabler discusses on the many issues that the invention of television and social media has had on the society nowadays. In his writing, he explains in more detail how television series and social networks have change the way humans interact with other humans, friends, and family members. Gabler points out on how the typical setting for a group of friends is shown in a TV’s show, using examples such as “Friends”, “Seinfeld”, and “Glee”, of how connected all the characters are in a show. He begins by stressing how is very hard to find relationship in the real world like they have in television series. Also, discuss the negative part of how having a lot of friends on social media doesn’t mean anything, he just says
We are promised a global village instead we inhibit the drab cul-de-sac and endless freeways of vast suburb of information.” Though we have a multitude of ways to communicate that are much faster and and newer, we are constantly participating in ways that alienate us from each other and the world around us. Marche describes this as an “epidemic of loneliness”. He discusses the effect this has on our modern society.
The protestations which he argues makes the reader debrief himself about his own lifestyle; Birkerts claims, “The electronic media are invisible in process, but omnipresent in product” (Birkerts). This claim is plausible to make his readers ponder about the electronic media as a negative
Social media is the current fad and has been increasing over the past three decades. Today’s generation is all about who is on Facebook, Twitter, or Intagram, but what they are forgetting is who is actually sitting right beside them. At any given location, one can find several people sitting together at a table in a restaurant. What they see is different from decades before. People are not talking to each other instead they are on social media sites “talking” to someone else, maybe even in another country. That is the problem. People have lost the ability to be social among people in face to face interactions. There are two theories, Structural Functionalism and Symbolic Interaction, that can help
Individuals are the victim of meme to be replicated or reproduced but individuals are not the victim when how the meme is the influential of one’s life. Meme’s purpose is to spread the ideals, cultures or behaviors to people. Other than that they are not responsible for anything else. Blackmore said in her essay, “Strange Creatures” of how memes are not suppose to have negative or positive effects towards the individuals. The main purpose for them is to replicate which means they are just neutral. This is why meme is called “selfish”. They do not care what happens next after they reproduce. Also, because a meme is overriding human system where imitation comes in first rather than looking at if it is morally wrong or not and how it can actually
Before the internet, our characteristics such as style, identity, and values were primarily exposed by our materialistic properties which psychologists define as the extended self. But people’s inferences to the idea of online self vs. offline self insisted a translation to these signals into a personality profile. In today’s generation, many of our dear possessions have been demolished. Psychologist Russell W belk suggest that: “until we choose to call them forth, our information, communications, photos, videos, music, and more are now largely invisible and immaterial.” Yet in terms of psychology there is no difference between the meaning of our “online selves” and “offline selves. They both assist us in expressing important parts of our identity to others and provide the key elements of our online reputation. Numerous scientific research has emphasized the mobility of our analogue selves to the online world. The consistent themes to these studies is, even though the internet may have possibly created an escape from everyday life, it is in some ways impersonating
The difference between connection and connectivity The desire for connection with others has resulted in many online users embracing social media. Web 2.0 allowed for this development. Initially, social media connoted the Web’s power to “nurture connections, build communities, and advance democracy” (4). These platforms initially encouraged making the Web “more social” by connecting users to one another. This was a participatory culture, where connections involved users only distributing personal information to each other.
Nowadays, people spend much time in online communities to network with virtual friends and play role plays. They provide an advantage for people with special needs who cannot leave the house, because they benefit from the accessibility of the internet. Moreover, they help people who often move to stay in touch with their friends. Nevertheless, spending too much time in online communities leads to drawbacks in the development of the user’s personality. More energy is dedicated to the virtual life than to real life and people lose track of their personalities while busy building online ones. Also, frequent users of online communities have difficulties beginning meaningful real life relationships. Virtual friendships are shallow due to the physical distance and the anonymity of the internet and it is common to have more friends than you are able to care for. Therefore, it is more rewarding to invest into physical relationships.
The technology of the cyberculture has not only created a new type of community but has had an interesting effect on the way people communicate. In her essay The Virtual Driving Forces in the Virtual Society, Magid Igbaria states that, “Electronic interactions in which people don’t know each other make new kinds of communication p...
Social media has become an integral aspect of everyone’s daily life. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and many other social hubs have been used to connect people in such a profound way. The article “What it Means Today to be Connected” outlines how Lucy P. Marcuss, CEO of Marcus Venture Consulting, defines being connected to the world. She delves into the deeper aspects of the connection we make online as well as in real life. Being involved in your surroundings and interacting with others is vital towards creating connections.
Although the Internet is quite a mechanically inclined experience, (ie research a topic, find the information, and leave), I discovered the online communities can also offer a completely different emotional experience. An experience which provides worldwide participants a forum to interact with faceless and often nameless strangers like themselves. An interaction based on a linguistic connection rather than a physical one. While this type of relationship may seem impersonal to an online community virgin, I came to discover in my journey that the physical distance between communicators is hardly important in comparison to the emotional connection. If one is emotionally close to someone, distance is definitely an insignificant factor. At the same time, one can be physically close but emotionally eons apart. In addition, while the medium of the conversation is anonymous and often discreet, this seems t...