His Odyssey to Chat
From the readings in Constructive Identity in the Computer Age, there are many authors with different views and claims about the Internet, such as Sherry Turkle who wrote an article called "Identity in the Age of the Internet: Living in the Mud," about how we should have hidden identities online to hide behind. Even Dale Spender had a few great points in her essay "Gender Bending," about gender-neutral names enabling us to speak freely on the net so that we are not judged for being a man or a woman. The author that struck me most was Jesse Kornbluth. He is the author of the essay, "(you make me feel like) A Virtual Woman." Kornbluth claims that he cannot have a meaningful conversation online because people are playing word games of either sexual content, or defending themselves against that sort of communication. And how people speak like they are online addicts.
"(you make me feel like) A Virtual Woman," expresses Kornbluth's thoughts about communication. In the beginning of his essay, Kornbluth apologizes to any women readers who may have been offended by his portrayal of a woman character on the Net. Then he goes on telling his readers why he faked as a woman on the Net. Kornbluth's main goal was to experiment with genders online. In the beginning of his venture through cyber communication, he is first approached by "online addicts." These are people on the Net who like to express themselves using expressions such as LOL (laugh out loud) and {{{{LOLA}}}} to signify a warm greeting. These type of conversations only bored Kornbluth. So, he moved on to the next chat room, the member rooms. Yet, the people in this room only had one idea on their mind, "The women, in the main, come to talk; the men, in the main, talk to come." (Kornbluth 77). Next he tried the male rooms, although, Kornbluth knew that the male rooms were usually only for gay men. Kornbluth feels that if he were to actually stay and converse in the men's chat he wouldn't have the chance to talk to men like himself, "quick thinking, sharp tongued, straight men." His last chance was the "women 4 women" chat room. He figured that he couldn't just enter as a man because he would be kicked out and be forced to hang out in one of the main chats.
In “Modern Romance,” Celeste Biever describes romantic relationships in the Internet community. She describes how people can romantically be involved on the Internet and how the Internet teaches one to learn about a person from the inside out.In “Cyberspace and Identity,” Sherry Turkle also expresses her interest in the Internet and how it allows for the act of self-exploration. Even though their focus on what the Internet is used for are different from the perspective of one another, Biever and Turkle both see the Internet as a place for exploration in a general sense.
One identity is the person an individual is online, and the second identity is the personality an individual is in real life. Most online personalities are more open and talkative. Online, people are not afraid to say what is on their mind. What they share is open to the world, but is behind a screen and typed up, so there is no face-to-face conversation or debate going on. Not having anyone to say what is on the individual’s mind in person lets down the guard of what others think of the specific
Meghan Daum, born in1970 in California, is an American author, essayist, and journalist. Her article “Virtual Love” published in the August 25-September 1, 1997 issue of The New Yorker follows the author’s personal encounter with cyberspace relationships. Through this article the author presents to us the progress of an online relationship that after seeming entertaining and life changing at the beginning becomes nothing more than a faded memory. In fact she even ends the text stating that “reality is seldom able to match the expectations raised by intoxication of an idealized cyber romance.”(Daum, 1997, P.10) Daum concludes that online-dating or virtual love rarely survives the physical world when confronted by its obstacles such as its pace, idealization, and mainly expectations. However, although the message of the author is true, yet the way by which it was conveyed is found faulty.
Trinity College. Jack Dougherty, 2 May 2012. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. “Gender.”
Our encounters with the ghastly and glorious ghosts of St. Albans are fairly typical of the experiences of the other paranormal investigative teams you will read about in The Ghosts of St. Albans
"Statement of Southern Sudan Government Mission on Referendum (2011)." World Geography: Understanding a Changing World. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2011.
Through concepts and principles which we studied in the “dialogic communication studies”, “Dialogue” is a special form of communication that creates positive results for individuals, group, organization and communities. This concept has become a central of various theoretical perspectives in humanity and social sciences studies by looking at social relation and interaction as dialogue.
Daum writes, “Email provides a useful antidote for my particular communication anxieties. Though I generally send and receive only a few messages a week, I take comfort in their silence and boundaries” (Daum2).Through the internet, the narrator is able to express her ideal self and presents a false sense of herself which is misinterpreted by PFSlider. Particularly, the narrator states that, “I take comfort in their silence and boundaries”, which imply that the internet allows her to express herself without having to face the reality and anxieties of being face to face and not knowing what to talk about. The narrator 's ideal self conflicts with her real self because she puts more effort into creating an online persona which conflicts with the image of her real self that is filled with anxieties and loneliness. According to the narrator 's statement, she implies that through the computer was where her and PFSlider could confide intimately with each other without having to face the predicament of being in the real world and having to engage physically. Technology provided an outlet for them to be whoever they wanted to portray themselves as which allowed the narrator to view PFSlider with her desirable characteristics. In turn, this displays how technology complicates intimacy because the computer gave them an outlet to express themselves without having to deal with the reality of being able to talk in
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
... and trying to make them cooperate was the biggest flaw of the British colonialism. Then when that didn’t work out, the British developed the North far more than the South, thus creating resentment in the South. With the end of colonialism the British left a nation that was unstable politically and culturally. The region, culture, language, and historical differences between the South and North leads to two civil wars for independence. Which further leads into an ethnic conflict in South Sudan. If no action is taken to bring peace between the two. There is a threat of those ethnicity fighting over resources, which could then potentially lead into a territorial conflict. And if South Sudan further divides there could be a possibility of a power vacuum happening, creating more chaos. All it takes is a single spark to trigger a series of unfortunate events.
The World Wide Web and Internet are great places to study, work, or even play. But there is an ugly side of cyberspace. Cyberspace reflects the real world and some people tend to forget that. Cyberstalking and harassment are problems that a large number of people (especially women) are realizing. (Jenson, 1996, p.1)
Multiple identities have been increased by the creation of cyberspace communications according to "Cyberspace and Identity" by Sherry Turkle. Turkle uses four main points to establish this argument. Her first point is that online identity is a textual construction. Secondly she states that online identity is a consequence-free moratorium. Turkle's third point is online identity expands real identity. Finally, her last point states that online identity illustrates a cultural concept of multiplicity. I disagree with many aspects of her argument and I have found flaws in her argument. Technology is an area that does not stand still and consequently outpaced Turkle's argument.
The human need for affiliation creates the challenges and rewards of finding acquaintances, forming close friendships, as well as intimate relationships. Through technological advances cyberspace, or the internet, has become a place of multiple opportunities for people to be able to fulfill that need for affiliation. Websites, chat rooms, and online communities are just some examples of virtual platforms for people to seek others, come together, and find that special someone. These opportunities can result in positive outcomes allowing people to achieve what or whom they were seeking, but they can also result in harm to themselves and others, resulting with damaging consequences. Cyberspace does not come with a warning label. People who use the internet as a means to seek relationships are at risk of being exposed to positive as well as negative results. Being made aware of some of those risks and dangers, and realizing that forming relationships on the internet is not all fun and games, may be ways to help promote a positive future for cyberspace as a place to form successful relationships.
Wood, J. T. (2011). Gendered Verbal Communication. Gendered Lives: Communication, Gender, and Culture (10th ed., pp. 118-137). Boston, MA: Cengage.
Communicating online too much could hinder our ability to socialize effectively in the real life and interpersonal relationship. People in today’s generation love to communicate on the Internet. Due to the incredible convenience the Internet provides, people became socially dependent on it, therefore their time became preoccupied in front of the computer. Kids who grew up during the computer age show that they lack social skills. They would also feel uncomfortable and awkward when talking to people face to face. This is because they mostly isolate themselves in front of the computer chatting and meeting with people online. Due to lack of knowing other persons’ body cues, facial expression, miscommunication can occur. They are often unaware of the other member’s main idea and simply misinterpreting them.