In any epoch, people have been skeptical about the new, emerging technologies. It is because people do not like changes. According to Roger’s technology adoption curve, not everyone will immediately adopt a disruptive technology despite obvious benefits. The old generations always try to find some negative impacts related to a new technology in the beginning. It was also true for railroad, Telephone, and TV before the Internet. Therefore, people blamed ICTs (information and communication technologies) as suspects for making Americans more isolated. However, in ‘Networked’, Rainie and Wellman provided readers with much evidence against this blame. They said ICTs had two roles: a bridge for a new network and a supplementary channel for communication.
A bridge for a new network
Some people first get to know each other online then meet offline. Today, my son sent me an Instagram message about a new travel ball team. The message was a kind of announcement to recruit new players through the Internet. Players will register online first, then they will meet for a tryout at Orlando in early August. Gamers also meet in the cyberplace first and sometimes they meet offline. One more good example is Facebook ‘Tally Mom’ community. Though most members are cyber friends, they live in Tallahassee and are all connected through the online community. People help each other by asking and answering questions, exchanging information, and sharing each other’s joys, concerns, and grieves.
A supplementary channel for communication
The internet is not only for information but also for communication. With the Internet, we can connect with people more easily and frequently. We are not isolated but more connected through a new way of communication. We gather at online chatting room, update each other, and arrange our get-togethers. When we come back home after the get-together, we ask each other if all get home safely. Then we say good night. This is just like phone chatting without audio. And this is why teenagers consider texting on social media as “conversation” rather than writing (Pew Internet Study). Though I am here in the U.S., I still can socialize with my friends in different communities in Korea. Yes, we use the Internet to keep up with each other and enhance our weaker ties. It intensifies close relationships rather than isolates us.
Rainie and Wellman (Networked, 2012)
Hey Hajeen, I loved your reflection on the reading. Great to know about the ‘Tally Mom’ community on Facebook. When I was in Australia, I heard a lot about Aussie Mum bloggers’ community down there. They provide often hilarious accounts of family life and invaluable how-to guides that not only add meaning to the mundane but also act as a lifeline to all of us caught up in the squalls of parenthood. The number of blogs by mums, new ones and old, has grown astronomically in the past decade giving a voice both to those mothers trying to make sense of the changes the little people bring and the women who feel empowered by reading them. They started innocuously enough, just little stories written by women in milk-stained pyjamas and ratty hair, reaching out to the outside world while their babies napped. For some, it was a way of keeping a family journal, a way of articulating the juggle of modern motherhood. Today, the Aussie mum community has turned into a massive influencer network offering the brands and marketers a chance to reach up the old and new mums across the continent. For example, take a look at this landing page: https://babyhintsandtips.com/australian-mummy-blogger-campaigns/#. It’s amazing how people who have probably never met one another in person have today found a way to not only express their views and opinions, but more importantly earn for themselves and even for their families. Does it matter? BIG time!! They’re the decision makers, the grocery buyers, the researchers, and the purchasers – mums, mums to be, and time-poor working women – all are the big spenders. This is perhaps what Rainie and Wellman mean when they cite Mashall McLuhan’s mythological ‘global village coming to life.’ Nothing has brought social networks more vividly to public awareness than the rise of social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experience and thought. I also know one community called 'Missy USA'(https://www.missyusa.com/mainpage/content/index.asp). This is Korean community for women who live in the U.S. and raise their children. Through this type of online community, global village comes to our life. Additionally, consumers can exercise more power over suppliers. I see more benefits than baleful impacts from our networked relationship.
DeleteHow do you feel about context collapse? Do you let your Korean and American lives/friends come together on social media? Why or why not? (Could be another post ...)
ReplyDeleteI feel better about the context collapse than before. I think I've learned how to set up my identity on FB among different groups. Yes! I will think about this more and write another post.
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