Identity and Social Media

http://networkcultures.org/wpmu/unlikeus/2012/03/01/identity-on-facebook-even-who-you-are-is-defined-and-controlled-by-facebook/

This article discusses how we are defined by Facebook. The identities we develop on Facebook are intimately connected with the fact that Facebook is a social networking site. Turkle explores this development of multiple identities view social media in the second part of her book.

Social Media, Identity, and Me

The other day in class, we discussed social media and identity.

Basically, we talked about things such as Facebook, or Half-Life 2, where people can create their own avatar, or repesentation of what they want to be perceived as over the internet.

I do know some people who choose not to have their own picture as their profile picture on Facebook.  Some people would rather be represented through something like their favorite car, their favorite author, a famous individual they look up to, etc. Many do this so that they are "protected" online from any "predators" or so that they don't receive any "unwanted attention."

Many other people do this though so they can be a different person. They are unhappy with their life and wish to be someone new. This is more commonly seen in things such as Second Life 2 or online games like World of Warcraft. People can become whatever they want, and they can do whatever they want. There are instances even of people sacrificing 15 hours out of their weeks just so they can escape into their alter ego.

I'm not saying this is a bad thing. I once played a lot of online games like these, and I too once lived a different life through an avatar. It was fun, it was definitely a great escape from the horrible reality of high school (ha!). However, there are people out there that become way too involved with these games that they become addicted and reliant upon them to provide escape.

The same goes to social media sites like Facebook. even though they aren't so much of a "game," you still maintain them like an avatar, and you can find yourself lost on Facebook for hours before you even realize it... I myself am very guilty of this!

I think social media and the idea of avatars are slowly making us not want to be ourselves, and rather pretend to be something different all day... because, when you can live in multiple different realities, why stick with boring old real life?

twitter

I am guilty of having a twitter. However i probably tweet maybe once everyother day. the thing that i find fascinating about social media is that fact that people thing twitter is a place to release problems they may be having because its so impersonal. they can post something about a problem and people who dont know them see it so it doesnt matter to the person composing the tweet.

With facebook and twitter comes new- for a lack of a better word- problems. people creating false identities because its a place where they can live an alternate lifestyle. thats mostly the case on facebook and not so much twitter, but regardless you can create a whole new person that isnt you becasue you may not get that attention otherwise. which seems to be a theme of social media is attention

Life without Technology

I read Allison's post about her challenge about no technology for a day (just 24 hours and half the time you are sleeping hahah) and I have actually tried this on my own and succeded. I honestly had to leave my phone at my house for the day or else I know that I wouldn't be able too. Allie said that she couldn't do it and she began to have the fake vibrations from her phone and that made me laugh because i did the exact same thing except... my phone was not even with me. I freaked out a few times because I thought I lost my phone and couldn't find it.. again, it wasn't even with me. I am so used to having my phone and being able to be connected with everyone! I would play games when I was bored, text my friends, search on the internet,  and check my e-mails all on the go and with the touch of one button. After I got over the fact of not having my phone and told myself that I am going to feel much better after not being engaged in my phone all day, I serioulsy felt so realived. I felt so aware and thankful and honestly more happy. I literally felt like I had a weight lifted off of my shoulders and I felt so proud that I did it!! Now, every once in a while I will make myself go a day without my phone, or any technology... it truly feels so nice, you should try it!! You will feel like a brand new person.

Turkle on Twitter

See below for the transcript of a Twitter exchange with Sherry Turkle. The original can be found here.

A Twitterscript with Sherry Turkle, Founder of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self


By Susan Leem
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 - 5:10am



For 20 years Sherry Turkle has asked unusual questions about the human side of technology. She wants to know how our relationship with devices affects our psychology, and why it is that “we no longer care if we are among life.” She’s referring to our love of gadgets, robots, and the way we obsess over email and smart phones, ultimately giving them highest priority in our social interactions.



Professor Turkle is the Abby Rockefeller Mauze Professor of the Social Studies of Science and the founder and director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self. Her latest book is Alone Together.



We live-tweeted highlights of this 90-minute conversation, which we’re aggregating and posting here for those who weren’t able to follow along. Check out our Twitter stream next time at @BeingTweets.



1.“There’s a phenomenon where people feel their phone ringings when they’re not. It’s called the phantom ring.” - @STurkle 1:09 PM 22 Feb

2.“Just because we grew up with the internet we think that the internet is all grown up.” @STurkle 1:13 PM 22 Feb

3.“I get very discouraged that we don’t seem to have a taste for stopping and asking how can we make this work for us?”-@STurkle on technology 1:14 PM 22 Feb

4.“What is intimacy without privacy, what is democracy without privacy?” - @STurkle, author of “Alone Together” - http://bit.ly/cJxjOQ 1:16 PM 22 Feb

5.“If you don’t teach your children how to be alone, they’ll only always know how to be lonely.”-saying in psychology via @STurkle 1:28 PM 22 Feb

6.“You don’t want to be alone because you can’t think by yourself, you can’t feel by yourself.” - @STurkle on growing up with texting, etc. 1:30 PM 22 Feb

7.“It’s teenagers who say ‘My parents text at the dinner table.’” @STurkle on how children also want sacred spaces. 1:34 PM 22 Feb

8.@STurkle on rules for adults to create sacred spaces in family- put down the phone at dinner, moment of school pickup and on the playground. 1:40 PM 22 Feb

9.“The greatest gift you can give your child is to walk out of the house without your phone. Show your child what that looks like!” @STurkle 1:41 PM 22 Feb

10.“We have to ask ourselves what is served by having an always on, always on you, open to anyone who wants to reach us, way of life.”@STurkle 1:43 PM 22 Feb

11.“I love uses of technology that are positive and hopeful and exciting.” - Professor @STurkle author of “Alone Together.” 2:01 PM 22 Feb

12.“In a human conversation I’m talking to another person who understands the arc of a human life cycle.” -@STurkle 2:14 PM 22 Feb

13.“I don’t need to be right, but I do need to feel as though people understand what I’m trying to communicate.” -@STurkle on conversation. 2:16 PM 22 Feb

14.“Whether or not we want robots caring for our elderly will be one of the most humanistic conversations we’re going to have.” -@STurkle 2:17 PM 22 Feb

15.“This is a corporation, it isn’t your mother, and I think people forget that.” -@STurkle on Facebook 2:21 PM 22 Feb

16.“There’s a whole kind of robotics that’s really going to change the way people see the world.” -MIT professor @STurkle 2:23 PM 22 Feb

About the image: Sherry Turkle (photo: Peter Urban)

Identity and Role Play

http://anthrocyber.blogspot.com/2009/05/identity-construction-and-self.html

This article looks at all the aspects of Facebook within the circle of relatives, friends, and other communities and looks at its effects on how we view ourselves and others. Turkle talks about this, and how it may at first appear to be constructive in creating an idea self, but in the end it is really more stressful because you try to tailor things to look good for everybody. In the end, you are not really being yourself in the way that you are yourself in real life.

"The virtual world of each person’s Facebook page consequently becomes an open book of personal identity that in the physical world may take years to decipher." This is another way of saying that everything is open to everyone in an instant; there is no discovery of each other as would be in a personal relationship in the real world. I think this is an interesting study on how Facebook has created a new culture online on interaction and relationship.

A day without Technology

In one of my English courses, I was challenged to go a day without technology; that means no cell phone, no Facebook, no Twitter, nothing.  I accepted the challenge with the notion that it would not be that difficult.  What is 24 hours with no technology?  After the first hour, I was already having a difficult time.  I was constantly worried that someone would try to reach me in an emergency and I would not know or be able to help.  Then there was the fact that everyone else was checking their phones constantly and I was the odd man out.  I began have the "phantom vibrations" phenomenon also.  Needless to say, I cheated on the challenge and caved in after a mere 2 hours.  This really showed me how much technology controls my world and daily activities.  I challenge you to try a whole 24 hours without technology to fully understand how much it controls your life.  I bet it will be more than you think!

Focal Points

One day in class, we discussed the idea of focal points in our lives.  These are things that link us to others and help us build relationships.  When thinking about what is a focal point in my life I came up with two: basketball and family.  These two things tend to over lap in some cases.  Basketball has helped shape me into the person I am today and many of my personality traits.  It has put certain people in my life that I never imagined and has had a huge impact on why I am the way I am.  As for my family, growing up we were a close knit family and still are today.  With that said, although these are focal points, my days are not centered around them.  I think having a healthy balance is key with focal points.

Kids with Cell Phones

Turkles chapter 9 about growing up tethered really hit home with me. I work at an after school program for kids from Kindergarten to sixth grade. The kids as early as third grade have cell phones and they are constantly on them. We have to remind them daily to put their phones away. Children should be living in the moment  and the now at the playground or gym; instead I am seeing them sitting on the bench playing with their phone. Turkle continues talking about how its affecting adolescent development and I can't help but think about how these kids who experience technology younger and younger will be affected.

Lewis Mumford and the Megamachine

After reading Lewis Mumford's chapter in the textbook about the idea of a Megamachine it got me thinking how our generations interpretation of the word "machine" is vastly different from that of past generations. The Megamachine that Mumford is talking about relates to the time of the Egyptian absolute monarchy using hundreds of thousands of men at their disposal to build pyramids and statues. To us, machine almost always has something to do with technology and electronics. We can't even fathom the idea of a machine that has nothing to do with these things and it is very amusing to be completely honest. The digital age that has begun is something that will forever change the interpretations and perceptions of peoples lives especially when it comes to technology and electronics. It is a little bittersweet that we have moved so far ahead in our development that the idea of a machine has been understood in such a different light.

Progress? Enough?

We have touched upon the concept of progress in class. I think that progress can be a positive or a negative thing. It can be a positive because this is how we got to the world that we are in today. People wanted to advance the way we live and to make things a little easier in a sense. We as a people have many more opportunities now then people had back before the new technologies.

The negative could be seen as when is enough enough? Have some things gone to far? These are a few questions that are asked frequently. When new versions of the phone come out, their isn't a huge different between the two but yet people go crazy to get the newest and greatest. I could see the difference between a computer and an iPad maybe because there are several differences between the two, yet they are an advancement of each other. But when will the new technology be enough?

I do to think it will ever be enough because inventors and people always want to be improving and we are constantly becoming more available to new technologies and new ideas on how to use it and what to create.

DARPA’s Newest Robot: The Cheetah

We watched a video in class one day about DARPA’s “Big Dog” robot they have built, which is supposed to be used for carrying equipment for soldiers. The Big Dog has a seemingly innocent purpose, but what in the world are they going to use the Cheetah for?

The article I found was published March 5^th, talking about DARPA’s newest robot called the Cheetah, saying that it is designed to mimic the running motions of fast running animals in nature, and has set the record speed for four legged robots. The link is provided below, and shows a video of the robot running 18 miles per hour. It is currently only running on a treadmill, but once they take the thing off the exercising machine, what are they going to use it for?

http://gizmodo.com/5890550/darpas-newest-robot-is-possibly-its-creepiest-ever

I also decided to look up more on what the Big Dog can do, and I found a more recent video posted, where the Big Dog exhibits not only more balance, but strength, throwing a cinder block weighing 35 pounds 17 feet while walking.

For some reason, giving the military of a country where war is commonplace a bunch of strong robots that you can’t outrun or knock down doesn’t seem like the best idea to me.

Are we ever satisfied? When is enough, enough?

We have discussed the term "progress" in class, but will progress really ever stop. As humans, we alwasy want the best and we are always going to want the best. As a creator, why would you not want to keep supplying what people are going to pay for. There is always going to be progress if society allows it. If you keep paying for better, they are going to continue to create better. Progress will never end in the technology world. People are always thinking how can we make this product or machine better? How can we improve this so that it is easier for humans to understand? Look how fast computers turned into laptops and laptops turned into tablets and I pads. What's next? We don't know, technologies will be overseen in 6 months after it is considered new because they will create a new and improved. If this continues, I believe that the idea of a companion robot is creeping up a little faster than we think.

Lewis Mumford

It is strange to think that the idea of the Megamachine is meant by the Egyptian "machine" of thousands of people laboring towards one thing. Now, it means thousands of circuits that instantly zap from one place to another. But that is only a part of the whole. This organization is seen in heirarchies of societies as well as tools. However, the people that build and are a part of the "megamachine" become "spiritually dead", which is somewhat telling of a society that zones out on screens and machines. According to this article, it will and is created a "universal, but inadequate society".

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1966/12/1/mumford-warns-of-mega-machine-criticizes-chaos/

When is enough, enough?

In today's society the term "progress" never has an end.  We always want something better or there is some kind of upgrade to every technology.  But how significant are these upgrades? Is the difference between the iPhone4 and iPhone5 that drastic?  We are never satisfied with a product.  We always ask "how can we improve this?"  Things that are considered new technologies will be non-existent in 6 months or a year.  If this rate of progress continues, I believe that the idea of companion robots is closer than we think. 

Focal Things and Practices

Recently in class, we discussed a concept called "Focal Things and Practices."

This really stuck home with me... focal things are objects or actions that require more human interaction and work, rather than having a machine do it for you. For example, a fireplace is considered a focal thing because it requires the human effort of throwing in logs and lighting th fire and maintaining it, plus it brings people together... its non focal equivalent is indoor heating, which takes minimal effort to work, and does not bring people together.

I think focal things are extremely important. I have always argued with my brother about what is better: buying and collecting CD's to listen to, or downloading music online and just listening to it from your computer. I have always though CD's are superior to that, because there's more interaction with one than just listening to a pre-downloaded song on the computer. Having to choose the CD, and load it into the the player is alot more focal than pulling up spotify or pandora and listening to it there.

In fact, even more focal than CD's, is live music. I myself am a musician and have played trumpet and other brass instruments for about 8 years... I sometimes play at bars for money even and I have always loved doing it. Live music is so much more superior and focal than listening to spotify or a CD because not only does it bring people together, but it requires much effort for the musicians as well and really is a workout on the brain.

I guess what I'm getting at is this: I am a focal person. I am not very introverted... I am very extroverted and enjoy personal interaction. I like saying hello, and sometimes I like to do stuff "the old fashioned way" (I have friends that I sometimes write letters to even!). Therefore, I feel that focal things and practices are essential to the spirit that makes us human. I feel like without these things, we become less than human.

Humans are social animals, and if we're on cell phones all the time, what do we become?

Interview with Albert Borgman

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2901

Here is a link to an interview between a pastor and Albert Borgman. Borgman talks about focal things and practices and I think its interesting (and relevant to a Catholic school) the connections he makes to religion. It would seem his idea of a good life is consistent with many religious ideas of a good life.

The grander of the experience

As I talked about today in class on the discussion of Albert Borgmann and his idea of focal things, Henry David Thoreau is a perfect example of  living life with the grander of an experience not just about efficiency always. the words from his writing Walden, " I went to the woods because i wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life" in this sentence Thoreau is saying that he has to get away from the hectic everyday of modern society and all of its expectation  He understands that in the wilderness he finds peace and comfort in the grander of all the beauty. I feel the same way and as an Environmental science major i find the most comfort in the wilderness among the trees and rocks and hills. The wild is one of my focal things that i don't want modern civilization and technology to ruin, i can not image anything that can be a supplemental for the great outdoors. High adventure amusement parks that offer white water rafting or fake rock climbing try to fulfill the same actions that the wild provides but they are not the same just as the TV dinner is not the same as the thanksgiving dinner.  

Walden (Or, Life In The Woods) by Henry David Thoreau

Walden (Or, Life In The Woods) by Henry David Thoreau is one of my favorite novels of all times. I came across it in my junior year of high school in AP English III, when we read an essay from it in our AP text book. The essay reflected many thoughts that were similar to quite a few of my thoughts on technology at the time, so I thought I would go out and by the book for a summer reading. I’ve never read the entire book at once, but I have skipped through and read chunks throughout the book that seemed interesting at the time, some of which I have purposely reread up to four times because I enjoy it that much. I fell in love with this book, and it actually inspired me to take this class in the first place, so I figured I would share it with you guys in a blog post as a book I recommend for those who enjoy topics related to the ethics of technology, or anybody who has enjoyed the more current discussions in this class. This is because the novel shows many ideologies similar to those of the more classic philosophies of technology we have been discussing in class, while giving close up real life examples from the period of Industrialization that can easily relate to and show the intensity of these effects in modern society.

This novel is actual a collection of journal entries from Henry David Thoreau which he wrote during a retreat. This “retreat” was actually an escape from a society that he saw was falling apart to the extent that life was losing meaning. Thoreau discusses the effects he has seen technology have on society since Industrialization, and how technology was beginning to have the ability to control lives of individuals. He points out specific examples of people trying to make their lives better with technology but instead piling of complications and slowly taking away meaning of life. He decides to take a retreat in the woods living a simplistic lifestyle to find out what it really means to live.

Quotes from Walden, Or Life In The Woods:

 

 “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.” 

"It is something to be able to paint a particular picture, or to carve a statue, and so to make a few objects beautiful; but it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look, which we morally can do. To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts."

Heideggar

According to Heideggar the greatest danger is that we lose human beings into resources. He saw the danger of technology in terms of the human domination and exploitation of all beings by instrumental means. The essence of technology is not technological to Heideggar, but yet more of a way of being. To some degree I can follow these beliefs. In the world we live in today it is like we can not let anyone or anything just be itself. We are constantly putting constraints on people and coming up with new ideas or gadgets trying to improve what already is which can cause stress and controversy. If we would sometimes just let things stand as is then we might find more comfort in our own lives.

Heideggar

Heideggar talks about humans and losing them to different resources. He claims that this is the greatest danger and I can see where he is coming from. Technology often leads to exploitation of human beings and we are constantly putting constraints on them. The important part of his point to me is the idea that people are constantly trying to improve what already is good and advanced. In some points this is good but in others it is not necessary. But these individuals that come up with this new technology dominate others and dominate the actual technology that is made available to the world. We have no idea what technology is actually available to everyone until it actually comes out. This is all something that we have to think about.

Robotic Pets

The other day in class... we were discussing robotic pets and how they are becoming more prevalent in our society. Although to some these may seem nothing more than just harmless children's toys, there are many people who would argue that these "pets" are slowly blurring the lines between robots and humans as Turkle suggested in the second chapter of her book.

What is the problem about this? As just suggested, there are many fears that these sorts of toys are not teaching our kids how to take care of pets, but instead, are teaching are kids that animals do not have emotions and no matter how much you abuse them, they will still get up, and keep doing what you want.

Another fear is that kids will not be able to tell the difference between animals and robots, and treat a robotic toy that loses power in its batteries as a pet dog dying.... what if children became more emotionally invested in a machine than a real animal? What if future generations become more invested in robots and robotic companions that they are unable to become emotionally invested in each other?

I know its a large stretch, and it seems pretty ridiculous, but the more I read Turkle's book the more I am being slowly convinced that this is a possible future we may be heading into...

robotic pets

On the idea of people having a pet, that really isnt alive i think it totally depends on the situation. If a young child wants a tomogatchi or a furby i dont think that is much of an issue. that could be used as an educaitonal experience to teach them. or even with adults who are allergic to pets getting robots. that all seems to be okay with me

the problem then arises when people like to be human qualities in anything that resembles a human. they think that the robot can actually think and has feelings just as we do. if you think about it, most of us do that. why is that? I dont have a for sure answer but if i had to say it seems like people just want someone to listen to them. Same idea with pets. People know they have no clue what theyre saying but every once in awhile its nice to have someone sit and listen without getting any back talk.