Subcultures

Subcultures and Cyberniches

 

 

 

 

 

 

Modern society has been consumed by digital and social media.  Instead of using a type-writer to put together news, entertainment and political information. people of the twenty-first century are using digital electronics.  Computers offer word processing software and Internet tools that are widely globalized.  A form of this new digital culture is Blogging.  Blogs are constructed of online entries that are for personal enjoyment or public reading.  A definition in Promad K. Nayar's book "Introductions to New Media and Cybercultures" says "blogging is refered to as 'reverse-chronological posting by an individual that incorporate hyperlinks, videos and photos."    Another form of posting online are social websites like Facebook, Pintrest, Instagram and Twitter.  Below I have included a chart dividing the use of social and digital communication.  As  you can see in the second chart, Blogging is expected to rise 2% (about 10 million readers each year) by 2014.

 

 

 



 

 

Webcams and Online Self Pleasure

 

 

Web cam technology is not new, but its use is always being redefined.  Web cams were first used as a means of showing ones self to those who they are chatting with.  Softwares like Microsoft Net Meeting, Skype and IMovie allow people to chat with video imagery.  Webcams are now used by men and women for online pleasure and sex chats.  Websites like Live Jasmin and Adult Finder make soft porn accessible through webcam interfaces.  Web cams are not just used for sexual pleasure, they are used for business conferences and for recording personal videos of the family or friends.  These webcams through software like Skype, bring families together even though they might live apart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fansites and Fan-Communities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today, just about everything you can think of has a website.  It just takes one person as a fan to sit down and create a website.  These pages are public so the fan community grows quickly.  Fansites can be on any subject including sports, cars, music, art, books, movies, digital culture and more.  For kids there are fansites on Pokeman, Curious George, Yo Gabba Gabba, Spongebob, Hanna Barbera cartoons, The Peanuts, Disney characters and music groups like Jonas Brothers or Backstreet Boys.  For high school and college students there are fansites for Star Trek, Comic books, bands, tattoos, fashion, muscle cars, fitness and more.  These fansites allow anyone to see recent updates on their favorite subject and links to videos on Youtube.


The Avatar Self is a new subculture that has attracted millions to cybergaming.  Online gaming communities include Worlds of Warcraft, SIMS, Second Life, Ultima Forever and now Enterprise (a business oriented game).

 

Tpyes of Cyberculture Through Movies and The Internet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cybertension and Anxiety

 

 

Anxiety and Cyber-Tension

 

 

In the last decade, social media has become a new dominating tool for communicating with friends and loved ones.  What I mean by Cyber-tension is the overworked social muscle caused by peer presure and anxiety to keep up with your internet tools like Facebook, Twitter, Outlook  and Google Email Accounts, Pintrest and everything else we use online.  Just like working out in the gym for other muscles, the anxiety to keep up with internet tools can be overworked causing "Cyber-Tension" in the left temporal lobe .  Side affects are headache, frustration, loss of energy and mental fatigue.

 

 

 

Most children and young adults feel as if it is their perogative to connect digitally with their friends.  Preeschoolers and Middleschoolers see older students and other parents using digital tools to connect through the internet.  These children complain to their family for a smartphone or ipad for Christmas.  Today's internet is not just a way to connect with friends online, but a cyber-nightmare.  Creating online profiles of yourself wondering if you should stay true to who you are at a young age causes anxiety.  Having little of knowledge of who your child is actually talking to is a stress for the family.    Parents have to monitor their child by going through their texts after the computer time is over for their young adult.  Monitoring what your child is up to on the internet is a major stress for moms and dads.  Highschoolers have anxiety to be the most popular online by keeping their Facebook profile full of friends and messages.

Do you have FOMO? 

 

 

 

 

 

Mobile Texting -- Eternal  Communication With Friends

 

 

 

Children feel the need to have easy access to friends in today's world of digital companionship.  Being alone doodling by yourself is more together than in previous decades.  Having your smartphone near creates the feeling of eternal communication.   Friends are more accesible to communicate with by cellular texting and Facebook. The digital devices are just the venue for eternal communication with friends.  This feeling of "I'm not alone" is also a stresser because the communication process never turns off.  There is anxiety with replying to all the texts daily.  Keeping up with digital connections does not only refer to mobile texting, but to e-mail messages and Facebook updates.

 

 

 

 

 

Attention 50/50

 

 

Having our anxiety with our digital agenda leaves us to spend more attention online.  We are less present when at school, at a movie or when hanging with friends. Texting our friends and updating Facebook are new norms subscribed in our everyday culture.  We are pressured to view every message as it comes in, and the anxiety from staying connected with your friends has become for most, a constant minute by minute hassle.   

Personal Experiences and Views of Modern Social Media


When I was young, the term connected meant something different.  For me it meant connection of a mouse to a computer or a the way a pad of paper sticks together.  The internet was a new form of using our personal computers.  I had trouble grasping the idea that the computer goes to a world of information outside of itself.  I even thought using the telephone was a magical experience.  Fastforwarding to 1990's, I saw technology advancing at a fast rate.  Items like the Walkie-Talkie was a huge communication tool for friends, family and business use.  At this time cellphones were just phones.  The ability to text with friends was just developing and was a pain to do on phones.  I never felt the anxiety of today until I had a smartphone.  the ease of communication and all the tools made it easier and harder at the same time.  What to push and how to use each tool became a constant hassle.  For me at first, I wanted my friends to be available only by calling them; them texting me was invasive.  I never responded to text, but I would call my friends.



Understanding Modern Texting Technology


With my smartphone, I got used to the idea of texting, but still had the anxiety to be available at all times incase a text came through.  When I texted my friends and didnt recieve a response for more than 5 hours, I got worried.  I felt as if I did something wrong and my friend was mad at me.  Being stuck in this constant guessing game, I reverted back to using my smartphone for just a phone.  The same thing happend though if it went to voice mail.  I never used profiling websites like Facebook or Twitter and felt no anxiety about it.  Today the pengilum has swung to constant use of smartphones and profile websites.  It is like we are brainwashed to invest our time in these new communication tools.  In my opinion, these tools help us, but they are not what our life depends on.  I still call my friends on occation to catch up.  Having the newest and most modern version of these devices is a obsetion for most people.  These devices are updating at such a constant rate it creates anxiety for those who dont have the money to get the latest version.  Overall, I think these devices create more anxiety then they are worth because our lives are hard enough as it is.

Overview Video:

Questions:

How has owning a smartphone and an internet connection changed your life and those around you?


Are you experiencing anxiety?  If so, what stresses you the most?


If we could rewind time, before celluar phones, would you feel less or more anxious without the ability to communicate through texting?  (Discuss and explain why)


Do you see social media anxiety affecting adolecents of the next generation?
 

 



True Confessions - chapter 12

 

 

True Confessions

Cyber Aggression and Arguing

 

 

Chapter 12, of Sherry Turkle's "Alone Together," examines online communication and the difference between real-time anger between friends and posting confessions through cyberspace.

 

 

Flaming Vs. Venting

 

A flaming conversion happens when two friends or family members yell it out over something they disagree on.  Solving things  by yelling is not new.  We do it face-to-face and on the telephone.  A new medium for releasing our feelings is venting over the Internet.  Social websites like facebook, twitter and the ever evolving confession sites are places that let us vent online.  Flaming can accrue online when a reply by text or email starts a chain of angry messages between the two senders.

 

We as a human society have indulged in the Internet and are abusing its uses.  A speaker from Wall Street Journal explains why we approach these Internet platforms with a high image of ourselves, leaving us to believe we can broadcast whatever we want.  Typing online for many seems like word processing document on their individual computer where nobody sees what anything.  However, we are announcing these typed statements to millions online.

http://graphicsweb.wsj.com/documents/AUDIO12/index.php?uid=bernstein10021&size=D&bgcolor=&fontcolor=&autoplay=0

 

Confession Websites

 

When we feel guilty about our actions, we feel the need to keep it a secret from loved ones and family.  Holding it as a secret for a long time makes us feel worse and we need a place to vent online.  Confession websites like PostSecret, is helping millions release their guilt online with a connection to a community of anonymous listeners.  These confessional site users are there to deal with their guilt while also commenting to others with compassionate support. 

These websites are a therapeutic tool for those who have a lot on their plate.  Having posted something you don't want a loved one to know or something more personal, that is a deep secret, leaves someone temporarily relieved of guilt.  These types of sites do not replace the pressure of having to confess your worries to your loved ones or family.  Talking about your feelings and worries online to compassionate people might help make you less nervous about approaching that loved one and delivering the news after reading feedback from others.  These interactions with others who confess over these sites are not a true social connection.  It is important to see the difference between a group of anonymous online individuals or a cyber-community and your real group of friends offline.  Connecting with a cyberspace community on confession webpages is a communication format that is less secure and intimate than talking face-face with your loved ones.   When confessing online, you don't know if the anonymous people will keep that secret online, making the information not a secret anymore. 

  Even your dog is curious!

 

 

Religious Wisdom about Online Confession Sites:

Using Sites Like "YesIConfess.com"



 

An  entrepreneur from India founded a confessional website where people of India can speak about their worries.  This video explains how to use "YesIConfess" and the reasons for creating it.

 

 

The Scale of Online Confessions

 

Below a priest gives his ideas on The Lack of Human Interaction and Human Contact.  Online confession sites are a new venue to get rid of your burdens, but in the long run we are loosing the emotional depth that face-to-face interaction has.  Online confessions are not only a cleanse of sins, but go as deep as a cry for love and companionship.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUSTAVwNZsk