Originally posted by return_to_hades
Alright DM has been a bit slow for the past few days. This probably is not a fire starter topic but hopefully, we can garner discussion.
It is evident we live in the era of technology. Computers, electronic devices rule our lives. Not having internet access is akin to being abandoned on a remote island. There was a time internet was only functional. Now it is social and ever expanding its realm - blogs, twitter, facebook, myspace, forums, chat groups etc.
How is cyber culture changing our lives?
Aspects we can look into
Addiction: How dependent are we on the internet? There was a time we never checked email, never booted a computer for days, never visited forums. For many of us we have to check/post/read/update etc every day. Some need to check every hour on their mobile devices. How many of us are addicted? What is the line of addiction? When do we suffer withdrawal from the internet? How long can each of us survive without internet? Is this addiction treatable - or is this a social problem?
Communication: People are communicating less with each other. Even in an office or within a home people text each other, shoot an email instead of engaging in face to face communication. In the next generation of youth a lot of social activity like going out and hanging with peers is being replaced by online communication? Has internet killed social skills and communications or has it enhanced communication by providing a new medium? Is a few hours in a chat club a replacement for hanging at the mall with friends? Is a few hours of world of warcraft a replacement of playing with friends on the streets? Is internet providing a great way of communication by letting shy awkward people communicate? Is it ok for internet being the only means of socialization?
Interaction: Where is the line between vl and rl. With social media like Facebook - family, friends, online friends are all in the same area. The lines between virtual and real get erased every day. What is more realistic - a hard line between virtual and real, keeping it distinct? Or accepting that in the end it is all real people, the world is being made smaller each day with networking and we have to accept it as a different mode of real interaction?
Finally is technology really bringing the world closer or driving us apart.
We can go off in any direction. Pick from here, bounce of your ideas - pros cons, excitements/frustrations over cyber culture.
Okay now... first and foremost, wonderfully put. 👏
Well, this thing has kept me musing ever since I had been provided with an access to the internet. I was once, I suppose a year before a complete addict, however now I can balance everything out quite well and the internet lies at the end of my priority list now, at the bottom! FINALLY! 😆
People prefer virtual meetings, we have reality TV shows relating to virtual dating and stuff which makes me really awe at people. The lines between virtue and reality are erased every day, as you said. I don't understand how do people agree to come on TV in such shows or ever try meeting such people without enough trust and then go on abusing each other on national television. 😆
I have a chat with my school friends on facebook, EVERYDAY! And I personally find that useless! 😆 And whenever we have some free time in between the periods ... all my friends can talk about is Farmville, Mafia Wars and the facebook Interviews... which irritates the hell out of me. 🤢
Zero communication! LOL! Well, I chat with my cousins, aunts and other relatives living in other countries and here, in order to keep in touch with them, internet is important. School people bombard us with projects and for that an access to the internet is important. If ever, we don't jell well with the real people around us, it becomes quite a necessary thing to find out an alternative which in today's world is the internet... the social networking websites, forums and stuff. So, in my eye ... internet and cyber world are indeed a boon, just that ... you need to figure out the right way to access it. 😳
