Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Living and Learning with New Media

For today's class I asked my ENGL 101 students to read Living and Learning with New Media: Summary of Findings from the Digital Youth Project. I also asked them to remark on "issues" (prophetic, accurate, "good", "bad", whatever) they may have had with the piece. Most of the students are 17 or 18 years old and were in the researchers' target demographic when the study was conducted. My students' remarks follow...

36 comments:

Tamara B. said...

One striking idea the researchers presented was, "While hanging out with their friends, youth develop and discuss their taste in music..." I disagree with this statement. Researchers should not assume this situation for every child. Some children find out what type of music they like with their parents or alone. I believe that (most)youth attempt to like the songs their friends like. If I had a group of friends over to visit, I will try to play songs I know they will like and try not to play songs that will make them look at me like an alien who loves weird music.

Stephanie Eisenring said...

In the article there was a certain statement that was made which stood out to me; one the I believe is false. The article stated that "The research
shows that today’s youth may be coming of age and struggling for autonomy and identity amid new worlds for communication, friendship, play, and self-expression." In my opinion I think these new forms of social networking allow young adults to express themselves in more ways than one. For example, these myspace pages are created in a way for the user to edit and tweak their pages until they feel they have been able to express themselves to the fullest. The user can change their backgrounds, their pictures, fonts, and they can even add music to play in the back. If this isn't a great way of self-expression...what is?

Casey Honeycutt said...

"New media forms have altered how youth socialize and learn, and this raises a new set of is¬sues that educators, parents, and policymakers should consider."

This quote brought up ideas and considerations that had not occurred to me until I read this article. How do teen development specialists, teachers, parents and schoolboards deal with this new form of online literacy? They can not ignore it, nor can they wholly embrace it. Ignoring it would cause boredom and restrictions that would turn rebellion-prone teens against them, and embracing it wholly would be to forget the old literacies and the old ways that of course have value too. Adding emphasis to the old literacies would quickly grow boring for this modern generation but focusing too much on Myspace or Facebook literacies would not be beneficial for a generation so tech savvy. It quickly becomes a balancing act with objects of unequal weight. But which should weigh more?

Oscar Gomez said...

In the article, Living and Learning with New Media, there was a piece that really struck me because it related to me in some way. There was a part at the beginning in which it stated, “They can also find opportunities to publicize and distribute their work to online audiences and gain new forms of visibility and reputation.” I thought that this was very true for example, there are many youtube accounts that provide great videos that are of interest to somebody and that account holder obtains new visibility and reputation. Their reputation depends on whether their videos are good or not. Another part of the article that sort of relates to the first quote was near the end and it states, “they were able to translate their interest in tinkering and messing around into financial ventures that gave them a taste of what it might be lke to pursue their onw self-directed careers.” This is the part in which the article begins to relate to me. About two years ago, I noticed that all of my friends’ psp screens cracked and eventually I cracked my own as well. Replacement was expensive so I thought looking for videos on youtube would be a great idea. I actually found a video that taught me how to replace a psp screen and it was actually very easy. I tried it and successfully fixed my screen, then I told my friends about it and I made some extra cash. It was a great experience and obviously the account holder on youtube had a great reputation for his videos and I gained one as well.

Melissa A. Paniagua said...

In the Living and Learning with New Media article, I found many interesting things on how adults are trying to figure out the new teen world. In the research, researchers stated that "youth respect one another's authority online, and they are often more motivated to learn from peers than from adults." Youth, however, are doing the contrary. Online-networking is giving teens and young adults an opportunity to express themselves, but by no means it is by respecting and learning from each other as they say. Through online-networks such as Facebook or Myspace, teens are being more forward with their feelings, leading to a more blunt and disrespectful world. Since it is done through a computer, and not face to face, teenagers are more likely to say how they feel about certain situations without becoming aware of how it comes out. They feel that since they are not talking in person, there is nothing wrong with saying exactly how they feel. They are also very critical towards each other. Most teenagers use social online-networking to see what is happening in each others lives. Sure, researchers believe that this keeps them engaged in different activities and connected with each other. However, social online-networks are used more to criticize one another through wall posts or picture comments. They are even worse than the comments and critiques an adult would be making towards the same situation!

ccmiller said...

I agree with "Living and Learning with New Media" that new media such as networking sites, gaming sites, and other online networks allows youth to interact more with their peers and those that share common interests. I did not agree with the overall idea that this form of social interaction is better than or can replace face to face interaction.
The article mentions the fact that young people can interact with adults online as equals and that the normal social rules of respecting elders does not apply online. I think that this idea may decrease young people's respect for adults in the real world. People that are very involved in online communites can lack real social skills, especially those who have never been without the internet and cell phones.

La La said...

A quote that I found particularly interesting from this piece, is "Suddenly they go from somebody you’ve met once to somebody you met once but also connected with in some weird Facebook way. And now that you’ve connected, you have to acknowledge each other more in person sometimes". I think the researchers are onto something with the first part, because I definitely feel that once you become Facebook friends with someone, you have taken your meeting to a whole new level of "friendship". For example, if you just met someone and then they add you, you would remember how you met and such. However, I disagree with the second part of this quote because I feel you do not have to acknowledge the person. Initially, this might be the case, but then it fades away and if you ever did acknowledge each other, it comes to an end. The reason I believe this is because in my case I have a good number of "Facebook friends" that I met once but we fail to ever acknowledge each other. In fact, at some point I feel as if we never even met or aren't even Facebook friends. So although you may choose to acknowledge the person, you do not "have to". This is especially the case now because a lot people have Facebook and the friend list keeps going up, thus it's hard to keep with who you're facebook friends with.

Jaja Hsu said...

Researchers seem to have it right when it comes to relationships and the media. Many couples do not seem "official" until it is "Facebook official." And it was really surprising to me that researchers stumbled onto that point. I admit, I have fallen for this whole thing about officializing a relationship online. My friends would tell me that they are talking to a certain person, but then i ask them, "Is it Facebook official?" And usually it's in a joking manner, but it does make a difference.

I guess when couples' announce it over the web, it seems more realistic because it shows people that they aren't ashamed of their relationship or not trying to be secretive about it. So i concur with researchers. They have it right when it comes to making relationships official not only offline, but online as well.

Researchers also seem to know about dating and flirting over new media, such as texting and facebooking. It is alot easier to be flirtatious over texting and typing because you want to be perceived a certain way by someone you like. I guess you can mask who you really are when you really want to. But if a relationship is started over the web, it can become awkward in person. you might be disappointed when the person that you like to talk to over the web isn't as sarcastic, funny, or sensitive in person. So, again, i think that researchers have understood the concept of flirting online.If you want a true relationship, keep it offline.

Chavez said...

"For contemporary American teens, new media provide a new venue for their intimacy practices, a venue that renders intimacy simultaneously more public and more private. Young people can now meet people, flirt, date, and break up outside of the earshot and eyesight of their parents and other adults while also doing these things in front of all of their online friends."

Social networks like MySpace nd Facebook allow teens to emphasize the love that they share for one another. You can post romantic stuff on your girlfriend's wall, and she will feel like the most special girl online. These websites also can be negative. they allow people to express their feelings about almost ANYTHING. Many people virtual fight or agrue through chat or posts. These, in turn, puts your "business" out in cyberspace. Although these new media devices and social networks are good for making new friends, it is also good for losing them.

Emily Chapin said...

While reading "Living and Learning with New Media" I found an interesting quote about the relationship between teens and technology. The study claims that, "Youth using new media often learn from their peers, not teachers or adults, and notions of expertise and authority have been turned on their heads." I had not realized how valid this statement was until I read "Living and Learning with New Media." It is interesting that so many kids have a hard time focusing in their classroom settings, but then when it comes to new technology they are on top of their game. I disagree with the claim that this peer based learning should have a negative connotation. Learning from peers is an important skill. Kids should receive both structure based learning from adults and unstructured learning from their peers Also, kids of today's society are going to need to be proficient with technology.

EarnestD said...

After reading the arcticle, I do feel that the remarks made throughout has become to play in today's society. On particular excerpt that stands out to me is "Although complaints about “kids these days” have a familiar ring to them, the contemporary version is somewhat unusual in how strongly it equates generational identity with technology identity, an equation that is reinforced by telecommunications and digital media corporations that hope to capitalize on this close identification." The term "kids these days" have in the past been looked at in a negative way toward the new activities the youth become involved in, but in this article it has become increasingly a positive aspect to society. In society, were technology grows increasingly popular everyday, manufactures and analysts have conducted social experiments that have showed that youth of today is the primary population of new technological advances. Due to this, businesses and corporations will use the interets of the today's youth to capitialize. With every new device, social networking website, etc. the youth of today will become connected with it and further increase the profit of these corporations.

michael mcgoo said...

In this excerpt, the quote that is interesting to me says, "youth frequently start engaging with a new web site or blog, or start writing a piece of fan fiction, but eventually discard these experiments." This quote I agree with, but I also disagree with a part of it. I can see how people might end up not blogging as much as they reach a certain age or might start up a different blog, but there are some "experiments" that I doubt will be discarded. The quote says that the youth will start engaging new sites, but with sites like google, YouTube, and Facebook, there aren't that many more sites youth will be tempted to visit. They already have the sites that will let them look up whatever they choose, look at hilarious videos, and talk to friends they enjoy.

Vincent De Neef said...

"Through trial and error, youth add new media skills to their repertoire, such as how to create a video or customize games or their MySpace page."
I found this quote to be striking in its accuracy. I can remember when i first got a myspace and how complicated it was to download pictures, make a profile, and all the other things "required" to be on your myspace. But through trial and error i eventually got these things to work and was able to post this. Even today I still use skills such as uploading pictures in regular life. It was a lesson stumbled upon and through exploration figured out.

Allie said...
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Allie Hodges said...

“Youth respect one another’s authority online, and they are often more
motivated to learn from peers than from adults.” I agree that our generation is more likely to listen to other “youth” from our generation rather than the non technologically advanced adults. However, a general “respect” for our peers is not the case. We may show respect to our “friends” (mainly the people we will literally come in contact with), but when it comes to complete strangers on the internet, we greatly lack the social manners we would use face to face. This is most evident when people comment on the work of others or a post in general. Youtube video comments are a multitude of slurs and ill language towards women, races, religions and the people who comment specifically. Because we are not face to face with these people and because our actions on the internet will have little or no immediate consequence, we can sometimes lose our social manners and "respect" for others.

Joseph Fishel said...

After reading this piece, I found the connection between new media and relationships as sadly true. The piece said that teens are using new media like texting, Facebook, and Myspace as their first steps in generating a relationship with someone. Teens are using these sites to "stalk" their potential significant other to see if they have the same likes and dislikes and to see how much of an all-around good person they are. The fact that teens do this is both true and disappointing. Teens are avoiding physical contact with others and find new media as a "comfortable" way of meeting new interests. These teens are loosing vital experiences with their interests. They can't know exactly who other people are till they meet them in person and get to know them in person. The internet allows people to generate a portrail of themselves that is not 100% accurate of who they are. New media only reveals the sides of people that they want you to see and it show sides of them that don't even exist in their real identity. Teens are being fooled into relationships with people are tricked into thinking people are who they aren't. Teens need to get back to the basics of meeting people through school and other activities and then getting to know them through more physical contact. Even though it seems social awkward now, teens must see the importance of physical contact.
-J. Fishel

Jim Kim said...

“Studies by the Entertainment Software Association find that 35 percent of American parents say they play computer and video games. Among “gamer parents,” 80 percent report that they play video games with their children, and two-thirds (66 percent) say that playing games has brought their families closer together.”
Unlike my parents, young parents today love to play games since they were in the generation of the start of game technology or because they want to get along with their children better. I found that true when playing a certain type of game, such as Wii Sports, family members make teams and compete for fun. A lot of family communication and understanding happens; however, the topic of the communication is mostly limited on one subject, the game. At the moment of playing the games, family may get closer to each other, but they get much closer to the game. Also most games isolate the family because the older generation cannot understand their children’s interests and they do not get the point of playing games, while young children get interested into games or even addicted.

Tempest D. said...

In reading Living and Learning with New Media, there are certain issues that came across as appealing and others that I did not seem to entirely agree with. Something that I found in the reading that appealed striking to me was the thought that youth today are using new media to learn from their peers instead of adults or teachers. This new form of learning strategies differs from the traditional instruction. I agree with this statement because I often go to my peers to assist me when I find myself in a situation where I do not know how to access or navigate things on the computer. I also go to them when I am having trouble with my studies. For example, if I do not know how to complete a homework problem, I often IM my peers and get them to walk me through my problems.

sean ryall said...

I believe that the researchers within this article have done an excelling job in classifying younger computer users into three groups: Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out. The quote “The goal of our project has been to document the everyday lives of youth as they engage with new media and to put forth a paradigm for understanding learning and participation in con¬temporary networked publics.” (p. 39) states the main goal of the projects objectives. I believe that the team completed this goal with superb results, but will never be perfect. The idea of classifying younger computer users must be constant and indefinite because once you stop researching you halt any new data from entering your report. So to ensure a reliable graph you can never stop researching because society and new ideas and ways of interacting are never changing.

Eddie H said...

“Contrary to adult perceptions, while hanging out online, youth are picking up basic social and technical skills they need to fully participate in contemporary society.” This quote comes straight from the Living and Learning with New Media journal, and could not be more accurate. As I have grown up, the internet and its associated technologies has also grown.

From the time I was a small child I have “played” on the computer. Usually my parents or teachers have put in some type of educational game for me to play. As time went along I began to “play” online myself without necessarily seeking educational enrichment; I began to use Myspace and Facebook. Here I learned to post photos, edit basic html codes, and access pop culture news. Through “hanging out” and staying connected with my friends online I can personally attest to the fact that I have learned a lot that I feel will prepare me for the new age technologically-based society.

Through my explorations online and hanging out with my friends I have learned to make better slideshows to be used in class, take better photos and edit them online, and to simply type faster and more efficient. If I hadn’t been able to discover aspects of the internet on my own or with close friends, I may not have been as prepared as I feel I currently am or will continue become.

Ashley said...

"Adults often view children in terms of developmental “ages and stages,” focusing on what they will become rather than seeing them as complete beings “with ongoing lives, needs and desires."

Before reading this article I had never thought about the relationships between children and adults this way, however I do agree with its analysis in this study. So often adults deem certain "childish" behavior as simply something that a child has to go through in order to become an adult. This day in age children and teenagers give a lot of insight into what the future may hold, so I agree with the article and think that it is important for us to recognize and study this behavior as something legitimately important to the further understanding of society as a whole.

Emily Moore said...

There is most certainly a new age for communication among youths today. "Learning with New Media," is one of the first articles I have come across that has embraced it. "While the pace of technological change may seem dizzying, the underlying practices of sociability, learning, play, and self-expression are undergoing a slower evolution, growing out of resilient social and cultural structures that youth inhabit in diverse ways in their everyday lives." This quote exemplifies what exactly the new media age is doing for today's society. New media brings a completely new dimension to our world. Students have more access to research and study materials, more social interaction, and a higher understanding of computers and technology, which will almost certainly be a part of their job in the real world. While there are some downsides to a world immersed in technology, the pros far outweigh the cons. Students are now more capable than ever to achieve great things if they choose to expand on them or not.

Matthew said...

"New media allow for a degree of freedom and autonomy for youth that is less apparent in a classroom setting. Youth respect one another’s authority online, and they are often more motivated to learn from peers than from adults."
-I believe this comment is stating that teenagers in this current time have now turned to their peers for knowledge and how to deal with life. This culture in youth has been around for a long time. Generation X was specifically social labeled as the first generation to spend more time with friends than with parents. Spending time with friends especially at an early age lead to a different development in their character. So this concept that the current generation is now turning to friends now than ever before, I believe it to be false.

Chris said...

I think the internet all all of our new communication has provided a new method of learning, which is often disregarded by the established institutes of learning.
From the article, "Messing around is an open-ended activity that involves tinkering and exploration that is only loosely goal directed. Often this can transition to more “serious” engagement in which a young
person is trying to perfect a creative work or become a knowledge expert in the genre of geeking out."
I think this new ability to learn from your peers online, or from experts in the field in which you are interested is incredibly valuable. Instead of attending a class on something they are interested in, a person can go online and talk to their peers with similar interests with varying levels of experience and knowledge. I think this provides a learning environment that may actually be better than traditional institutionalized learning, as the people who are participating are there and helping because they are interested in the subject, not because they are forced to participate in the subject for either credit for a diploma or for financial reasons.

Gentry said...
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Lorelei Cardeau said...

Regarding typical "of age" flirting and dating, the article stated "Many teens say they often send texts or leave messages on social networking sites so that they can think about what they are going to say and play off their flirtatiousness if their object of affection does not seem to reciprocate their feelings... Youthes can also signal the varying intensity of intimate relationships through new media practices."

Such a quote carries so much significance and truth nowadays. I am glad that it was in fact included in this article as all teenagers at one point or another are able to relate to this fact. I, for one, used to be big on texting in first getting to know a person (specifically of the opposite sex), however with experience have realized that simply communicating through text messages or online alternatives, although beneficial in guarding one's own self, rather than enhancing your relationship with a person in fact hurts it more than anything. Constantly speaking through a screen eventually takes away from your ability to communicate with them face to face, or even over the phone! Something that i find completely absurd and ridiculous! Having aquired this knowledge, in getting to know another person i make it a necessity to not only communicate through text messages and instant messages, but also on the phone as well as in person. Furthermore, the constant updates that are made possible on such social networking sites as Facebook allow you to have constant access to people's progress in their daily lives, no matter how minor or futile. It also enables you to observe others' progress or "intensity" in friendships and relationships. In other words it allows everybody and anybody to be as nosey as they please in keeping up with everybody's lives.

Taylor Schmidt said...

The part of the piece that I found interesting was the part about "Transformations in the Meaning of "Friends" and Friendships". I was think about my Facebook and the "Friends" that I have on there. For awhile I just wanted to have as many friends as possible and accepted someone that I didn't even know. After sometime, I realized that this "new friend" now has access to all of my information. This scared me a bit and I ended up deleting some of my so called friends because I had no idea who they were and I didn't want them to know about my personal life. Thus, I choose the quote "Young people’s decisions surrounding whom they accept and thus consider a Friend determine an individual’s direct access to the content on their profile pages as well as the ways in which their decisions may affect others". I think that we should all think about who we do choose to be our friends and make sure that we do have some sort of connection with that person. Some of my friends compete to see who can get the most friends and will accept or add anybody as their friend even if they didn't know the person. Young people should consider what their friends are able to see on their pages and make sure that they are being cautious about who they accept to be their "friend".

Chelsea L said...

The line in Living and Learning with new media that I found most thought provoking was the line that stated “youth respect one another’s authority online, and they are often more motivated to learn from peers than from adults.” I had never really considered this before and surprisingly I found that I feel the same way. I trust my friends and respect their opinions, so when we are online talking I listen to their opinions and feel as though I can share mine. I feel like I learn from my friends and some of my opinions are based on opinions they have. I definitely feel like I still learn from my parents and my teachers, but I don’t always agree with what some of my teachers say. But when it comes to my friends, I feel like I agree with most of what they say because we can relate to each other; we are the same age, have many of the same interests, etc. We learn from our peers growing up as kids. We teach each other to play certain games on the playground and we influence each others’ opinions about what is “cool” and what’s not in middle school. As we get older we form more of our own ideas, but our friends and peers still have a major influence on us. I think now our friends have an even greater influence on us now than in previous times since we communicate much more with them because we have greater technologies. We chat, text message, and skype them. A short time ago, we would only be able to call them or see them in person.

Amanda Stapleton said...

One of the ideas that the authors of Living and Learning with New Media made that particularly stood out to me described how most youth today use the Internet and other various media outlets to communicate and connect with their peers. The article states,"They can be 'always on,' in constant contact with their friends via texting, instant messaging, mobile phones, and Internet connections.The majority of youth use new media to 'hang out' and extend existing friendships in these ways. A couple of months ago I wouldn't have completely disagree with these findings. The majority of my Internet use focused around research for papers and catching up on current new stories. However, since I have moved away from home to attend college, I find myself using my computer and cell phone much more often. Because of the lack of communication I am allowed with my friends who attend different colleges across the state and country, I have found that the most convenient way to get in touch with them is now through these mentioned "new medias." I find it interesting how my perspective on media use has changed so much in only two months time. Because of my only recent transition into using communication sites like Facebook, I wonder if the findings in the article are too much of an assumption to be placed on an entire generation. However, I am slowly understanding how easily it is to become assimilated into the new technological age.

Gentry Hodnett said...

"Young people can now meet people, flirt, date, and break up outside of the earshot and eyesight of their parents and other adults while also doing these things in front of all of their online friends."

I found this quote to be completely accurate, because as teens we are constantly trying to keep personal things from people, yet we parade ourselves on facebook as if we were balloons at the Macy's parade. It amazes me how fast people are updated on my life, but then I remember that what I posted the night before on facebook. On top of dealing with every person I talk to on facebook I now have to deal with what others will perceive of my conversation. Things that come across as "scandalous" are often just inside jokes that end up getting me in trouble. Lyrics that I post as stati that have sad connotation are immediately blown up in my face, and suddenly I'm bombarded by friends. Then, lord forbid you have to change your relationship status. My brother and his girlfriend officially ended there 3 year relationship just because he posted "it's complicated" as their status, instead of "in a relationship." This new found publicity we have come across online both hinders and helps our relationships, in the real world. In some ways it is good to let people know when your feeling sad or happy, but do we really want that guy you haven't seen in 6 years to know that you have been crying over your ex? It just sets you up to look pathetic to the people, who don't know the details of a situation. Instead of people being aware of the full story they are getting the captions.

-Gentry Hodnett

Jake Whitley said...

Living and Learning with New Media made an interesting statement about relationships between teens or youth, and the stages in which these relationships begin. "Teens interested in romantic relationships also use new media to initiate the first stages of a relationship, what many teens refer to as “talking to” someone they have met and know through school or other settings. In this stage of the relationship, young people “talk” regularly over IM and search sites such as MySpace and Facebook to verify and find out more information about the individuals, their friends, and their likes and dislikes." I completely agree with this statement. Iniating conversations online or through various means of new communication has become a large part of the way that relationships begin in today's society. People will meet at a party or some other kind of social event, and the first thing that they do when they get back home or to the nearest computer is send them a friend request through facebook. I believe that we have resorted to this new method of communication because it is much easier and it is somewhat more productive. By communicating this way people can be whoever they want to be, which is sort of scary. It is a quick and easy way to get to know someone but it still does not and cannot replace real face to face interaction. I think that this form of communication is ok but basing a whole relationship off of it is nearly impossible, because it lacks that emotional connection that is needed for successful relationships.

Anonymous said...

"Contrary to adult perceptions, while hanging out online,
youth are picking up basic social and technical skills they
need to fully participate in contemporary society. Erecting
barriers to participation deprives teens of access to
these forms of learning. Participation in the digital age
means more than being able to access serious online
information and culture. Youth could benefit from educatorsbeing more open to forms of experimentation and
social exploration that are generally not characteristic
of educational institutions."

This excerpt relates a lot to me. My parents were born in another country and moved here to the US about twenty years ago. Where they're from they didn't have much technology while growing up. Now that they're here in the US living in a society were technology is very advanced they're always mentioning how people have become very lazy because of all the technology improvements. When ever my parents see me using my computer and laptop they always start complaining that I could be doing something productive like cleaning instead of wasting my time using the computer. I try to explain to them how we have home work assignments online and how the internet provides information for me for other class assignments I'm required to do.. After I try to explain this to them they will start arguing with me how todays teachers and society are all screwed up because of technology and how technology is making people lazy. They argue that technology has changed education into something worthless because teachers don't want to teach students in class anymore. My parents are those type of people who are trying to put up barriers to deprive teens of new ways of learning.

Ms. Chey said...

I agree with Melissa A. Paniagua, and would like to comment further on the quote,"youth respect one another's authority online, and they are often more motivated to learn from peers than from adults." I believe her ideas can also be found even more relevant in other aspects of the 'new media,' such as texting. The article states that "gadgets such as iPods and mobile phones are now fixtures of youth culture," and along with becoming fixtures in our lives, they have also become powerful tools of expression. Youth suddenly become empowered to text whatever they may feel to whomever they want, without the benefit of seeing someone face to face. Daily; "drama" occurs within youths' lives pertaining to what someone has texted them. Seemingly kind, good friends, can turn as soon as they're behind a phone. There is something about a little keyboard on a cellphone, or a big keyboard connected to a computer that gives people the courage to express their feelings no matter whom they hurt, which is the EXACT opposite of respect.

Justin said...

A quote that jumped off the page from this reading was "Social network sites, online games, video-sharing sites, and gadgets such as iPods and mobile phones are now fixtures of youth culture." The piece later goes on to say how all of these technological thing barely existed 10 years ago. This excerpt could not be more true when applied to today's society. Kids now spend more time on the computer than they do doing normal activities. I know that before I had a car I spent a majority of the computer or playing video games because I was not able to go anywhere. But even after I got my license I couldn't leave the house without some communication device mostly likely my cell phone. Another way I fall into this demographic is by playing Xbox. The passage mentions something about society networking which is now all that gaming is. You are literally connected to millions of people and it is not likely that you see the same person twice. You are able to meet people and play with them even though you will never see them in your life.

Today's society has become so dependent on new technology. Businesses are able to connect faster and accomplish more because of technology. Instead of meeting up with someone and talking to them, we would rather have text conversation that last for hours. Now with Skype, people no longer have to leave their house go "see" someone. The last thing that I would like to mention is that society wants what is convenient. Soon we will create a monster that we will not be able to stop just because we want the fastest and best technology available.

Kaneesha Henderson said...

The excerpt I feel that this piece accurately described the effect that new media has on youth was when the researchers concluded “Networked publics provide a context for youth to develop social norms in negotiation with their peers.” Basically, through the internet people interact with people their own ages and are able to obtain and develop socials skills that could have been normally acquired though physical interaction. Through social networking sites people can share ideas, their common interests and even their opinions. There are plenty opportunities to meet new people from all over world and create “cyber” friendships. It is even possible to find people with the same common interests as yourself that you are able to share interesting information with. Many adults figure that the internet is full of bad media and ideas that are destroying the mind of the youth. But, in reality the internet helps to develop the minds of the youth and provide them with a plethora of opportunities that may actually be easier to access over the internet. Just as in the physical, people can find people with similar likes and even get to know what type of person that they are. With much of youth’s time spent on the computer, many teenagers network and socialize mostly through the internet.

Gray said...

"The majority of youth use new media to “hang out” and extend
existing friendships in these ways."

I agree with this statement completely. I know that everyone of my closest friends use some type of new media ranging from facebook to skype to keep in contact with other people. Teens and increasingly more adults use such devices to communicate and stay close with existing friends and new people. For example, I have sailed my whole life and compete in events across the Southeast. I have met many friends from this and alot of them live as far away as Florida, so it is not feasible for us to hangout in person to continue our friendship. This is where "new media" comes into play. We use facebook and skype to keep in touch with each other; We'll leave messages on each other's facebook wall or video chat each other. By doing this we don't loose touch and our friendship isn't eroded away by lack of communication that otherwise would happen without the internet. I think this leads to the conclusion that the world is becoming smaller in a sense. The fact that my friend and I can stay close even though we live about 12 hours away from each other means that in some way the world has shrunk. We are no longer confined to our immediate area and can know people from far away and interact with them on a daily basis. New types of media have opened the flood gates of interaction between practically anyone in the world. So the new way of thinking about "hanging out" no longer is limited to talking and playing video games in a friend's basement but can now mean chatting and "hanging out" with several people from around the world at one time.