In my graduate school class on New Media and New Literacies, we are learning a lot about how the Internet is redefining the world. The way we operate on a daily basis, for example, has completely changed. I can contact friends and family around the globe in seconds on FaceTime. Without ever having to leave my apartment, I can order food on Seamless, date on Friendster, meet people on Facebook or MySpace, and learn about new cultures and places through photo exchanges on Instagram. The world has become a smaller, more accessible place. But that doesn't mean there aren't problems. For example, the Internet definitely takes something away from traditional social relationships. When I'm out with friends, half of them are checking their phones instead of interacting with me, and many of them want to rush home so they can Netflix a movie, or head into a virtual world - like World of Warcraft - instead of remaining in the real world, with me. One of the most frustrating issues I've come across is trying to find great online content. Today, people have an outlet to do and say whatever they want, whenever they want, and however they want. They can go in chatrooms or post Youtube videos and blogs and speak-out until their hearts are content about anything - without giving any thought to who their audience might be, or why someone would want to listen to them at all, and while this is great for freedom of expression, it makes it very difficult to find innovative and noteworthy content.
One of the Youtube videos I recently watched for my class was titled 'Networks, Power, and Democracy'. I normally love Youtube videos because they're quick and fun, but almost from the start, I was left wondering why someone would willingly watch this particular video if not for a specific class assignment. It consisted of a single camera on a woman named Saskia Sassen for nearly forty minutes, with no graphs, pictures or animations to break things up, and although she brought up a lot of grand ideas, what she was really trying to say was discussed in the first 4 minutes. Her lecture was basically "If we have openness…as we have in network domains…and we have choice…do we get a more democratic outcome [online]?" And her answer is quick. Basically, she says we don't, and then she spends the next thirty-five minutes trying to prove her point. What was so exasperating for me was that she had so much namedropping and jargon-filled explanations, but at the end of the day her point was simple: It's hard to have democracy online when there are real issues of ownership. And yes - of course that's true! We don't 'Own the Internet', so how can it help us be more democratic when the government can shut it down whenever they want? The Great thing about this video, however, was that it forced me to do a web search entitled 'Who controls the Internet,' so I could actually understand her issue. I came across a great answer - one which exactly discussed her points in a clear and precise way - in a 3-page article on the website How Stuff Works. It made her entire video seem static and dated, which made me sad because she obviously is very intelligent and had a lot of insight, but why should I care about her topic if she didn't care enough to make it interesting and keep me engaged - especially in an age when I can find something similar in seconds?
Another Youtube video I saw was 'Digital Youth, Social Movements, and Democracy in Brazil.' This idea was very cool, and the main speaker, Raquel Recuero, detailed her points in a concise and interesting Powerpoint within the first 20 minutes. Her main purpose was to show how the Internet is changing the ways people learn, mobilize, interact and exist in Brazil and South America. In her Powerpoint, she showed the good and the bad side of the Internet, and really touched on operational, cultural, and critical ways the Internet affects her society. I loved that, and I learned a lot about the South American digital revolution. The problem is that her Powerpoint then led to a forty-minute group discussion that added very little to her original message. Why is it that so many people who talk in a chatrooms, blogs or Youtube videos usually makes their presentations so long and rambling? It just took away from her fresh and intelligent outlook and made me think, "there goes another great concept ruined because nobody thought to edit this down…"
In a very similar vein, I read a blog called 'Weblogs and the Public Sphere' by Andrew O'Baoill, about how to increase the efficiency of weblogs as a public space. Like the others, this at first seemed very promising, but ultimately, his very scholarly piece came down to this: "Inclusivity, disregard of external rank, and rational debate of any topic are all necessary components of such a space." Once again, there was so much jargon - along with over thirty sources referenced - and for what? So he can tell me that its hard to get noticed when you first start a blog? Or that search engines favors A-list bloggers who know what they're doing and have good contacts? Or that it takes a huge time commitment to succeed as a blogger? This is common sense! He seems to want to create a world where weblogs are more universal as spaces for public debate, but that's Not common sense. Why would I go on a blog that's not written well, especially when there is SO much content elsewhere on the Internet? In fact, his article was so difficult to absorb, that instead, I found a Wikihow article called 'How to Be a Good Blogger' and you know what? They had almost exactly the same information. Sure, it might not have been a scholarly piece about how to make weblogs more universal spaces for public debate, but the Wikihow article was quick and fun and easy to read, with helpful diagrams as well, and if a blogger actually read that article and worked hard, they might just achieve what Andrew O'Baoill wants for everyone.
Whenever something as revolutionary as the Internet comes along, there are thousands of voices that want to offer everything from analysis to evaluation. What is the Internet? How does it work? Can it be used as a means for democracy and change? In the past, scholars and serious authors wrote books and articles on topics like this - which would then be edited-down for audience and readability - but today, everyone has a voice and they can say…well, anything, and they can say it any way they want, and make it as long as they want, or as complicated as they want, and simply put it out in cyberspace for all the world to see. As a former editor and current middle school ELA teacher, it's disheartening…Luckily for me, however, I live in the Internet Age, and if those videos or blogs aren't very interesting, or if they're too complicated for me to understand, I can always find something more relatable in seconds and put my mind at ease.
Resources:
Sassen, Saskia. "Saskia Sassen: Networks, Power, and Democracy." Online video clip. Youtube. 26, June 2012. Web. 18, February, 2015.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpw1GpHzAbc&feature=youtu.be
Connected Learning TV. "Raquel Recuero - Digital Youth, Social Movements, and Democracy in Brazil." Online video clip. Connected Learning TV. n.d. Web. 18, February, 2015
http://connectedlearning.tv/raquel-recuero-digital-youth-social-movements-and-democracy-brazil
O'Baoill, Andrew. n.d. "Into the Blogospher: Rhetoric, Community, and Culture of Weblogs: Weblogs and the Public Space." Web blog. Retrieved from:
http://blog.lib.umn.edu/blogosphere/weblogs_and_the_public_sphere.html
"How to Be a Good Blogger." WikiHow. How Stuff Works. n.d. Web. 20 February, 2015. Web address: http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Good-Blogger
Strickland, Jonathan. "Who owns the Internet?" WikiHow. How Stuff Works. n.d. Web. 18, February, 2015.
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/basics/who-owns-internet1.htm
Josh, I LOVE this post! Thank you for speaking (and writing) so honestly. I liked the concepts behind both Youtube videos, but you're right - they needed some editing. I too found myself straying elsewhere to find additional and supplemental information.
ReplyDeleteI assign a webquest at the start of my Periodic Table unit where students learn about the different groups on the table. When I created the webquest, I remember looking through a variety of sites, and despite the very "scientific" sites that I was drawn to, I ended up liking content elsewhere. I found a site where the material was so organized and concise. The heavy chemistry terms were removed and the students were able to understand the material. As you mention, although there were plenty more credible and well-known sites that I could have chosen, their material wasn't the most appropriate for my students who were unfamiliar with the topic at hand. I needed explanations in simplistic and understandable terms.
Kelly, I have not heard of webquest before tonight. Thanks for this!
DeleteI use them when introducing content at times. As long as you find a great site, it can lead to successful independent learning. I also find that students are so used to the computer, that they'd rather learn from a computer screen than me at times! Of course, the next day in class, I will go over the content to make sure that the main ideas are clear, but I do feel that they can be effective learning tools.
DeleteHi Josh - I agree with Kelly - I LOVE this post as well! I really like your comments related to the Intranet and how the world is becoming smaller from an accessibility standpoint. You mention pros and cons related to this shift and the impact on traditional relationships and socializing. Also, your statement that “One of the most frustrating issues I've come across is trying to find great online content” is so true. There is just so much content available on the Internet that determining what is valuable and accurate is a challenge. Just this week my son was discussing a project he has to do for AP Bio. He was mentioning the need for finding and quoting sources. I am concerned that as a student, he really has no firm understanding of what makes a source a good source to use. He is still of the mindset that if it is on the Internet, it much be true. I tried to explain to him the importance of looking for good, valid, and trusted sources. I am not certainly sure he believes me yet – I guess that comes with experience.
ReplyDeleteAlso, you made me launch with your rambling video comment. This is a pet peeve of mine as well. I just need a little flow, organization, and structure to the video – I don’t ask for much! Great comments across the board – really made me think! Thanks!
Cathy
Hi Cathy,
DeleteI see many of my students struggle with what your son is going through right now. I teach a class of seniors in Forensics science and I assign two research papers. Unless I specify what types of sources to use, they'll use whatever pops up at the top of Google. They are also very reliant on citation generators. I think that an issue is that educators assume (I am guilty as well) that students "know" how to search, or "know" how to cite, but in reality it is an important skill that I don't think is ever really taught in school. It's a shame.
Hi Josh,
ReplyDeleteMight as well make it 3 for 3. Sadly, I lost my original response to your post, so I am hoping I remember the key points of what I wanted to say. I look forward to reading your posts because you are so creative with your words. You can take a subject and make it interesting, unlike Sassen in her YouTube presentation. I would be surprised if people didn’t fall asleep while she was talking. I had difficulty viewing the videos this week because I felt no real connection to the person giving their presentations or talks. I think in order to have an impact on readers and viewers you need to be able to engage them, and if you are unable to do that your message is not being received. In my own personal weblog – even though I am sure no one is reading it – I try to let my sarcasm/humor come out. I ask the readers questions and try to engage my audience in some way. I think that’s a key concept that was missing this way. I didn’t walk away with a personal connection to the message like I normally would. I like humor and visualizations in presentations along with personal experiences sprinkled throughout. I am not sure if Sassen did that because I found myself tuning her out. I may have missed some key concepts in her presentation because of the way she presented it. Definitely something important I plan to keep in mind for the future. Thanks again for another articulate post!
Mandy
I agree Mandy! I had trouble connecting with the presenters this week. Like you, I am sure I may have missed some key points because I was struggling with staying engaged and with the speakers.
DeleteAllow me to add to the flurry of praise. This is very well done.
ReplyDeleteNietzsche wrote "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." I sense you may have been thinking something similar when you wrote this.
I am grateful for the Internet as are my students. However, I view it as the abyss. Beside the obvious data mining of personal information that leads to creepy associations and offers made by the social products we use, I wonder.
Is it looking at me? How much about me does it really know? How can I plug in without plugging in? After all, it's not the sum of me that its interested in. Its the parts.
I am guilty of using my phone during meetings or bringing my laptop and using it like I'm taking notes. Of course, I am not doing that.
I sit in these meetings mentally standing at a lectern, gripping the sides, palms sweaty, breathing shallow and strained. "Hi. My name is Bill. And I am ignoring you." Sad to say, but there it is. The sad part it I often do not regret having done it.
Like you, I wonder why I am listening (reading) this information when it is so poorly arranged and delivered in a droning monotone that would knock out insomniacs that don't respond to strong drugs.
The question now is in doing this - in fighting the monsters - am I really avoiding becoming the monster or am I just a different species? Regardless, admitting you have a problem is the first step, right?
Thanks for all of these positive comments.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I was very worried about offering my thoughts. I'm extremely direct in my personal life, but I certainly didn't want to slam our course readings and viewings. At the same time I felt like, "This is your blog! This is exactly what you Should be doing on your blog - addressing issues pertaining to New Media and New Literacies!"
What I am enjoying about this course is being able to see the vast scope of the issues surrounding New Media and New Literacies, which I never before thought about, but what's been frustrating, yes, is that I sometimes feel like I AM staring into a great abyss, and it's staring back, and I'm afraid…very afraid…
We don't 'Own the Internet', so how can it help us be more democratic when the government can shut it down whenever they want? - - - Perfect - I don't think I could have said it better myself. It's amazing that so many people forget about the fact that everything they say and do on the internet is permanent for the entire world to see. It's truly amazing that so many think they can do or say anything!
ReplyDelete