Privacy, Lying, and Disclosure

What is privacy?

The world of social media has essentially destroyed the idea of privacy. Users now blast every aspect of their life onto their social network accounts. In her article Emily Nussbaum, outlines the change in perspective that the younger generations now have of the Internet. The first chance is that “they think of themselves as having an audience.” All of their posts are to meant to be seen by their friends and others who may be seeking it. A picture from a night out, post it. A picture of your dinner, share it. A crazy incident from your day, make a status about it. Every aspect of their shared to put on a show for their “followers.” The second thing Nussbaum writes of is that “they have archived their adolescence.” Rather than physical photo albums, the photo albums this generation contains is that on their Facebook page. Every aspect of their lives has been documented and is out their on the web for all to see. The third thing Nussbaum touches upon is that “their skin is thicker than yours.” She writes, “They have no sense of shame. They have no sense of privacy.” This generation seems to have no filter on what they share on the Internet. And if anyone ever has something to say about it, they simply brush it off. Privacy is gone and it can be thanked to the actions of these users. These users are generating a new norm.

            I personally am concerned with the lack of privacy on the Internet. Also, I feel that people to need to learn some limits and realize they need a filter. I feel that many in my generation have not grasped the consequences of what they feel is a harmless post. From the various stories in the media of employees losing their jobs over social media, I am shocked that many have not grasped the concept. I remember back in high school my school had a program called Peer Leadership. In this program, seniors were selected to mentor the underclassmen. Since it was a competitive process, naturally there were many disappointed they did not get in. Unfortunately, a student who had not got in, submitted a photo to administration of a current member partying and participating in underage drinking. The member was removed from the program, simply because of a posted picture on Facebook.

            Privacy is no more on the Internet and it is important to think about what you post. I understand that people want to share their lives with others; it truly is the new norm. However, based on stories and the news and stories witnessed first hand, it makes me want to delete all of my social media accounts. But in the end, it is the norm to have them now and if you don’t you are some what of an outsider. Personally, I am very cautious of what I post. And I have accepted the fact that privacy settings don’t ensure privacy. Privacy no longer exists. It is the norm we have created. It is unfortunate, but it is what it is.

-Stephanie M. (Post from the week I presented)

Interactivity of the Internet

The Internet has provided us with endless opportunities to generate things we never could have imagined. To personalizing your own sneakers to creating an virtual community on Second Life, there is so much you can do. The interactivity of the web has created a new culture, and with that there are certainly pros, as well as cons.

In his writing, Mark Andrejevic introduces the idea of an iCulture. Between iCommerce and iPolitics, Andrejevic highlights the interactivity of the Internet and the way society has been transformed by it. We are now cultural producers and consumers through our use of the web. This has created a huge boom in e-commerce because now consumers can generate their own personalized products. This is a great marketing scheme for companies. The interactivity Internet users now have with companies and other users has created an interesting culture of synthetic worlds. Aside from the business progression through the Internet, there has also been a large rise in social communities online.

Although the interactivity of the Internet is a great help to e-commerce, virtual worlds have begun to put a strain on real life relationships. The strong interactions users can find online cause them to zone in and ignore the real world around them. Edward Castronova writes, “synthetic worlds already seem to impose significant relationship stress.” It is hard to have a relationship with someone off-line, if they are constantly spending time in an online world. Being engulfed in a game like Second Life is much different than dealing with someone who is constantly reading a book. The book does not interact with the reader, but the avatars in an online community do. It appears that some people rather spend time with these online avatars than with those around them. That is what puts a strain on relationships.  

By taking a look at these different points of view, it has really shown me that the Internet is both a blessing and a curse. Going back to the personalized sneaker example, I myself have created a Nike iD shoe online. I felt like I was just another producer at the Nike company and it really made me want to buy the shoe. However, I still would much rather speak with a real person and have there help in creating the product. I do not like to trust a website to assure my order is perfect. I have also immersed myself into Second Life to experience the communities that have formed on there. It was crazy to see how much time people actually spend in SL. I can never imagine myself  forming strong relationships in online communities. I guess my biggest concern is it is hard to trust everything you find on the Internet.

In the end, I would still rather see a product in person before I buy it. I would still rather talk face-to-face with a person instead of their avatar. I understand we have to deal with this new generation of e-commerce and these new synthetic worlds. I am just worried we are going to let them overpower us. People no longer go outside and smell the roses, for lack of a better phrase. We are all attached to our devices. We have to find that healthy divide between real life and virtual life. If we are so focused in these synthetic cultures, we will miss all of the amazing things the real world has to offer.  

Second Life Aids Users in Challenging the Norm

To this day, homosexuality is a controversial subject in society. The norms of society are being challenged as gay rights are making a rise. Even though many are becoming more tolerable of this type of romance/love there are still many that feel the pressure of fighting the norm. Many are nervous to share the truth about their sexuality.  In his article, Larry Gross explains, “queer youth often feel isolated and rarely have access to a supportive queer community in their vicinity (p. 7).” Fortunately, there is a wide array of virtual communities that this group of youths can go to for support. Unlike in real life, these online communities allow a person to be who they truly are and not have to hide this information about themselves.

Not only can one find support groups online, they can also find places to socialize. In Second Life, there are many locations that are LGBT friendly. These locations can be found at: http://secondlife.com/destinations/gay.

 

This gives members of the LGBT community a place where they can be comfortable and socialize with others that are going through the same struggles of fitting in real life. In his study, Gross found that “52 percent [of “queers”] said they felt a sense of community with the people they met online (p. 7).” Not only do, for lack of a better word, homosexuals find virtual communities as a chance to hide from the real life social norms, so do other online users.

For example, when I first began my journey through Second Life, I was worried about the high sexual content of the site. I thought if I kept to myself, perhaps I would not run into anything disturbing. Although I have yet to experience flying genitals or naked avatars (as I have been warned of), one day I witnessed a sexual conversation between a male and female avatar. The two were “typing” descriptions of a sexual encounter.  Using the vulgar phrases and interjecting sounds (i.e. *moans*), I became very uncomfortable in the situation. The thing is the conversation was through the “nearby chat” so it was not private. In real life, it is frowned upon to have a sexual encounter in public and although it was a text-based conversation, it was still not a private conversation. People can be free with any aspect of sexuality. Also, the female avatar was the one to initiate the encounter, while in real life this would make her appear as promiscuous and that would be frowned upon.

What this all shows is that the Internet has allowed an avenue for our real life social norms to be challenged. Sites such as Second Life, allow for users to be who they want to be without the worries of facing physical ridicule by those around. Whether it is a user wanting to be as sexually open as possible or wanting to find a support group, the Internet provides this opportunity. Norms have been tested and new norms have been created in these virtual communities giving users the freedom they have longed for.

-Stephanie M.

The Big Business of Virtual Worlds

My first impression of online gaming, was as simple as that, just fun and games. I thought it was a way for people to waste time and/or live out fantasies. I never once thought of the economics behind it.

I always knew there were in-game marketplaces that you people dished out cash to get to help them achieve higher levels. I knew there certain weapons or certain outfits for avatars that people could buy. However, I never knew there were people, let alone actual busniesses, who played as other people’s avatars for an income.

The lives of the gold farmers in China really took me by surprise. In her article , Jillian Dibbell explains, “from the earliest days of M.M.O.’s, players have been willing to trade their hard-earned legal tender — dollars, euros, yen, pounds sterling — for the fruits of other players’ grinding.” I always thought the idea of the game was to get the satisfaction of achieving the levels on your own. But the desire to get ahead with minimal effort, has created a huge business.

Now I see how much economics truly surrounds virtual worlds. This is not only true for the economics of game player, but also holds true in the business world. IBM’s Academy of Techonology conducted a conference in Second Life.  As stated in the Linden Lab case study, the conference “attracted over 200 members globally who attended 3 keynotes and 37 breakout sessions (p. 3).”

It is hard that all these business workers met in an online virtual community, but it is a good thing they did. The company recorded a huge amount of savings. Although it was a large sum to invest in land in SL, the amount the saved in travel cost made up for it. Hosting the conference in SL was cost effective and efficient.

I had never realized how big of an expense of creating a venue in Second Life until this weeks readings and this week’s field trip. This week I visited Runaround Sue’s 50s and 60s Sock Hop, a dance club that relies on tips from visitors to keep its doors open.

One member of the Sue’s explained in the following conversation:

[15:49] Lyra Snowpaw: because the cost of the sim is very expensive

[15:50] Lyra Snowpaw: 250 US dollars a month I think

[15:50] Lyra Snowpaw: so they ask for donations to help cover the sim costs

[15:50] spm151: Oh wow I had no idea that there was a charge for things like that

[15:50] Lyra Snowpaw: oh yes, virtual land is SL is very expensive

[15:51] Lyra Snowpaw: so unless they ask for tips for the club, no club

They have to keep the club running and although it seems like a lot of money, it is a lot less than opening a club in real life. This is the same thing IBM faced with its conference; they did face a big expense to host in second life, but it was still significantly less than if it was conducted in the physical world.

Virtual worlds are no longer just for fun and games. It is interesting to see the big business behind what I once thought was just a gaming world.

-Stephanie M.

Virtual Ethnography

When studying the culture of virtual worlds, there many challenges and obstacles one may face. We have the tendency to compare every finding in the virtual world to that in the actual world. This does not allow for an isolated study on the culture of an online culture, such as Second Life. Based on this week’s readings, I also feel that it is important to engulf yourself into the virtual world, just as if you were studying a real life culture. You have to become a member of the society and go through tasks that any ritual user would experience. Simply observing conversations of what people say about the virtual game, will not get you the full overview.

One of the main components of gaining insight to these cultures involves one on one interaction. Boellstorff explains that he takes about thirty formal interviews and thirty in formal interviews to obtain his research (p. 76). In “formal interviews,” he would directly ask the interviewee if they would mind being interviews about their time in Second Life. During my first field trip in Second Life to REZ Nightclub, I asked directly asked a girl if she came to the club often. I didn’t really get a great reply from her because I feel like she thought I was just trying to make conversation. Perhaps next time I can explain that I am doing research, just as Boellstorff had done.

As for “informal interviews,” this included more a focus group format, where Boellstorff would observe a few users at once through a discussion of the world. The side conversations, which occurred in these “focus groups,” revealed “connections residents were drawing between different domains of Second Life culture” (p. 78). During my first field trip in Second Life to REZ Nightclub, I observed conversations of the avatars on the dance floor. I was able to pick up on different aspects of the culture simply by the way they interacted through the text chat. I was able to get a sense of the way users treated each other on the floor. Guests who join the dance floor were personally welcomed, which created a friendly and open atmosphere. You could deduce that this community welcomes newcomers, especially in this screenshot from Second Life.

Assimilating to an online culture is very similar to real life cultures. When you first arrive, you sit back and try to get a vibe of the norms. Then you eventually get comfortable enough to engage. This is the same approach that I will take when conducting future field trips in Second Life.

Online Communities

When it comes to community, the main idea is to have a group of people with shared beliefs and values. The Internet has added to the idea of physical communities, creating virtual groups online. The anonymity of the Internet has been helpful to the certain types of communities.  For example, some people are reluctant to find help for alcoholism or eating disorders, but the Internet gives these individuals a chance to connect anonymously with others fighting the same issues. As Jessi McCabe states in her writing, “the Internet allows the opportunity for groups to relate to one another while individually communicating from separate locations and maintaining anonymity”(p.2). No longer does an individual have to face the troubles of having no local support group or the fear of going to one in general. They can connect with anyone from any location.

I also feel that online contexts can help strengthen an offline community. The members of a society can use social media sites as a form of communication for events in the community. An event in my life that I can relate this was the year I was heading into my first year away at college. On Facebook, there was a group created for all of the freshman to connect. This Class of 2015 community was formed to help us all communicate ahead of our arrival. We “friended” and chatted with our future classmates before ever meeting them face-to-face. I feel this first initial interaction made joining the actual physical community a little easier because I had built a relationship with this people online prior to meeting. Baym quotes Rheingold on his description of virtual communities as, “social aggregations that emerge from the Net when enough people carry on those public discussions long enough…to form webs of personal relationships” (p. 89). In my personal experience, the virtual community that was created online allowed us to form personal relationships. Our discussions of sharing excitement to get on campus helped us build a strong community.

Even though these friendships began online, I feel that they would not remain strong if an offline meeting had not strengthened them. I do not think that the Internet is solid ground to form a true friendship. Just communicating through text does not allow the individuals to bond as strongly. I feel it is hard to put trust into someone that you have never physically met. I believe friendships can begin online, but the only way they will last if there is physical face-to-face interaction.

There will always be a question as to the validity of these online communities and if they can even be classified as just that. It all depends on your view on community and your view on friendship for that matter. The Internet will continue to challenge the norms we once knew. I for one will always prefer the physical communication over the virtual.

-Stephanie M.

Online or Offline, A Culture is a Culture

As we look into online cultures, it is interesting to see how similar these cultures relate to our off-line cultures. These virtual cultures have become very important to many users. Sydell reports, “Fefferman knows it’s not possible for any virtual world to completely reflect real life, but she thinks because of the emotional connection game players have to their characters it can come pretty close.” Avatars are an extension of the user and they get attached to this avatar. The events and tasks the avatar goes through are similar to many real-life situations or situations the user wishes they could be a part of, for example slaying an army of dragons. These users become attached to these online cultures and the other users playing with them. To them it is no longer just an “online” culture; it is a culture that they are emotionally attached to and a part of.

I feel that people become attached to these cultures because online worlds are not much different from real-life. All cultures share a common goal or belief and sometimes that goal is a very specific task. When it comes to accomplishing a task though that is when the difference between online and off-line is apparent. Williams et al states that many feel that “the other players are clearly a means to an end” and that “they are nameless people.” When working towards a goal with a real-life culture, many are more connected and bonded. Typically, in real-life situations a member would not walk all over another person if it meant they would come out on top. I feel in online cultures, people are more inclined to take advantage of someone else to better him or herself.

As I stated before, I feel that aspects of real-life culture do carry over into online games. For example, the first day our class met in Second Life, we all seemed to keep our avatars at a distance from each other. We did not walk right into each other or stand too close. We all gathered in the courtyard at a distance awaiting our instructions. Also, when someone appears in our class space that is part of a class I automatically assume they are someone there to cause havoc. It is a stereotype I have of online cultures that anyone I don’t know online is a “bad” person. Boyd explains how people put a stereotype on many social networks. For example, someone explained users of MySpace as “usually more like ghetto and hip hop rap lovers.” This is the same thing we do in real-life when we talk about the certain “type” of people that go to EDM concerts or certain bars.  Every culture has a stereotype. However, as you assimilate to the culture, you begin to erase these stereotypes and can become more use to it.

Self-Representation Through Virtual Contexts

In life, the way we present ourselves to others is something that many take very seriously. Social media sites have generated platforms that allow people to take their self-representation to a new level. These sites have allowed people to express themselves in ways they may not generally do so in person.

 Ellison, Heino, and Gibbs in their article Managing Impressions Online write, “under certain conditions the online medium may enable participants to express themselves more openly and honestly than in face-to-face contexts.” Some people take this even further and make fake profiles of someone they wish to be to contact others. The show Cat Fish on MTV, looks into why people hide behind these profiles when trying to create relationships. Some people are intimidated by face-to-face contexts and the Internet helps them through it. It is sad to see that they are not phased by the possible chance of ever meeting offline.

These interactions are not just limited to romantic relationships; it can sometimes be a way for people to have a voice against others. The main example that I have from personal experience is the way people “act” online. Growing up with Instant Messaging, people who were shy in class turned into bullies behind the keyboard. This creates a different version of their self on an online context rather than off.

On these sites, people are able to pick an choose which images best represent their lives to whichever group of people they are trying to reach.  Medelson and Papacharissi explain that, “most
 people’s 
photographs
 are 
edited
 depending
 on
 the 
viewing
 audience. Some
 images
 are 
displayed 
at 
work, 
some
 in
 frames 
in 
the 
home, 
some
 in 
albums,
 and
 still 
others 
are
 kept
 for 
personal
 viewing 
only 
or 
destroyed”(p. 8).  However, I feel that these lines between these categories seem to have been blurred.

FaceBook has become somewhat of an individual’s photo album to store literally all the pictures they have. Some of my personal friends on FaceBook simply upload every single picture from their camera. This generally includes pictures with eyes closed, accidental images of the walls and floors, as well as some personal photos that should probably never hit the Internet. I really do not feel the need to see twenty different pictures of a person in multiple poses. I feel that rather than trying to comb out a specific self-representation, most just want to show how much “fun” they are having and how many people they spend time with.

Mendelson and papacharissi  support this by stating, “There is an evidentiary purpose to personal photographs, providing proof of experiences and relationships for ourselves and for others” (p. 7). Society has this feeling that if it isn’t documented in a photo it didn’t happen. If you don’t Tweet an image that you are with all your friends, are you truly out having fun?

 In my opinion, it is no longer about how perfect you look in your profile picture, it is about constructing a story of your life through posts and images. Whether this “story” relates directly to the person’s “true” self, if it is an enhanced version of their “true” self, or it is just a fictional creation, we may never know. It is hard to know what is real and what isn’t on the Internet. However, if it seems fishy then it very well might be.

 

Here is a Buzzfeed article of some people who need to re-evaluate their self-representation online:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisener/28-people-who-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-post-facebook-photos

Social Gaming

The Internet has brought gaming to a whole new level. No longer is it necessary to be physically in the same room as someone to participate in a leisure activity. Xbox Live is one of the biggest gaming platforms that allow friends to play with each other from across the world. Back in middle school I really enjoyed playing Xbox Live with my friends. I was able to play Madden and Call of Duty with my friends even when we weren’t able to go to each other’s houses and hang out. My years of Xbox were short lived once school work started to become more important (and I just out grew gaming). Gaming goes even future than Xbox Live with games such as WoW and Second Life. While WoW is more competition based, I feel that Second Life also has some aspect of a “game” situation. Users collaborate leisurely on “games” such as Second Life, but there is that added sense of competition. Who has the best avatar? Who can work the best scripts? Who built the best building? I feel all of these mini competitions play a huge role in online gaming. In a way, it resembles real life and the way we always are competing to be the best of the best. Everyone wants to come out on top and now they have new platform to do so: online games.

I feel that social games have brought a new level of competition to everyday life. Not only is the game itself a competition, but also getting the game is just as crucial. In his study, Philip man writes, “social media, due to the network of friends, boosts and drives the motivation to play” (p. 8). Seeing all my friends tweet that they got the new Grand Theft Auto game, really made me want to go out and see what it is all about. It made me want to get it to share the experience with them. I feel that if my group of friends all tweeted that they just signed-up for Second Life, I would be more inclined to get on there and “hang-out” with them in the virtual world.

Social games have become a platform that friends communicate with each other. A good friend of mine has a younger brother that is always on Xbox Live talking with his friends. Between moments of combat and game talk, they sometimes make plans for the weekend. These users now are part of huge communities on the Internet. They can even become stars of these communities. Whether they are along for the ride for leisure purposes or for full-blown competition, they are all apart of the social gaming world. A world that has become a Internet-based community and will continue to grow as more and more games and sites pop up.

-Stephanie M.

Virtual Contexts Effect on Real-Life

The Internet has provided a venue for many people to interact in new forms of virtual contexts. Virtual worlds are defined by Robert Bloomfield as “a computer-mediated environment that simulates real-world physics with sufficient fidelity” and where “human participants can control one or more actors” (p. 16). These “worlds” allow for people to interact in a more personal manner on a virtual platform. Users appear as an avatar rather than just simple text. Aside from virtual worlds, there are other platforms classified as virtual spaces. Bloomfield describes a virtual space as allowing “human participants to change and observe the state of at least parts of a common database” (p. 16). The interactions on virtual spaces, as opposed to virtual worlds, are less personal. For example, FaceBook allows users to manipulate their environment, but only to a certain extent. People can observe and talk over various topics, but it simply remains as just a discussion and not a replicated real-life social event. This creates a different experience because users cannot get as connected on virtual spaces. Also, on virtual spaces users appear as a web page, which makes it easier to get into disputes. Even though online worlds are anonymous, you will still behave more respectful to an avatar rather than a comment box on a webpage.

With how prevalent use of the Internet in today’s society, it is hard to refrain from being “plugged” in. As Laura Portword-Stacer puts is simply, “the most basic norm [in today’s society] being that everyone ought to be a consumer of media” (Part 1). If you are not connected you are an outcast, ironically, if you are too connected you are an outcast as well. People are constantly torn in these two different directions. How can anyone find a happy medium? Some people rationale their usage by comparing their time dedicated to an online game or platform as opposed to other “addicts.” For example, Bloomfield mentions a girl, named Stephanie, who “admits to spending about 12 hours a day on WoW during one summer” (p. 8). Other users who may in fact spend an unreasonable amount of time in WoW will defend themselves by saying their time spent is significantly less than some such as Stephanie.  Portwood-Stacer backs this compare and contrast method by stating, “while the addiction frame might paint media technologies as dangerous substances that should be used in moderation if used at all, it can also establish a pathological other—the addict—who, through comparison, makes the rest of us more comfortable with our own levels of consumption” (Part 1).

In the end, virtual contexts have become a part of our lives. Although they seem isolated from the real world, they still affect our offline relationships. People, who overuse social media, will look differently at people who don’t even have a social media account. People have begun to develop hatred toward technology for changing the dynamics of relationships. Too much time is being dedicated to virtual worlds and virtual spaces than to our real-life interactions. It is easy to say we have become addicted to these new platforms. I believe if used in moderation these worlds can help build social awareness and interactions, but if abused they can cause the opposite.

-Stephanie M.