Reading Response 5

Some aspects of Digital Nation hit a little close to home. Listening to the professors talk about the lack of through-lines in student's papers, reminded me of my own writing. I consistently write paragraphs of what I see as pretty great ideas and then (for seemingly inexplicable reasons) move on to the next paragraph with a completely different idea, expecting the professor to either follow my train of thought or accept each paragraph or thought on its own.

I was surprised with the gaming section of the program. I never considered those who play massive online roll playing games as being so connected. We have read many articles documenting the positives of online interactions and socializing, but I never considered the whole reason for getting online and playing the game was the urge to connect with others.

One woman at the Blizzard Entertainment party said something like, "People who never play online games will never understand how close you can get with someone you have never seen." My sarcastic question is "why would you want to?"

It seems a little ridiculous on one hand to be chatting online with someone on the other side of the world, when there are people all around. Like that young Korean boy who wouldn't carry a conversation with his mother, but would rather be on the internet playing a game. So, for this example, if we apply the ideas of the creator of Second Life and solve alienation with more technology, then we need to get his mom on the computer to have dinner with him virtually.

They suggest that the game doesn't isolate you, but it gives you a new way to be intimate. They claim to be rewriting the rules of human interaction. I agree that they are giving you new ways to be interact with other and I am a big fan of that, but unfortunately, these forms of interaction are replacing other forms of connectivity. I love to text, but I'm not going to stop talking to my wife because I think it might be easier to just text her.

The internet becomes frightening when it destroys and replaces life. It is beautiful when it adds to our current, healthy life a new layer of connectivity and social interaction.


we are together on the internet, you're not alone anymore