.: Have We Met Before? :.

          Humanity is constantly devising new technologies to assist in the lives of millions of people while also making them more enjoyable. So, when asked to consider the most pioneering and significant technological advance of the last ten years, what would you say? If you guessed the ShamWow ®, then I’m afraid you’re wrong (nice try, though). But if you said the social networking website Facebook, then you are correct! This digital innovation is arguably the most influential (and ubiquitous) networking tool that modernity has seen to date. Originally created to connect individuals on the Harvard University campus, Facebook has exploded into a powerful social networking tool that has drastically redefined methods of human communication. 

          Not even Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, could not have foreseen the current level of cultural integration which Facebook has enjoyed over the past decade. Initially, Zuckerberg desired to create “an online directory that connects people through social networks at colleges” – a digital gathering space for people to keep track of others and socialize with friends. (Grossman, 2010) Fast forward 10 years and we have Facebook on our mobile smart phones, iPods and iPads, even on internet-connected televisions. Facebook is no longer ‘the future of human communication’ – it is human communication. More than that, its human communication built upon human networks, both digital and traditional. 

          In my previous writing, I expounded upon the fact that digital media and social networking could lead to the impersonalization of human communication as well as the misinterpretation of exchanged information. Although this remains a valid issue, it isn’t substantial enough to deter the growth of social networking or the adoption of this medium as a global means of interaction. In fact, as Zuckerberg discovered when creating Facebook, “people yearn not to be liberated from their daily lives but to be more deeply embedded in them…” (TIME MAG) We can already see the integration of technology into every aspect of our lives – Facebook could be the tool that will enhance this assimilation to wholly encompassing levels. 

          For example, imagine the marriage of three revolutionary elements: immersive virtual reality, like wearable VR glasses; digital auxiliary memory, such as a cranial implant; and Facebook. This digital trifecta would not only be able to virtually display immediate information about a new acquaintance or about a location in town, it could also alert you to people in your vicinity with whom you’ve interacted on Facebook. Other information, such as how you know these people and your common interests, could be accessed upon request. Information would then be relayed to your cranial implant to be archived for future reference. This prospect would literally allow you to take Facebook with you wherever you go while interacting with the world in an entirely new way: as a Mobile Social Network. 

          If you are slightly frightened at this point, brace yourself for more. In his book The Facebook Effect, author David Kirkpatrick takes this idea even further. He proposes that “the [Facebook] software could even start to make elementary decisions on your behalf.” As Kirkpatrick suggests, such software could be so intuitive that it knows who you are as well as your patterns: “Imagine I can get in my car and just say, ‘I want to go to David Kirkpatrick’s house.’ It knows who I am and can go inside Facebook, find out where David lives, and direct me there using GPS.” (Kirkpatrick, 2010) 

          This integration of technology, social networking, and our daily lives is the kind of progress that will entirely redefine human communication. To interact with the world on a physical, a social, and a digital level affords humanity an extraordinary opportunity to transform the future and employ new methods of interaction. Of course, serious issues will abound and could present problems, such as personal privacy and the value of physical human relationships. But seeing that Mr. Zuckerberg has gotten us this far, perhaps we can once again trust him to lead us to the next level of social networking.


RESOURCES:

Grossman, Lev. (2010). Time Magazine. Person of the Year 2010: Mark Zuckerberg. Online publication. http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2036683_2037183,00.html

Kirkpatrick, D. (2010). The Facebook Effect (pp. 287-333). New York: Simon & Schuster.

.: Follow Me! :.

          One of the most well known phrases of the last decade consists of only two words: “Facebook me!” The unofficial slogan for social networking site Twitter (“Tweet me!”) comes in at a close second. The creation of new cultural lingo based on websites is a testament to the rise of digital social networking as an important communication tool in our society. As the media for human interaction change, so do the characteristics of person-to-person socialization and interrelation. Although social networking sites allow us to form social connections that we might not have otherwise initiated, it also injects human communication with an element of detachment and impersonality. 

          In his book You Are Not A Gadget, author Jaron Lanier purports that “The deep meaning of personhood is being reduced by illusions of bits. Since people will be inexorably connecting to one another through computers from here on out, we must find an alternative.” (Lanier, 2010) Though somewhat extreme, Lanier’s statement should not be entirely disregarded. It’s true that computers and digital social networking allow us to connect and converse through technology. It’s equally true that such communications begin to remove basic human attributes that, until 2 decades ago, were intrinsic to human communication. This unforeseen consequence can be observed in the ubiquitous text message or the familiar Facebook post. Such modes of communication don’t allow for vocal inflection, facial expressions, or body language to be transmitted in a conversation. These elements are often important (and sometimes essential) when interpreting another person’s message. However, on the internet, dialogue seems to be interpreted through a limited format that only allows for the delivery of certain conversational aspects. Emoticons (such as J) and written laughter symbols (like “haha”) attempt to replace these lost aspects but they often limit the adequate representation of human emotions. 

          Although digital social networking can inhibit the interpretation of dialogue, it also has an important cultural function in terms of social support networks. In “Small World networks”, a term created by researchers Duncan Watts and Steve Strogatz, “people don’t simply connect at random, increasing the likelihood they will interact with the same people frequently, even in large networks. [This] helps create social capital [which is] that store of behaviors and norms in any large group that lets its members support one another.” (Shirkey, 2008) This phenomenon is exemplified by the website GenderFork.com, a support forum created by gender advocate Sarah Dopp. (Dopp, 2011) This site provides support and advice to anyone facing gender issues in their lives. Social discussions and relevant resources allow users to join a community of people who are experiencing similar situations as themselves. Thanks to digital social networking, these users are able to find support in a community that they might not have otherwise encountered. 

          All in all, the current forms of digital social networking tend to limit the transmission and interpretation of information. Even with such a communication deficiency, this technology allows others to create social networks where others can find friendship, support, and commonality. In the future, the integration of audio-visual stimuli with social networking sites would be beneficial to digital communication. For instance, real-time video streaming integrated with the Facebook chat feature would allow users to converse with one another while browsing Facebook profiles. As well, a more dynamic and reactional interface for the Twitter website could add a human element previously unseen in social networking websites. Even though these features are currently unavailable, technological and social evolution will soon require more immersive digital experiences. No matter the speed of advancement, we can count on one thing: social interaction (whether digital or physical) will always be an integral part of humanity.


RESOURCES:

Dopp, Sarah. (21 Feb 2011). Gender & Beauty lecture notes.

Lanier, J. (2010). You are not a Gadget. New York: Alfred Knopf.

Shirky, C. (2008). Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing without Organizations (pp. 47-80). New York: Penguin Group.