To further elaborate on my previous post about all of the different kinds of customizations I am capable of doing with a jailbroken iPhone through Cydia, I want to talk about other features that don’t appear to be so obvious since they aren’t visible to the eyes such as different fonts. There are various utility apps and packages that can be downloaded that are pretty cool and helpful. It definitely pushes the limit and allows me to use my iPhone to its fullest potential.
My all time favorite package is called “MyWi w/ OnDemand”. It allows me to tether my phone with my laptop, and it’s really useful when I travel since I won’t have to pay extra to use the internet at hotels or resort to sitting in the lobby in my pjs in order to use the free wifi that’s offered. I’ll basically be able to use my phone as a modem and connect my laptop to it wirelessly to get online; my laptop will use the internet from my phone. Keep in mind that charges apply and can pile up so use it minimally unless you have an unlimited data package for your phone. As long as the phone has access to EDGE or 3G, you’ll be online!
Has anyone ever called and bothered you even though you’ve asked them to stop calling? Are you trying to avoid or forget about someone but are tempted to pick up every time you see that person’s name show up on your caller id? Are people continuously calling your phone asking for a different person even though you’ve told them multiple times that they have the wrong phone number? There is this extremely useful package that can be downloaded called “iBlacklist”. This app is truly unbelievable. It allows me to create a blacklist for the numbers that I want to block or a whitelist for the numbers that I want to allow. Not only that, it’ll block “unknown” and “blocked” numbers as well. It’ll also block text messages. The best thing about all this is the fact that I’m able to view those blocked calls and messages and choose whether or not I want to be notified or opt out of the notifications. With this app, I’ll never have to debate whether or not I should change my number for the sole purpose of avoiding calls or texts from certain people since it’ll filter it out automatically with the chosen settings.
Another thing that I find to be interesting is something called “iDitDahText”. Text is entered by Morse code through “dits” and “dahs”. There are actually great advantages to learning this system since it allows a person to enter 50 words per minute, perhaps even more. Not only that, with the constant feedback that I get, I will no longer have to look while I type in order to enter the text or see whether or not I’m entering it correctly. It would have been good to implement this strategy before texting while driving became illegal. For those who still text and drive, this may be a “safer” alternative.
Ever since the industrial revolution, so many big changes has happened that leads us to where we are today. Sometimes I wonder whether all of these extra things are necessary and deny that I’m dependent upon it even though I know I waste a lot of time playing around on my phone, but I’m sure glad we’ve come this far. I’m sure our advancements will continue to grow in the future and at a faster rate. No matter what, we’ll always have a sense of expectation that there will continually be more.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Tweaks for the iPhone in Cydia
If you just so happen to be an iPhone user, jailbreaking your iPhone not only lets you obtain “paid” applications, games in particular, at no cost through a downloaded package called “Installous”, it will enable you to have more of an open user interface that allows you to do various customizations, choose themes to your liking, be creative, and have access to features and such that aren’t otherwise available to non-jailbroken iPhone users. My favorite thing to do with my iPhone is discovering unique things that it’s capable of, so I’ll be introducing some “tweaks” that are found in Cydia.
For users who are sick of the generic and boring font that’s often used in cell phones, they can download a “FontSwap” app that will allow them to swap the font on their phone. After downloading the package, the user would open up the app and discover that they now have the capability to change the dialer/calculator fonts, lockclock fonts, notes fonts, and system fonts. Although access to changing the fonts within the categories come with limited choices, the one with the most option is the system fonts in which users can choose from a selection of 10 fonts that include Binary ITC, Calibri, Cineplex, Default, Casper, etc. As you can see in the example below, I’ve provided a picture of an iPhone with a Default lockclock font and a picture of a tweaked iPhone with a Gas lockclock font.
I would have to say that my favorite customization is through a very simple package called “MakeItMine”. It allows me to change the carrier, in my case AT&T, in the upper left hand corner to say anything I want it to. Also, the banner that’s currently the time that is centered at that top strip can be changed as well. This allows me to make my phone even more unique, and as the name infers, I’m really merely making it mine. I’ve included a picture to show the changes I made on my phone. My carrier now has a “star” (used through a free app called Emoji), and my banner now reads “Marianne’s iPhone”.
There are various other things that can be done that I find to be helpful, but I’m not going to get into too much detail about it. Rather than having a ton of pages, I downloaded “Five Icon Dock” and “Five-Column Springboard”. Instead of four icons, the packages allow for five icons going across the pages as well as in the dock area by making the spaces in between the apps smaller. Another way to minimize pages altogether would be to download something called “Categories” in which I can create and manage folders on my phone. I’m fully aware that iPhone’s latest firmware does allow the use of folders, but unfortunately, there is a maximum of 12 apps per folder. Especially since I have a lot of games, it is inconvenient to have multiple game folders, whereas, with this package, I’m able to have all of my games in one.
There are so many different options available to customize your phone a certain way. Although I’ve only introduced several packages that I personally like and that work for me, there exists plenty of others that do the same or serve very similar purposes. It’s available, but it’s up to you to look and explore. I want to add that when I think about all of these things that I’ve discovered and many, many others that I’m yet to learn, I am reminded of one of the YouTube videos I saw for Professor Armstrong’s Sociology 149 class. Participatory culture is definitely one that makes all this possible. While I’m here aimlessly playing around with my phone, people are out there, possibly collaborating to crack the latest codes to enable all this to be possible with the intent of making the information available; those people are users themselves who’ve become producers that are enabling all of this sharing to take place.
For users who are sick of the generic and boring font that’s often used in cell phones, they can download a “FontSwap” app that will allow them to swap the font on their phone. After downloading the package, the user would open up the app and discover that they now have the capability to change the dialer/calculator fonts, lockclock fonts, notes fonts, and system fonts. Although access to changing the fonts within the categories come with limited choices, the one with the most option is the system fonts in which users can choose from a selection of 10 fonts that include Binary ITC, Calibri, Cineplex, Default, Casper, etc. As you can see in the example below, I’ve provided a picture of an iPhone with a Default lockclock font and a picture of a tweaked iPhone with a Gas lockclock font.
I would have to say that my favorite customization is through a very simple package called “MakeItMine”. It allows me to change the carrier, in my case AT&T, in the upper left hand corner to say anything I want it to. Also, the banner that’s currently the time that is centered at that top strip can be changed as well. This allows me to make my phone even more unique, and as the name infers, I’m really merely making it mine. I’ve included a picture to show the changes I made on my phone. My carrier now has a “star” (used through a free app called Emoji), and my banner now reads “Marianne’s iPhone”.
There are various other things that can be done that I find to be helpful, but I’m not going to get into too much detail about it. Rather than having a ton of pages, I downloaded “Five Icon Dock” and “Five-Column Springboard”. Instead of four icons, the packages allow for five icons going across the pages as well as in the dock area by making the spaces in between the apps smaller. Another way to minimize pages altogether would be to download something called “Categories” in which I can create and manage folders on my phone. I’m fully aware that iPhone’s latest firmware does allow the use of folders, but unfortunately, there is a maximum of 12 apps per folder. Especially since I have a lot of games, it is inconvenient to have multiple game folders, whereas, with this package, I’m able to have all of my games in one.
There are so many different options available to customize your phone a certain way. Although I’ve only introduced several packages that I personally like and that work for me, there exists plenty of others that do the same or serve very similar purposes. It’s available, but it’s up to you to look and explore. I want to add that when I think about all of these things that I’ve discovered and many, many others that I’m yet to learn, I am reminded of one of the YouTube videos I saw for Professor Armstrong’s Sociology 149 class. Participatory culture is definitely one that makes all this possible. While I’m here aimlessly playing around with my phone, people are out there, possibly collaborating to crack the latest codes to enable all this to be possible with the intent of making the information available; those people are users themselves who’ve become producers that are enabling all of this sharing to take place.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Social Networking and Privacy
How often do you use social networking sites/tools like Facebook, Twitter, or FourSquare?
Once upon a time, I had a MySpace. When Facebook became popularized, I got rid of my MySpace and switched over. At the moment, Facebook is the only social networking site that I use. There isn’t a day that passes where I don’t check my Facebook. It’s become a habit of mine that I’m not too proud to admit.
How much time to do you spend texting, tweeting, or checking status updates on your phone or computer?
At the moment, I text about 1500 texts per month so that averages to about 50 per day. I often text the most on days where I have a break in between my classes or while I’m walking to class. Overall, I suppose I spend about 15 minutes of my day texting, given that it takes about 20 seconds to read and respond. As far as checking status updates, I do that about 5-10 times per day. I kind of enjoy reading what people are up to, what’s on their minds, etc., and besides, it gives me something to do while keeping me entertained. Overall, I probably spend about a good 30 minutes checking updates throughout the day.
Do you think the cultural move toward social networking, constant access, and the loss of privacy it sometimes brings about is a positive/negative trend on the whole?
To me, I think that this cultural move has been a positive trend. Social networking sites are great. I’ve been able to get in touch with many people I grew up with. Back then, pagers were around, and the internet was barely being introduced. I seriously remember being one of the only ones in my middle school class who had access to the internet (and that was the dial-up version of AOL). Cell phones were the size of a brick, and not many people had it. It was really difficult keeping in touch with friends at the time, and I remember exchanging addresses with people just to be able to keep in touch during the summertime since my grandma didn’t allow me to be on the house phone that much. Nowadays, with access to the internet, emails, and cell phones, I’m able to keep in touch with people, and it’s extremely convenient. Since I created a Facebook account, over a dozen people I knew in elementary school found me and friended me. I seriously thought I’d never talk to them again in this lifetime, and it’s funny how they’d message me and ask if I’m the correct Marianne. Once I said yes, they’d ask whether or not I remember them, and I’d laugh because I know that I surely do!
With positives come negatives. The other day, there was a black-out at my house. I absolutely had nothing to do (well, I could have read a bit but I wasn’t in the mood at the time), so I decided that I’d get online. I seriously thought I beat the system when I saw that my laptop was fully charged. I turned on my laptop only to find that I couldn’t connect to the internet because my router needed to be powered on to be able to do so. You have no idea how MISERABLE I felt until I realized that fortunately, I have internet on my phone. It definitely helped by easing my anxiety. Being able to constantly access the internet, I find that I’ve grown to become dependent.
Even though we’ve loss some privacy with everything that has come about, I think that we can attempt to minimize that loss as much as possible with what we can work with. For example, we can control what information we’d want our friends/nonfriends/people within network to see. It’s just a matter of knowing where to go to set it. We can also use an alias name or set the Facebook page to be unsearchable by others, but that’d defeat the purpose because I’d personally want to be found. Aside from that, there are privacy issues we’re unable to control such as public records. I believe that the internet has made it easier to find information, but really, most of that information has always been available.
What are some of the benefits and drawbacks of this entanglement between our personal lives and technology?
As I’ve mentioned before, the internet has allowed me to get in touch with those I thought I’d never see again. Another benefit is the quick access to information and handiness of paying bills online. Since I don’t have cable, I’m still able to watch tv. In addition, I’ve been able to save a lot of money by price checking items at various places and doing research before buying. The main drawback is the way in which my personal information is vulnerable.
Have you ever "over-shared" or texted, tweeted, or posted something you have regretted?
At times, I do feel like I’ve over-shared some information. On Facebook, it’s easy to just get back on and delete it. There’s a good chance that a lot of people haven’t seen it, but at times, when I do a status update, someone would comment on it right away; that kind of creeps me out and I’m still trying to get used to that because it shows that people are, in fact, reading. Through texts, however, I feel totally different. I feel like once it’s sent, it’s irreversible. One time, I accidently texted the wrong person, and I was basically talking about that person in the text. Luckily, I didn’t mention any names. When you press that send button, there’s no taking it back except trying to play it off somehow. Since then, I’ve learned to be more cautious.
Do you ever worry about your privacy when it comes to using these tools?
I don’ really worry about privacy when it comes to Facebook because my page is pretty much private. After hearing Professor Armstrong talk about employers having people hack into profiles to find out about a potential candidate’s character, it kind of frightened me. Besides that, I feel as though I’m in control or else I can simply resort to deleting my account. On a side note, I seldom update on the places I’m at because I feel like that’s pushing it a bit to let others know my exact location.
Once upon a time, I had a MySpace. When Facebook became popularized, I got rid of my MySpace and switched over. At the moment, Facebook is the only social networking site that I use. There isn’t a day that passes where I don’t check my Facebook. It’s become a habit of mine that I’m not too proud to admit.
How much time to do you spend texting, tweeting, or checking status updates on your phone or computer?
At the moment, I text about 1500 texts per month so that averages to about 50 per day. I often text the most on days where I have a break in between my classes or while I’m walking to class. Overall, I suppose I spend about 15 minutes of my day texting, given that it takes about 20 seconds to read and respond. As far as checking status updates, I do that about 5-10 times per day. I kind of enjoy reading what people are up to, what’s on their minds, etc., and besides, it gives me something to do while keeping me entertained. Overall, I probably spend about a good 30 minutes checking updates throughout the day.
Do you think the cultural move toward social networking, constant access, and the loss of privacy it sometimes brings about is a positive/negative trend on the whole?
To me, I think that this cultural move has been a positive trend. Social networking sites are great. I’ve been able to get in touch with many people I grew up with. Back then, pagers were around, and the internet was barely being introduced. I seriously remember being one of the only ones in my middle school class who had access to the internet (and that was the dial-up version of AOL). Cell phones were the size of a brick, and not many people had it. It was really difficult keeping in touch with friends at the time, and I remember exchanging addresses with people just to be able to keep in touch during the summertime since my grandma didn’t allow me to be on the house phone that much. Nowadays, with access to the internet, emails, and cell phones, I’m able to keep in touch with people, and it’s extremely convenient. Since I created a Facebook account, over a dozen people I knew in elementary school found me and friended me. I seriously thought I’d never talk to them again in this lifetime, and it’s funny how they’d message me and ask if I’m the correct Marianne. Once I said yes, they’d ask whether or not I remember them, and I’d laugh because I know that I surely do!
With positives come negatives. The other day, there was a black-out at my house. I absolutely had nothing to do (well, I could have read a bit but I wasn’t in the mood at the time), so I decided that I’d get online. I seriously thought I beat the system when I saw that my laptop was fully charged. I turned on my laptop only to find that I couldn’t connect to the internet because my router needed to be powered on to be able to do so. You have no idea how MISERABLE I felt until I realized that fortunately, I have internet on my phone. It definitely helped by easing my anxiety. Being able to constantly access the internet, I find that I’ve grown to become dependent.
Even though we’ve loss some privacy with everything that has come about, I think that we can attempt to minimize that loss as much as possible with what we can work with. For example, we can control what information we’d want our friends/nonfriends/people within network to see. It’s just a matter of knowing where to go to set it. We can also use an alias name or set the Facebook page to be unsearchable by others, but that’d defeat the purpose because I’d personally want to be found. Aside from that, there are privacy issues we’re unable to control such as public records. I believe that the internet has made it easier to find information, but really, most of that information has always been available.
What are some of the benefits and drawbacks of this entanglement between our personal lives and technology?
As I’ve mentioned before, the internet has allowed me to get in touch with those I thought I’d never see again. Another benefit is the quick access to information and handiness of paying bills online. Since I don’t have cable, I’m still able to watch tv. In addition, I’ve been able to save a lot of money by price checking items at various places and doing research before buying. The main drawback is the way in which my personal information is vulnerable.
Have you ever "over-shared" or texted, tweeted, or posted something you have regretted?
At times, I do feel like I’ve over-shared some information. On Facebook, it’s easy to just get back on and delete it. There’s a good chance that a lot of people haven’t seen it, but at times, when I do a status update, someone would comment on it right away; that kind of creeps me out and I’m still trying to get used to that because it shows that people are, in fact, reading. Through texts, however, I feel totally different. I feel like once it’s sent, it’s irreversible. One time, I accidently texted the wrong person, and I was basically talking about that person in the text. Luckily, I didn’t mention any names. When you press that send button, there’s no taking it back except trying to play it off somehow. Since then, I’ve learned to be more cautious.
Do you ever worry about your privacy when it comes to using these tools?
I don’ really worry about privacy when it comes to Facebook because my page is pretty much private. After hearing Professor Armstrong talk about employers having people hack into profiles to find out about a potential candidate’s character, it kind of frightened me. Besides that, I feel as though I’m in control or else I can simply resort to deleting my account. On a side note, I seldom update on the places I’m at because I feel like that’s pushing it a bit to let others know my exact location.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Media Diet
Your task for this assignment is to record your media consumption for 5-7 days straight. Take note of how many hours you spend reading, watching television, using the Internet, or engaging with any other forms of media. While you do not have to give an exhaustive account of every TV show you watch or website you visit, do note what types of books, TV, websites, etc. that you consume. You can also describe which particular shows you watch or sites you visit daily/on a regular basis. After listing your media diet for each day of the week (length of time, types of media), you should provide a brief analysis. Questions you might address in your analysis include: What does your media diet say about you? How do you think it might compare to the media diets of other people your age? What might your media diet suggest about American society more broadly? Are there changes you'd like to make regarding your media consumption? How might your social location influence your media intake?
My Media Diet
Sunday 375 minutes / 60 = 6.25 hrs
180 minutes – doing assignments and readings on Angel/Eres
30 minutes – YouTube
90 minutes – checking and replying to emails, reading the news on Yahoo and NY Times, social networking on Facebook
15 minutes – playing games on iPhone
60 minutes – reading journal articles on PsychInfo
Monday 360 minutes / 60 = 6 hrs
180 minutes – doing assignments and readings on Angel/Eres
90 minutes – checking and replying to emails, reading the news on Yahoo and NY Times, social networking on Facebook
45 minutes – listening to the radio
45 minutes – watching a show on Hulu
Tuesday 300 minutes / 60 = 5 hrs
90 minutes – doing assignments and readings on Angel/Eres
60 minutes – checking and replying to emails, reading the news on Yahoo and NY Times, social networking on Facebook
30 minutes – listening to the radio
120 minutes – reading journal articles on PsychInfo
Wednesday 285 minutes / 60 = 4.75 hrs
120 minutes – doing assignments and readings on Angel/Eres
75 minutes – checking and replying to emails, reading the news on Yahoo and NY Times, social networking on Facebook
45 minutes – listening to the radio
45 minutes – reading journal articles on PsychInfo
Thursday 330 minutes / 60 = 5.5 hrs
60 minutes – doing assignments and readings on Angel/Eres
60 minutes – checking and replying to emails, reading the news on Yahoo and NY Times, social networking on Facebook
30 minutes – listening to the radio
180 minutes – watching soap operas online
Friday 345 minutes / 60 = 5.75 hrs
120 minutes – doing assignments and readings on Angel/Eres
120 minutes – checking and replying to emails, reading the news on Yahoo and NY Times, social networking on Facebook
45 minutes – listening to the radio
60 minutes – reading journal articles on PsychInfo
Saturday 330 minutes / 60 = 5.5 hours
90 minutes – doing assignments and readings on Angel/Eres
90 minutes – checking and replying to emails, reading the news on Yahoo and NY Times, social networking on Facebook
90 minutes – reading journal article on PsychInfo
60 minutes – AIM
My media diet says that I spend a good amount of time on the internet daily. A majority of that time consists of doing something related to school. At the moment, the things that I do almost ritually include visiting Angel and Eres since several of my professors incorporate using those sites in their curriculum. In addition, I spend a good amount of time doing various things for this class (listening to the audio from The Company, watching the videos posted by Professor Armstrong, etc.), so I’m sure my media consumption has gone way up when compared to that of the past. Also routinely, I check my emails throughout the day. When I do that, I find myself caught by current headlines in the news. I also confess to diverting my attention towards Facebook thereafter. It does appear as though I spend quite some time on PsychInfo.
When compared to the media diets of other people my age, I think that it’s pretty inaccurate. For example, for a person who works full-time and isn’t a student, I estimate that they average the same number of hours as I do. I notice that people tend to go straight home after work and sit in front of their computer/laptop for the rest of the evening. They’ll probably spend roughly 4-6 hours online easily within any given day. As far as students are concerned, I think that I spend less time online than most. I get tired of gluing myself to the front of my screen, so I try to minimize it as much as possible, often printing out hard copies of the journal articles just so I could spend less time online. If I were to spend any more time than I already do, I’d probably be a zombie. Keep in mind that I do share my time outside of class with work and various volunteer activities.
My media diet suggests that the American society is moving towards a virtual sphere. People have transitioned to doing many things online. For instance, in the past, education took place within the classroom. Back then, teachers used to Xerox papers and passed them out in class for students to read. Nowadays, they simply post it on a certain site and have us visit the site in order to get the material. Education used to take place solely in the classroom, but today, people can take online classes and graduate with a degree without ever having to step foot on campus. In addition, it used to be common for people to physically sit in front of the television to watch cable tv, but now, those shows are available online. Newspapers are struggling to compete with the news that’s available on the web. Today, people play computer games. In the future, I picture a laptop serving as a game console that will replace all the PS3’s and Xboxes out there; a consumer would simply need to connect the controller wirelessly through some kind of Bluetooth capability or whatever will be invented then, and badaboom, they’ll be able to experience the same kind of game play they’re getting now. Through the power of the internet, we are doing a lot of things we weren’t doing before. Eventually, having access to a computer would be vital because that’s where everything will be.
If anything, I’d like to spend less time consuming media in general. Our society has become dependent upon it, and I feel sucked into it as well. Even if I didn’t want to be connected, I have to be because the internet is where everything is. I find it impossible to decrease my consumption, especially seeing that third-world developing countries are, in fact, connected as well. I think that it’s unavoidable due to the convenience of it all. For example, my mom did not know how to use the computer at all. In the past, every night, she’d wait for the 10 o’clock news and sit through all the news stories just so she could listen to the meteorologist. After I showed her how to check the weather online, she was determined to learn all the processes of using a computer because she knew that if she learned, she’d be able to check the weather at any given moment. I taught her how to open up Internet Explorer on the desktop and type in a web-address in the address bar; she’s now a wiz at it. Realistically, even if American society tries to avoid it for the time being since it’s merely an alternative to doing things, eventually, it’ll become a necessity.
Obviously, I’d like to decrease my media consumption because I feel as though I’m missing out on other things. Unfortunately, it’s not an option at the moment, being a student and all. However, once I graduate, I’m pretty sure my consumption won’t change much since I’m keeping up with the times, and at this time, technology and mass media are huge players. When I no longer have to spend time using the internet for school-related things, I’m sure there are plenty of other things I could do online to keep me occupied.
I do think that location plays a huge role. We are, in fact, in the midst of Silicon Valley. For example, I saw a video about MIT. I can’t imagine what the students who attend that school’s media diet would look like. Because location is a major influence, being in the bay area has definitely contributed. We are surrounded by Cisco, Google, etc. I’m sure the way in which we consume mass media is different from those who are in rural areas.
My Media Diet
Sunday 375 minutes / 60 = 6.25 hrs
180 minutes – doing assignments and readings on Angel/Eres
30 minutes – YouTube
90 minutes – checking and replying to emails, reading the news on Yahoo and NY Times, social networking on Facebook
15 minutes – playing games on iPhone
60 minutes – reading journal articles on PsychInfo
Monday 360 minutes / 60 = 6 hrs
180 minutes – doing assignments and readings on Angel/Eres
90 minutes – checking and replying to emails, reading the news on Yahoo and NY Times, social networking on Facebook
45 minutes – listening to the radio
45 minutes – watching a show on Hulu
Tuesday 300 minutes / 60 = 5 hrs
90 minutes – doing assignments and readings on Angel/Eres
60 minutes – checking and replying to emails, reading the news on Yahoo and NY Times, social networking on Facebook
30 minutes – listening to the radio
120 minutes – reading journal articles on PsychInfo
Wednesday 285 minutes / 60 = 4.75 hrs
120 minutes – doing assignments and readings on Angel/Eres
75 minutes – checking and replying to emails, reading the news on Yahoo and NY Times, social networking on Facebook
45 minutes – listening to the radio
45 minutes – reading journal articles on PsychInfo
Thursday 330 minutes / 60 = 5.5 hrs
60 minutes – doing assignments and readings on Angel/Eres
60 minutes – checking and replying to emails, reading the news on Yahoo and NY Times, social networking on Facebook
30 minutes – listening to the radio
180 minutes – watching soap operas online
Friday 345 minutes / 60 = 5.75 hrs
120 minutes – doing assignments and readings on Angel/Eres
120 minutes – checking and replying to emails, reading the news on Yahoo and NY Times, social networking on Facebook
45 minutes – listening to the radio
60 minutes – reading journal articles on PsychInfo
Saturday 330 minutes / 60 = 5.5 hours
90 minutes – doing assignments and readings on Angel/Eres
90 minutes – checking and replying to emails, reading the news on Yahoo and NY Times, social networking on Facebook
90 minutes – reading journal article on PsychInfo
60 minutes – AIM
My media diet says that I spend a good amount of time on the internet daily. A majority of that time consists of doing something related to school. At the moment, the things that I do almost ritually include visiting Angel and Eres since several of my professors incorporate using those sites in their curriculum. In addition, I spend a good amount of time doing various things for this class (listening to the audio from The Company, watching the videos posted by Professor Armstrong, etc.), so I’m sure my media consumption has gone way up when compared to that of the past. Also routinely, I check my emails throughout the day. When I do that, I find myself caught by current headlines in the news. I also confess to diverting my attention towards Facebook thereafter. It does appear as though I spend quite some time on PsychInfo.
When compared to the media diets of other people my age, I think that it’s pretty inaccurate. For example, for a person who works full-time and isn’t a student, I estimate that they average the same number of hours as I do. I notice that people tend to go straight home after work and sit in front of their computer/laptop for the rest of the evening. They’ll probably spend roughly 4-6 hours online easily within any given day. As far as students are concerned, I think that I spend less time online than most. I get tired of gluing myself to the front of my screen, so I try to minimize it as much as possible, often printing out hard copies of the journal articles just so I could spend less time online. If I were to spend any more time than I already do, I’d probably be a zombie. Keep in mind that I do share my time outside of class with work and various volunteer activities.
My media diet suggests that the American society is moving towards a virtual sphere. People have transitioned to doing many things online. For instance, in the past, education took place within the classroom. Back then, teachers used to Xerox papers and passed them out in class for students to read. Nowadays, they simply post it on a certain site and have us visit the site in order to get the material. Education used to take place solely in the classroom, but today, people can take online classes and graduate with a degree without ever having to step foot on campus. In addition, it used to be common for people to physically sit in front of the television to watch cable tv, but now, those shows are available online. Newspapers are struggling to compete with the news that’s available on the web. Today, people play computer games. In the future, I picture a laptop serving as a game console that will replace all the PS3’s and Xboxes out there; a consumer would simply need to connect the controller wirelessly through some kind of Bluetooth capability or whatever will be invented then, and badaboom, they’ll be able to experience the same kind of game play they’re getting now. Through the power of the internet, we are doing a lot of things we weren’t doing before. Eventually, having access to a computer would be vital because that’s where everything will be.
If anything, I’d like to spend less time consuming media in general. Our society has become dependent upon it, and I feel sucked into it as well. Even if I didn’t want to be connected, I have to be because the internet is where everything is. I find it impossible to decrease my consumption, especially seeing that third-world developing countries are, in fact, connected as well. I think that it’s unavoidable due to the convenience of it all. For example, my mom did not know how to use the computer at all. In the past, every night, she’d wait for the 10 o’clock news and sit through all the news stories just so she could listen to the meteorologist. After I showed her how to check the weather online, she was determined to learn all the processes of using a computer because she knew that if she learned, she’d be able to check the weather at any given moment. I taught her how to open up Internet Explorer on the desktop and type in a web-address in the address bar; she’s now a wiz at it. Realistically, even if American society tries to avoid it for the time being since it’s merely an alternative to doing things, eventually, it’ll become a necessity.
Obviously, I’d like to decrease my media consumption because I feel as though I’m missing out on other things. Unfortunately, it’s not an option at the moment, being a student and all. However, once I graduate, I’m pretty sure my consumption won’t change much since I’m keeping up with the times, and at this time, technology and mass media are huge players. When I no longer have to spend time using the internet for school-related things, I’m sure there are plenty of other things I could do online to keep me occupied.
I do think that location plays a huge role. We are, in fact, in the midst of Silicon Valley. For example, I saw a video about MIT. I can’t imagine what the students who attend that school’s media diet would look like. Because location is a major influence, being in the bay area has definitely contributed. We are surrounded by Cisco, Google, etc. I’m sure the way in which we consume mass media is different from those who are in rural areas.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Technology and Social Interaction
Do you think the spread of technology has had a positive or negative impact on your everyday face to face interaction? What about for people more generally?
I think that technology has influenced my social interaction IMMENSELY. I remember growing up when internet used to be dial-up, and digital subscriber line (DSL) followed thereafter. Nowadays, a majority of people are connected through Wi-Fi. Typewriters have been replaced by computers that have become more affordable. Though the spread of technology has made a huge impact on my life, it has its pros and cons.
In the positive light, it’s made my life much easier. For example, I used to do research by going to the library to borrow books and encyclopedias. Nowadays, I can search for answers with the click of a button. Also, I have resorted to paying bills, looking for jobs, shopping, reading reviews of products, reading the news, communicating with family members from overseas, and a multitude of other activities via the internet. I must say that my favorite is using my phone’s Fandango application! I remember how much of a hassle it used to be to have to call and listen to a recording in order to get movie show times.
On the other hand, technology has left a negative impact in regards to daily face to face interaction. We, as a society, have gotten the hang of instant messaging, and I, myself am guilty of it. I use technology to keep in touch with friends, family, coworkers, etc. through Facebook. Due to a busy schedule that involves keeping up with school, a paid job, and volunteer work, I find it easier to just post something on someone’s wall, shoot over an email, or send a quick text. Rather than write a letter, I send e-cards and e-greetings. I’ve become glued to some sort of screen. For example, rather than taking a nice walk at the park with a friend, I own a Wii-Fit than enables me to work-out with a virtual fitness trainer. I’ve stopped going to a movie rental place like Blockbuster since Netflix allows me to rent and return movies without having to go anywhere! I’ve also taken online classes that I used as credit towards obtaining an A.S. degree. Rather than having to attend class, most online classes use discussion boards and postings to enhance the participation portion of the class.
Outside of school, the only time I really need to interact with others is when I’m at work or tutoring little kids. Aside from that, I’ve been accustomed to surrounding myself with technology during my free time. I do think that many people of all ages can relate to this. I see that kids are learning how to access the internet younger and younger. Fewer kids go to the park nowadays. Why play outside when they have PlayStation, Nintendo DSi, Xbox, PSP, etc.? The elderly are learning as well even though, when compared, they aren’t nearly as absorbed in this almost ritual-like daily activity that many are participating in in the confines of their own home.
What do you think about using the Internet to meet other people (via online dating sites, Craigslist, message boards, fan sites, online gaming, or virtual worlds)?
I do think that using the internet to meet people is becoming more and more common. I have met a few acquaintances from friends of friends. Besides that, I don’t really have time to meet people online. I do have several friends who met their significant others in chat rooms. It seems to be more successful than the friends who use dating sites (which is ironic to me because people create a profile about themselves in order to find a match, but my friends who used it never ended up with someone compatible). They eventually gave up. I think it’s possible to make friends online (and that can develop into something more in the future), but I’m a little ambivalent about my thoughts of meeting someone with the sole intention of dating them.
Is connecting to others via online communities a viable way of creating meaningful relationships, or are we neglecting our everyday relationships in favor of these "virtual" relationships?
For some people, it’s possible for them to develop a meaningful relationship with someone online. I wouldn’t recommend it or resort to it unless that person is especially timid. Having someone they can talk to and open up to is valuable even if it’s through the internet.
For the rest of us, I do think that the virtual world is secluding us from the rest of reality. I think that it’s more important to keep ties with the people who are physically in our lives now rather than focus on someone who may be thousands of miles away. We tend to focus on the virtual one for different reasons. One example would be how it might be easier to talk about anything to someone who isn’t physically here to judge us and see our flaws.
Do we, as a society, need to focus on creating more "real" spaces/public spheres for people to connect, interact, and discuss meaningful political and social issues?
I do think that we need to focus on making public spheres more available. Being able to go to a place to interact with someone of common interest would be healthier than sitting at home in solitude. I think that schools do a good job at bringing people together through clubs on campus.
I think that technology has influenced my social interaction IMMENSELY. I remember growing up when internet used to be dial-up, and digital subscriber line (DSL) followed thereafter. Nowadays, a majority of people are connected through Wi-Fi. Typewriters have been replaced by computers that have become more affordable. Though the spread of technology has made a huge impact on my life, it has its pros and cons.
In the positive light, it’s made my life much easier. For example, I used to do research by going to the library to borrow books and encyclopedias. Nowadays, I can search for answers with the click of a button. Also, I have resorted to paying bills, looking for jobs, shopping, reading reviews of products, reading the news, communicating with family members from overseas, and a multitude of other activities via the internet. I must say that my favorite is using my phone’s Fandango application! I remember how much of a hassle it used to be to have to call and listen to a recording in order to get movie show times.
On the other hand, technology has left a negative impact in regards to daily face to face interaction. We, as a society, have gotten the hang of instant messaging, and I, myself am guilty of it. I use technology to keep in touch with friends, family, coworkers, etc. through Facebook. Due to a busy schedule that involves keeping up with school, a paid job, and volunteer work, I find it easier to just post something on someone’s wall, shoot over an email, or send a quick text. Rather than write a letter, I send e-cards and e-greetings. I’ve become glued to some sort of screen. For example, rather than taking a nice walk at the park with a friend, I own a Wii-Fit than enables me to work-out with a virtual fitness trainer. I’ve stopped going to a movie rental place like Blockbuster since Netflix allows me to rent and return movies without having to go anywhere! I’ve also taken online classes that I used as credit towards obtaining an A.S. degree. Rather than having to attend class, most online classes use discussion boards and postings to enhance the participation portion of the class.
Outside of school, the only time I really need to interact with others is when I’m at work or tutoring little kids. Aside from that, I’ve been accustomed to surrounding myself with technology during my free time. I do think that many people of all ages can relate to this. I see that kids are learning how to access the internet younger and younger. Fewer kids go to the park nowadays. Why play outside when they have PlayStation, Nintendo DSi, Xbox, PSP, etc.? The elderly are learning as well even though, when compared, they aren’t nearly as absorbed in this almost ritual-like daily activity that many are participating in in the confines of their own home.
What do you think about using the Internet to meet other people (via online dating sites, Craigslist, message boards, fan sites, online gaming, or virtual worlds)?
I do think that using the internet to meet people is becoming more and more common. I have met a few acquaintances from friends of friends. Besides that, I don’t really have time to meet people online. I do have several friends who met their significant others in chat rooms. It seems to be more successful than the friends who use dating sites (which is ironic to me because people create a profile about themselves in order to find a match, but my friends who used it never ended up with someone compatible). They eventually gave up. I think it’s possible to make friends online (and that can develop into something more in the future), but I’m a little ambivalent about my thoughts of meeting someone with the sole intention of dating them.
Is connecting to others via online communities a viable way of creating meaningful relationships, or are we neglecting our everyday relationships in favor of these "virtual" relationships?
For some people, it’s possible for them to develop a meaningful relationship with someone online. I wouldn’t recommend it or resort to it unless that person is especially timid. Having someone they can talk to and open up to is valuable even if it’s through the internet.
For the rest of us, I do think that the virtual world is secluding us from the rest of reality. I think that it’s more important to keep ties with the people who are physically in our lives now rather than focus on someone who may be thousands of miles away. We tend to focus on the virtual one for different reasons. One example would be how it might be easier to talk about anything to someone who isn’t physically here to judge us and see our flaws.
Do we, as a society, need to focus on creating more "real" spaces/public spheres for people to connect, interact, and discuss meaningful political and social issues?
I do think that we need to focus on making public spheres more available. Being able to go to a place to interact with someone of common interest would be healthier than sitting at home in solitude. I think that schools do a good job at bringing people together through clubs on campus.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
My Blog Topic
I will be writing my blogs on the topic of cell phones, possibly focusing on iPhones in particular. I am choosing this technology because I, myself, am an avid iPhone user. I feel that society has gone a long way from the use of pagers and transitioned to the use of cell phones. We’ve gone from non-color screens to color screens, from phones without cameras to ones that have video-recording capability, from touch-screens to smart-phones with applications. EVERYONE seems to own some sort of cell phone nowadays, from kids as young as elementary and middle schoolers to the elderly. We, as a society, have become dependent on having a cell phone with us throughout our day as well as have it accompany us when we do our daily tasks. For these reasons, I find the topic of cell phones to be of much interest.
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