The year was 1984. You had come to visit, and I invited you to speak to the J class at Columbia High. “One day, we will read the daily newspaper on our home computer,” you told this class of high school reporters. Well, here we are in 2009, and so it is…I am reading the newspaper online! Merry Christmas!!!!

I remember in 1994 when my dad brought home our first computer, it was Mac and I think I was more excited to climb in the box then actually see what my dad was putting together. After a while the computer only meant that I could play a Snoopy game on it. My sister and I did that when we were allowed. We had dial up until my first year of high school. After that the computer had a whole new meaning. Things did not take twenty minutes to load, the web pages were in color and logging onto I.M. was a click away. I think so far there are three generations when it comes to the invention of the internet. There are anyone who grew up without any, people like me who saw it become popular in households and the newest who have never known life without it. My sister is 14 and is a computer whiz. She is always on it, on facebook, instagram, playing games, editing pictures. I am amazed at how a 8 year age gap makes such a difference when it comes to the media. The media certainly shapes a person and can define who they are. I fear people will start to see themselves through their facebook or twitter pages, when those things can only make a person look so deep. The media can be a wonderful yet dangerous place and it is important to remember who you are aside from it.

As far back as I can remember we always had a computer in the house, although, not always hooked up and working. My dad was an electronic engineer and worked with computers for his job. He would bring several home and open them up and leave the parts scattered about his table. I remember looking at the inside pieces wondering what those tiny wires and plastic things could do. It wasn’t until I was in elementary school that I remember having a computer hooked up and available for use. I was a big box with a black screen and bold white words on the screen. I only ever used it for writing; I don’t remember it doing anything interesting or cool like tetris. It seemed like each year while I was in middle and high school technology changed each year. The computer could do more things better and faster than the year before. Now that I’m older I realize that this hasn’t changed much, technology continues to change rapidly. Just four years ago only few people used a tablet, since 2009 and the ipad they’re everywhere. I can only image where technology will be in the next 5, 10, and 20 years. It will probably go in the direction of less typing and more diction, and I think holograms will come into play. I guess we’ll see.

Interesting read. The first time I remember using a computer was when my parents brought one home in 1996. I was eight years old. Then, I used it to play games like “The Oregon Trail” and write “long” two-page reports for social studies and language arts classes. In sixth grade I was lucky enough to figure out what I saw as the biggest Internet communication tool of that time–AOL Instant Messenger. Wow! Things have really changed.

Throughout high school and college, I relied on computers for Internet access to research and programs to write. I did begin to dabble in the social media world through Facebook as well. (Never really got into the My Space fad.)

Today, I find social media to be a huge influence in my life. For me, it’s not just a way to connect with family and friends…it’s my job! I run and develop programming for state senate accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Vimeo. I never thought these programs that started out as simple ways to catch up with friends could be used as such constructive communication tools for constituents and news media. (Although, they were probably intended for this, too, from the get-go.) Now, I look forward to seeing how they will continue to morph and influence our virtual reality in the future.

The now defunct PC game development company Origin coined the slogan “We Create Worlds.” Origin pioneered the genre of massively multiplier online gaming with a game called Ultima online. The same he genre that includes familiar titles such as World of Warcraft, Eve Online, and many others that attract millions of players from around the globe into virtual fantasy worlds.

I remember back in 6th grade when Ultima Online came out I was amazed. Despite is rather mediocre 2d graphical interface and constant lag due to the 56k dial up modems at the time, it entrapped me. I was able to play a make believe adventurer, delving dungeons, building castles, selling crops, and saving the damsel in distress with people from around the world as thought they were right next to me. All of this was possible while sitting in front of my brand new windows 95 PC in my parents office.

Origin found a use for the computer and cyberspace beyond tools, information, and productivity. Never before has there been a medium that has been able to take a person from reality and transport them into a virtual existence that is totally separate from their regular lives. They used the PC to connect individuals thousands of miles away in an interpersonal way not possible before.

This is just one example of how one company has taken myself and millions of others into “The Virtual Unknown.”

The “virtual world” described in this post, to which some have just recently been granted a visa, is more like a home to me, a place that has evolved as I too have grown. I don’t remember my home without a computer. My ability to communicate with others and to learn about my world has always relied upon technology in some way, be it as simple as a telephone or radio. For me, the evolution of the Internet opened up new avenues of immediacy and impact. Rather than passively watching history unfold through the lens of a television or listening to a radio, computers and the Internet empower my generation to participate, advocate, and communicate. The Internet has made the world smaller and more accessible to me. Perhaps my understanding of the world is slightly hollow, shaded in some way by the biases of those reporting and lacking the intricacies and depth of a first-hand experience, but I am grateful that it is there at all. I thank the “virtual world” for that, and I’m eager to see how it, and how I, grow in the coming years.

I remember reading somewhere that people are quicker to share information about themselves online than they are face-to-face; that new online relationships form more quickly than face-to-face relationships. (At the very least, I would say that’s true of my own experience.) I wonder if that phenomenon has anything to do with the lack of negative (whether intentionally negative or not) body-language feedback happening in face-to-face conversation. If I was talking to someone and they frowned as a response to something I said, even if it was a “thinking frown” instead of a “disagreeing frown,” I might be less likely to continue the conversation.
I know this particular train of thought has more to do with interpersonal communication than mass communication, but it was an interesting point you brought up in your blog, and it made me think.
It’s kind of hard to make the same comparison in mass communication because of the reliance on immediate feedback is less important in mass communication. Someone using mass communication to share a message, even if it is in person, isn’t going to stop communicating because some guy in the back is frowning.

This post is so intriguing. I have this discussion with friends of mine quite often. We typically go back and forth on whether social media is truly necessary or if it is actually a hindrance that is causing for less meaningful relationships. I believe it is a balance between the two. I believe that social media can be used as a great tool, to connect with somebody immediately or to “stay in touch” even when a friend moves away to college. Unfortunately though, we see people today building friendships and relationships completely online, and as you mentioned, this changes the game. Without nonverbal cues, most of us are left to assume what is really being said, and when we are wrong about that assumption, it can really damage a relationship.

As our world moves forward into this social media age, we need to ensure that we balance our “digital” life with our “real” life, and that we don’t replace our real life with our digital one.

I agree that there is much more substance in real conversation rather than hiding behind a falsified fantasy in your online world. Most people don’t even know half of their Facebook friends.
I think that this is why many of these people become so addicted to this virtual world, because this fantasy that they create allows them to make friends that they would never have made if they didn’t hide behind this image of what they wish they were like.

My first memory of having a computer in my house would be when I was around 5 years old in my Dad’s office. I remember playing my Barbie computer games along with my Magic School Bus games. As I grew older I remember being taught how to use the computer to look up library books and how to write an essay on the computer. It is amazing to think about how much the computer technology has aided me while growing up, but I also look at the aspect of how it has become a crutch for other people. I agree with the statement that people use social networking to escape the real world and go into their fantasy version of themselves. Often times on social networking sites people portray themselves as a completely different person. I think this would be one of the downsides of the virtual world.

The future of technology has become what seems to be the theme of our world. To be completely honesty, I hear more news about technology whether is has to do with the invention of new products, to the downfall of old products, or even advancements on modern products more then i do worldly, substantial news. It is interesting to think that everyone relies on technology so much that if cyberspace were to ever collapse we might roll into what i would call a virtual depression. Technology is great for many things, but sometimes i question whether or not technology is replacing actual knowledge and memorization. I am concerned for our future generations that they will never fully engage in a true learning process because technology will always be there to fill in the gaps. The last kindergarten I visited for a college prep talk, all of the students were assigned an i pad to learn the alphabet, and numbers. When i saw that, I was blown away to think that my future kids could never learn the skills of writing on paper or reading paperback books. It seems as though they will learn by drawing the letter characters on the ipad screen and read off the e-books to learn how to read. Although it is great that technology is advancing, I think that our world should be concerned on losing our American tradition of the learning process.

The alternate reality of social media has created a place for people to post whatever they want about themselves, as well as others. It is a new “virtual world” that houses a gigantic community of users who desire to share their lives with anyone who is willing to view. This; however, poses a rather important question. Do people really share who they are online? Does their online, social networking personality, and character match their everyday qualities and actions in the real world? Although some would say so, I believe many others would agree that when it comes to online sharing, there is a tendency to share only what we want people to know about us, whether it is for attention, building up egos, or strengthening our identity. Because social networking creates this alternate world, it causes some people to create alternate identities, living one way in day-to-day life, and presenting themselves in a completely different way in virtual reality. We can sometimes build up our identities so high in this virtual world that when we step foot back into reality we don’t know how to handle the imperfections of our alternate life.

I definetly am amazed of how technology is moving on. Even in my lifetime of 18 years. I remember my mom having a pager when i was little. I think about it and seems so weird that you would carry something around so that people can call you but when people call you, you can’t do anything about! You would then have to find a phone to call that person. Even with the internet and remembering hearing my dads computer dial up everytime he went onto the internet. Now i’m amazed at my iphone (until I lost it) and all the information that was literally at my fingertips. Now from pageing people, we have gone to sending pictures of ourselves or videos of ourselves to each other over the phone! For me personally in college skype has allowed me to see my family back in Hawaii atleast onece a week or so without having to take a 5 hour plane ride.

I remember when I was small I had absolutely no idea what a computer was. I thought it looked quite ugly. A big box looking contraption in the middle of the leaving room wasn’t exactly the most appealing thing. Nonetheless, that same contraption has evolved into such a useful tool in today’s society. Despite it’s negative effects, I believe we benefit greatly from this machine. The evolution of the computer has helped millions of student, families, and companies worldwide. Technology affects millions and it’s effects are numerous. Not a day goes by where we do not come in contact with such machines. It is quite amazing how humanity has evolved in such a short span of time.

Another reason that the world has gotten scary is photoshop. I have seen photoshop jobs that I could swear on a stack of Bibles were real. I’ve even watched someone entirely create a photo out of nothing. It’s virtually impossible to tell what is what online nowadays.
Agreeing with Ray, though, this type of power can be addicting. One can play God and create a persona that is the perfect image. If one isn’t perfect in real life (and, really, who is?) they can be perfect online. Nothing checks your identity before you set up a facebook account. Many dating sites don’t require background checks or any such things. People can be whoever they want to be online, which, I suppose, could be a good thing, but the line between reality and fabrication is being blurred more and more.

I have definitely noted technological advances in computers. When I was a kid, if my mom was doing accounting on the computer, nobody else could touch the computer until she had finished. Now, I can have 7 internet explorer tabs open, iTunes playing, a word processor for the paper I am writing, and a video game going all at the same time. The information readily available is baffling. On the issue of reality being askew, I think people tend to be as dishonest as they can get away with in every aspect of their lives. Nobody wants people to see their faults. The internet simply makes this slightly easier. The mask we all wear is just a little harder to see through online.

As much as I am not a fan of how much time our society spends on the internet, or meeting/talking to people over the internet or phone, technology is such a blessing. The incredible mass social networking creates much more efficient ways of interacting with business interactions, meetings, etc. Instead of waiting for a letter, one is able to interact either through a phone or email, or even facebook these days. It creates a quicker way to get in touch with people, friends, bosses, clients, etc. We have a very high tech society. And there are two sides, both good and bad, of this kind of society.
The good: Is that we have the opportunity to connect with people we wouldnt necessarily be able to connect with otherwise, we make quicker meetings, longer lasting relationships that are long distance. Advances in technology, medicine, science, etc through advances in technology. These are all amazingly good things to technology.
Now on the other hand…
The bad: is that even while there is more connection with people through technological advances, their is a disconnect also. connecting over the internet or the phone loses the flavor of other aspects of communication in a conversation. I really like the point about how when we meet face-to-face we are able to interact with verbals, AS WELL AS non-verbals which can affect a conversation in a colossal way. Without non-verbal interactions, such as vocal inflections, body language, and tone of the voice, one cannot necessarily gather the emotion of the interaction. It is less personal.
Another thought, is that in everyday life, the people we walk past everyday, when we are on our phones we are completely in our own worlds and unaware of all the people we could be affecting or not affecting on a daily basis because we are so focused on our technological devices.

It is so important to remember that media and technology are changing and not just accept it as a given or just for face value. I do not usually stop to reflect on the amount of time that I have spent on the internet on any given day, how many texts I send, etc. However, the importance of doing so every once in a while for our own well-being is perhaps one of the best things that we can do. Media has created an incredible world of efficiency, allowed new voices to be heard, connections to be made, and news available to you from wherever you are. Although the temptation to leave our everyday lives behind in order to enter into cyberspace indefinitely can sound inviting, it is important to remember that we were placed on this earth in flesh and blood for a reason.

Its incredible for me to think of computers, the internet, and this “new virtual world” as never having existed at one point in time. As long as I can remember, we have had a computer and have been able to surf the web at any time we wanted. But I do remember when facebook became popular. I think that social networking is a huge blessing and that we should use it wisely and be good stewards of the resources that God has blessed us with. It’s a great tool to not only stay in contact with fellow brothers and sisters, but also a great way to share your faith. But I also think that it is dangerous and can be abused. I am worried for the upcoming generations. Many people spend all day surfing the web in general, and many of those people lack basic social skills.

It is hard to imagine life right now without computers or internet. We have come to depend so highly on these gadgets. We use them in our workplace, at school and even for extra curricular activities. It is our means of business and pleasure. I remember when I was in elementary school and we were barely learning how to use the computers. They made us play The Oregon Trail for an hour. We had to navigate and answer questions. It was fun; however, little did I know I was being trained for something much greater than that. During my work breaks, I go online on my phone or the break room computer and read about the news going on in the world. I cannot even begin to imagine what else they will create within the next few years.
Computers or technology has definitely has created a “keep in touch” relationship instead of a face to face relationship where there is actual real connections. Computers have made it easy for us to forget how to interact and hold a solid conversation. It is important to want to see friends and family and engage directly with them.

I think that this is so true. It is funny because I remember seeing pictures of the first IBM computer, in fact my Dad let me have an Amiga 500 which is basically extinct now days. I am completely amazed from where we have started to where we are not when it comes to computers, the internet, and the culture that has been developed because of it. I am not surprised to hear that we generate different personas on the internet, but you are also correct there is this weird fascination that goes along with it. As you said, we are missing a lot of non-verbal tendencies online, but I do think that because of things like skype, we are starting to overcome many different barriers in an attempt to become less socially awkward. I think that the future of technology is awesome, but it could have a lot of downfalls as well!

Technology has definitely grown over the years. I remember when I was in fifth grade and my mom had just purchased a new cell phone that was more “in-style” than the last one. It was a silver flip phone that sent text messages. When I was in sixth grade I got my first cell phone. It was a Nokia that could only be used to call numbers or play the games that came with it. Over the years my cell phone really evolved. As a freshman in high school, the newest sidekick 3 from tmobile had just been released and I was super stoked! I had a cell phone that had Internet on it…even if it was slow. Now I have an apple iPhone and I can do practically anything on it, like post a comment on this blog post for example.
I find technology to be a great tool when it comes to communicating with people, but I also believe that sometimes we may spend too much time on it.
I also believe that face-to-face communication has become difficult over the years. For example, once high school had ended, some of my friends went off to schools so far that I wouldn’t be able to see them until winter break. Skype definitely allows the “face-to-face” communication, even if you aren’t physically with them.
In the end, I believe that the growth of technology has definitely helped and I do not think that we could ever do without it again. It is just one of those things that we are always going to need.

Once I read the title, I couldn’t get the idea out of my head. I recently read “Brave New World” and in many ways it exemplifies Charles Osgood’s quote. Although we are still a solid 500 years away from Aldous Huxley’s BNW, we are now eighty years removed from his actual world, and technology has changed drastically. My grandparents have told me about what it was like growing up hearing about the war on the radio or what they thought when their family bought their first TV. When I think of the technological era I’ve been born into, I can’t help thinking of Will Smith in “I, Robot.” I’ve read that we have made more technical advances in the past hundred years than in the past five hundred. I can’t help wondering and fearing when we will get to a point that is too far, maybe post-human. It might be the science fiction lover inside, but with interactive interfaces and Siri, my all-knowing iphone application, in my pocket, what is the limit? I wonder that a day may come when technology reaches its bounds, a place where we become less human and more machine. But maybe I’m irrational. Or maybe it’s just part of a new virtual world.

The world of computers and cyberspace has definitely impacted the way we live and interact with others. It has affected the things we find interesting, our entertainment, and of course our communication. I remember watching the movie Tron (the first one) and being blown away; it was one of my favorite movies as a kid because it was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. After that the cyber world exploded in films like The Matrix, which i also loved! These films threw you into a world that didnt follow the laws of the universe, you could do anything!
And then of course social media came on the scene and revolutionized our communication and interaction as you described. Nonverbal communication gets less and less relevant these days. Having conversations seems nostalgic at times because of the influence of facebook and twitter which encourage just quick one liners about your life.
The internet has made so many things possible and has enhanced many of the ways we live but if were not careful it could minimize the way we have deep personal connections to facebook posts and tweets.

Looking back at the technological advances I have witnessed in my short 21 years of life on this earth, I am truly amazed at how far and advanced technology and communication has become over this short amount of time. The first experiences and encounters I have had with computers and with the World Wide Web hold no comparison to the world of technology at our disposal in society today. Technology has grown by leaps and bounds in recent times, and it is almost scary to think of the amount it will increase within the short future. It will be very interesting to witness what new surprises and advances the future holds. Just as the computer has evolved immensely in such a short amount of time, other technological advances that can benefit our society, and some that can harm it are being produced. The future holds both a very exciting and potentially scary future. Who knows what the future will look like at the rate technology and computers are advancing.

It is amazing to think about how far the computer itself has came in the developmental aspects of it. It also is amazing to see the endless possibilities of it and how it can be used in so many different ways. Though the internet and advances have contributed to the depersonalization of a relationship. The internet and the social networks act as some sort of safety net for our online personas. The internet is also some place where you can get lost and distracted for a very long time and not even notice. With myself, it amazes me how the internet can be an escape for anything. I find that we must not abuse it and use it to its full potential by not wandering aimlessly through its world wide webs.

Willis writes that “the persona we create may not be a lie, but it is something of a fantasy, both about the person we’re getting to know as well as about ourselves. We emphasize the positive, confuse their and our ideal and real selves to make us both sound just a touch more intriguing.” This is pin point true and not just when it deals with online dating. We live in a current time where people meet in person and the first thing they ask for is “what’s your Facebook name?” We are so obsessed and connected to the internet, social media, that we find it more interesting to go look at someones page than talking to them in person. This, I have personally witness, arises from the fact that many people are afraid to speak the words that they type away and put on their page. They are indeed more interesting and honest (as far as the people I know) on their Facebook than when in person because they are shy or whatever. The moral of the story is that advancement in technology is as good as it is evil, and when we look back at the past we will always be surprised of how different things were.

I completely agree with the idea that technology has created a new virtual world for people today, and in this world, we make ourselves to out to be the person we desire to be, or better yet, the person we desire others to think we are. And the thing all of our online personas have in common is a desire to be accepted. We measure self-esteem in the amount of “likes” or comments we can get on a post. Am I interesting enough to receive 5 likes? 10 likes? 20? We can instantly feel gratified in the way we look and act without even leaving stepping outside the bedroom door. In this new world, there is potential for great things, global movements, lasting relationships, but there is also the likelihood of harm, of a polluted truth. The scary part about this virtual world truly is it unknown. The best part about it (although perhaps even more scary) is that we are the ones who get to create it.

I think what is crazy to me about the ever-changing world of technology, is just how fast it moves. One minute, something can be top of the line, state of the art equipment, and be outdated only to be replaced by something better just a couple weeks or months later. It’s an exhausting thing to keep up with really. Yet I still find myself completely fascinated with Apple keynotes every time a new device gets released. Or the annual technology convention that occurs every year unveiling the latest and greatest of the technological world. It’s almost like a drug. You don’t want to buy into it, yet somehow it still takes hold of us. I know this isn’t just with me either, as there are millions of people who have already pre-ordered their iPhone 5′s…my stepdad being one of them. This to me is fascinating. It really is exciting to keep up with the world of technology not only for the innovative aspects it involves, but for the immense opportunity it offers its consumers.

It really hit me when it said that technology can take you away from your friends and family because they could be sitting right next to you. As I read that I was with my friend and I realized that technology really does affect us. One way that it does is that it takes us away from having quality time with people. Now a days we hang out with our friends but we are always in contact with someone that is not with us and we are usually texting them as we are with our friend. Technology also takes us away from having personal face to face conversations. There is skype, facetime, phone calls, texting, instant messaging, email and way more. There are so many communication options now a days to the point where you don’t even need to meet face to face. That is why internet dating has become so popular over the years. People are loosing their ability to fully communicate to people because technology is distracting them. Also it is very true that we use the internet to make us look perfect and make it look like we have great lives. This made me feel really guilty because facebook is basically all about bragging to people about what you are doing with your lives and telling people about that. You wouldn’t put pictures up on facebook of you being sad, you would put up pictures of you having fun and laughing. So when people look on your page/profile, they only see the good in your life which makes them insecure about their lives because they think to themselves, “Well why can’t my life be as fun as hers?”. This point really interested me.

I’ll say there is more truth behind real conversations, compared to hiding behind the online word. most people don’t even 1/2 there friends on social media sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and twitter. that’s why many people become addicted to the virtual world. because it allows them to live in their own world and fantasy and hide behind a curtain of a false image. That I feel will become a disadvantage for the upcoming generations.

It’s crazy to hear stories from the generation right before my own about how they grew up with such limited technology, which seems so natural to me. How can only several years between me and my parents create such a gap in technological advances? Its as if my generation grew up with the technology. As technology was advancing, so were our ages. As we began to get smarter and be more knowledgeable, technology would become more advanced. So it seems to us that we have always been familiar with this technology and can’t even imagine our lives before it all existed. It will be interesting to see the ways the younger generations will accept technology and how much farther virtual interactions will develop.

I really appreciate this post, because it was the first time I stopped to think what life would be like without computers. I mean, I know it’s possible, people did it for thousands of years! But these days, our lives revolve around technology, social medias, etc., and it is truly hard to imagine going through our daily routines without implementing technology of some sort. That being said, I think it is even more intriguing to imagine what is to come in our world of ever-changing, ever-improving technology. Five years ago, I would have never imagined I could do half the things I do on my iPhone. I pay bills, deposit checks, check the scores of my games when I cannot watch them, talk to “Siri” to get all the information I need, and I can even track my phone down with a GPS if it is ever lost or stolen… So what is next in this incredible world of technology? I, personally, cannot imagine! This is truly the virtual unknown.

I totally agree with this blog. Although technology has improved for the better and has opened many doors of opputunity for our society it has also put a damper on the simple every day to day interaction that people once had with thier family and friends. I am also guilty of letting the technology in todays world alter my social skills and how I communicate with my friends and family. Unfortuniiatly i have became way to dependent on my cell phone and would rather text someone than call , them or meet up with them to talk or have a conversation.

The part that struck me was Dr. Willis’ explanation of a “virtual world.” To a certain extent, we travel to a different world when we log onto social networking. Regardless of whether or not what we post is true or untrue, it is still a way to escape the stresses of everyday life. After a long day of hard work at school, social networking gives us a chance to wind down and focus on our “alternate reality.” We are able to take a break from the outside world and simply reflect on the person that we’ve created to exist only on the World Wide Web. It gives us a chance to dig into other people’s business and take a break from our own. But at the same time, we subconsciously try to make it seem as though we have it altogether. Regardless of the website, (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.), it is a way for us to feel connected and involved, without having to leave the comfort of our own homes.