Week 9 Discussion Prompt

This topic contains 29 replies, has 14 voices, and was last updated by  sbloxton 9 years ago.

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  • #1331

    John Jones
    Keymaster

    On pp. 213-214 of NET, Rheingold, following Rainie and Wellman, describes 7 types of people who will thrive in a networked environment. Can you identify aspects of your own online behaviors (or those of someone you know) on this list? How is this list helpful (or not helpful) for thinking about how to use the internet effectively?

  • #1332

    jsears3
    Spectator

    From the points found on pages 213-214 of Net Smart I can say that I recognized a few aspects of my own online behaviors. Those aspects are the following:
    “Those Who Learn to Manage their Boundaries” – I am an avid user of Facebook, I find that I check it more often than I care to admit. However, I am not one to post or share constantly. I have guidelines (self-imposed) that I take into account before ever posting on Facebook. I manage my boundaries in that I choose what to share, and sometimes choose to hide post from people I think may be offended or argumentative.
    “Those Who Manage Their Time Well, Especially Strategic Multi-Taskers” – I am a “to do” list kind of person. I manage my “to do” list on my phone or computer, when I first started doing this I had this habit of checking my to do list then opening the browser to look at something else. However, I have gained an awareness of this habit and sought to correct it. On the other side of this is that I used multiple tabs in order to keep track of everything I am working on. The secret is that I only open tabs for a specific task, so while I may have 20 tabs open I know that each has its own purpose. I make sure that my time spent on the web is used for the task I have appropriated that time for.

    I found this list useful for thinking about how I use the internet. I realized that I have a lot of bad habits, for example I am not a very critical reader. However, I also have some better habits like those found above. Overall, I think that this list has made me more considerate of my practices on the internet.

    Rheingold, H. (2012). Social Has a Shape: Why Networks Matter. In Net smart: How to thrive online (pp. 191-230). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    • #1354

      erheyer
      Spectator

      In reference to NET pgs. 213-214, I feel the following from Rainie, Wellman, and Rheingold apply to me: 1) “Those who can act as autonomous agents to cultivate their personal networks and their ‘personal brands.” – I feel like I have the potential to thrive in this manner because I work this way on a small scale. In an effort to draw attention to my restaurant, I post pictures via Instagram, hashtag the hell out of them, and then share them on Twitter and Facebook. I personally get followers because of this, as does the restaurant. I in turn follow those who have interests like mine or at least posts I find interesting and think other people might find interesting. 2)”Those with bigger and more diverse networks.”—I wouldn’t call my network “big” necessarily, but I would call it diverse. I think it’s important to expose yourself to more than just your immediate social circle because, let’s face it, I love my friends—but some of the stuff they clog my news feed with makes me want to pull my hair out and causes my brain cells to die. 3)”Those who learn how to manage their boundaries.”—I think I mentioned this before in another discussion, but the person I have become online is the not the online person I used to be. I used to post EVERYTHING. Every thought, most of them inappropriate, was shared for all the world to see. Now, I have a much better understanding of what should be shared and a more effective filter. Information sharing is definitely a learning process that is never ending, but I think I’m moving in the right direction.

      • #1402

        John Jones
        Keymaster

        @erheyer, RE boundaries, I think what you describe about yourself here is indicative of a lot of people. We are (hopefully) as a society getting used to managing what we post and how we behave online in better ways.

  • #1347

    mike sopranik
    Spectator

    Surprisingly I found that I fit into two different categories.

    The first is, Those who can function effectively in different contexts and collapsed contexts (Net Smart p. 214), where a user is active in different groups with differing norms and structures. I am very active on LinkedIn.com due to my two very different businesses.
    As a computer consultant and a private investigator, the groups and members are very diverse in topic and socially. In addition, I’m a member of many motorcycle themed groups, which is yet different in structure from the other two groups.

    The second category is, Those who manage their time well, especially strategic multi-taskers (Net Smart p. 215), which relates to people that must be able to manage their time effectively while online. Running two businesses and then including school and its requirements means that I have very little time for socializing on the internet. Whenever I go online it is for research, school, problem solving, tech support or intelligence gathering.

    From time to time I will encounter something that has been circulating online that is interesting yet not relevant to my life at this point. When bringing the topic up in discussions, I might find that it was ‘popular’ weeks and at times even months ago. It is funny to watch the reaction of people that spend a lot of time online and how they can’t believe that I just saw whatever the hot topic on social media was “a long time ago”.

    Although I find use in the internet, I have never used it as a social tool. I see my children, as with their friends, almost live their lives virtually anymore. You can walk into a room with 5-6 kids in there and no one is interacting with each other. Everyone is either on their phone or tablet posting or texting to someone about what they are doing instead of interacting with the other kids in the room. Do you think internet usage as a whole is damaging children’s ability to interact in social situations or do you think that this is just an evolutionary byproduct of technology?

    • #1395

      Tiffany
      Spectator

      @mike_sopranik, your question regarding internet usage and the damage it may cause to social interaction with children was very interesting and relevant. In some ways, the internet is such a helpful tool for learning to interact with people from a broad range of backgrounds – it has literally opened up the world in a way that wasn’t possible before. However, the unchecked use of internet and social media without mindfulness could potentially be very damaging to future generations. For example, my husband and I attended a birthday party this past weekend for a friend’s daughter who is in middle school. There was a bunch of good food, some games, and an awesome DJ playing perfect dance music. All the kids did was play on their phones though! We had to laugh at one point because the DJ played a song that got everyone on the dance floor, but they were literally dancing with their phones in their hands. It’s sad because they will be missing out on so many good memories to be made.

      • #1399

        pboyle623
        Spectator

        Tiffany,

        You make great points concerning youth and the use of technology. Not only is this causing them to miss out on valuable experiences. Children also need to understand the consequences of using social media incorrectly. I have seen some students and teachers post pictures on Facebook asking them to be shared and passed on. This lesson is important so that everyone understands just how fast something can be shared online, and also that once something is placed online, it will never disappear.

    • #1403

      John Jones
      Keymaster

      @Mike, Good question. My kids aren’t old enough yet for me to observe this phenomenon up close, but I don’t know how I would feel about it. My immediate reaction would be that what they are doing online is being social, but whether that translates to other, offline, social situations I don’t know.

      • #1423

        erheyer
        Spectator

        @mike @john Personally, I don’t think social media stopping real social interactions from happening is an issue as much as it’s changed how we interact. Because we are now removed from having to physically interact with others, people are…meaner. Social media allows us to hide behind computers and develop this whole other personality–one that doesn’t have any sense of accountability for some individuals. That’s the part that scares me with kids–the process of desensitizing.

  • #1351

    jsears3
    Spectator

    I would answer saying that it is both, that it is a harmful evolutionary by product of technology. I use my phone/tablet a lot myself but lately I have been trying to distant myself from them in order to enjoy the recent weather. I think they become a problem when we can’t put them down. I think however, that this problem is worse in younger kids and will continue to grow with new generations as they become accustomed to having access full time.

    • #1362

      mike sopranik
      Spectator

      I agree too that the problem of technology addiction will continue to grow with every generation. I know many people that are at events and the entire time they are sharing the event with people that aren’t there, versus the people that they go with.
      There are others that I know that refuse to use anything beyond a phone and they won’t even text.
      My daughter is in the realm of constant tech usage. When I communicate with her, I have to text her. She literally refuses to talk on the phone unless forced to and she says that her friends are the same way.

      • #1394

        vmadden
        Spectator

        I feel like technology is an addiction and with having younger generations only want to text now is an issue because there is a lack of communication verbally and face to face. When I go to events, I normally do not post anything online because I don’t want people to know where I am all the time. Also, when I go to events, I feel like it is best to put your phone away and pay attention to the event and the people you are with. I always find it a distraction when I am with someone, trying to hang out with them and all they are doing is on their phones. With this, I do not even know if they are really paying attention and feel they are missing out on things with the people close to them.

  • #1353

    Ashley
    Spectator

    I like to think that I fit into the category of “those who like technology and use it enthusiastically and nimbly”. I have spent a lot of time online over the past decade and I’m always excited to see what the next thing is – the next piece of tech or the next impressive leveraging of crowdsourcing, etc. Even just the latest expressions of humor (lowbrow as they often are) are fun to follow along with. In my social groups I’m usually one of the quickest to find the information we need online.

    I think the most helpful thing about this list as relates to effective internet usage is in remembering that the internet is inherently a social space. As we learn to navigate we need to keep in mind the basic principles of social interaction and apply them properly for the current medium (for instance with the “public narrowcasting” mentioned on p.214). All of the things on the list are things we know from outside of the internet as well: understand your boundaries, join as many diverse social groups as possible, manage your time productively, find ways to build trust, etc.

    • #1393

      vmadden
      Spectator

      I stated that I too also believed to fit in the category, “those who like technology and use it enthusiastically and nimbly.” I am always on the computer when I can be to look up things. If I hear something on the news, I’ll go on the laptop to find out more about what could be going on. I tend to be one of the quickest as well like you had stated. Sometimes I even know what they are already talking about that I won’t have to look it up for them to know. We do however need to undersand the boundaries and learn how to manage our time on the laptop. There is research out there that staring at a screen (laptop, tablet, phone) majoirty of the day can strain your eyes and not blink as much. Yet, having this technology helps sprend more of a diverse social group or groups around.

  • #1359

    Chasity Robinson
    Spectator

    After reading Chapter 5, I feel that I fit into the category of “Those who learn how to manage their boundaries.” I find myself checking Facebook multiple times a day more as a means of just seeing what is going on in everyone else lives. I often think why in the world would people post the things that they do -is it just a call out for pity. Honestly, I myself post very limited stuff and never anything about my personal life. Do people stop and think before they post something as to who all actually sees this information? I try to be very careful about what I share and where I share it. I have stressed the importance of social networks to my teenagers and younger children as to what to share or not share, but I really don’t think they quite get the reasoning of it especially my younger ones. I find my 6 year old looking on my Facebook account on my iPhone daily. She more or less just likes to watch videos and see pictures of people she knows but even just by doing that I often see things that children should not be seeing on Facebook.

    • #1401

      Ashley
      Spectator

      I think it’s great that you can list yourself in this category! I agree that several people seem to feel like sharing things online for the world to see is somehow as acceptable as mentioning it to a single group of friends at their house. Considering the context of what you are sharing where, and who might have access to it in the future, is an important skill that I think more people will have to develop as time goes on.

  • #1360

    Kayla Montgomery
    Spectator

    On Pages 213-214 of Rheingold’s “Net Smart”, it discusses the 7 types of people who will thrive in a networked environment. The ones on the list that I believe I relate to the most would be: Those who like technology and use it, and those who can function effectively in different contents and collapsed context.I can honestly say i’m usually up to date when it comes to technology and knowing how to use it. I’ve always been pretty good with computers and figuring things out on them. I can also say that i can function effectively in different in different context of the web. I am apart of multiple social media sites, and i usually keep up with all of them. Another example of that would be maybe Facebook. There are many pages on Facebook that you can join, or be apart of, and I think that is a good example of functioning effectively with multiple contents and context.

  • #1369

    jablosser
    Spectator

    I think “those who learn to manage their boundaries” applies to my online behavior. I belong to different professional networks and, of course, Facebook in which many of those professionals are my “friends.” I am very careful what I post because anyone can see it. I have oftentimes gone back and untagged myself in pictures (even though they weren’t inappropriate), just because I didn’t want people to see them. I have seen many of the “professionals” on these sites post things that call into question their decision-making processes because they post something that is inappropriate. I personally judge my colleagues on their posts and I take those posts into consideration when I am deciding if I want to refer a job to them, work with the, or seek advice from them. I can only assume that if I am doing this, others are also. That’s why I think it’s very important to post very carefully, even if it is on your own social media page.

    I found these lists of people to be helpful. The section about “those who have high levels of trust and social capital” was interesting. It ties into the one about boundaries because it states “people need to discover and interact with those who can provide resources.” This is very true, and it would be hard to trust someone’s information or resources if they are posting questionable things. I believe the statement that “The essential point is that trust and reciprocity are primary currencies for networked individuals” is very true. Being able to interact with trusted colleagues around the world has changed the way people do business. The Internet and social network sites have made things much more accessible than ever.

    • #1396

      tarinkovalik
      Spectator

      I chose this one too! You make some really interesting/good points. Untagging yourself in pictures is very safe and smart. Even if there’s nothing inappropriate in them. You don’t need to share every aspect of your life with your peers. I think it’s important to post carefully on your own social media pages. It’s sounds weird, but who we are online is who we are in life and we should protect that persona as much as possible.

  • #1372

    tarinkovalik
    Spectator

    I fall under the “those who learn how to manage their boundaries” category. Rheingold uses the example of, “Does a person want all 300 of her Facebook friends to know what she did last night?” (Rheingold 214). I am the person who doesn’t want the world to know what I’m doing at all times of the day. I’m more of a private networker. The only social networking site I use is Twitter, though I rarely tweet. I use this social networking to keep up to date with news and culture. I follow many world and culture news profiles. I have also used Twitter for other classes. Every couple of weeks I had to tweet quotes from a book for extra credit. I value my privacy when it comes to social media. My profile itself is not private but my tweets, retweets and favorites are all minimal which is privacy to me.

    This list is helpful to me because it shows that you don’t need to be on the Internet constantly to use it effectively. I use it when I need it. I think boundaries are important when it comes to the net. People can find a lot of information about you in just a few clicks. It’s important to share what you want but that doesn’t need to be everything. This list also laid out the many different types of Internet users. I found that I may put up to many boundaries when it comes to the Internet. There’s a lot out there and I would like to explore it more.

    • #1398

      jablosser
      Spectator

      I am also a private person when it comes to using the Internet. I also agree that these lists are helpful in understanding ways to use the Internet more effectively for those of us who put up too many boundaries. I think most of us probably fall within a couple of different categories of these type of users. I, however, tend to use the Internet for almost everything. It’s just convenient and because I can access it on my phone, I tend to look everything up on the Internet rather than grabbing a book which may also be right beside me.

    • #1400

      Kayla Montgomery
      Spectator

      Tarin,

      Its funny that you say that you are a private person online. I happen to be the exact opposite when it comes to the internet and social media. With sites such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twiitter I’ve never really been private/. The ironic thing about that is that i’m more so a private person. I would prefer to have all of my accounts private, but because I am an athlete I cant really do so. That definitely has its pros and cons.

  • #1376

    marvarlas
    Spectator

    The online behavior in Chapter 5 of NET that I think I really felt most in line with was “those who like technology and use it enthusiastically and nimbly.” I think technology can be a beautiful vehicle when you use it to your advantage, which has kept me hungry for more knowledge about new technology since I first learned to create my own HTML website back in 2003!

    This eagerness also allows me to better incorporate the six other types of online behaviors into my networked individualism. For example, if I read every blog post out there and took it at face value, I’d have a lot of conflicting information. I must be able to use the technology to further investigate either claim and make a rational decision based on that. As the book stated, this fervor for information must be balanced with a healthy “skepticism” and media realism of the information out there. When combined, this is very helpful for the individual wanting to expand their network via technology.

  • #1379

    pboyle623
    Spectator

    “Those who like technology and use it enthusiastically and nimbly”. This description of networking individuals rings true in my circumstance. Often during any free time I can be found checking email, Facebook, Pinterest, shopping online, etc. I thrive on being connected at all times, and being able to utilize the internet for any need.

    Rheingold also points out that “those with bigger and more diverse networks” would emerge. Today employment applications are online as well as job postings. People network with others through sites like Linkedin. Social media helps individuals locate long lost friends and family from many years past and reconnect. This turn to technology has effected the entire population and those without a computer or smartphone are left out.

  • #1381

    Tiffany
    Spectator

    Some of the points outlined in Chapter 5 were very relatable, such as:

    “Those who can act as autonomous agents to cultivate their personal networks and their ‘personal brands’.” I’m currently studying to become a yoga instructor, so I follow a lot of fellow yogis on Instagram for inspiration as well as instruction. The yogis who have taken this creed very seriously are the ones with the most followers, and thus their names are recognizable to a worldwide audience. In turn, they often receive lucrative endorsement deals with companies that peddle workout gear and yoga accessories, further improving their networked environment presence. They also fall under the second point – “Those with bigger and more diverse networks” – because their self-marketing also leads to cross-marketing with athletes of diverse genres, making their networks more diverse.

    “Those who can function effectively in different contexts and ‘collapsed contexts’.” As a side business, I sell Jamberry nail wraps to make extra money for fun activities like weekends away or shopping splurges. I’ve limited this business to strictly virtual parties via Facebook or Meet.fm because it’s more convenient for my schedule. The guests in my party groups come from many different social and economic backgrounds, so it’s essential to both quickly and thoroughly gain an understanding of the group tenor in order to ensure (1) that everyone will have a positive experience and feel included, which will lead to future parties and sales and (2) that my hostesses are happy and satisfied with their party sales and earned rewards, which will also lead to future parties and sales. Because it’s a strictly virtual environment, being able to function effectively and quickly in groups with varied participant backgrounds is essential to the success of my business. This also relates to the fourth point – “Those who have high levels of trust and social capital” – because I’m providing a resource for the party participants in the form of a consumable product, and the party participants reciprocate by supporting my business endeavors when they buy the product.

  • #1382

    vmadden
    Spectator

    Technology is an addiction and it was not until I went to England over the summer that I realized how much I could be missing out on life with my head in my phone or laptop. I see five-year-olds with phones. When I was five, I was outside playing when the weather was nice, or inside playing board games and/or reading. I actually have a no phone zone sometimes when it comes to people I am talking to, so I can really focus and understand what they are saying to me. When I do use the internet, I am one of “those who like technology and use it enthusiastically and nimbly”. If I can’t make it to the library, it is easier for me to research information about my book “Paul Revere and John Hancock,” however, if I get the opportunity, I will go to the library and get a physical book. I am more of the second part of that (enthusiastically and nimbly). Don’t get me wrong, I love technology, but if I could have a book, I would prefer a book. I tried to avoid the internet and only check Facebook and other social Medias once I wake up and once before I go to bed. I do not want the world to know everything I am do. After my England trip, I am realizing I am putting up more boundaries, so I also fall in the category of “those who learn how to manage their boundaries”.

    • #1404

      John Jones
      Keymaster

      @vmadden, re books, I have gotten so that I prefer both a physical book and a digital one, at the same time. The physical book is easier to browse and skim, and the digital one makes it easier to take notes.

    • #1425

      sbloxton
      Spectator

      I definitely think there are both pros and cons to digital books. I prefer a digital book when researching or for class; digital books allow you to find information a lot more quickly and easily. Paper books I find myself flipping back and forth and loosing the information I need. Having a physical copy at the same time is nice as well. However, for just reading for pleasure, I generally like a paper book unless I’m travelling. If I’m travelling, my kindle is a lot easier to transport.

  • #1424

    sbloxton
    Spectator

    I can identify with myself with two of the online behaviors listed. The first, “Those who know how to manage their boundaries.” I have both my tweets and Facebook statuses protected. I also am only friends with approximately 80 people that I knew personally or semi-personally on these sites (especially facebook as it is a bit more revealing). I learned very early on that I shouldn’t be revealing my personal information on social media and although I am not as cautious as some, I am more cautious than most. I think this is important because anything that goes on the internet, can never be taken back.

    The second behavior I identify with myself is “Those who manage their time well, especially strategic multi-taskers.” While, the fact that this post is late doesn’t show it, I manage my time with strategy and multi-tasking. The book mentions specifically not getting lost on the internet. I do this very seldomly, and tent to get on the computer with a purpose unless I have free time. I’m also a huge fan of to-do lists.. and lists in general. I use them to manage my time when my life gets hectic.

    I think this list gives good information on what type of person is most successful, especially with the technology we have now. People who can use the internet successfully, have at least a couple of these characteristics, and thus, it gives good advice on how to become successful by changing traits.

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