Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
ESSAY
The idea of the internet as cyberspace has been a part of our contemporary culture for some time, particularly in the popular medium of film. But is the concept of cyberspace still relevant to our contemporary society? Discuss with reference to your own experience of contemporary media
The Internet is ever changing and becoming a far more accessible medium everyday.
The Internet market, especially the area of social media’ is a far more diverse area in the modern day and age but the concept of cyberspace is still relevant to our contemporary society because like modern day world, cyberspace is evolving and adapting to suit the needs of consumers.
Cyberspace could be explained as a realm in which communication across the Internet exists. With this in mind Cyberspace is said to be the ‘virtual space created by interconnected computers and computer networks on the Internet’, such interconnected computers are found in so many locations in the ‘real world’ around the ‘real world’. ‘Cyberspace is a conceptual electronic space unbounded by distance or other physical limitations.’ Hence cyberspace being a real realm, existing beyond what is physically possible. (William Gibson brought the idea of ‘cyberspace’ as a term in his novel Neuromancer (1982) to describe an advanced virtual reality network.)(1)
The diversity of cyberspace and its relation to popular culture can be seen though various different mediums, a hugely influential and significant medium that this is, is seen through the expansion of Internet gaming and networking. The contributing mediums are vast but all are important and relevant factors in our modern culture as they link cyberspace with their targeted user.
The online gamming industry is a medium in which this is exhibited. As the gamming industry has an absolute reliance on the Internet in order to extend its games to a wider audience.
This is seen directly through gamming programmer’s relating their games, especially the likes of World Of Warcraft as being an escape from real life and being able to disappear into cyberspace. The enormous catchment of individuals playing this game both young and old, male and female is direct evidence of cyberspace being relevant to a contemporary society.
The extent to which the phenomena grips its audience in some cases is quite alarming as survey results have shown that, especially in Asian countries gamers can be living more through their online character in cyberspace than in the realm of realism. In America alarming figures have been released of unhealthiness, social awkwardness, substance abuse and even mental health directly related to such figures are directly related to online gaming.
The online game EverQuest 2 is such a game where players where diagnosed to be 50% more likely than the average American to have depression and a 20% higher rate of substance addiction. (2)
The 2009 United Kingdom National Gamers Surveys released the figures that 32% of gamers chose to game so much because they wanted to escape problems in their real life. (3) This statistic gives example that online gaming is an escape for not only those looking to relax but for those who feel they would rather exist in more of an online sense than in real life. It also gives evidence of alarming trends with online gamming addicting individuals with a ‘digital heroin’ like effect.(4)
A contributing factor to the relevance & importance of cyberspace is due to the diversification that it has undergone. From being largely an unknown and unused area for information and business in its humble beginnings it has become an epicenter for almost anything that exists in real life. A version, albeit modified can be found on the Internet.
This is seen in forums that are easily researched on absolutely any topic that comes to mind and most prominently through Online networking sites.
It is a current trend for an ‘Ego-Centric social network’ this allows the individual to be the subject of the thread, placing them in charge.
The masses of people using such services as well as the different types of networking sites and number of different accounts individuals have contribute to the ever expanding ideal of cyberspace.
There is also an ever changing and evolving online networking culture as sites such as Facebook are not only targeted towards younger audiences but with people of all ages.
Older people through the use of search engines and friend suggestions are now being able to gain contact with people whom they thought they may never see again, this type of networking brings communities of all different variables closer together although not in person but through cyberspace.
The relevance of this type of networking to current, contemporary society is emphasized largely through the use of such networking sites for both business and pleasure reasons.
The Internet is also used to such an important level in modern businesses and university’s.
The incredible levels of popularity these Internet sites receive can be seen directly through the website www.compete.com a statistical website that has a chart of popular websites all of which receive huge amounts of hits monthly. It states that in January 2009 social networking site Facebook received 1 191 373 399 visits, an enormous amount of use for such a medium. (5)
This brings forward the ideal of individuals living their lives through online networking and gaming sites in an attempt to reach self-actualization in a digital sense through cyberspace then in the limited and often more challenging realms of real life.
The link between online networking and gamming that can be lost and intertwined in cyberspace is exhibited in the online game network second life that is exactly as the title states, a life to escape to outside of ‘real life.’ The millions of people engaging in such a game where they spend real currency on land, clothes and even clubbing on weekends emphasizes the growing need or trend if you prefer for people to escape real life and delve into the expanses of cyberspace in what is some cases an attempt to fill the missing voids in their own life.
Renowned writer, blogger and technological enthusiast Lamont Wood once stated ‘Predictions are risky, especially when they concern the future. That said, there are technologies being tinkered with right now that could transform your life - if and when they are brought to full expression.’ (6) Cyberspace falls directly in this category as the Internet as cyberspace is an integral and forever evolving piece of our contemporary society. There are many different mediums in which this can be related, online through gamming, social networking and through films.
Without such an Internet based society individuals would not be moving forward as a society as change is the basis of modern culture. This is seen specifically & holds great relevance in cyberspace.
References- All websites accessed between the 16th-21st of October.
1-http://www.yourdictionary.com/telecom/cyberspace
(Webster's New World Telecom Dictionary, 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc Indianapolis, Indiana.)
(Neuromancer, William Gibson 1984. 1st Edition, New York Ace Books.
2- http://www.livescience.com/technology/080929-online-game-survey
(Hsu. Jeremy, Video Gamers Surprisingly Fit and Older, 29 September 2008)
3- http://dualshockers.com/2009/09/2009-uk-national-gamers-survey
(Gary. Marsden, 2009 National gamers survey)
4- http://news.cnet.com/software-interrupted/?keyword=Statistics
(David Rosenburger, Swedish group calls gamming a pandemic threat. 2009)
5- http://www.compete.com - R.e Lecture notes, Week 8
(Statistics stated January 2009)
6- http://www.livescience.com/technology/top10-transform-tech.html
(Lamont Wood- Source unknown)
The Internet is ever changing and becoming a far more accessible medium everyday.
The Internet market, especially the area of social media’ is a far more diverse area in the modern day and age but the concept of cyberspace is still relevant to our contemporary society because like modern day world, cyberspace is evolving and adapting to suit the needs of consumers.
Cyberspace could be explained as a realm in which communication across the Internet exists. With this in mind Cyberspace is said to be the ‘virtual space created by interconnected computers and computer networks on the Internet’, such interconnected computers are found in so many locations in the ‘real world’ around the ‘real world’. ‘Cyberspace is a conceptual electronic space unbounded by distance or other physical limitations.’ Hence cyberspace being a real realm, existing beyond what is physically possible. (William Gibson brought the idea of ‘cyberspace’ as a term in his novel Neuromancer (1982) to describe an advanced virtual reality network.)(1)
The diversity of cyberspace and its relation to popular culture can be seen though various different mediums, a hugely influential and significant medium that this is, is seen through the expansion of Internet gaming and networking. The contributing mediums are vast but all are important and relevant factors in our modern culture as they link cyberspace with their targeted user.
The online gamming industry is a medium in which this is exhibited. As the gamming industry has an absolute reliance on the Internet in order to extend its games to a wider audience.
This is seen directly through gamming programmer’s relating their games, especially the likes of World Of Warcraft as being an escape from real life and being able to disappear into cyberspace. The enormous catchment of individuals playing this game both young and old, male and female is direct evidence of cyberspace being relevant to a contemporary society.
The extent to which the phenomena grips its audience in some cases is quite alarming as survey results have shown that, especially in Asian countries gamers can be living more through their online character in cyberspace than in the realm of realism. In America alarming figures have been released of unhealthiness, social awkwardness, substance abuse and even mental health directly related to such figures are directly related to online gaming.
The online game EverQuest 2 is such a game where players where diagnosed to be 50% more likely than the average American to have depression and a 20% higher rate of substance addiction. (2)
The 2009 United Kingdom National Gamers Surveys released the figures that 32% of gamers chose to game so much because they wanted to escape problems in their real life. (3) This statistic gives example that online gaming is an escape for not only those looking to relax but for those who feel they would rather exist in more of an online sense than in real life. It also gives evidence of alarming trends with online gamming addicting individuals with a ‘digital heroin’ like effect.(4)
A contributing factor to the relevance & importance of cyberspace is due to the diversification that it has undergone. From being largely an unknown and unused area for information and business in its humble beginnings it has become an epicenter for almost anything that exists in real life. A version, albeit modified can be found on the Internet.
This is seen in forums that are easily researched on absolutely any topic that comes to mind and most prominently through Online networking sites.
It is a current trend for an ‘Ego-Centric social network’ this allows the individual to be the subject of the thread, placing them in charge.
The masses of people using such services as well as the different types of networking sites and number of different accounts individuals have contribute to the ever expanding ideal of cyberspace.
There is also an ever changing and evolving online networking culture as sites such as Facebook are not only targeted towards younger audiences but with people of all ages.
Older people through the use of search engines and friend suggestions are now being able to gain contact with people whom they thought they may never see again, this type of networking brings communities of all different variables closer together although not in person but through cyberspace.
The relevance of this type of networking to current, contemporary society is emphasized largely through the use of such networking sites for both business and pleasure reasons.
The Internet is also used to such an important level in modern businesses and university’s.
The incredible levels of popularity these Internet sites receive can be seen directly through the website www.compete.com a statistical website that has a chart of popular websites all of which receive huge amounts of hits monthly. It states that in January 2009 social networking site Facebook received 1 191 373 399 visits, an enormous amount of use for such a medium. (5)
This brings forward the ideal of individuals living their lives through online networking and gaming sites in an attempt to reach self-actualization in a digital sense through cyberspace then in the limited and often more challenging realms of real life.
The link between online networking and gamming that can be lost and intertwined in cyberspace is exhibited in the online game network second life that is exactly as the title states, a life to escape to outside of ‘real life.’ The millions of people engaging in such a game where they spend real currency on land, clothes and even clubbing on weekends emphasizes the growing need or trend if you prefer for people to escape real life and delve into the expanses of cyberspace in what is some cases an attempt to fill the missing voids in their own life.
Renowned writer, blogger and technological enthusiast Lamont Wood once stated ‘Predictions are risky, especially when they concern the future. That said, there are technologies being tinkered with right now that could transform your life - if and when they are brought to full expression.’ (6) Cyberspace falls directly in this category as the Internet as cyberspace is an integral and forever evolving piece of our contemporary society. There are many different mediums in which this can be related, online through gamming, social networking and through films.
Without such an Internet based society individuals would not be moving forward as a society as change is the basis of modern culture. This is seen specifically & holds great relevance in cyberspace.
References- All websites accessed between the 16th-21st of October.
1-http://www.yourdictionary.com/telecom/cyberspace
(Webster's New World Telecom Dictionary, 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc Indianapolis, Indiana.)
(Neuromancer, William Gibson 1984. 1st Edition, New York Ace Books.
2- http://www.livescience.com/technology/080929-online-game-survey
(Hsu. Jeremy, Video Gamers Surprisingly Fit and Older, 29 September 2008)
3- http://dualshockers.com/2009/09/2009-uk-national-gamers-survey
(Gary. Marsden, 2009 National gamers survey)
4- http://news.cnet.com/software-interrupted/?keyword=Statistics
(David Rosenburger, Swedish group calls gamming a pandemic threat. 2009)
5- http://www.compete.com - R.e Lecture notes, Week 8
(Statistics stated January 2009)
6- http://www.livescience.com/technology/top10-transform-tech.html
(Lamont Wood- Source unknown)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
