"I realized that media are not tools or modes of communication, but that media mediates relationships," States Anthropologist Michael Wesch, a professor at Kansas State University in a blog by Amy Kaufman.
Which is an interesting thought. He argues that watching YouTube (and other such media sites' ) videos is less isolating than perceived by society.
According to him internet videos allow us to recreate ourselves and tell the world about the new person we have created. They can allow us to have an impact on the world while sitting at a computer.
He did an experiment that I found very interesting. He had students who didn't know each other communicate through Youtube videos, having conversations with each other and all of YouTube. Despite the awkwardness of talking to a web cam they opened up. They were allowed to become whoever they wanted to be and lines blurred. They communicated with each other in ways they never would have face too face.
I found this blog refreshing considering the "bad rap" that the internet gets for ruining our communication skill.
For once there is a study that isn't bashing internet communication and for once I can agree with the statements.
I too believe that the internet is a mediator. It allows us to become new people, form relationships we wouldn't have, and meet people we can't even begin to imagine. If it can do all that it can't be all that bad in my opinion, and maybe other studies will begin to see this too.
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I think that this was a very interesting study. Most studies do the exact opposite. I agree this is refreshing that not everyone loves to hate the internet.
ReplyDeleteI think people are finally realizing that it's the same as every other "new media" that people freak out about at first, then they realize it's not such a horrible thing.