Personal Connections Chapter 2

Baym touches upon the reactions of people to new technology and media in the second chapter of Personal Connections in the Digital Age. One of the points she discusses is the fear of people that new media and technology are inhibitors of moral wrongdoings and bad behavior. In the case of the Internet, much of that fear lies in the possible exposure to pornography or being deceived by a predator. While these fears have the potential to become reality, the Internet offers much, much more than its dangers. I would argue that in our age, it is more detrimental to keep children off the Internet than it is to allow them to become familiar with it and learn how to safely operate in the virtual world. Modern parents have a new responsibility of instilling safe Internet practices in their children. It is very reasonable for parents to closely monitor their child’s Internet use as they explore and learn online. By the time a child who grew up with the Internet is a teenager, he or she should be able to exist safely on the Internet. As Cartoon 2.7 on page 45 insinuates, teenagers are going to do what they want regardless of what tools they have at their hands so it is important to make sure that teenagers are making safe decisions about who they talk to and what they do online. The Internet offers a vast expanse of information and people with whom connections can be made; it creates familiarity with unknown things and brings people together. Therefore, it is imperative that teenagers are able to access and learn from the Internet.

Baym also touches upon the qualms that people have about relationships that are created or sustained online. The Internet can be a very powerful tool to create connections; people crave relationships that extend beyond their daily lives, especially when constantly surrounded by the same people. I remember in high school when websites like Omegle and ChatRoulette were very popular, sites that would pair users together at random to have a conversation, identifying each other as “Stranger” with the ability of either party to disconnect at any point. Even today, online dating and dating apps have become extremely popular. I do not agree with those that doubt the authenticity of online relationships or friendships. I have personally made a number of friends online that I have either later come to meet in real life or to this day have not yet met and only see their lives through Snapchat and Facebook. I hold these friends in the same regard as I do with my “real life” friends and family, and even better, I learn new things about other cultures and communication.

Personal Connections in the Digital Age: Chapter 1

Nancy Baym discusses the idea of two “worlds” in the first chapter of Personal Connections. The first is the real world in which we physically exist but there is also a virtual world, essentially the home our digital-selves that exist on the Internet and social media platforms. The virtual world is the result of widespread access to the Internet and new forms of media. According to Baym, “people have always responded to new media with confusion” (1). This was striking to me because of the differences in generational reactions to developing forms of media. Those who have grown up with modern technology know how to exist in the fast-paced virtual world and are able to maintain an “Internet identity” of sorts across many forms of social media. Because of this, younger people are (correctly) stereotyped as always being on their phones or online. The older generation that is less familiar with today’s technology has a tendency to react negatively to both the developing virtual world and the younger generation that uses it, mainly because of the confusion and skepticism about new media that Baym mentions. However, I have also often heard that young people are too addicted to their phones and as a result, become socially withdrawn. I do not agree with this argument because young people are not just staring at a blank screen for hours a day; they are typically spending time in the virtual world, which relies entirely on communication and networking.

In the real world, however, the younger generation in general does somewhat lack social skills. Baym mentions pretending to be on the phone to avoid an awkward interaction, which I know that many of my peers, and myself, can relate to. There seems to be a disconnect between those who exist more presently in the real world and those who are more present in the virtual world in terms of communication and socialization. In my opinion, I think the virtual world should be used as an extension of the real world, something that is already happening to some degree. For example, friendships are often made through both mediums; meetings in the real world paired with texting and other social media interactions make friendships develop more quickly and perhaps more strongly. However, I do not believe that the virtual world should take over to the point where social interactions are completely forgone.