Now that we have all been using LinkedIn for awhile, and most of us are already familiar with FaceBook, some with Twitter, etc., I pose the "Deep Question":
"Does all this social networking stuff make us More Enlightened Citizens, or not?"
I will be approaching not only my BCIT Television Grads, but also my wider network for their answers to this Deep Question.
In the factual sense of the word, I would say yes. This social networking stuff keeps us informed about what others are doing in the community and in our industry. Spiritually enlightened maybe not.
With the gaining momentum of online applications, citizens are not as much becoming enlightened as expectant. Both users and browsers now expect to be informed instantly on a multitude of topics. It has become a social game where people expect others to care about what they have to say, causing more opinions to be considered fact over fiction. Although the transfer of knowledge does account for a faster paced lifestyle, typically, the surface of what is read will fail to be fully investigated. This accounts for large amounts of false information being delivered and believed by anyone who takes an interest. Due to the popularity of these sites, web users may find their barriers against material found online becoming lessened with the ongoing struggle to stay informed.
While sites like Facebook are great for quick and casual communication, as well as sharing media such as photos and video, social media networking also tends to replace face-to-face interaction.
This is a significant issue as people tend to have different personalities online as opposed to in real life. A friend's online status update does not necessarily reflect who they really are. So if we really are more enlightened because of social networking, it's a very artificial sense of enlightenment.
One of my biggest pet peeves with Facebook, however, is the staggering amount of time people spend joining pointless groups, becoming fans of things that have no cause for a fan base, and playing Farmville.
I think that Facebook should stick with its mandate as SOCIAL network and facilitate intelligent interaction with real people that you actually know in real life.
That being said, networks such as LinkedIn are great for professional networking and does its job of keeping you in your industry's loop. I for one will continue to use LinkedIn for the foreseeable future - until the day it asks me to become a fan of a potato so it can have more fans than Justin Beiber, that is.
Yes we are more enlightened in that we are able to connect with people who we may never have been able to stay so easily connected with. However, I say connected but what I really mean is stay updated with. Most people don’t actually connect anymore rather they just post updates about themselves and then allow others to see those updates. It’s becoming a bit egotistic.
I think if used in the right way and not as a replacement for physically or verbally connecting with people then social networking sites are great for staying updated and for expressing oneself.
Using social networking sites may make us more "enlightened" as to what our friends think about the latest pop cultures news, or where our linkedin connections are currently employed, but as far as being an "enlightened citizen", social networking sites fall short.
Social networking sites act as more of a soundboard or open forum to discuss opinions and personal lives. The subject matters of these opinions is rarely one that a so called "enlightened citizen" would find relevant, though they are entertaining. Maybe if everyone on these social networking sites was fascinated by current events or politics, we could consider participation enlightening.
As far as I'm concerned, social networking sites offer as much of an escape from potential enlightenment as they offer enlightenment itself. When we focus on people's of-the-cuff remarks about Britney's rehab stint, how much exam week sucks, or Micheal Jackson's death, some begin to take these remarks as fact, a step in the wrong direction on the path to enlightenment.
That being said, I do love social networking sites, primarily as a way of staying connected with people in my life. I suppose it comes down to who is on your social networking site, and what is being discussed.
While there is a vast amount of useless information on social networking sites -"Rachael K****r: LA Ink!!!! Always makes me want to get another tattoo. LOLZ." - it can also be used as a way to spread (important) news rapidly. The phone tree just doesn't work as quickly as an invite on Facebook, making it an ideal tool for sending information to the masses.
For this reason I would say social networking sites can be used to enlighten citizens by creating awareness.
If we are talking about Enlightenment in a spiritual way definitely not, unless it really makes a difference to you what people are thinking or doing with they're lives, and if we're using the word Enlightenment in the context of instructing ourselves of valuable information than it is even worst.
I believe networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc, are mostly used as a medium to inform us of friend's events, birthday reminders and photo albums. Very rarely they are used to transmit useful information that could benefit us or Enlighten us in any way; however, I do agree that they are great to keep us in touch with people we haven't seen for a long time or, in my case, that live thousands of miles away. But generally speaking I do not believe they enlighten us.
To enlighten means to inform or instruct, spiritually or intellectually. I do not think that social networking makes us more enlightened; like the telephone, it is only a method of communication. Moreover, social networking sites are not intended to inform, they are intended to build connections between people. The trick is that these sites tend to engender all sorts of applications that are not about connecting as much as announcing - everyone is so busy shouting that they don't have time to listen.
Social networking should be used for socializing, not for aggrandizing our egos. Moreover, they are not sources of knowledge, and shouldn't be thought of as such. As long as we keep these tools in perspective, there isn't anything wrong with using them. It's only when they are accorded more importance than they are worth that it become a problem.
certainly, social networking sites can be said to create a more enlightened citizenship. "ours is a connected age" and other such catch phrases contain an important truth: we now live and communicate in a drastically different manner than we ever have before. social networking is an important component to that.
the underlying theme to modern life is that we are more informed than ever before. the internet allows us access to a tremendously vast wealth of information. social networking adds individual, personal aspects to that collection of knowledge. the ways in which we engage in our individual lives is now part of general knowledge.
of course, much of this information can be tedious and superficial. and social networking cannot adequately replace traditional person-to-person interation. but anything that increases our ability to communicate and share information has important social value, the recent "green revolution" in iran is a case in point.
Social networking has a time and a place. Social networking is a necessity in a work environment. However it important to hang out with real people ad not a computer all day. I would prefer to stay in touch with 10 or so real friends rather than 500 Internet acquaintances.
I believe social networking allows us to explore sources of information and updates in a quick fashion. It takes away from our normal human interactions but is easy and efficient in a world where we seem to be always on the go.
I think social networking in a way makes us less enlightened. We get superficial views of people and then pretend they our friend.
Twitter I think is especially guilty of dumbing down discourse. You can't really make a point in 140 characters.
It is great to connect with old friends and colleagues, but really, in order to gain some insight you really need to talk to people, not message them.
I think of social networking sights as more of a distraction than a really useful tool. Perhaps you might make a great connection once in a while but overall, I think it is better to get out in the world.
Online social networking is exactly what it is. Socail.
I think sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc.are all good to keep in touch and possibly make connections for future jobs and events.
I think social networking is geared more towards people who want to show off their work and talent. Doesn't necessairly mean one becomes more enlightened. All social networking only provides opinions on what people think, not facts about information one may be seeking.
I personally enjoy social networking sites as I believe it showcases some of my work to a broad audience where I can get honest feedback. Whether it's positive or negative.
I would say that websites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter are NOT enlightening us as citizens. These social networking services are very self-indulgent, self-promoting and self-centered. The worst of the three, in my opinion, would be Twitter. Twitter is everything that is wrong about Facebook 'status updates'. Does anyone really care what you ate for breakfast this morning? Twitter is heaven for the self-obsessed. It is no wonder why so many celebrities avidly use it. The second most followed person on Twitter is Britney Spears. The only thing enlightening about receiving daily 'tweets' from Britney Spears is that our suspicions of her idiocy are confirmed. However, I do believe that the internet as a whole HAS enlightened us as citizens of the world. The internet has allowed mankind to better understand one another. We have the ability to see injustices without censorship from traditional media. We can learn about different countries and their customs. Knowledge is power, and the internet provides a gateway to the knowledge we seek.
I am of the opinion that no, we are not more enlightened because of social networking trends. Linkedin as a business tool makes a certain amount of sense. But to fool ourselves into thinking that we are more enlightened because we buy what people are selling us about themselves is dangerous. I find Facebook to be the worst of the lot, (Although I do not have an account so my opinion does come with a lack of experience). Too many times I have been asked in my social life "are you on Facebook?" It has become a "trusted" medium for some people, where they think that they immediately know somebody, based on visiting their Facebook page. In fact, some people are so strongly hooked to it, that they do not trust people who are not on (Facebook). It breaks down like this for me: You simply can not know me or anybody by viewing my "friends" or pictures on some sort of social networking site and then pigeonhole me into whatever category or assumed microcosm you feel that I fit into. If you want to get to know me, you are going to have to do it the old fashioned way. If that seemingly involves too much energy or time, then I suppose Facebook has inadvertently provided me with a screening out process as it pertains to my social life. I am lucky to have a great deal of friends, and I am proud to say that all of them are friends, not "friends".
Avoiding the sheep like mentality is difficult or unavoidable in many aspects in life, but you gotta wake up earlier than that in the morning to fool me Facebook. I mean, Facebook is so blatant about it. Remember "They are watching you", and you are making it way to easy people! In conclusion: "Just the fact that people seem to be getting dumber and dumber. You know, I mean we have all this amazing technology and yet computers have turned into basically four figure wank machines. The internet was supposed to set us free, democratize us, but all it's really given us is Howard Dean's aborted candidacy and 24 hour a day access to kiddie porn. People... they don't write anymore, they blog. Instead of talking, they text, no punctuation, no grammar: LOL this and LMFAO that. You know, it just seems to me it's just a bunch of stupid people pseudo-communicating with a bunch of other stupid people at a proto-language that resembles more what cavemen used to speak than the King's English. " ---Hank Moody---
Social Networking has obviously had a huge effect on the way we communicate. Is it useful for professional purposes? I don't think so. This is an industry that is built on relationships and communication. Potential employers would disregard an "IM" as quickly as yesterday's newspaper.
I believe that for most people, social networking can lead to a more enlightened outlook on life. There is so much information at your finger tips, and it makes it easy to simplify a lot of the social aspects of your life. But the key is moderation. The networks keep you connected with everyone, and you can see what EVERYBODY is up to in a very convenient "feed". It allows you to branch out, and it makes it more convenient to communicate with everyone you know in a central location. And being in the information age with smartphones and devices that bring these networks to your pocket, people don't have to spend as much time catching up with each other. They can focus on other things happening in their life. However there are some people out there that get sucked in by social networks. They let it take them over. These are the people that don't know when to stop. Instead of using it as a tool, it becomes a past time, and ends up taking over their life, and they become obsessed with their ego. It creates a sort of cyber materialism, where people get addicted to intangible things like wall posts or quantity of friends.
But overall, it hasn't really made us that much more enlightened, it still houses the same old drama we had before social networks existed, and it even can create new types of drama that never would have been possible before.
I have opted to avoid Social Networking sites such as Facebook for many reasons. For starters, Facebook is a complete waste of time. Do you really care that 'Suzy Johnson' is making chili for dinner? Or that 'Tom Jones' just got back from the dentist? Who really cares!!?? I thought the point of having friends is when you do see them after a lengthy hiatus, there ARE things to talk about. Instead, you see their EVERY update. How boring is that? From what I have experienced, Twitter, Facebook and Instant Messaging actually causes MORE problems and drama amongst friends than ever before. The social networks and devices that are meant to connect us and keep us in touch are, in reality, driving us far, far apart. We can kiss the business meetings in Tokyo or New York goodbye thanks to innovations such as teleconferencing. Oh, and I totally concur with the whole bottom part of Kris McDermott's post.
I believe that yes, social networking can make us more enlightened! It can certainly educate us and open up our minds to new things and information. That in itself is enlightenment. It can even in some ways make us more spiritually enlightened. This isn't to say that social networking is my first choice for enlightenment because I prefer to learn by experience and learn by doing, but it can help in some ways!
For some people social networking does make them enlightened, for others not so much. There are people out there that spend quite a bit of their life interacting with sites like Facebook, twitter and myspace. Some just feel a need to be connected with those around them or just want to meet new people. For others it hasn't added much to their life. Honestly, people survived without it before the internet was invented.
In the factual sense of the word, I would say yes. This social networking stuff keeps us informed about what others are doing in the community and in our industry. Spiritually enlightened maybe not.
ReplyDeleteWith the gaining momentum of online applications, citizens are not as much becoming enlightened as expectant. Both users and browsers now expect to be informed instantly on a multitude of topics. It has become a social game where people expect others to care about what they have to say, causing more opinions to be considered fact over fiction. Although the transfer of knowledge does account for a faster paced lifestyle, typically, the surface of what is read will fail to be fully investigated. This accounts for large amounts of false information being delivered and believed by anyone who takes an interest. Due to the popularity of these sites, web users may find their barriers against material found online becoming lessened with the ongoing struggle to stay informed.
ReplyDeleteWhile sites like Facebook are great for quick and casual communication, as well as sharing media such as photos and video, social media networking also tends to replace face-to-face interaction.
ReplyDeleteThis is a significant issue as people tend to have different personalities online as opposed to in real life. A friend's online status update does not necessarily reflect who they really are. So if we really are more enlightened because of social networking, it's a very artificial sense of enlightenment.
One of my biggest pet peeves with Facebook, however, is the staggering amount of time people spend joining pointless groups, becoming fans of things that have no cause for a fan base, and playing Farmville.
I think that Facebook should stick with its mandate as SOCIAL network and facilitate intelligent interaction with real people that you actually know in real life.
That being said, networks such as LinkedIn are great for professional networking and does its job of keeping you in your industry's loop. I for one will continue to use LinkedIn for the foreseeable future - until the day it asks me to become a fan of a potato so it can have more fans than Justin Beiber, that is.
Yes we are more enlightened in that we are able to connect with people who we may never have been able to stay so easily connected with. However, I say connected but what I really mean is stay updated with. Most people don’t actually connect anymore rather they just post updates about themselves and then allow others to see those updates. It’s becoming a bit egotistic.
ReplyDeleteI think if used in the right way and not as a replacement for physically or verbally connecting with people then social networking sites are great for staying updated and for expressing oneself.
Using social networking sites may make us more "enlightened" as to what our friends think about the latest pop cultures news, or where our linkedin connections are currently employed, but as far as being an "enlightened citizen", social networking sites fall short.
ReplyDeleteSocial networking sites act as more of a soundboard or open forum to discuss opinions and personal lives. The subject matters of these opinions is rarely one that a so called "enlightened citizen" would find relevant, though they are entertaining. Maybe if everyone on these social networking sites was fascinated by current events or politics, we could consider participation enlightening.
As far as I'm concerned, social networking sites offer as much of an escape from potential enlightenment as they offer enlightenment itself. When we focus on people's of-the-cuff remarks about Britney's rehab stint, how much exam week sucks, or Micheal Jackson's death, some begin to take these remarks as fact, a step in the wrong direction on the path to enlightenment.
That being said, I do love social networking sites, primarily as a way of staying connected with people in my life. I suppose it comes down to who is on your social networking site, and what is being discussed.
While there is a vast amount of useless information on social networking sites -"Rachael K****r: LA Ink!!!! Always makes me want to get another tattoo. LOLZ."
ReplyDelete- it can also be used as a way to spread (important) news rapidly. The phone tree just doesn't work as quickly as an invite on Facebook, making it an ideal tool for sending information to the masses.
For this reason I would say social networking sites can be used to enlighten citizens by creating awareness.
If we are talking about Enlightenment in a spiritual way definitely not, unless it really makes a difference to you what people are thinking or doing with they're lives, and if we're using the word Enlightenment in the context of instructing ourselves of valuable information than it is even worst.
ReplyDeleteI believe networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc, are mostly used as a medium to inform us of friend's events, birthday reminders and photo albums.
Very rarely they are used to transmit useful information that could benefit us or Enlighten us in any way; however, I do agree that they are great to keep us in touch with people we haven't seen for a long time or, in my case, that live thousands of miles away. But generally speaking I do not believe they enlighten us.
To enlighten means to inform or instruct, spiritually or intellectually. I do not think that social networking makes us more enlightened; like the telephone, it is only a method of communication. Moreover, social networking sites are not intended to inform, they are intended to build connections between people. The trick is that these sites tend to engender all sorts of applications that are not about connecting as much as announcing - everyone is so busy shouting that they don't have time to listen.
ReplyDeleteSocial networking should be used for socializing, not for aggrandizing our egos. Moreover, they are not sources of knowledge, and shouldn't be thought of as such. As long as we keep these tools in perspective, there isn't anything wrong with using them. It's only when they are accorded more importance than they are worth that it become a problem.
certainly, social networking sites can be said to create a more enlightened citizenship. "ours is a connected age" and other such catch phrases contain an important truth: we now live and communicate in a drastically different manner than we ever have before. social networking is an important component to that.
ReplyDeletethe underlying theme to modern life is that we are more informed than ever before. the internet allows us access to a tremendously vast wealth of information. social networking adds individual, personal aspects to that collection of knowledge. the ways in which we engage in our individual lives is now part of general knowledge.
of course, much of this information can be tedious and superficial. and social networking cannot adequately replace traditional person-to-person interation. but anything that increases our ability to communicate and share information has important social value, the recent "green revolution" in iran is a case in point.
Social networking has a time and a place. Social networking is a necessity in a work environment. However it important to hang out with real people ad not a computer all day. I would prefer to stay in touch with 10 or so real friends rather than 500 Internet acquaintances.
ReplyDeleteI believe social networking allows us to explore sources of information and updates in a quick fashion. It takes away from our normal human interactions but is easy and efficient in a world where we seem to be always on the go.
ReplyDeleteI think social networking in a way makes us less enlightened. We get superficial views of people and then pretend they our friend.
ReplyDeleteTwitter I think is especially guilty of dumbing down discourse. You can't really make a point in 140 characters.
It is great to connect with old friends and colleagues, but really, in order to gain some insight you really need to talk to people, not message them.
I think of social networking sights as more of a distraction than a really useful tool. Perhaps you might make a great connection once in a while but overall, I think it is better to get out in the world.
Online social networking is exactly what it is. Socail.
ReplyDeleteI think sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc.are all good to keep in touch and possibly make connections for future jobs and events.
I think social networking is geared more towards people who want to show off their work and talent. Doesn't necessairly mean one becomes more enlightened. All social networking only provides opinions on what people think, not facts about information one may be seeking.
I personally enjoy social networking sites as I believe it showcases some of my work to a broad audience where I can get honest feedback. Whether it's positive or negative.
xox Kris
I would say that websites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter are NOT enlightening us as citizens. These social networking services are very self-indulgent, self-promoting and self-centered. The worst of the three, in my opinion, would be Twitter. Twitter is everything that is wrong about Facebook 'status updates'. Does anyone really care what you ate for breakfast this morning? Twitter is heaven for the self-obsessed. It is no wonder why so many celebrities avidly use it. The second most followed person on Twitter is Britney Spears. The only thing enlightening about receiving daily 'tweets' from Britney Spears is that our suspicions of her idiocy are confirmed.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do believe that the internet as a whole HAS enlightened us as citizens of the world. The internet has allowed mankind to better understand one another. We have the ability to see injustices without censorship from traditional media. We can learn about different countries and their customs. Knowledge is power, and the internet provides a gateway to the knowledge we seek.
I am of the opinion that no, we are not more enlightened because of social networking trends. Linkedin as a business tool makes a certain amount of sense. But to fool ourselves into thinking that we are more enlightened because we buy what people are selling us about themselves is dangerous.
ReplyDeleteI find Facebook to be the worst of the lot, (Although I do not have an account so my opinion does come with a lack of experience).
Too many times I have been asked in my social life "are you on Facebook?"
It has become a "trusted" medium for some people, where they think that they immediately know somebody, based on visiting their Facebook page. In fact, some people are so strongly hooked to it, that they do not trust people who are not on (Facebook).
It breaks down like this for me: You simply can not know me or anybody by viewing my "friends" or pictures on some sort of social networking site and then pigeonhole me into whatever category or assumed microcosm you feel that I fit into. If you want to get to know me, you are going to have to do it the old fashioned way. If that seemingly involves too much energy or time, then I suppose Facebook has inadvertently provided me with a screening out process as it pertains to my social life. I am lucky to have a great deal of friends, and I am proud to say that all of them are friends, not "friends".
Avoiding the sheep like mentality is difficult or unavoidable in many aspects in life, but you gotta wake up earlier than that in the morning to fool me Facebook. I mean, Facebook is so blatant about it. Remember "They are watching you", and you are making it way to easy people!
In conclusion: "Just the fact that people seem to be getting dumber and dumber. You know, I mean we have all this amazing technology and yet computers have turned into basically four figure wank machines. The internet was supposed to set us free, democratize us, but all it's really given us is Howard Dean's aborted candidacy and 24 hour a day access to kiddie porn. People... they don't write anymore, they blog. Instead of talking, they text, no punctuation, no grammar: LOL this and LMFAO that. You know, it just seems to me it's just a bunch of stupid people pseudo-communicating with a bunch of other stupid people at a proto-language that resembles more what cavemen used to speak than the King's English. " ---Hank Moody---
Sincerely
Kris McDermott
Social Networking has obviously had a huge effect on the way we communicate. Is it useful for professional purposes? I don't think so. This is an industry that is built on relationships and communication. Potential employers would disregard an "IM" as quickly as yesterday's newspaper.
ReplyDeleteI believe that for most people, social networking can lead to a more enlightened outlook on life. There is so much information at your finger tips, and it makes it easy to simplify a lot of the social aspects of your life. But the key is moderation. The networks keep you connected with everyone, and you can see what EVERYBODY is up to in a very convenient "feed". It allows you to branch out, and it makes it more convenient to communicate with everyone you know in a central location. And being in the information age with smartphones and devices that bring these networks to your pocket, people don't have to spend as much time catching up with each other. They can focus on other things happening in their life. However there are some people out there that get sucked in by social networks. They let it take them over. These are the people that don't know when to stop. Instead of using it as a tool, it becomes a past time, and ends up taking over their life, and they become obsessed with their ego. It creates a sort of cyber materialism, where people get addicted to intangible things like wall posts or quantity of friends.
ReplyDeleteBut overall, it hasn't really made us that much more enlightened, it still houses the same old drama we had before social networks existed, and it even can create new types of drama that never would have been possible before.
I have opted to avoid Social Networking sites such as Facebook for many reasons. For starters, Facebook is a complete waste of time. Do you really care that 'Suzy Johnson' is making chili for dinner? Or that 'Tom Jones' just got back from the dentist? Who really cares!!?? I thought the point of having friends is when you do see them after a lengthy hiatus, there ARE things to talk about. Instead, you see their EVERY update. How boring is that? From what I have experienced, Twitter, Facebook and Instant Messaging actually causes MORE problems and drama amongst friends than ever before. The social networks and devices that are meant to connect us and keep us in touch are, in reality, driving us far, far apart. We can kiss the business meetings in Tokyo or New York goodbye thanks to innovations such as teleconferencing. Oh, and I totally concur with the whole bottom part of Kris McDermott's post.
ReplyDeleteI believe that yes, social networking can make us more enlightened!
ReplyDeleteIt can certainly educate us and open up our minds to new things and information. That in itself is enlightenment.
It can even in some ways make us more spiritually enlightened.
This isn't to say that social networking is my first choice for enlightenment because I prefer to learn by experience and learn by doing, but it can help in some ways!
-Julie
For some people social networking does make them enlightened, for others not so much.
ReplyDeleteThere are people out there that spend quite a bit of their life interacting with sites like Facebook, twitter and myspace. Some just feel a need to be connected with those around them or just want to meet new people.
For others it hasn't added much to their life. Honestly, people survived without it before the internet was invented.