I think the best skill I have attained from my participation in this class is a inquisitive nature about my interactions online. When I first became acquainted with the internet I was not at all prepared for how my personality would be affected by the inhuman quality of online conversation. I allowed myself to be more rude and cantankerous than I would ever be in-person, and I was even somewhat judgmental before I started taking rhetoric courses. This class has especially educated me in the proper and educational means to converse online, and I feel less regret about the things I post now.
The inclination to utilize technology for my education has also been heightened by my new appreciation for the growth in knowledge that the internet has sparked. A sense of community, however, still is riddled with complications. I feel that people are less capable of developing interpersonal relationships or getting to know each other from online conversation. I think humans need more from dialogue than the internet can provide, but things like Skype that give facial expression is a good step in the right direction.
Sometimes I wish I could escape the internet, and I have in many ways by moving into a large community house (co-op). I enjoy the ability to seek conversation from other people, next door, rather than looking for it online. There is something so enjoyable about interacting with people that do not necessarily agree with my opinion, and being able to hash it out in-person, among others.
Ooh, you live in a co-op? Very cool! We (husband & I) have been looking into cohousing lately-- the kind where it's basically a neighbourhood & everyone has their own house, but shares communal space, childcare, etc. It's an interesting thought for the future, and definitely the way we'd like to live our life.
ReplyDeleteI'm totally with you on in-person interaction. I do enjoy using the internet, and it's very helpful in connecting with people who are far away. But I also love interacting with someone who is sitting right next to me. I feel like I'm such a downer on electronic devices for pulling people apart-- I'm not actually against them, but it is so frustrating to be in the middle of a conversation and have the other person pull out their phone. Or, to take it back a bit, to ask a stranger for the time & they not hear you because their iPod is blasting their eardrums out. I like that the internet enhances relationships; I don't like that it divides people even further into their own bubbles.