"Virtual Love" Meghan Daum (267)"Cyberspace and Identity" Sherry Turkle (275)
Write a paragraph in which you summarize the key conclusions of either of the above essays. Include at least two quotations to back up your ideas.
Write a paragraph in which you summarize the key conclusions of either of the above essays. Include at least two quotations to back up your ideas.
posted by la professore at 7:25 AM
5 Comments:
After reading both of the reading selections, i found Meghan Daum's piece "Virtual Love" a lot more enjoyable. I really enjoyed the way in which she described the different emotions she was feeling online for PFSlider, such as "bizarrely exhilarating," or that "PFSlider became [my] everyday life." One would think if someone becomes so infatuated with another person online that there would definetley be some in person chemistry as well, but that was definetley not the case. "Pete talked at me and through me and past me. I tried to listen. I tried to talk. But i bored myself and irritated him." I think what the main problem for our speaker here was that she become "in love" with the idea of recieving attention from a mysterious person, rather than the actual person itself. She was definetley a person that prefered the computer to have conversation than any other method. It was her saftey net. "[...] I was involved in a well-defined courtship, a neat little space in which he and I were both safe to express the panic and the fascination of our mutual affection."
In the article "Cyberspace Identity" the author, Sherry Turkle, takes a clever psychological approach to how we project ourselves on the internet. She basically says that a persona on the internet can be used as a therapuetic tool. "presenting himself as a woman online has brought him to a point where he is more comfortable with confrontation in his RL as a man." WOW, that is kinda wierd but the point is, with the internet persona, the gentleman can distance himself enough to actually experiment in the cyber world with ideas he could not normally express in real life without some type of social recourse. She goes on to to say that the use of cyberspace identities has altered perceptions in the psychology field, because rules are applied differently online. "But today, the pendulum is swung away from that complacent view of a unitary self." Turkle's point here is that in the past multiple personalities was always viewed as a disorder, but now since the invention of the internet, it can be used as a form of expression while still remaining normal. Basically, the internet is like a buffer. A way for people to distance themselves just enough to make clear their ideas without having to sweat the consequences.
TO SHAY:
Hey - I definetley have to agree with everything that you were saying. The further along I got into your response, the more I got thinking about the huge variety of dating services out there on the internet. I realize that "Virtual Love" and online dating services aren't exactly the same thing, but I kind of feel like they share the same concept. People are so much more prone to turn on their computer and chat with a total stranger, that could potentially be their "soul-mate" rather than go and meet them in person. I can't say exactly why the reason for this is, but it could potentially be the fear of objection, or the fear of awkwardness. In our society today, people seem to be a lot more "judgemental" on people's looks, which as a result makes people insecure. In order to solve their problem they resort to online dating where they feel "safe" and feel as though people can't judge them right away; this also prevents first date awkwardness.
In "Cyberspace and Identity," Turkle doesn't really explore different screen names for herself. My opinion is that people who DO do that are in a class of their own. I think there are people who really don't care to do that, they feel genuinely whole, without duping others, without having a need to act like somebody they're not or wished they were. I'm afraid men are the high precentage culprits creating this phenomena of cyber identity. Personally I don't have the edge to be somebody I'm not, I'd think about the other person too much, I don't want to build up or put down any expectations they might have.
This ties in the other article about cyberomance, perhaps its no different than when people first meet, where they are differently abled in expressing themselves as opposed to when they've gotten to know each other better. We can go into such a tailspin when we're falling in love/like. Mmmm, it feels good, and I want some more... how can I get some more?
Back to Turkle's article, the lady who created five names in AOL "as a chance to lay out all the moods I'm in--all the ways I want to be in different places on the system," alarms me in a way. What system is she talking about? My first hit is that she's not a fulfilled person; heck, I'm a moody person, but I don't need to log in as Crankizoid & then as Happizoid.
The only reason I would not use my real name is obvious, I'm protecting my privacy from the world of jerks who would take advantage if they could. I'm really not into trying to get one over on anyone, personally I don't have time for that. I'm busy creating a full life, continually unfolding and busy with this one personae.
My screen name, zoid, is short for Mitzoid, a nickname that stuck eons ago. I've had to use zoidster often because of the "name already taken" problem. You know what I say to people that are online creating characters in order to relate to other people online?
Especially if it's not how they are in person.) Get a life. Oh, sorry... that's what you're doing.
Pardon my politix, but this article nearly entices me to join chat rooms in order to deceive guys who are on the prowl for some illusion. Then I would contact their wives or bosses, and that would shame them. What a waste of my time. I watched a program recently about the teens (and younger) that are being sexually trapped by adults who think they're getting away with it. That's probably an extreme example of multiple personality issues online, but for me it emphasizes my point about fulfillment.
I'm not single, so perhaps in some needy little place I pursue an online relationship, a fiberoptical thread satisfying something in me that must be empty or untapped--because it's easy, it's right at my fingertips and I don't have to blowdry my hair. Or I'm not in a relationship, but the internet opens an entire new field for cruising... how serious/honest/revealing am I
going to be? And to what ends? In this culture it's not at all surprising people are reaching out however they can, or expressing themselves as unique in the machine. I have to wonder if the bottom line isn't simply about what some people think they can get away with--and they'll do it.
If the dweeb can pull off being cavalier online, why can't they do it in person? Get out of the closet people, especially those 55 year old men that are posing as 35 year old women.
Replying to ddd's post that's 8/13's down the page.
Smart conclusions, I enjoyed reading your post actually. I started to review this story and got such an attitude about Meghan, that instead I reviewed the other story, and got a worse attitude I think. So your post helped me out by breaking it down into the character’s moves—which brought something to light. Meghan perhaps got caught up in that wonderful feeling of the mystery, with PFSlider. So much so that she was phasing out Pete. Your last phrase about her discovering her nature is the key I think, but we all have a natural inclination towards the mysterious if it feels good. If it feels bad, we run the other way fast. Thanks for your post.
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