The main criticism of this book is that it is over ten years old so the data is a bit dated. While I still think it's interesting to learn about data from a historical viewpoint (plus, what happened in the past still impacts us today), the most obvious place where new data could really add to this book deals with the internet and social media. The book states that on one hand, "computer-mediated communication will breed new and improved communities." One the other hand, it list four challenges to this improvement in community-building:
1. The digital divide refers to inequity in access to the online world due to education, income, race, and family structure. The 1997 census cited the most inactive internet groups were the rural poor, rural and inner-city racial minorities, and young, female-headed households. The book suggests that the internet has not "mobilized these inactive groups but has instead reinforced existing biases in political participation." Ten years after this book was published, do you think this is still the case?
2. Non-verbal, non-face-to-face communication seriously hurts our ability to fully communicate with each other. Do you still think this is the case with communicating via computers or has technology advanced enough that we can get the same level of communication using video technology as we would in face-to-face talks?
3. When we communicate non-virtually, we are foced to interact with more people who are different from us. But, in virtual-world communication, we can choose to only interact with people with similar interests to us. Do you agree with the book that this virtual communication hurts "social cohesion" with people who are different from us?
4. The book states that "digital technologies are adept at maintaining communities already formed" but are "less good at making them." With social communities like Facebook in full swing now, do you agree that the internet is better at keeping communities together that formed face-to-face but not so good at actually making new communities?
This blog contains information and my personal reflections about the book, Bowling Alone, by Robert Putnam. It is being created for a Colorado State University graduate school class, EDAE 692.
1. I think that the book was not so good at predicting where the digital divide has settled. The true rural poor are probably still not active, but most of those who don't participate in some type of digital interaction are the elderly.
ReplyDeleteThe young have taken off with digital everything, even if I wonder why they pay for cell phone based internet when they complain of not having any money.
2. It's absolutely different. I'm not going to say that you can't have a friendship that is close, and share things that you would never say in public in an online forum--because it happens all the time. This changes the dynamic of an online conversation or group.
I'm not saying that it can't be meaningful, but I am saying that it doesn't work quite the same way.
3. Yes and no. You can control who you wish to interact with and stay only in groups with similar interests, but you may find that you are inadvertently in contact with a person from a group you wouldn't normally contact. (For example, someone who was interested in a particular fan site interacts with someone of a different race against whom he or she was prejudiced.)
4. I think that new communities are being formed, and aided by Facebook. I think some face to face groups are probably suffering as a result. Hence we are more likely to be online rather than at a bowling league. There are some things that just lose the experience if you do them virtually.
Margaret
I definitely think there is less of a concern about diminishing communication skills as technology improves. But, you still have to wonder how our youths reliance on texting, cell phones, and social media will effect their abilities in person or at work to act appropriately.
ReplyDeleteKelly,
ReplyDeleteTo an employer who values communication skills, there is likely to be conflict when that generation does not act in the expected way.
On the flip side, if some of those people continue their poor communication skills and end up running businesses as the older generations retire, the rules may become lax and it will probably drive me absolutely nuts. I already have some young people who don't like it when I correct their spelling and grammar and tell me I'm too fussy.
Sorry, I think the ability to communicate correctly is too important to lose. But there is always that nightmare that text-language will become acceptable.
Ha! Yes, text language everywhere would be the end of me too!
ReplyDeleteKelly and Margaret, I remember hearing a news report somewhere (sorry, "somewhere" is not a very good reference) about how as people grow up spending more and more time using technology, their brains are actually changing. A certain part of people's brains are developing more than the part that is used to communicate in other ways, like face-to-face and verbally. I thought that was scary.