Showing posts with label unexpected consequences. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unexpected consequences. Show all posts
Sunday, 6 April 2014
Laptop
Davenport points out that there are "unintended consequences" of ICTs, which has made me notice all the ways in which my laptop has impacted on my life. One of the major ways is the way I study, because it is portable I am able to take it anywhere at work at anytime. While this is productive, it has changed what I would have once have considered time for relaxation, such as during a bus or train ride or while I am eating. Anther consequence is a change in my sleeping pattern, able to use my laptop in bed I find it hard to switch off, feeling as if I'm going to miss out on something important.
'Opening: Networking minds, creating meaning, contesting power'
Castells, M.
2012, ‘Opening: Networking minds, creating meaning, contesting
power', in Networks of Outrage and Hope, Polity, Cambridge, pp. 1-19.
Castells writing points to the inextricability of society from technology (Sawyer & Tyworth 2006). The Internet and social media here is seen to be an extension of society, particularly when it comes to political movements. Mass-communication has helped to spread the awareness of political injustice and demonstrations taking place, giving power back to the people. Individuals saw the potential for ICTs to help with these movements, both spreading awareness and allowing people to become involved no matter where they are located.
Overheard conversation
I overheard two men talking on the train on the 23 of March while I was traveling from Central to Warnervale. One of the men was a train driver and was telling the other that not long ago some guy had jumped out out in-front of the train he was driving and it was too close for him to stop. About half an hour later the body was removed from the tracks and his boss told him that he was expected to continue the train journey. He protested, his hands were still shaking, but his boss was adamant.
Davenport writes that using social informatics as an approach to studying ICTs in the workplace, we can see how "technology is humanized, in contrast to how humans may be systematized" (Davenport 2005, p. 17). It now seems that the efficiency of technology is being valued over human emotion and people are expected to be as emotionless even after a traumatic event. Here we see a lack of consideration that has grown from expectations set by technologies standard.
Davenport writes that using social informatics as an approach to studying ICTs in the workplace, we can see how "technology is humanized, in contrast to how humans may be systematized" (Davenport 2005, p. 17). It now seems that the efficiency of technology is being valued over human emotion and people are expected to be as emotionless even after a traumatic event. Here we see a lack of consideration that has grown from expectations set by technologies standard.
IT Crowd: The Internet Is Coming
IT Crowd: The Internet Is Coming 2013, DVD, FremantleMedia, UK.
This episode helped me to understand the idea of social actors and how people can use technology in original ways that they were not intended for. In this episode Moss wears female trousers to increase his confidence, similarly humans use information technologies to benefit themselves in a number of ways. Several events in this episode show how pervasive technology has become, leading to a lack of privacy which has both good and bad effects. This can help when it comes to investigating into the corrupt, individuals who once got away with criminal activity because of their wealth can now be exposed online. While it is said 'you have nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide' it also becomes clear through this episode that the Internet can lead to misunderstandings and misjudgement of a situation because technology does not capture context.
This episode helped me to understand the idea of social actors and how people can use technology in original ways that they were not intended for. In this episode Moss wears female trousers to increase his confidence, similarly humans use information technologies to benefit themselves in a number of ways. Several events in this episode show how pervasive technology has become, leading to a lack of privacy which has both good and bad effects. This can help when it comes to investigating into the corrupt, individuals who once got away with criminal activity because of their wealth can now be exposed online. While it is said 'you have nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide' it also becomes clear through this episode that the Internet can lead to misunderstandings and misjudgement of a situation because technology does not capture context.
YouTube Abuse Recovery
The abuse mentioned in YouTube Abuse Recovery show
that ICTs have created new power relationships. As Kling mentions, ICTs tend to
benefit certain groups more than others, in this case we see how the
creator/fan relationship that YouTube has brought about, can be manipulated to
the harm of the fan (Kling 1999). YouTube was previously perceived to be unlike
any other media, with an absence of negative effects. These events clearly show
how individuals use ICTs for their own purposes, while YouTube in neutral,
people are not. It also raises the question of wether the benefits of such ICTs
out-wiegh the potential they have for harm.
Saturday, 5 April 2014
My Hope
Molly Lewis 2008, MyHope (original song), video recording, YouTube, viewed 26 March 2014, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avxpn_MsPYs>.
As this song states people use social media as an extension of society and self, posting personal information online in what they perceive to be a safe environment surrounded by friends. However doing so raises important issues. Lally writes about the negatives and positives of placing information online. On the one hand it "expands our capacity to store and preserve for the future", on the other it is difficult to then say who owns the information now it is in a public space (Lally 2005, p. 158). My Hope points out some of the "unintended consequences" of ICTs, information stays online forever and can be damaging, such as embarrassing comments or compromising photos (Davenport 2005, p. 20).
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