Youtube

While many of us are trying to pin down the meaning of the web 2.0 revolution's effect on ourselves and our society, I have come to the point where I regard Youtube as more than a place to upload and watch videos. Because well we aren't just watching short films and uploading low budget movies.

Although short films make up a percentage of the videos on youtube, we also have a large number of tutorials, video responses to other videos, documentaries, recordings of real life events, music covers, rants, etc. So instead of Youtube simply being a place to upload videos, Youtube is in a way a

digital society

.
It's a place where communities exist, where hierarchies persist, where issues are hotly debated, where people learn, where people spend their time.

The Reaction:

If you look on the internet you'll find that people are concerned about the possibility that time spent on the internet fosters anti-social behavior. Here's one I just came across http://pewresearch.org/pubs/2203/hyperconnectivity-teens-young-adults-internet
At first glance the issue of spending excessive time online is presented as a major problem. But that itself is a problem. The issue of excessive internet use is presented as a problem and not a symptom of a problem. The time spent on the internet, and the neglect our personal relationships are getting, is both evidence of our weak interpersonal relationships and a reaction to them -- which, from a macro perspective, is a reflection of our fragile society.

I think that instead of stigmatizing excessive internet use, we should be asking "why are people choosing to spend their time on the internet and not with their peers?"

Perhaps then we would realize that our behavior is a reaction to broken relationships. In doing so we might be able to restructure our relationships and reconnect with our peers in person.
So as the

digital society

grows, and the supposed anti-social behavior increases, let's seek to understand the cause of the problem instead of stigmatizing the threat that might be the catalyst to new social relationships

One Huge Aspect of Our Time Period

We are living in a time where tradition and science coexist.

science is integrated into our traditional lives.

Those who try to live a completely traditional life struggle because science contradicts their life. Those who try to live a scientific, reasonable life realize that it is hard to do in a predominantly traditional world.
Those who manage to get by live a balanced life of traditional and scientific.

This definitely is one huge aspect of our time period.

EDIT: And when I say tradition I mean more than just religion.

Action and Space

Commence rambling:

We have designated places for behavior, places appropriate for recreation: parks, places for exercise: gyms. Incubators for knowledge: libraries, schools, places for dancing: clubs, places for personal relief: restrooms (lol). Action in our society is heavily dictated by space, and as a result space helps create predictability, routine, and boundaries for individuals.

However there are some benefits. For example, the benefits of allocating space for personal relief, in some ways, contributes to improving public health. On the other hand, the cost of designating particular spaces for learning, affects how we think about learning and this can be detrimental to individuals and society as a whole.


Why does behavior happen in specific places? Possibly because we think behavior can only happen in some places. Perhaps because we think of some action as part of a space. Perhaps because we think it is the most rational and convenient place to do something. Perhaps because we will be penalized if we do something that is illegal, such as sex in public, or living in the park.