Digital communication

Question 1

Postmodernist: Hart

Answer 1

• We create and recreate our identities through ongoing, online autobiography
• Status updates are culturally significant by expressing changing feelings in social contexts. Therefore digital communication is important to understand identity

Question 2

Postmodernist: Collins

Answer 2

We construct new identities through social networking sites

Question 3

Marxist explanation of digital communication

Answer 3

Digital communication is a control mechanism, which allows the Bourgeoisie to exploit the proletariat

Question 4

Postmodernist: Case

Answer 4

Social media updates leave audit trails, hard to remove or edit. This leads to tension, conflict and privacy issues

Question 5

Berry (age)

Answer 5

• Only 37% above pension age have internet access. Found that this is due to physiological rather than financial barriers (new designs implemented with simpler formats, finder day)

Question 6

London School of Economics (age)

Answer 6

1/3 daily used ages 9-19 received unwanted sexual/nasty comments online

Question 7

Palmer (age)

Answer 7

Parents use media as an electronic babysitter. Children are susceptibly to adult work (toxic childhood)

Question 8

Carr (digital social world/age)

Answer 8

Is google making us stupid? Failing attention spans, expecting immediate gratification, youth can’t read in depth

Question 9

Boyle (age)

Answer 9

Each generation has greater reliance on digital media - ‘digital generational divide’

Question 10

Youthnet - happiness

Answer 10

The percentage of young people who state they’re happiest online is 45%

Question 11

Youthnet - lifestyle

Answer 11

75% of young people say they couldn’t live without the internet

Question 12

Youthnet - communication

Answer 12

86% of young people love online communication

Question 13

Wiseman (globalisation)

Answer 13

Globalisation, as a word is often misused or misunderstood. It needs careful consideration in a sociological context

Question 14

Cochraine and Pain (globalisation)

Answer 14

Defined globalisation as the emergence of global, economic and cultural systems, the world becomes one global society

Question 15

Stoll (digital social world)

Answer 15

Abuse and anonymity online is eroding trust. Social’s media is isolating and superficial

Question 16

Beollstorff (digital social world)

Answer 16

• Virtual world- second life
• He created an avatar and followed users exploring issues of gender, race etc and found that there is little regulation of online behaviour. - Belgian police had to patrol this site due to reports to ‘online rape’

Question 17

Zhao (digital social world)

Answer 17

Activities which connect create social ties (email)

Question 18

Bjorkland (digital social world)

Answer 18

People enjoy recording life events online, creating and reinforcing identity

Question 19

Holmes (digital social world)

Answer 19

Most people online know each other face to face

Question 20

Turkle (digital social world)

Answer 20

Digital communication creates false connectedness and control. ‘Alone together’ idolised version of ourselves online leads to vulnerable society and shut of from others

Question 21

Miller (digital social world)

Answer 21

Facebook helps to maintain relationships, especially long distance, but also makes promiscuous behaviour more visible and can break relationships

Question 22

Howard (conflict and change)

Answer 22

Internet plays a key role in Christian fundamentalist groups. New online religious movement, common ideology with no institution or central leader

Question 23

Radio free Europe (conflict and change)

Answer 23

Taliban once banned digital communication ‘un-islamic’, now used as terrorist propaganda

Question 24

Weismann (conflict and change)

Answer 24

Digital communication simple and cheap venue to spread terrorist ideology. 19998, dozen terrorist sites, now 7000+

Question 25

Kings College London (conflict and change)

Answer 25

Radicalisation usually requires potential terrorists to come into contact with real world social group first

Question 26

Kirkpatrick (conflict and change)

Answer 26

Facebook effect- this site mobilised 10 million people in street demonstrations which curbed violence and kidnapping by columbian forces. Tool for social movement and offers voice (link to Weber and party situation)

Question 27

Glott and Ghosh (gender)

Answer 27

• Only 13% of woman contribute to wikipedia
• Linkedin more male than female users
• Females account for 70% of pinterest and instagram

Question 28

McGonigal (gender)

Answer 28

Average 21 year old man, 10,000 hours of gaming, helps with boredom, anger teamwork and problem solving

Question 29

Walters (gender)

Answer 29

Woman sexualised in the media and gaming thus unrealistic expectations for young men

Question 30

Nakamura (gender)

Answer 30

Digital communication offers woman practical and emotional support e.g. everyday sexism project

Question 31

Arlaccki (gender)

Answer 31

Exploitation on a global scale felt more by women who hold less power, for example, human trafficking, networks organised through the ‘dark web’

Question 32

Adorno (gender)

Answer 32

Media creates false need for consumer goods- feeling capitalism, leaving with class exploitation, alienation

Question 33

Conford and Robins (gender)

Answer 33

• Media new means of surveillance- use of personal information seen as acceptable
• Digital communication portrays as democratic open communication but owned by capitalism making profit and ideologically control masses
• In the past owned means of production, now own technology

Question 34

Merttens and D’Haenens (class)

Answer 34

• There is a digital divide.
• Internet use (81% working class, 94% middle class)
• Working class entertainment, middle knowledge and information

Question 35

Garside (gender)

Answer 35

Typical adults spend over 8 hours consuming media, acts as entertainment and distracts from capitalism