Formerly SpringBlog

Monday, February 14, 2011

We Are Generation Wiki



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-morningside-post/generation-wiki_b_795392.html

The other day I ran across an article that reminded me of our earlier class discussions. The Huffington Post article, “We Are Generation Wiki” confronts the social networking, technology driven self-importance of our generation today. The article mentions how most members of our generation have had access to a computer their entire lives, and how this availability has redefined our social world from that of our parents. The article also mentions an important aspect of communicating via technology:

This is a very interesting point. It is as if our ways of communication via technology have developed their own boundaries, their own limits, and their own use of language. How we use each one makes us think, type, and “speak” differently. Without thinking about it, we conform to a set of rules through each mode of communication and we follow them, as well as chastising and rolling our eyes at those who do not. This provides us with another angle on the evolution of language, just like we analyzed in class. Why have we categorized the way we use communication? And why must we use it this way? Will face-to-face communication become more taboo as the years pass, or will its value become more meaningful as we continue to submerge ourselves into the world of technology? This article poses some interesting and thought provoking questions.

I thought this persons comment made an interesting point. Looking at the idea of generations, and what they spend their lifetimes doing, seeing, believing, each one is self-important in its own way. Each one has evolved its language and communication due to increasing technology. This comment reminded me of a lot of Mcluhan's ideas in "Medium is the Massage". While one generation can overlook its own self-importance, it can often manage to point out the self-important aspects of another generation. So what makes our generation so special? What makes our generation not so special? Do you agree or disagree with this comment on the article?

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