e20211amjohnr

1. theme: digital culture + social sites.

2. broad topic: discovering why these sites are so influential to kids and why ‘’ friends are friends.'’

3. concept stream: myspace, facebook, social sites, friends, ignorance, stress.

4. relevant conversations/ sources: myspace/facebook, friendship/or not, acceptance/denial.

5a. working research questions: are they friends or not? should you only add friends? why is it so awkward to deny someone? why do people ‘’collect friends'’?

5b. focused research question: why do you classify people as friends on social sites, and why are these sites like myspace and facebook such a big deal?

“’ Are you my friend? Yes or no?”’ “This question, while fundamentally odd, is a key component of social network sites. Participants must select who on the system they deem to be “’Friends.”’ Their choice is publicly displayed for all to see and becomes the backbone for networked participation.” What a way to pick your friends, but this is how numerous youths decide who they want to be friends with, by clicking a “yes or no” button. The question I ask is why do you classify people as friends on social sites, and why are these sites such a big deal?
“In everyday life a friend is a relationship that involves some degree of mutual love or admiration, emotional and practical support. Friends are expected to provide a shoulder to cry on, be a partner in crime, and guarantee to bail you out of jail. “Friends, the people you see or talk to on a daily basis that you have known for at least a few years. But now a days if you talk to a person once on one of these social sites like “MySpace” they are considered your friend. But why is that? Because it’s easier to say yes to someone than it is to say no. Every time someone has a new friend request instead of declining the person if you don’t know them most people accept them so there’s none of that awkwardness between you even if you never talk to the person. People would rather feel that sense of kindness and acknowledgement than have that other people you don’t know think you’re ignorant.
Then there are the people who add everyone they can. They might have 687 people in their list and call them all “friends.” They have their actual friends mixed in with acquaintances, contacts, people they don’t know, and all the made up band, celebrity, and institution profiles. Made up profiles of Orlando Bloom and Bart Simpson and they say that they are friends. How can you be friends with a cartoon? Kate Raynes-Goldie and Fono from “Live Journal” found the 13 top reasons people say that they are “friends”: “1. Actual friends. 2. Acquaintances, family, colleagues. 3. It would be socially inappropriate to say no because you know them. 4. Having lots of friends makes you look popular. 5. It’s a way of indicating that you are a fan (of that person, band, product, etc.) 6. Your list of friends reveals who you are. 7. Their profile is cool so being friends makes you look cool. 8. Collecting friends lets you see more people. 9. it’s the only way to see a private profile. 10. Being friends lets you see someone’s bulletins and their friends-only blog posts. 11. You want them to see your bulletins, private profile, and private blog. 12. You can use your friends list to find someone later. 13. it’s easier to say yes than no.”

Danah Boyd discusses how and why people choose friends on social sites like myspace and facebook, but why are they called friends? most of the time you don’t even know the people you are adding or are adding you. why aren’t they called acquaintances or just straight up randoms? it makes a good point that these sites are useful to talking to people you know and finding people you haven’t seen in a long time, but why are they such a big deal? you could always just open up your yearbook and your phonebook and start calling every john dow until you find the one you know. and why do people feel so connected when using these sites?

What Prensky writes about is so true. children now a days can just get on the computer and do anything they need, whereas some adults can’t even turn the damn thing on. kids text message their friends, calls are barely made anymore. most adults can’t comprehend how to text so they don’t try, they just dial and talk. but to try and persuade educators to change the way they teach is not a good idea.

the students need to understand how to use books, paper, and pencils and not rely on computers, pda’s, and cell phones. they need to learn how to open a book and read it and not find an automated version of it on the internet and listen to it. without using logic for these seemingly simple tasks children miss the actual learning process and just find the listening process.

i think it’s funny how a lot of people think that they are gonna be famous someday and it’s not gonna happen. to be rich and famous you have to have talent at something, for example: doctors, sports players, and actors; they are all talented at what they do. the average joe can’t just decide one day that he wants to perform open heart surgery. it doesn’t work. and sites like youtube don’t help the matter at all. they allow people to post stupid ass videos of themselves doing stupid shit like playing videogames. that’s not gonna make you famous. just because people log on and watch your video doesn’t mean that your famous, it just means that they’re laughing at your dumbass for being stupid enough to videotape yourself playing halo. technology doesn’t help people become famous, it only helps them embarrass themselves. ” I want to be a famous football player like Hines Ward someday.” ” well it’s not gonna happen if you can’t catch the damn ball son.” and it makes it worse that parents encourage their children by saying ” you can be anything you want.” that’s a lie! it’s just helping them envision something that will never happen for them.