Lasn argues that our emotions have become 'emoticons', and that by having different identities in different 'worlds', we risk losing sense of our 'authentic self'. I agree with this statement; however, I think that we have to look first at the reason WHY our emotions have become emoticons. With the rise of instant messaging, texting, and e-mailing, we have had to adapt to interpreting messages using only written launguage. In these communication mediums, we completely lose sometimes the most important parts of communication: nonverbals. Using sarcams, making jokes, keeping or losing eye contact, shrugging our shoulders, or shedding a tear can't be physically shown in the online world. However, since so much communication is lost, we need to find ways for our text to become more flexible, thus the invention of emoticons, "lol", "jk", and whatever acronyms we find the need for.
So, since for so many of our sentences need some kind of 'disclaimer'- something that says 'I wanted to make a statement, but just picture me rolling my eyes now", we tend to use a smiley or 'lol' after every other sentence. But are we really smiling? Laughing out Loud? No. We just need to make sure the person on the recieving end knows to take what we've written in a more lighthearted or figurative way. It doesn't seem so bad at first, but soon we can't remember how to really laugh out loud. We don't even SPEAK outloud! This is when it becomes a problem. And this is where we risk losing sense of our authentic self. We USED to call up a friend and laugh out loud. We USED to talk over lunch and roll our eyes. But now, in this fantasy world, we are forced to put our emotions in 'writing'. How can this be authentic? Laughter is a sort of reflex. Nobody thinks to themselves, "If this person says something funny, I'm going to have to laugh and smile." So when we have to specify "I'm laughing out loud", it becomes more of the 'disclaimer' we need to make sure that our written text is understood instead of an enjoyable laugh.
My question is, do we have a 'real world' self AND an 'online' self? Or, does the world we live in most often just take on different characteristics when stepping into that 'other' world? For example: Was Dan, who lived in his computer for 18 hours a day on 'Second Skin', able to extract himself completely from the game in order to interact with real life? Or did he become a permanent character in the game who was simply forced to live in the 'real world' on occasion when he had to eat, sleep and use the restroom? I think that is debatable, depending on how much time is spent in each world, and what priorities come first: paying the electric bill or trading your gold for a sword. I believe that until Dan went to that halfway house, he was a permanent character of World of Warcraft (is that what it was called?) who was forced to sleep and eat on Earth.
very good blog Brooke. if you read my blog you already know i completely agree with your points on text messaging and emoticons. like you make some very good point like how we used to call our friends and really laughed out loud i liked that.
ReplyDeleteI really like this. You thought very deep into this issue. I agree 100% that laughing is a reflex. Its just something that happens. However, I still think that just being with people and laughing and rolling your eyes is possible. I know me and my room mates have dinner and its pretty much a gossip secession and we all laugh and tell stories from the weekend and about our families. I know a lot of laughing and eye rolling takes place. I believe that its much easier though to show these emotions through test messages with people you have just met or for example, if you are trying to make someone your boyfriend/girlfriend and you may be a little shy in person.
ReplyDeleteYou seemed to feel really strongly about the nonpersonal contact between people. i dont realy feel that people have no emotion whether they may or may not be texting or online. i do think that we are losing some of our verbal contact abilities though.
ReplyDeleteI feel like many people have lost the important parts of communication and rely on technology way too much, but i also think it is easier for people to communicate through texting or email. Some people are not confident and by texting someone it actually gives them time to think and react on what they can say. I'm not saying face to face communication is something people should lose touch of, it's just technology has become so relavent some people don't know life without it.
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