Well, i bet the answer would be ALMOST everyone.
As we all know, now internet is everywhere and with the help of wireless connection and GPRS on yr phone you can get to use the internet comfortably wherever you are in your country. It's as if CMC (computer mediated communication) has taken over the world in some sort and even a few hours spent in a country or area with no wireless connection might make you feel alittle tad uneasy.
Some might argue that with the whole wide range of communication thru computers and phones, people might lose their sensitivity to each other and they might totally forget about the normal medium of communication which is face-to-face. They might fear that people would tend to use only the internet to communicate as now they even have SKYPE which is a web-cam phenomenon where you can talk to anyone online with the help of a webcam and a microphone which are two things that come in-built in most laptops nowadays.
With skype, there would not even be a need to meet the person face to face as you can just talk to them thru skype as they would be able to hear everything you have to say to them. This is similar to videocalling in your handphones as well which further eliminates the need for face-to-face communication in this modern world where we dont even have time to brush our teeths properly in the morning.Yet however in my opinion, regardless of all these gadgets being so high tech and everyone going into the IT-savvy stage, the whole idea of meeting someone face-to-face and telling them how you feel or just being there for the person, and spending some quality time with them in person instead of talking to them thru webcam or thru a facebook message, actually goes a long way and shows more sincerity and concern. I feel that sincerity comes with action and to view the action you have to look at the person and observe what they're doing and not just listen to what they say to you online.
Dont get me wrong, there are cases where relationships between people and communication between people occur just thru and online social networking basis and this can lead to future connections or even marriage. However, there will come a time when you would want to meet the person face to face and talk to them and be there for them physically to hug you or comfort you if you need someone to talk to.
So back off twitter and facebook, even though you're awesome and you connect me to many people around the world, i still think i'd prefer meeting a friend for a coffee at a nearby starbucks so as to chill and talk about our life updates as compared to just telling her online or thru an email. but what about you? have u succumbed too much into this computer generated world or do you still believe in sincere face-to-face meetups?
please comment, thanks (:
In my opinion, CMC will deeply affect our younger generation. primary school kids are holding on to iPhones and Blackberry and spend most of their time at home with their eyes glued on the monitor, oblivious to the rest of the world. i feel that the younger generation will suffer from a free fall in EQ as compared to our generation (i'm 22 this year btw). just imagine spending about 10 years of ur school life (pri sch & sec sch) engrossed in CMC.suddenly they are thrust into the society with presentations and job interviews!
ReplyDeleteFAIL!!
to conclude, there is a need to educate the younger generation on this issue.but how?through CMC?hmm...
I would say I cant live w/o internet. Is so convenient to access to anything and dl things... BUT I guess is getting more of a heavy usage on the younger kids. My brother is a real life example.. Keeping cope in the room for almost 10hrs playing his LAN game is seriously not a good thing.. It also can affect a person's mood, for instance getting more & more introvet..
ReplyDeletei agree to a large extend with the point that internet is inevitable in everyone's life and indeed, internet made our lives easier in one way or another. Skype, instant messaging and social networking sites allow people to keep in touch with one another even when they are at different ends of the world, as long as there is internet connection. However,internet poses it threats too. Hackers make use of the internet, a medium to gather information. They hack into systems on the internet and 'steal' important information, causing harm and losses to the victims. I believe that people nowadays will find it very hard to live without the internet, but they need to be very careful regarding what they disclose on the internet
ReplyDeleteWith the advance of technology, we are getting so many forms of ways to communicate with one another. Through facebook and twitter, i find myself saying so many one liners and tiny bits of information to my friends. What I'm trying to put across is that, though I'm more connected now with my friends, i feel more disconnected with them than before. The need to have a proper conversation is them is growing more and more with each twitter reply and facebook wall post. We should all get off the computer and just call our friends up if you cant meet up with them. If you do not stop conversing with your best friend or your family over the net, don't be surprised when your computer is the only best friend or family you have left in the world.
ReplyDeleteI'm in shame! Evidently(with a bb in hand), I have succumbed into the 'computer generated world' yet I still believe in face-to-face meetups at the same time so there isn't really an 'or' but an 'and' :) there's nothing in the world like a hug, a peck on the cheek or the simplest eye contact that could make you feel just about anything. As much sighs as anyone can give regarding our huge reliance on the internet..there really isn't much we can do or not do about it. In a sense I do feel disconnected with lesser meetups, but nobody can blame this on the internet because if the effort or sincerity is present, nothing can stop everyone from meeting up, agreed? just my 2cents :)
ReplyDeleteI think there should be a balance of both! In my opinion, it's fantastic that we are so easily contactable now and that keeping in touch with friends and family has become so convenient. However I do agree to a certain extent that CMC would affect our EQ levels. Hiding behind a screen and talking online is a world of difference from actually meeting the person and getting to talk to them face to face. Personally, I support both sides of the arguement. I love meeting up with my friends and catching up with them over a cup of coffee. But as we're not always free to do so, it's good that we still have the wonderful internet to help us keep in touch with friends we don't see often.
ReplyDeleteHi Sharifa!
ReplyDeleteThough it may seem that the quality of communication style has been compromised, I feel that technology as a whole has help us manage our social network more easily. Be it due to school work or other responsibilities, it is impossible to keep in contact with all of your friends consistently. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter help us to do the impossible by managing most of our friends at one go! Now, we are able to talk to friends from both Singapore and overseas at one go. Updating each other on how each other has been has never been easier. I'm sure it is more sincere to meet a friend face-to-face, but as for friends that are constantly busy or are overseas, isn't it better to stay in contact with each other through these social networking sites than not at all?
Nice video by the way! (;
The many cases of identity theft, fallacious identities and the weakening of relationships prevalent on Facebook and Twitter prove as testaments to the dangers of social networking sites.
ReplyDeleteHowever, let's us not neglect the social benefits they bring too. I'll give one example - social networking sites frees the social restrictions that hinder those marginalized for their physcial appearance or those who hold psychological fears in communicating on a face-to-face basis. This facelessness factor that social networking sites provide lowers the barriers to interaction and encourages greater self-disclosure. Netizens judge each other based on knowledge and opinions offered, rather than the way they look or their physical behaviour. Social networking sites offer the out-casted more opportunities to unfold their personalities, express their opinions and find other like-minded individuals.
These people get to enjoy a sense of belonging to a group or society, a feeling they are otherwise unable to derive from their offline social circle.
Why does online and offline communication have to be mutually exclusive? A relationship does not have to be 100% online or offline. In fact, most tend to be a mix of digital and physical communication anyway.
ReplyDeleteCMC (ohhh learnt a new term today <3) can help suppliment a relationship. Say the couple are unable to meet up due to long distance/work/school/stuck in drain slowly dying from hypothermia, they can still communicate and talk despite the difficulties faced.
People also generally feel more relaxed thru CMC. Studies have shown that people are more likely to say something online (and I dont mean anonymous comments, people they actually know irl) rather than offline. This can facilitate better communication between a couple, as they are more honest with each other, and reveal more about themselves thay shyness can impede in real life.
In conclusion, depending on how it is used, CMC can help a relationship as much as meeting offline can, and the internet is therefore advantageous.
Nice Boat
Today,I guess no one is able to live without internet. It is something that we NEED to use it at least once per day. No matter whether is it for communication or researching, we need it. It eases the hassle of people and being much convenience to people. When is the last time you go to the library and search for one particular information? We simply google it now. In conclusion, we need internet!
ReplyDeleteim one of the few who don't own a smart phone, but i definitely cant live without the internet,so i will always bring my laptop around whereever i go.
ReplyDeletelike everything haves both its pros and cons,i feel CMC's a balance of both,for instance,it might be addictive and such,but end of the day,it helps us to keep in touch with our loved ones and those that matters to us,without paying a single cent,and most importantly decreases the physical distance and increases the closeness of individuals.many relationships can be maintained because of CMC.
Well.. Personally i do not own an iphone nor a blackberry phone because i still prefer the old and traditional 2G way of communication. However, i must admit that the world is ever changing, so do is the society. People are coming up with technology that can simply connects you to the other part of the world in just a blink of the eye. Therefore, don be surprise if CMC do take over how we communicate in future. Having say this, i think i must visit the retail shop to have my hp change then.....
ReplyDeleteI am in support of the view that face to face communication will still prevail for most social as well as business purposes. As you have rightfully pointed out, face to face communication brings out more sincerity, which will makes bond the friends closer and have more chance of inking the deal.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, the test of the social or working relationship will be more robust with face to face communication, as both parties will notice one another movement, gestures etc. These are the features which people cannot observe through online communication modes.
totally agree
ReplyDeleteinternet wld b smth human cant live wout anymore
for instant hw can u afford nt to check ur mail though u r on AL.
can work b really cast aside? e answer is NO
every1 needs to go online else whats e need of data plan isnt it?
yiling said...
ReplyDeleteInternet is definitely part of our lives these days. In view of the working society, I feel that internet is the best invention ever, especially email as messages always get across at the fastest speed. As email is so important to all working adults, it is no wonder most of them are using smartphones. However, anything other than work, I think that face-to-face meetups is better.
Begum
ReplyDeleteWell, firstly I'm not going to float on my morality thus I disagree that technological advancement is a bane. This is because of the fact that due to globalisation, we are moving in a more fast paced society thus these developments are necessary. I guess the technology itself shouldnt be blamed, instead it would be the users who are abusing the development. Of course as human beings, we are always ready to criticise and shift the blame onto the internet and smartphones. But think about it. We are sitting smugly behihnd our computer screens, blaming the computer(that has entirely no control over itself) and yet we are forgetting about the one person who controls this device. Didnt we just go online to comment about this? How many of us are on facebook at the same time while clearing our mails? Im sure many of us would know abt the Ris Low April Fool prank. It would not have been possible for the news to spread nation-wide without the constant report on the radio. Thus in my opinion technology is not to be entirely blamed. Sometimes as humans, we need an internal locus of control that signals to us when to get off the internet.
On the other hand however, i do have to humbly accept that there is more sincerity in face-to-face communication. The warmth and closeness of meeting somone can never be replaced by any wireless connection be it Singtel, Starhub or M1. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to meet up with our friends once we enter the workforce. This could be easily solved by meeting every forthnight, like Friday nights with the ladies or guys so as to enjoy the comfort and updates of our close ones!
Cheers! =)
i've always preferred face-to-face communication. i mean, you can better understand the mood and background of the person you are communicating with by looking at their body language, and you can clarify information interactively when you’re face to face, which is much better than a series of email exchanges where you can easily be misunderstood. Moreover, face-to-face with the people who need to make the decisions, you can resolve issues much faster than through correspondence of any kind, some of which can drag out for days or even months! With personal contact, you develop, build and maintain relationships, ultimately the essential ingredient of a successful communication!
ReplyDeleteWhile we discuss about how we as a generation are increasingly finding ourselves to depend on our mobile devices and modes of connectivity, I believe that we should also explore the possibility of the stagnation of such an increasing trend.
ReplyDeleteTake for example, when my macbook crashed last year, I spent a day in shock, feeling helpless and disconnected from my friends and the world. However, as days passed, I realised that my assumed dependence on my macbook subsided. In fact, I realised how jaded I was from being a slave of social networking. It was a refreshing break from being consumed into the whirlpool of endless exchange of information.
Hence, is this dependence on increasing sophisticated technology based on true, practical functionality.. or is it merely out of habit and convenience?
Chew on it! x
It's true that we are now highly dependent on the Internet but I guess that just makes face to face communication even more sweeter, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteWe communicate online almost 24/7 so at times when we do communicate face to face, I think all of us will cherish it. Cliche as it may sound, despite the ever-thriving use of the Internet to develop relationships and such, each of us still value face to face communication as it gives a more personal touch to our interpersonal relationships with others.
aloysius
ReplyDeleteAre you going to be graded here? 15 years ago, who would have thought that this was possible? how easy and efficient but if so, I can just type google search, cut and paste and have many posts. Job done in 10mins. No doubt internet definitely makes communication way easier and lighting fast. I am not usually in town and when this happen it will be 3 months that I am without internet connection (only once awhile when i call port) and everytime I feel so out-dated, from my friends' daily activity to the latest news. Whenever I am overseas and there is an internet cafe, I will spend hours in it, trying to re-connect myself. imagine the world without it, no research, FB or anything..
At the end of the day its how you want to use it, to your benefit or abuse it, but of course who can define abuse.