Sociology 101: Entry 2
CHAPTER 3: How have smart phones and websites like Facebook (material culture) changed the way we interact (nonmaterial culture, norms, and values) and communicate? How does frequent "texting" and less talking affect the nature of our relationships, both positively and negatively?
When I was in elementary school, I would send letters to my cousin and my best friend at the time. It would take weeks for them to not only get the letters, but to also come up with a letter themselves and send their reply. For the entire time it too for a reply, I would excitedly check my mail to see if it came in, and when it does, I'm excited and so happy for days. Weeks had gone by and my letters will be filled with weeks of thoughts, feelings, dreams and events. Experiences will have accumulated so that my letters weren't just little notes, they were documents (for a nine year old, but still).
Now, whenever I check my e-mail, or my phone, it's not deep and meaningful messages I find. Usually I don't even get a message unless something especially important, interesting, funny or disturbing happens. Because everyone is so connected to one another, and can relay messages as fast as their internet rather than their post, communicating with someone you don't see as often as you want is no longer something you put effort, thought or excitement into. You don't spend weeks in suspense wondering if they've gotten it yet, if they've read it yet, what are their thoughts, what's their reply, when will you find out and if something wonderful happened since the last time you got a letter from them.
Now, it's so instantanious there's no bliss or joy involved. The new information is just inserted into your relationship and system. I mean, I love talking to that cousin I used to send letters, I text her or IM her often now. I can find out about her life quickly, so that I know when something's gone wrong, if something's gone right, and we can arrange to meet without planning to far in advance.
When I open my mailbox though, I no longer wonder about if there's any letters for me. I no longer think about what my mail will say to me.
On the aspect of speaking versus reading, I don't really think of it that way. I prefer a face to face meeting anyday, able to see their expressions, involve hand gestures and maybe do something when the conversation has lulled. However, there's also something personal when writing a letter. Not only is there the long wait for a response that fills you with excitement, but the letters themselves have little pictures on them. Their handwriting is too messy or maybe too neat. They press hard with their pen, or barely touch the paper at all. There are crossed out words and notes along the margin and there's just as much personality as a face to face meeting.
Texting and material culture has certainly removied the personality with impersonal font, pressing margins, and over used clipart and emoticons. Material culture has changed so much though, that everyone is connected and there is no suspense, no wondering, only instantanious information with no personality and no real emotion. Instantanious messaging is not a real type of communication.
When I was in elementary school, I would send letters to my cousin and my best friend at the time. It would take weeks for them to not only get the letters, but to also come up with a letter themselves and send their reply. For the entire time it too for a reply, I would excitedly check my mail to see if it came in, and when it does, I'm excited and so happy for days. Weeks had gone by and my letters will be filled with weeks of thoughts, feelings, dreams and events. Experiences will have accumulated so that my letters weren't just little notes, they were documents (for a nine year old, but still).
Now, whenever I check my e-mail, or my phone, it's not deep and meaningful messages I find. Usually I don't even get a message unless something especially important, interesting, funny or disturbing happens. Because everyone is so connected to one another, and can relay messages as fast as their internet rather than their post, communicating with someone you don't see as often as you want is no longer something you put effort, thought or excitement into. You don't spend weeks in suspense wondering if they've gotten it yet, if they've read it yet, what are their thoughts, what's their reply, when will you find out and if something wonderful happened since the last time you got a letter from them.
Now, it's so instantanious there's no bliss or joy involved. The new information is just inserted into your relationship and system. I mean, I love talking to that cousin I used to send letters, I text her or IM her often now. I can find out about her life quickly, so that I know when something's gone wrong, if something's gone right, and we can arrange to meet without planning to far in advance.
When I open my mailbox though, I no longer wonder about if there's any letters for me. I no longer think about what my mail will say to me.
On the aspect of speaking versus reading, I don't really think of it that way. I prefer a face to face meeting anyday, able to see their expressions, involve hand gestures and maybe do something when the conversation has lulled. However, there's also something personal when writing a letter. Not only is there the long wait for a response that fills you with excitement, but the letters themselves have little pictures on them. Their handwriting is too messy or maybe too neat. They press hard with their pen, or barely touch the paper at all. There are crossed out words and notes along the margin and there's just as much personality as a face to face meeting.
Texting and material culture has certainly removied the personality with impersonal font, pressing margins, and over used clipart and emoticons. Material culture has changed so much though, that everyone is connected and there is no suspense, no wondering, only instantanious information with no personality and no real emotion. Instantanious messaging is not a real type of communication.