It is interesting to see the continuous exploration of postmodernism in each article we read, there are so many different avenues to take. In Poster's, "Postmodern Virtualities", I found his discussion of "virtual communities" to be intriguing. It really reminded me of Umberto Eco's, "The City of Robots". Both articles explore the progression from what we consider "real" and "virtual/imaginary" and the influence that technology has on this. Eco talked about how technology now can imitate reality as we know it and do it better therefore we embrace this "fake" reality. Poster talks about how people can reinvent themselves and maintain "fluidity of identity" forming "virtual" communities on-line.
"...the internet and virtual reality open the possibility of new kinds of interactivity such that the idea of an opposition of real and unreal community is not adequate to specify the differences between modes of bonding, serving instead to obscure the manner of the historical construction of forms of community" (Poster, 542).
The internet gives people the opportunity to encode our identities and avoid certain social struggles. "Without visual cues of gender, age, ethnicity and social status, conversations open up in directions that otherwise might be avoided" (542). This is a chance to bond with people that you might normally not interact with due to the divide in our society.
Is this a good thing? Does this make "virtual communities" tighter knit and accepting than "real communities"? Is living in disguise through the use of technology beneficial in any way? Does it help us in our "real" communities? Is appreciating modes of communication/technology such as the internet and places like Disney more than real life and real interactions detrimental to our society?
Communication systems are ever-changing, when does the line between "real" and "fake" diminish?
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1 comment:
very good reflection and connections
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