In the year 2020, one is considered abnormal if they don’t have any social media platforms. Most Americans have Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, or another form of social media. In a lot of ways, the internet and communicating with others has changed drastically. A few years ago, many people when logging off of a chat site would say “gtg,” or “gotta go.” This is not a common phrase nowadays when people constantly have their cell phones on them. A simple buzz alerts the cell phone owner of an incoming communication, and they can interact with the notification from anywhere. People no longer “log off.”
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In David Gelertner’s “The Second Coming: A Manifesto,” He explains how he believes technology will change. He theorizes about “cyber-bodies”, essentially pockets of information. Each person would have their own cyber-body, detailing all of their electronic life. He explains that he believes there will be “tuners,” where one would be able to pull up cyber-bodies.
Although no such “tuners,” exist, and in the literal sense there are no cyber-bodies, one could argue that our cell phones are, in a way, these “tuners” that Gelertner theorized about. At a moment’s notice, you could pull up the social media pages of anyone who chooses to use them and form an informationally supported narrative about that person. Internet users are no longer simply computer users; they essentially do have a digital body, that is tied to their cell phone, desktop or laptop computer, smartwatch, or even, to some extent, headphones, to interact with the rest of the online world using their digital persona.
There are some obvious perks and downfalls to everyone having their own cyber-body. Each person can choose to customize it to their liking, posting their most perfect photos and thoughts and putting a positive foot forward before ever meeting someone. However, others can also post about you, and if negative, could ruin not only your cyber-body, but also your reputation in the real world, since they are interconnected.
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Person taking a selfie, from PhoneArena Link to source
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Each person does have a “cyber-body,” once you tie together their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and any other social media pages, as well as their messaging apps. Handheld or wearable devices are simply the “tuners,” that Gelertner once described, able to pull up and interact with another’s “cyber-body” at a moment’s notice.
Hey Taylor, really great post! I thought the title was very interesting and was mysterious enough to get me to click on it. Your introduction was probably my favorite part because it drew attention to this thing that has happened without me not even realizing. The idea that we not longer "log off" so you never have to say "GTG" was a really smart connection. The use of that example to go into your larger subject and bring in a reading was very creative. I think you did a good job of explaining the concepts in the readings to the audience. I liked how your conclusion drew it all together and then showed the reader that this is already their reality. Overall great post!
ReplyDeleteHi Taylor,
ReplyDeleteimmediately after comparing your two posts, I like how you broke up your paragraphs and used a larger font. This helps make your post more engaging. I really like how you concluded this post as it ties in the ideas you made throughout the intro much better than in your original post. The intro was very engaging and raises a good point that we are constantly logged in now. I like how you also relate our cell phones to being 'tuners' from Gelertner's paper.
One small suggestion I have is maybe to use a different photo as your first photo as it makes it look like the actual photo has not loaded yet (this might just be me). I also understand that the point of the photo is iconic and is associated with a profile on facebook. Just something to consider.
Overall, this was a great post and very engaging. Great job!
Hi Taylor,
ReplyDeleteI definitely noticed an improvement from your first draft to your revision. There is clearly a deeper analysis of the article now as well as a more tangible application of the concepts from the reading to an example. Your writing style is also very clear, which has made understanding your topic quite easy. For future reference, I would try to add more of a personal stance to your writing. You clearly analyze the reading and the concepts in it, but you could definitely introduce more opinions and dilemmas that come with cyber-bodies. Good job!