Works Cited

“A History of the Computer.” PBS.org. 6 April 2009 http://www.pbs.org/nerds/timeline

Bauer, Larry. “Timeline of Computing History.” 4 April 2009 www.computer.org/portal/cms_docs_computer/computer/timeline/timeline.pdf

Spooner, Michael, and Kathleen Yancey. “Postings on a Genre of Email.” College Composition and Communication 47.2 (May, 1996): 252-278. Jstor. 4 April 2009 http://www.jstor.org/

Wellman, Barry et al. “Computer Networks as Social Networks: Collaborative Work, Telework, and Virtual Community.” Annual Review of Sociology 22 (1996): 213-238. Jstor. 4 April 2009 http://www.jstor.org

Conclusion

The use of technology such as computer and Internet improves global connectivity as it provides people a convenient and fast way to communicate with other people living on the same planet. However, this change in forms of communication seems to have negative effect on human interaction. Not only the various utilities that Internet offers are not effective in conveying human emotions and thoughts, the lack of social settings and human contact also lead to the development of narrowly defined relationship. The advancing computer technology provides people with means of communication and entertainment, but its excessive use could result in further human isolation.

Web chatting

Web chatting vs. Dialogue

The invention of Internet also allows people to have conversation online. Web chatting devices such as MSN Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger contribute to global connectivity while allowing the users to chat with their friends and people around the world. Similar to text messaging, the user is able to exchange instant message with other users. With a web camera, the user can also start a video conversation, which allows the transmission and exchange of the sound, as well as the visual image. In fact, the videoconferencing is quite common in North America as it often serves the purpose of reducing travel expenses. Although the web chatting provides a way of interacting with other people, it does not seem to improve human communication because unlike live conversation, web chatting lacks the social context and human contact. When people chat online, the verbal nuances are undermined, as people are often unable to recognize the smallest fluctuation of voice through the use of technology. The social settings are unvaried and the exchange of information is considered to be more important than one’s physical cues such as one’s facial expressions and gestures, which are crucial details that are suggestive of one’s emotional state during a live conversation.

Virtual communities

Virtual Communities vs. Real Communities

As Internet transforms the way human beings communicate with one another, people now have the option to be a part of the virtual communities, which make the rapid exchange of information possible. Online communities such as Facebook and Internet forums encourage people to join online group discussions and they allow users to connect with friends and people around the world. Similar to the functions of real communities, virtual communities provides people with social support while giving them the feeling that they belong to a larger social network. Nonetheless, virtual communities often support relationships that are narrowly defined. Most of the time, the virtual community consists of persons that people do not know and people choose to interact with those individuals mainly because they seem to have shared interests. While encouraging people to develop online relationships based on common interests rather than social characteristic, virtual communities undermine “community, organizational and coworker solidarity” (Wellman, et al., 1996, p.232). With the prevalence of virtual communities, people tend to spend less and less time on public contact and real community activities.

Browser Games

Web Games vs. Sports

With the creation of computer and the World Wide Web, another form of entertainment emerged, that is, browser games. Unlike other video games, the user does not need to install anything other than opening a web browser in order to play the game. The browser-based game includes either one single player or multiple players. The user can also choose to interact with other players online. Instead of using a video game console, the user often uses the keyboard or the mouse. In comparison with browser games, the traditional means of entertainment seem to have more benefit effects on human interaction. When people play browser games, there is often very little verbal exchange and people enter in a virtual world where it lacks social settings and real human contact. In contrast, when people use more traditional means of entertainment, e.g. practicing sports, they will learn to cooperate with other human beings and they will also acquire human values such as the team spirit. Moreover, traditional forms of entertainment such as going to a theater will contribute to a higher intellect and encourage people to appreciate the work of other human being.

Email

Email vs. Traditional Letter




One of the most commonly used functions that Internet offers to its users is email, the electronic mail. People use email to send and receive messages. They are able to send the letter to multiple users and forward the letter that they receive to other people. The user can either write the mail online or upload the letter that is prepared beforehand, such as in the case of sending an essay to the professor. The exchange of information is processed rapidly, often within a few minutes. Email was not considered as a widely used mean of communication until the late twentieth century. Traditional letter writing has always been the predominant way of communication. In the ancient times, people used an appointed messenger to deliver message, as it was depicted in Romeo and Juliet, the famous tragedy written by Shakespeare. Later on, people mailed to each other through the postal office as the postal system was established. The traditional letter was effective in conveying one’s emotions and thoughts. The elegance of one’s handwriting and the enriched vocabulary that one uses in the letter represent the depth of one’s knowledge. Unlike the traditional letter, email consists of short message often hastily written. Not only the language used in email sometimes makes the content incoherent, but also the emotions are often reduced to typographical representations, such as a smiling face.

Introduction

Throughout history, human beings have made great discoveries and the invention of computer is no doubt one of the most extraordinary contrivances that make contribution to the scientific, social and economic progress of humankind. The first computer was invented around the middle of the twentieth century. Unlike the computers that people now find on the market, the first computer had an enormous size and it was large enough to occupy the space of an entire room. The primary purpose of the invented device was to perform all-electronic calculation using vacuum tubes in order to facilitate human tasks. It was on January 1975 that the first personal minicomputer made its appearance in the form of a kit called MITS Altair 8800 and since then, many researchers, including Bill Gates, have worked hard to introduce new features to the computer. The development of Internet started around 1950 and was completed on 1983 (Bauer). The creation of both computer and Internet were revolutionary, as they change fundamentally the way people record and retrieve information, as well as the way people communicate with one another. While allowing multiple computer users to connect with one another to better share information, Internet also supports the development of the computer-supported social network, which gives people access to various utilities, such as email, browser games, virtual communities, etc. Although computer and Internet facilitated human interactions, most of the communication lacks social presence and real human contact. This raises the question: Does the use of computer make people more connected to the world and people around them or does it make people more isolated from their community and the society?