Connected but Alone

Connecting the Digital Dots…

Image by: VEER/Corina Rosu

Image by: Shutterstock/Toria

In our lessons so far we have thought a lot about living in the 21st century digital world.

It is evident that within a single generation, digital media and the World Wide Web have transformed virtually every aspect of modern culture, from the way we learn and work to the ways in which we socialise and even conduct war.

Is our 24/7 wired world causing us to lose as much as we've gained?

It is important to try to understand the implications of living in a world consumed by technology and the impact that this constant connectivity may have on you and future generations.

Let’s take a different view of the world. A view provided by a Human–Computer Interaction student, Chris Harrison.

Using data, Chris created a set of visualisations that display how cities across the globe are interconnected.

http://chrisharrison.net/projects/InternetMap/medium/worlddotblack.jpg

http://chrisharrison.net/projects/InternetMap/medium/worldBlack.jpg

World Connection DensityThis image displays the relative densities of Internet connectivity across the globe. The stronger the contrast, the more connectivity there is.

No country borders or geographic features are shown – the only thing you see is the data. However, it should be fairly easy to orient yourself. It is immediately obvious, for example, that North America and Europe are considerably more connected than Africa or South America. However, it is important to note that this only reflects density of connections, and not usage. In developing nations, hundreds of people may utilise a single connection in an internet cafe (often the only form of connectivity people have access to).

This is another visually intriguing representation of how the net is connected, created by Chris Harrison. The intensity of edge contrast reflects the number of connections between the two points.

In this lesson students are learning about:

• the reality of the 21st century digital world• the impact on lifestyles, behaviours, health

and well-being of the ‘always on’ society

At the end of this lesson students will be able to:

• define the issues and risks associated with the ability of individuals to access networks anywhere at any time

Connected…

Image by: Shutterstock/Jojje Image by: VEER/Texelart, R1 and Corina Rosu

Josh

Emily

Lorene

Ben

Adel

James

We have considered the benefits of being connected; remember though there are always two sides to everything.

All these friends may be connected through technology but there is one thing that should not be overlooked.

Connected, but alone!

Image by: Shutterstock/Jojje Images by: VEER/Texelart, R1 and Corina Rosu

They are connected, but alone. As we expect more from technology, do we expect less from each other? How have our connected devices and online personas redefined our human connections and communications?

Activity… watch this….

• http://www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle_alone_together.html

Controversial? What do you think

• Sherry Turkle’s presentation makes the controversial point that technology may be taking us places we don’t want to go.

• We are now going to debate some of her points…

Four Corners of the World… Digital Debate

Image by: VEER/Corina RosuImage by: VEER/Yuriy Panyukov

“The feeling that ‘no one is listening to me’ make us want to spend time with machines that seem to care about us.”

“We expect more from technology and less from each other.”“We're letting technology take us places that we don't want to go.”“We all really need to listen to each other, including the boring bits.”

Homework

Image by: VEER/Texelart Image by: Shutterstock/KOUNADEAS IOANNHS

Stating my positionWe have just ended the debate and group discussions. Now it is time for you to give your own opinion on the subject. Revisit the notes you have written throughout the debate and use those notes to write a concise paragraph stating your position on the issue. Complete TB 5 L1 HW sheet