Week 1 Post 3- The Hidden World of 2.0
So I’ve been watching and really enjoying Cobra Kai, the Karate Kid revival airing on Google. I’m a big Karate Kid fan, but I do think the series is great regardless of any personal bias.
I’m writing about it on this blog because one of the main older characters is completley clueless about computers and social media. It’s played for laughs (how can you not know what Facebook is?), but the reality is that there are plenty of people in the world who aren’t on social media, and somehow managing their lives. I know this especially, because I dealt with them on a daily basis while working at the library. When I talk to some of my friends, they may have some experience with older relatives being relatively clueless about it, but I’m not sure they really understand the signficant portion who are not choosing to unplug but are just unplugged because they don’t know or never had the chance to.
What’s interesting and somewhat tragic to me is that this is the way the world is heading, and very soon (if not already), many who aren’t able to engage in social media are going to be left signficantly behind. It’s already happening to some extent. Some of the articles I’ve been reading term certain Web 2.0 developments even in context of the development of online shopping carts and personal forms. If that is true, then Web 2.0 is already replacing most ways we interact with our government. Things like food stamps, immigration, court filings- these are all virtually impossible without the use of a computer using Web 2.0 technologies.
It’s really like a secret world, a hidden world, if you are unaware of it. So much of life and the cultural political scientific conversation occurs specifically and mostly in this sphere, that if you are not a part of it you are to some extent not a part of the vibrant, progressing world.
Learning is certainly going in this direction. I work at FIU, developing online courework much like the class we are currently taking, coursework only possible because of Web 2.0 technologies and philosophies. It’s in many respects a more efficient way of higher learning, and incredibly lucrative. I think this class will be exploring how to further engage Web 2.0 technologies, beyond just what is enabled by a Canvas like LMS, using what’s already out there. I’m excited.
I’m writing about it on this blog because one of the main older characters is completley clueless about computers and social media. It’s played for laughs (how can you not know what Facebook is?), but the reality is that there are plenty of people in the world who aren’t on social media, and somehow managing their lives. I know this especially, because I dealt with them on a daily basis while working at the library. When I talk to some of my friends, they may have some experience with older relatives being relatively clueless about it, but I’m not sure they really understand the signficant portion who are not choosing to unplug but are just unplugged because they don’t know or never had the chance to.
What’s interesting and somewhat tragic to me is that this is the way the world is heading, and very soon (if not already), many who aren’t able to engage in social media are going to be left signficantly behind. It’s already happening to some extent. Some of the articles I’ve been reading term certain Web 2.0 developments even in context of the development of online shopping carts and personal forms. If that is true, then Web 2.0 is already replacing most ways we interact with our government. Things like food stamps, immigration, court filings- these are all virtually impossible without the use of a computer using Web 2.0 technologies.
It’s really like a secret world, a hidden world, if you are unaware of it. So much of life and the cultural political scientific conversation occurs specifically and mostly in this sphere, that if you are not a part of it you are to some extent not a part of the vibrant, progressing world.
Learning is certainly going in this direction. I work at FIU, developing online courework much like the class we are currently taking, coursework only possible because of Web 2.0 technologies and philosophies. It’s in many respects a more efficient way of higher learning, and incredibly lucrative. I think this class will be exploring how to further engage Web 2.0 technologies, beyond just what is enabled by a Canvas like LMS, using what’s already out there. I’m excited.
The only one in my extended family that is not on social media is my 99 year-old grandfather. I fully agree with your contention that it is a "hidden world," at least as far as my grandfather is concerned. Further, my impetus for taking this course is the recognition that this is where education is going and I'm not happy with my current knowledge of online instruction beyond what I post to Canvas for my face-to-face undergrad classes. (With all that said, I haven't seen an episode of Cobra Kai, my I may check it out based on your recommendation!)
ReplyDeleteI was just reading a Pew Internet report today about how 10% of Americans are not on the Internet.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/04/22/some-americans-dont-use-the-internet-who-are-they/