Social Networking at its Finest!

The following responses refer to an article written by Clive Thomson, "A Brave New World of Digital Intimacy"

1. Describe what Thompson means by the title of this article - "Brave New World of Digital Intimacy" - in 3-5 sentences.
A “Brave New World of Digital Intimacy” refers to the online social networking world that provides people a new way to learn about others every day. The title seems to mock the term digital intimacy, as there is none with Facebook and Myspace taking over the world. “Brave New World” was a book written in the 1930’s and this novel stated the anticipated developments in reproductive technology and sleep-learning that combine to change society. Thompson created this title with the message of that book in mind, technology has changed society and the digital networks that are created on a daily basis change individual lives.
2. Describe three PROS and three CONS of this new world, according to the research and individuals profiled in Thompson's article. Be specific.
PROS
A. These networking sites allow people to provide small bits of information without having to spend a large amount of time or effort describing daily events. Thompson states, “Each little update — each individual bit of social information — is insignificant on its own, even supremely mundane. But taken together, over time, the little snippets coalesce into a surprisingly sophisticated portrait of your friends’ and family members’ lives, like thousands of dots making a pointillist painting.”
B. The digital age brings new entertainment value to peoples live. “Merely looking at a stranger’s Twitter or Facebook feed isn’t interesting, because it seems like blather. Follow it for a day, though, and it begins to feel like a short story; follow it for a month, and it’s a novel.”
C. Thomspon also admits that this new world is a great way to meet new interesting people and forge intimate relationships or very scarce acquaintances. He told a story about a woman he met through Twitter that caught his attention and they began interacting. She had some solid rules in the web 2.0 world that she was living by. In the interview she said, “I either have to know who you are, or I have to know of you.” That means she monitors the lives of friends, family, anyone she works with, and she’ll also follow interesting people she discovers via her friends’ online lives.”
CONS
A. The idea of “weak ties” has some positives and negatives associated with it. The negative is that you may spread your emotions too thin, trying to keep up with many online relationships, and they true solid relationships you have may suffer.
B. Another problem with this new world is the new social problems that arrive because of the constant access to people’s information. Thompson interviewed a woman in this article that broke up with her boyfriend but didn’t take him off her friends list on Facebook. Soon after the breakup her ex had started dating someone new and her knowledge of this began to annoy her. Situations like that one can make the world of digital intimacy very uncomfortable.
C. Another con of the new digital world is in the title, intimacy. There become problems when Facebook was feeding information about every little change to a news page. Whether you were breaking up with someone, posting a new picture, or explaining the way you feel, everyone would see all the changes. This sort of “mind reading” power creates a feeling of invasion, and I was personally happy to see that Mark Zuckerberg changed the privacy policies.

3. What does Thompson mean by the phrase "ambient" awareness"? What do YOU think are the specific pros and cons of living in an online world of "ambient awareness"? Do you accept Thompson's conclusion that "ambient awareness" can have some therapeutic effects - making you a "happier person, a calmer person," or are you more skeptical? Justify your position.
Ambient awareness is very much like being physically near someone and picking up on his mood through the little things he does — body language, sighs, stray comments — out of the corner of your eye. Living in a world of ambient awareness is good because individuals can express themselves on a daily basis and think about life a lot more than they would if they couldn’t blog about their feelings. The problem becomes the potential lies and manipulation that ensues, since most people understand the effect of web 2.0, they can use it to their advantage. If a guy wants to create a new image for himself then he can change his profile and become a whole new person. I agree with Thompson’s conclusion though, the idea that you can pour your emotions and feelings into a social network can be very soothing. Take an hour and reflect on your life, then type some feelings into a blog, after reading that text back to yourself it becomes easier to gain perspective on events in your life.