Technology Convergence in the Global Village

#techconvergence 

The Global Village has begun to mature and so has our comfort with sharing details of our lives online. Some Residents are more comfortable interacting and sharing information online than in person. As a result, we are also creating a new way of living in the Global Village.

 

Photo by Shahadat Rahman on Unsplash

The Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC) conducts global research for a creative, inclusive and fair digital media environment. DMRC research programs address the challenges of creativity, innovation, inclusion, diversity, and and fairness in the constantly changing digital media landscape.

The DMRC has access to cutting-edge research infrastructure and capabilities in computational methods for the study of communication and society. We actively engage with partners across the Global Village to provide a dynamic and supportive research training environment.

In the past two decades, social networks have become essential accessories for life. Visual clues and body language express our persona when interacting in person. They offer no comfort in the two dimensional setting of a video conference.

This need for social network personas leaves older Residents feeling like Moses at the birth of his son:

Exodus 2:22, KJV: "And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom:

for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land."

To deal with on-screen relationships, younger Residents have learned impression management. This lesson did not originate in the Global Village. It started when teen gaming competitors needed to differentiate themselves in on-line games. A player created a following and screen impression by combining a nickname with a high score. A player who logged on as "Joey" soon became known as "Dragon Slayer 500" by making the list of top 10 players. Thereafter. every serious player wanted to learn game strategy from this anonymous gaming expert. He had created an on-line impression that distinguished him from other players. He managed that impression by staying on top of the list. So, it was a natural fit for younger Residents to incorporate gaming into social networks.

Photo by Ciaran O'Brien on Unsplash

As the Global Village has matured, gaming has evolved alongside it. This includes enhanced graphics that provide realistic experiences. Most gaming is now conducted online, in multiplayer settings. Players can assume the persona of a programmed avatar or they can use a personal name. Technology convergence has made this choice a simple preference. That's just the way it is in the Global Village.

Impression Management in the Global Village

#globalcommunication

Residents of the Global Village use impression management to project and protect their image. Impression management is a staple of the internet. It empowers users to create new social and cultural values. These values are the foundation for their identities in the digital world. From this foundation flows cultivated information for their user profile. Many use avatars to present their on-line profile.

In the Industrial Park, avatars provided self-identification and showcased unique individuality. Much like an animated job application, they presented both bio and geo information. It was more user profile than modern avatar.

The rise of social media and online gaming propelled impression management to a higher level of creativity. Avatars became our alter-egos. We could endow them with positive impressions. We could also filter out details that gave a negative perception of ourselves. Our avatars could post content and present ideas that we would never present in person. 

Photo by Cláudio Luiz Castro on Unsplash.  

Young Residents sometimes engage in identity manipulation. They alter the personality and appearance of their avatars. They try to bolster their self-esteem and appear more attractive to their peers. If their peers find risky behavior attractive, they may profile alcohol use and unhealthy eating to gain to gain acceptance.

Middle Age Residents display more confidence and mastery. Senior Residents use social media for educational and supportive purposes.

These impression management factors influence how Residents form and communicate their online personas. That's just the way it is in the Global Village.

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Digital Citizenship in the Global Village

#digitalcitizenship

Digital media and technology continue to evolve in the Global Village. This presents both extraordinary opportunities and complex challenges:

• Residents use the power of the internet to explore, connect, create, and work in unique ways.
• Residents must deal with cyber bullying, hate speech, privacy violations, and digital distraction.

As a result, Residents struggle to make sense of this new world. They want to use this technology to learn, create, and participate— to be responsible digital citizens. However, they also want to preserve their autonomy and privacy. 

 

Digital citizenship is the responsible use of technology 

  to learn, create, and participate.

 

 It has been four decades since the emergence of the Global Village. Digital and social technologies are now pervasive and indispensable tools. As a result, young Residents lead tightly intertwined lives. Their children engage with media early in life, from the time they can look at a screen. The majority of children age 8 and under live in a home with a mobile device and a television. Nearly half have their own tablet devices. Younger children spend an average of three hours per day using screen media, with one hour of that time on mobile devices. Television still dominates screen time for younger children. They also use mobile devices to play games, engage with apps, read books, and watch videos, TV shows, and movies.

 

Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash 

In the Global Village, we take ownership of all our actions online. We use technology responsibly and respectfully. Being a digital citizen involves active participation in the way we think and behave online. All Residents of the Global Village are expected to adhere to the Global Village Code of Conduct (GVCC).

The GVCC covers the following aspects of Digital Citizenship:

• ethical principles - on-line behavior and respect for all Residents
• values - presenting an honest, unbiased and unprejudiced persona
• accountability - taking responsibility for one's own actions, ensuring appropriate use of information, exercising diligence and duty of care obligations and avoiding conflicts of interest
• standard of conduct - proper computer, internet and email usage
• best practices - trusted policies and procedures
• disciplinary actions - complaint handling and specific penalties for defying the GVCC.

The online identities of young Residents are often tied to their real names, and offline relationships. (Reich,​ Subrahmanyam, & Espinoza, 2012; Zhao, Grasmuck,​ & Martin, 2008). Their digital footprints are co-produced with peers. They snap images throughout the day, upload group pictures, and tag each other in posts. Their app use is a moving target. They discover and migrate to new apps, or they leverage existing app features in novel ways:

• Using geolocation to track social gatherings in real time
• Tagging friends who aren't in pictures and sending them push notifications
• Using more than one account to split their audiences
• Using apps that allow images to disappear in a few seconds
• Using apps that exchange anonymous peer feedback. to sensitive questions, such as "Am I attractive?,"

 The wider world also plays a consequential role in young Resident's digital lives. Fake news, political polarization, and activism around public issues abound in the Global Village. The tone and content of social media posts can mislead, intimidate, or dissuade. Yet, they can also empower positive civic engagement across the entire Global Village (Kahne, Middaugh, & Allen, 2015). 

 

As new Residents navigate the digital world, they face questions that lack clear-cut answers:

"How much communication with friends is too much?,"

"What is the boundary between being authentic and oversharing?,"

"If someone posts an offensive comment on social media, should I use the technology at my fingertips to call them out?"

Digital life is real life in the Global Village. Established Residents and parents must begin mentoring young Residents in responsible citizenship. This requires more than managing screen time and setting strong passwords. ​ Teach them to leverage the​ positive potentials, navigate the challenges, and manage thorny dilemmas for the good of the Village. Otherwise the Global Village will become just another refuge for bad actors.