is 376 human behavior: issues and effects dr. kapatamoyo 10/09/14 1

IS 376Human Behavior: Issues and EffectsDr. Kapatamoyo10/09/14

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Technologies as Extension of Ourselves

Michel Foucault’s “Technologies of Self”

Which permit individuals to effect by their

own means or with the help of others a certain number of operations on their own bodies and souls, thoughts, conduct, and way of being, so as to transform themselves in order to attain a certain state of happiness, purity, wisdom, perfection, or immortality.

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Situatedness“Rather, just as it is wrong to render people as

objects totally subject to manipulation by technologies, as suggested by crude technological determinism, it is equally wrong to assume that they lack the ability to act in the social context in which they find themselves. In other words, people are active, creative and expressive — albeit socio-culturally situated — subjects, which also applies to their appropriation of technology” (Mackay and Gillespie, 1992: 698).

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Situatedness

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Situatedness

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Broad Effects

Do not focus on content only, but also on effects

New media and technologies amplify or accelerate existing processes

Changes scale, pace, shape or patterns of human interaction

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Making Visible What’s Invisible Media as languages

Facebook, Twitter, Chatter, LinkedIn, Digg, Reddit, etc

Transition from linear connections to configurations, networks and alliances. One-to-many and many-to-many. Acquisition is replaced by services.

Localization of Apps iTunes/Google Play vs. Records /

CDs Nike Plus, etc.

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Disinformocracy

Does all of this media and technology distract from real issues?

Is the public sphere commodified?

Is democracy threatened? We see a lot of Political and social fragmentation Irrationality (insulation and polarization) Powerlessness (in representative

democracies). Swedish government ascribes it as a civic tool, capable of

cultivating more active citizenship and a stronger democracy.

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Virtual RealityTechnically speaking, a virtual world is a

3D graphic representation of scenarios (houses, palaces, streets, landscapes, fantasy sites...), more or less realistic, that can be displayed by means of a computer connected to the internet.

User can access these simulated environment by means of a digital alter ego, which is commonly referred to with the word avatar.

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FundamentalsVirtual worlds have some common

fundamental characteristics: Users can share experiences (many users

can access the world simultaneously, each one from his own computer and share an experience with other people spread all over the real world).

Everything happens in real time (the user decides in real time what to do, where to move, all the actions are live, everything happens in the very moment the user sees it happening).

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Fundamentals (cont’d)

Virtual worlds have some common fundamental characteristics: Interactivity and participated creation

of contents (the user can click on the objects, modify them or create new ones, in many virtual worlds everything has been created by users), 

Socializing (like in a social network, the user can communicate with other users and create groups and communities), 

Persistence (even if no user is connected, the world keeps existing).

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Computer (or ICT) Trust

Trust OF the computer Software and Applications

When you type “A” on an input device, you expect it to display.

Hardware The equipment will do as it is

supposed to do. Computer professionals and other

users The person behind the desk

should know what they are doing.

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Computer (or ICT) TrustTrust ON the computer

Information on the computer (network) is accurate.

Data on the computer is accurate.

People one meets on the computer are genuine.

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Anatomy of TrustLevel of trust is correlated with

economic developments in a given society. Such as the Knowledge Gap theory (Tichenor,

1970). Trust is grounded in social capital which can

be understood as networks of social relations characterized by norms of trust and reciprocity (Bourdieu 1993; Coleman 1988; Putnam 1993). Has led to business models like SNS (LinkedIn, eBay

feedback, Angie’s List, etc.)

Social capital can, therefore, exist in both family and community/business life.

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Types of TrustThree types of trust:

Kin-based trust: trust between kinship groups and families.

Process-based trust: trust between long-time friends / acquaintances.

Extended (Generalized) trust: trust between individuals through transactions online but with limited knowledge of each other.

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Trust and Social DevelopmentExtended (generalized) trust is the most

important indicator of economic development in society (H. Huang, C. Keser, J. Leland, J. Shachat).

Without that, one would be less likely to: Make online purchases Make friends online Use other types of online services Offer help to others on the Internet

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Role of experienceOne’s positive experience online can

increase one’s e-trust – a reciprocal process.

Thus, some have argued that cybertrust is essential for the future of the Internet.Increased transparency can lead to

more consumer trust on the Internet.

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Social Cueing and e-trust

For the skeptics, extra-linguistic cues such as facial expressions, body language, gestures that facilitate face-to-face communications are non-existent or hard to detect in online settings. So it is harder to trust what somebody tells you

online.

For the enthusiast, the absence of social cues can be an inhibitor on some instances, it can be a liberator on other occasions. And there are other available cues online that

can help. Such as….

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Computer Dependency (1)Some people argue that we are too

dependent on computers for key tasks on a day-to-day basis. This has led to a brand-new type of dependency relationship.

Computers and related IT are taking over our lives in many ways. Do you believe computers lead to Deskilling,

or loss of important skills in jobs and daily life? (Y/N)

To what extent? (A lot; Not Really; None?). Sometimes it depends on who you ask.

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Computer Dependency (2)We are changing our behaviors to adapt to the

limitations of computer systems rather than the other way round.

Thus there is a new paradox (of what I call win-more-or-lose-more situation) – When the computer runs smoothly, life becomes easier.

However, when the computer is down, problems are harder to resolve.

A more serious, pathological dependency is called computer addiction.

Specific examples are addictive behaviors on the Internet – gambling, eating, shopping, online sex, and chatting.

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Online Behaviors Pathological Internet Users experience:

Dependence, Obsessive Thoughts, Tolerance, Diminished Impulse Control, Inability to Cease, Withdrawal.

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Gratifications Process Gratifications

Gratifications that result from the pleasurable experience of media content and are realized during consumption.

Focused on the consumption of the medium itself and pull the user away from the outside world.

Content Gratifications (Cognitive and Instrumental) Gratifications that result from learning information from

media content and subsequently putting it to use in practical affairs.

Inherently connected to the world outside the media system.

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