Final Reflection
Throughout this course, I have been enlightened to many of the changes that have occurred due to Web 2.0 practices. The use of Web 2.0 has brought major shifts within American and global civic life. As the use and practice of the internet increases, it brings about many shifts and changes with it. This digital shift has had a major impact especially on how we write.
Digital media and writing has changed our literacy practices as a whole. This is a topic I discuss in a writer’s blog post. In this post I discuss the changes that have been brought about due to this digital shift. Some of these changes include the shift from paper writing to digital, technology based writing. The increase in Web 2.0 practices have caused us to quickly switch to online uses for writing and reading. Rather than writing with pen and paper, we tend to go straight to a laptop whether it is writing for school, work or pleasure.
This change to how we wrote not only effects long forms of writing, but also short forms. This can include ways we communicate through writing such as texting. As Web 2.0 has developed, we have also developed a new “language” with it. We text through shortened phrases, words and acronyms. These simple sayings like “omg” or “lol” that we type to our friends so naturally did not exist before the development and increase of Web 2.0 practices.
This change in our online language has caused a change to our social interaction as well. According to chapter 5, this change in communication and interaction is very apparent and due to online practices. As stated previously, a new form of communication has developed through shortened phrases and language.
The way people communicate differs from online to in person. The use of online communication practices has altered how we conduct social interactions. People do not talk in the way they text. One way this is seen is in responses. Online people have time to think of a response and decided how they want to say something. In person, people must think on the spot and say what they want to say right then and there, even if it comes out not how they intended it to.
Another major shift on American and global civic life, due to digital practices include our attention spans. As we have become more reliant on digital practices, our attention spans has began to dwindle. We spend so much time on our phones, laptops, TV and just technology in general that our attention spans are lessening. We are no longer able to stay focused on thing for a longer period of time. In Chapter 6, attention structures and attention economies are discussed. As stated in this chapter:
“We are not so much living in an information economy, as in an attention economy, where value is created from the exchange of attention and what matters is seeking, obtaining and paying attention.”
This statement from chapter 6 is explaining the value of our attention. The value of our attention stems from the attention economy. The internet and digital medias are becoming part of the exchange of attention by adding channels to distribute our attention on. The use of digital medias as channels for our attention, has caused us to develop lower attention spans. This decrease in our attention spans effects how we live our daily lives. We can only focus on certain things for so long before our attention is lost.
This also stems from an information overload as seen in chapter 2. We are fed so much information since we have such easy access to it with online practices. We become stressed with the amount of information we are seeing and begin to loose focus on what we should be reading. To adjust this, you can use filters in your searches online. This will help to narrow down your findings in order to not feel as much of an overwhelming information overload when searching online causing more of a distraction.
This leads to the discussion of multitasking. Multitasking, as we discussed it, deals with the concept of our lessened attention spans and the rise of digital practices. In our discussion in class and in a post I have written, we discovered that multitasking does not really exist. What we consider “multitasking,” is actually called dual tasking. We simply cannot put all of our attention on multiple things at once. Rather, we jump from task to task. A common form of “multitasking” that has risen with technology practices is putting on “background” noise while completing a task. Many people tend to play music or put on a TV show while eating, cleaning, working out, doing work, or any other simple task.
“Why do some people focus better on one task while having another “task” occurring in the background? In improving our ways of dual tasking, we actually improve our abilities in both tasks we are focusing on. Using dual tasking helps us to improve our memory and attention. Many of my peers find that using dual tasking helps them in many situations. I think dual tasking is most efficient when one thing is prioritized. In using a background task, I believe we focus better and work more efficiently on our main task at hand.” — Writer’s Blog 2 by Madison Wuestenhoefer
This change due to Web 2.0 practices can actually benefit us. As seen above, the use of dual tasking can help to improve your focus on a task. We are able to put more attention on what we are doing while having a background noise and dual tasking.
Another effect the increase of Web 2.0 practices has had on civic life is misinformation. Using the internet as a source if information has become increasingly popular and normalized with the rise of technology and web practices. This rise of the internet as a source for information also comes with the issue if how to decypher the good information from the bad information.
As we are growing up with the internet, we have been taught certain ways to research. Many of the methods we have been taught are inaccurate which leads us to improper research. One of thee methods I had been taught that is not true is the domain method. This consists of basing your source’s accuracy on its domain. If it had a .gov, .edu. or .org, then the source was more reliable. It the domain of the site ended in .com or .net, then the source is not as reliable. This method is not accurate by any means. There are many useful and reliable sources that end in all of these domains, and the domain does not determine the quality or accuracy of the source.
To determine if the information you are finding is good, accurate information you must know the proper way to research your information. One of these methods to research is the SIFT method. The SIFT method includes four steps in order to properly find your sources for information.
The first step is to Stop. You must stop reading anything and decide if the site looks reliable for your information by analyzing it. The second step is to investigate the source. Before deciding the value of the source, you should know what you are reading. The third step is to find trusted coverage. You should find other sources that support what you have found and are reliable. The fourth and final step to the SIFT method is to trace claims, quotes and media. You must trace everything back to its original context in order to find if it is accurately presented on the source you have found.
These sources may also include a bias. Some writers may write with their own opinion over fact and this will cause a bias in the writing. This is something to look out for when looking for a source. Though a writing may be biased, it can still include useful information for your research. You can trace the writing back using the SIFT method to find where this information is coming from. This will lead to the original, fact-based source rather than basing your research on a biased piece of writing.
The development and increases in Web 2.0 practices has changed the American and global civic life as it was known. It has changed how we write, read, communicate and even live in our daily lives. Through the major increase in the use of internet practices we have been able to develop new ways to locate information as well as use this information. Without Web 2.0 developments, our world would be extremely different. The world of writing has changed drastically due to these practices continuing growth and change. Whether it is argued that it is for the better or for the worse, online practices have had a major impact on not only civiv life, but the practices of writing as well.
