1500 Words (EPT Sherry Turkle Virtual Self)

EPT Sherry Turkle Virtual Self

            The Internet has been a huge advance in society since the day it appeared in the 90s. One can see the large amount of difference between now and 20-30 years ago. There was a time when people wanted to be sociable and interact with others in person. Now people care for their pleasure coming from the net. The Internet has granted people a second life, often referred to as “virtual life.” Video games and movies have served the same purpose that the Internet does, to allow people to forget about the suffering and struggle they endure, from time to time. Sherry Turkle makes an argument about people turning to technology to be alone, but at the same time, to not feel alone. And she is completely right. People prefer to be by themselves in front of their computer rather than go out with friends. But why, someone may ask. In order to understand the positive and negative points to virtual selves, one must analyze the purpose of the Internet, notice the effects on society, and list the dangers/safety of people’s health over the Internet.

            When films came out in theatres, they offered an escape from people’s lives with a lengthy hour to two-hour feature that would tell a story to entertain them. Games, at first, offered entertainment to multiple people, but over time they evolved into pleasuring one person at a time only. And now the Internet is the mother base of all entertainment, providing people with new content each day, or even each second. But the purpose of the Internet is complex, since there can be multiple branches of it, the largest one being, of course, amusement. Another being education or learning since the web also provides a division of facts. And one more would be communication, even though it’s a bit tied to entertainment, here people interact with one another online. People are choosing to stay home rather than to go outside and be physically active. This is what keeps dragging in people back to the Internet daily, for their own pleasure.

            As a result of the Internet, people are becoming more like living ghosts, ignoring others with their virtual selves. People are learning to be alone together. They have stopped interacting with others in person. They’re forgetting how to have real conversations. They are loosing their true self. In most cases, people rather text than have face-to-face chats because they are better with the device. Even worse, people rather text than take the time to dial and speak on the phone. Sadly,  “they’re doing this because they want to feel connected, but not intimate;” Sherry Turkle states. The web is obviously affecting society as a whole.

It’s a little mind boggling that individuals care so much about “online fame,” and worry about satisfying “fans” with constant social media updates. In the world today, it is becoming relatively easier to become “Instagram famous” and get paid, than finish college and get a decent job. For instance, in a city like Silicon Valley or San Francisco, young men and women that are self-taught in the field of computer programming, are making advancements in the tech world and are getting paid really well, without having a college degree. This is all possible because the demand for new apps and games are at an all time high.

            Health and safety are a major issue when it comes to the Internet. Imagine a world in which the government spies constantly on their people. Where cameras and tele-screens monitor everyone’s movement. This can be paralleled to the famous world that George Orwell created in his dystopian novel 1984. Of course, the book is merely an exaggeration, but comparisons can be drawn from the book and modern life. The government is spying on its people and recording all of their information. Janet Kornblum’s “What You Say Online Can Haunt You,” is a perfect example of anecdotes in which people are arrested for what they’ve confessed on the Internet.  Also, there are millions of people that spend their days on the computer and neglect their body’s need for exercise, proper nutrition, and even vitamin D. Many people that devote their time to online web surfing, or online gaming, develop heart conditions, and blood clots, because they don’t allow their bodies to move around for hours at a time. These health issues are also becoming a big problem in the areas of cancer, and healthy eyesight.

Another popular novel, that has recently been released, would be Ernest Cline’s bestseller Ready Player One. In Ready Player One, people use a device that allows the person to simulate a virtual reality of different worlds and galaxies. The device serves all kinds of purposes, resembling the modern day Internet. But, as much as it sounds amusing, the extreme use of the device causes people to stop caring about the real worlds problems. Users use avatars that they customize in order to hide their identity. There’s a saying in the book that “almost no one’s avatar looks like his or her user.” This is the virtual self of the people. The avatar serves as a new identity, or new life. This can be seen as both a positive outcome and a negative outcome. People are definitely entertained by this role-play, but at the same time they continue to harm themselves by loosing their true and real life. A similar comparison can be drawn from Ketzel Levine “Alter Egos in a Virtual World.” The article focuses on the use of avatars and how people can loose sight of their true identity by playing as someone else. The device is so addicting that people stop taking care of themselves as they spent most of their lines on the online world. Even the main character describes himself as overweight and unhealthy. The main theme of the novel is that reality is what people should be worried about. Of course at the same time, a home does not have to be a house or an apartment, it’s where ever someone feels comfortable. As the main character drifts more and more into the simulation, he quickly stops to loose sight of the real world and its problems. However, by the end of the story, it is hinted that the protagonist finally feels as if he doesn’t want to return to the device because of a real world relationship. The book’s purpose is of course to entertain the reader, but at the same time it serves as a view on current Internet obsessions since the mythology of the story is what people are heading towards today.

            The cult comedy hit “The Cable Guy”, directed by Ben Stiller, and has a similar theme about the entertainment industry. Jim Carey plays a cable company workman who is obsessed with television. There is an important monologue within the film about the future of the Internet and how the world is constantly advancing. “The future is now! Soon every American home will integrate their television, phone and computer. You'll be able to visit the Louvre on one channel, or watch female wrestling on another. You can do your shopping at home, or play Mortal Kombat with a friend from Vietnam. There's no end to the possibilities!” A similar ending to Ernest Cline’s story, “The Cable Guy” finishes with Jim Carrey’s character realizing that his entire life has been built on by entertainment and has caused him to become unsociable. Even the Academy Award Nominated film “Inception,” directed by Christopher Nolan, has similar themes dealing with dreams and realities. In this film, the main characters face obstacles in achieving heists that take place within dreams, similar to the device from Ready Player One. Sharing the main message of loosing sight of what is real and what isn’t, the movie plays out with intense dialogue about the true identities of people and what it means to achieve happiness.

            Even award winning shows like “Futurama” from the FOX channel play a run on joke about the Internet being a dirty place for people. There are many types of websites within the Internet that carry information that can come too strong on people. An example of this can be pornography. It is illegal for people underage to access some of these websites, but this does not stop one from coming across it. Another problem that arises from the web can be plagiarizing. There are some students that use their computers for research and homework, but at the same time there are others who copy work from others online, both stealing ideas and at the same time stopping education from preceding.

            Aside from someone causing harm to him or herself, the Internet also opens a gateway for people to cause harm to others. Cyber bullying is now arising as people start to make fun of others from what is posted on social media websites. As well as stalkers and problematic persons can run into personal information of some one causing them to cause danger towards the person.

The concept of identity has always been complicated. True, but you're also how other people view you. People can put their best foot forward, or let their more nefarious side show. Normal people can be warriors and wizards, and out-of-shape nerds like Wade Watts can be superheroes. Perhaps it's not all just playing pretend. These people have these traits inside them somewhere. Popeye always said, "I yam what I yam and tha's all what I am."