Hello everyone. My name is Gretchen Schroeder and I’m a sophomore Communication major and Applied Economics and Management minor. I’m from Fairport, New York, which is a small suburb outside of Rochester. I’m a diver for the Cornell Swimming and Diving team, and really enjoy being involved in my sorority, where I am living this year. When I’m not at the pool, I like to watch other sports such as baseball, hockey, and basketball. I’ve been a St. Louis Cardinal fan since I was born, and always enjoy cheering on the Big Red.
I have grown up using Apple products, and so when it was time to buy a laptop before going to Cornell last year, I naturally chose a nice white MacBook. Besides your basic computer functions, the MacBook has quite a few extra gadgets. The most noticeable would have to be the built-in camera to be used for video chatting. I have been using instant messenger for a good portion of my life, but the first time I used video chat, I was thrown for a loop. For some reason, it feels extremely uncomfortable to be staring at a computer screen, and yet having a conversation with someone as if they were directly across from you. I even found myself staring down at the keyboard when I talked due to the fact that direct eye contact felt odd. What is it about this technology that makes us feel uncomfortable about having a connection with a human being? When I’m standing face-to-face to someone I don’t feel weird making eye contact with him or her, but online it doesn’t feel right.
Part of what attracts so many people to the Internet is the mysteriousness of it all. You may continue to visit a complete stranger’s blog just because you like to read about his or her dangerous experiences, romantic evenings, or busy work schedule. It most likely would not be as interesting, however, if you were to actually meet the author. By meeting the author, you destroy the fantasy human that your mind has created through this person’s text. When it comes to video chatting, one can no longer hide solely behind his or her text. Video chat falls into Wallace’s seventh category: interactive video and voice. What’s interesting, though, is that when this book was published eight years ago, video chat was not widely available. I am intrigued by how fast technology changes, and the impact it has on our lives.
3 comments:
Hi Gretechen. As a fellow mac user I have had experience with the video chat feature as well. When I first bought a mac and realized I had the capablilty to see the person I was chatting with I was very excited. However, after owning my mac for almost a year I have realized that I have not once used the video chat feature. Maybe it is because the majority of the people I talk to online do not have macs, but it could be do the awkwardness you mentioned in your post. If/when I talk online, I am usually sitting on my bed in pajamas and would not want to be seen by people. One of the only reasons I would use this feature would be to talk to a friend/loved one who was abroad and I wanted to see. If this were the case I would probably spend some time at least fixing my hair and getting ready for my virtual date. (this hasn’t happened yet but I’ll let you guys know if it does!)
I think this is a particularly interesting topic. I can imagine how uncomfortable it could be to talk to someone and be able to see each other on screen. I also agree with what you said about the "mystery" of the Internet. It is so much easier to have a conversation through instant messenger knowing that your typed words are all the other person sees.
On the otherhand, I believe that videoconferencing has been very beneficial for business settings, don't you think? Meetings can take place without everyone having to be in the same room. One of my roommates last year had a class here wherein the professor spoke to them through webcam. I suppose it all depends on the situation, and that the benefits of Internet technologies depend on what they are used for.
Hi Gretchen. Growing up using PC’s I eventually switched to Macs upon their introducing the built-in camera for video chatting. I find your blog especially interesting because I don’t share any of the same sentiments. Though I do not feel uncomfortable when speaking to a friend over the computer, I understand why you, and potentially many other people do feel uncomfortable. As you appropriately say, video conferencing ultimately removes a protective layer from computer-mediated-communication. Individuals who video chat not only forego their ability to multi-task but also lose the sense of anonymity inherent in text-based conversations alone. I question, however, the role anonymity plays in the video-chat phenomenon because when people videoconference, they always converse with people they already know. Why is it necessary, then, for there to exist a sense of mysteriousness? Regardless however, we all dwell on how we present ourselves on a day-to-day basis. Given, it is likely that video chatting creates a sense of awkwardness based solely on the uncertainty to which we are presented favorably over the Internet.
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