Week 6: MMORG, augmented reality and virtual worlds

So I've been a bit slack, holidays and what not have set me back a couple of weeks...oops. I enjoyed Hardey's reading Life beyond the screen. I think it helped me to understand the concept of 'online identity' and avatars etc etc when he explained how the process of urbanisation has led to a decline in face-to-face social relations. Suburban life is generally not a 'Desperate Housewives' situation where everyone knows everyones business. People are continually finding themselves living among strangers. This process of urbanisation can also apply to the general living standards of people these days as it is safe to say that people living in large cities or close to, will own a home computer, with internet access. There is also an increase in people living alone, due to the change in society's expectations of marriage and family. In combining these different factors, we can see how online relations have become a way of socializing, and expression. As discussed in the lecture, people create online identities (avatars) separate from their actual self but with features and characteristics that they can relate to. This way it does not feel so foreign and they are still being exposed. Although I'm a firm believer in physical interaction, I can certainly see how this interaction appeals. The risk of initiating awkward relationships is massively reduced and features such as online dating can morph into real world. The internet must been seen as not only a communication tool, but a space for socializing, so instead of going to get coffee on the corner, meet in such and such chat room at such and such time (byo coffee). I don't think that 'Second life' or an online dating service will ever be apart of my daily internet search, but I can see how it has become an effective way of meeting people and interacting with others.