What is Presence?
By AlexSwidler. Filed in presence |Tags: Collaboration, Play, presence
What is presence? More than just what you get on your birthday (insert drum roll here) it is your being. It is where you are, and who you are when you get there. The problem with presence comes with the Internet. Is it possible, with the help of a server, to be somewhere, and not be there at the same time? *Fox News* showed us during it’s election coverage this year that it is possible through holograms, but what about for the common folk? Our solution is the avatar. Online chat rooms and private ims have evolved into second life (and other like applications), which makes our presence known not only through our sign in names, but through actual people that we can create and give personality to. The building of an actual, physical telepresence like that of second life turned cyberspace into just space,this turns actions into meanings, and builds the cultural framework that Legget talks about. And it is this that creates a network. A network is not just a server. It is a place where you can share in creation, and transfer information. It is a place where everyone involved has a vested interest in what is happening within it. It consists of those who are committed, voluntarily to a common goal. Virtual teams over a network must be more committed and more organized that those working together in something like an office environment. And, as a leadin to my next point, these things can sometimes be practiced and demonstrated through play.
In the “Play Ethic” we learn that “play is fun that fulfills an evolutionary task.” Play gives us “optimism that helps us triumph over life’s inevitable challenges.” It allows us to try things and experiment in a way that doesn’t really put us in danger. Play helps us practice the things that real life doesn’t give us the opportunity to practice. Real life games give us a glimpse into human nature. A lot of corporate offices have used games to build trust amongst its employees (although maybe not in the current economy where it doesn’t really matter) Even as children (I’m sorry the development psychology is coming through here) imaginary play is crucial to our development, and with the internet, we have just found the modern day alternative to the imaginary friend.
Wednesday, June 24th 2009 at 2:51 pm |
Hey there, Alex. I think your point about “imaginary play is crucial to our development, and with the internet, we have just found the modern day alternative to the imaginary friend” is really interesting…it reminded me of a conversation that I had with my sister Kathy last week. She just graduated and will be teaching 7th graders language arts in the fall (she is really interested in learning about virtual learning environments, by the way, so I plan on helping her design some lessons around this). We both share a younger half-sister, Payton, from my dad’s second marriage (got all that?) who will be going into 7th grade herself this year.
Kathy and I were having a discussion about the different developmental/maturity levels of seventh graders, and I made the point that I felt that I was probably more mature than other seventh graders in my class because I played “adult” things when I was younger….my imaginary friends and I played house, office, smoked Crayolas, etc. Payton, by contrast, has grown up playing her Nintendo DS “Nintendogs” games and living in her Webkinz world. She has engaged in a different sort of play, and while it is still in a sense mimicking adult life – caring for pets, buying things for them, etc. – I wonder how this shift has affected children developmentally?
I agree with you that engaging in online play is crucial to a child’s development, especially as they learn to identify themselves – but I wonder how the types of online play children engage in affect their maturity level? I haven’t really given this much thought previously, so I’m curious to see what other people think.
Wednesday, June 24th 2009 at 6:47 pm |
Hi Michelle! I tend to think that the maturity of seventh graders varies widely. Last year I taught 7th and 8th grade art in a public school in northeastern Pennsylvania. In one class there were girls who absolutely loved Hannah Montana but at the same time there was a girl who idolized Tila Tequila. One of my 8th grade students was banned from MySpace because he hacked them just to see if he could, and two girls got into a fist fight in the hallway due to an argument they started on MySpace over a love interest. Not to mention the handful of students who declared themselves bi-sexual in 7th and 8th grade. While there were many students who lived in a protective parent-enforced bubble or were just so focused on the things of childhood, there were quite a few who were given the liberty (or took it of their own accord) to explore the internet and media in general without adult intervention. I wouldn’t be surprised if this variation in maturity level was something that has always been but we now have new media to blame? I’m really not sure of the cause in diversity. If anyone has other opinions or has read research on this I would love to hear more!
Thursday, June 25th 2009 at 3:38 pm |
This conversation is really interesting. I think that there has always been a discrepancy in the maturity levels of 7th and 8th graders. And not to be sexist but I think that it seems to be more apparent among girls. I just think where before the differences played out with who stopped playing with Barbie first, today the differences are more pronounced. Kids are given so much access to televisions and computers today that they learn so much quicker. I didn’t have internet in my house until high school and I definitely didn’t know what a bi-sexual was in 7th grade let alone have the audacity to declare myself one. I think a lot of the time we treat children like their mini adults and we expect them to behave as such. And today that comes complete with MySpace, cell phones and twitter.