When we first read The Social Life of Wireless Urban Spaces article, I thought it seemed kind of pointless to study people’s use of media (and especially computers) in public areas because to me, being on the internet or other media has nothing to do with socializing. However, the findings that a good portion of the population was in diads or triads made me realize that this is why we study such topics. In actuality, not everyone uses their laptops just like I do in public spaces. I tend to only use my laptop in public spaces for work. I do homework and respond to emails pretty often in Curry, Shillman, and even the occasional dining hall. However, I don’t think I’ve ever used a computer in a public space with others around unless it was for work purposes. It was good for me to recognize that some use the computer to show friends pictures or messages that they want to discuss in person.
In fact, the Digital Society readings and class discussion in general were pretty eye-opening to me in recognizing that as an individual, I am much less plugged in than many classmates, and presumably much of the country. As I mentioned in class, I pretty much only use my iPod at the gym and during long trips (airplane, car, bus, but not usually on the T since that is a pretty short trip). I do not have and do not want internet on my phone. I very rarely have phone conversations longer than about five minutes, and use text mostly for “transactional” interactions. This is not to say that I am a social hermit. In fact, I have recently been informed that I am quite the extrovert. Similar to the people Jackie encountered in Arizona, I probably wouldn’t have a hard time striking up conversation with someone at the fruit stand. This could very likely be due to the fact that I am from Utah (which borders Arizona…) In fact, I think Jackie may be onto something with the theory that different regions have different levels of digital involvement. It would definitely be an interesting topic for further investigation.
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