DIGITYAL WAYS OF COMMUNICATION
Do you think it is possible to maintain friendship through online communication? Do you think the nature of friendship through online communication is the same or different from the friendship maintained through face to face communication? Do you think it is possible for people who have never met to make friendship online? Please back up your opinion with reasoning and/or experience. Please give some concrete examples.
Part 2 (700 words minimum)
Please choose one from the following three options.
Option 1
Please go to http://secondlife.com or another virtual fantasy site (e.g., furcadia.com) to observe, for at least 90 minutes, 1) how people present themselves through their avatars, and 2) how they interact with each other and conduct either their life or their fantasy life through the site. After the observation, please comment on the functions of the site. Please also comment on if you are willing to “live your second life” on this site or your life of fantasy on a virtual site. Please copy and paste some of your and other people’s “action” or “behavior” during your interaction on the site as evidence to support your observation and conclusive points.
You have to sign in to access the site. It is up to you to decide what kind of information you want to give to the site.
Option 2
Compare some of these sites (nextdoor.com, path.com, instagram.com, pinterest.com, flick’r.com, and photobucket.com) with facebook.com and twitter.com and answer these questions.
First, what are some similar functions and different features of the sites in comparison? Which particular site(s) have you used as social networking sites for what purposes? How would you characterize your own social networking experiences? In which ways social media has impacted or will impact the building and keeping of human relationships?
Second, you need to do some research on the future development of social networking sites. Please cite your research references. Do you think Facebook (Meta) and Twitter.com will have formidable competitors? Why or why not? (What about the competition from TikTok, for example?) Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion in 2012. It is a common observation that there is an age differences: younger people have migrated from facebook.com to be on Instagram but they have kept facebook.com accounts to communicate with “older” people.) You may want to take a look at the article titled “Snap’s Pitch to Investors: We Are the Next Facebook” by Maureen Farrell and Corrie Driebusch (Wall Street Journal, Friday, December 30, 2016, A1).
Third, think over the topic of conflict and communication via social media. What roles, unfollowing, unfriending, blocking, or other similar actions, have played for online conflict management? What are your views on online conflict management? Please either share your experiences or do some research on others’ experiences.
Option 3
First, compare dating sites such as match.com with sites such as gotinder.com and answer these questions. What are some different features of the sites in comparison? From the comparison what can you tell about the sites’ focus on different age groups and different functions and goals?
Second, based upon your own experiences or research, please compare looking for a love relationship online and in a direct physical environment. What are some advantages and disadvantages of each? Have you used both venues? If so, please share your stories. If not, would you choose to use both online and face to face venues? Why and why not? You may want to take a look at this article “The New Dating Game” (Time, print February 17, 2014, 42 – 45, and online time.com/4799/the-new-dating–game/).
Third, please either use your own experiences or do some research on online dating during the current pandemic of COVID 19. What is your review or reading of online romance during social distancing or lockdown? You may review your own experiences or cite others’ experiences.
I will evaluate your project upon the following criteria:
1. Have you used the Standard English vocabulary, grammar, style and pattern of organization in writing?
2. Have you included some research references and applied and cited them in your presentation.
3. Have you explained your points with analytical, narrative and/or descriptive details?
4. Have you shown noticeable skills/efforts for visual/audio effects for your presentation?
5. Have you completed all parts of the project?