Download The Play of Internet Communication

The Play of Internet Communication
Chapter 5
Shedletsky & Aitken
Human Communication on the Internet
A STARTING POINT
 The Internet can magnify, elaborate, and
enhance certain elements of human
communication;
 Play is one of those elements;
 Play applies to all functions of the Internet,
from entertainment to news, instruction and
persuasion;
The Internet and Our Minds
 The Web encourages us to think, use our
imaginations;
 New technology, the Web high on that list,
facilitates our imaginative and playful
thinking;
 The Internet facilitates our pretending;
How the Internet can Intensify
Communication (Inter)Play
 Interplay is used to mean an interaction,
which can be transformative, entertaining,
interesting, or light-hearted;
 Interplay is used to include play, to include
the idea of feelings of pleasure as a
motivator;
Postulates of Play on the Internet
 Internet play is for itself. It serves internal goals;
 Internet play co-exists inside and outside the scope
of ordinary life;
 Internet play operates without fixed boundaries of
time and space, although the play may operate
within Internet rules;
 Internet play is pliable. The Internet play can
completely absorb the player or take on a life of its
own;
Play and Identity
 Turkle (1995) writes about play as integral
to the construction of identity on the
Internet;
 Play can have real effects on people in their
real lives;
How Does Play Function on the
Internet
 Seven types of play in Internet communication:
– Imaginative play like a child
– Identity role-playing
– Interplay with the self or other
– Play like actors in a play
– Games for destruction
– Playful work
– The fun of something new
Seven Types of Play in Internet
Communication
 Imaginative play like a child
– Circulating humor, jokes, having fun, playing games;
 Identity role-playing
– Experimentation with the self, pretending, extending
 Interplay with the self or other
– Internet users approach their communication activity
with a sense of playfulness
– Users seek ways to use the Internet that are
pleasureable
Seven Types of Play in Internet
Communication
 Play like theater
– Creation of an imaginary space in which people
can pretend;
 Games for destruction
– Destructive activities on the Internet, such as
gossip, transmission of viruses, stalking, violent
videogames and terrorism;
Seven Types of Play in Internet
Communication
 Playful work
– The Internet intensifies the juxtaposition of play
and work;
– Teachers use popular culture to make serious
academic points;
Seven Types of Play in Internet
Communication
 The fun of something new
– Computer users experience a mix of frustration
and fun;
– Perhaps overcoming the frustration is what is so
satisfying;
Play vs. Lying
 Lying
– Intending to communicate claims and the belief
that the sender believes in what he/she is
saying;
 Playing
– Intending for the receiver to believe that the
sender does not believe in the claims he/she is
making, that in fact they want the receiver to
understand what is implied by this falsehood;
Play of Computer Games
 The effect of playing computer video
games:
– Results are mixed;
 People are playing many types of games
online:
– Casino games, fantasy football, trivia, solitaire,
and others;
Playful Metaphors
 Discussion groups use metaphors to refer to
activities they prefer not to state explicitly or
activities they imagine;
 The Internet itself is characterized in metaphorical
terms, e.g., the information superhighway;
 Metaphor, along with other elements of language,
intensifies imagination and creativity, adding to
the characteristic of play on the Internet;
Internet and Communication
Principles
 Internet communication is a process;
 Adapting to the Internet will increase
communication effectiveness;
 Communication is irreversible;
 Internet meanings are in people;
 No one can experience totally effective
communication on the Internet;
Some Paradoxes of Human Interplay
on the Internet
Play
Work
Use cognitive collaboration
Fail to think for oneself
Connect with others
Isolated and alone
Play with new ideas/open-minded
Polarize people
Face fear
Gain new fear
Enjoy free service to the Internet
Invest enormous business and social
values, time, skills and money
Have individual fun
Achieve global significance