With an ever changing world, technology allows
for a free flow of information to be accessed through our fingertips. Whether
it be cell phones, computers, portable devices and such, everyone
is persistent on being "plugged in" to the virtual world.
Social Media sites including Facebook and twitter have changed the way that we
interact with each other. Some theorists argue that this change is
so drastic that it has obscured culture. To know if there is indeed a culture
shift we must first define it, and thus must ask ourselves:
What
is culture?
Merriam
Webster’s Dictionary has two definitions of culture that seem appropriate to
the context which we are discussing:
- the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group; also : the characteristic features of everyday existence (as diversions or a way of life} shared by people in a place or time
- the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization
Most
view culture from the sociological perspective, which would best be illustrated
by the first definition. While the second definition gives us a better
understanding of the term culture in terms of the Internet.
Cyberculture has grown quite prominent in the last few years. As we discusses in
class, internet culture can be expressed in many ways including that of memes , animated gifs , and an extensive amount of satirical imagery that aims to convey a message.
Regardless of what most people view traditional culture as, one thing is for sure. We are moving towards an age where cyberculture is dominating social interactions around the world.
