In chapter two of his book "Imagined Communities," Benedict Anderson describes the role that media, specifically newspapers, have had in unifying large groups of people, since around the 16th century. He argues that although reading a newspaper may seem like a truly independent affair, which he explains by saying "it is performed in silent privacy, in the lair of the skull" (Anderson, page 35), habitually reading the paper ultimately serves to establish the reader's place in a larger community. Anderson goes on to say that this occurs because, "each communicant is well aware (while reading a newspaper) that the ceremony he performs is being replicated simultaneously by thousands (or millions) of others of whose existence he is confident, yet of whose identity he has no the slightest notion. Furthermore, this ceremony is incessantly repeated at daily intervals throughout the calendar. What more vivid figure for the secular, historically clocked imagined community can be envisioned?" (page 35).In almost a direct response to that question posed by Anderson years before, Sherry Turkle, introduces the current scenario that exists with users of Multi-User Domains, also known as MUD's. In chapter 10 of her book "Life On The Screen," Turkle describes this technology, which enables people to create a separate online identity in a virtual domain, on that can coexist with their "real" identities in the physical world. Turkle evokes the work of social psychologist Kenneth Gergen, and explains the unifying effect that these online worlds can have. Just as was made possible by the creation of newspapers centuries ago, with the adoption of MUD's "Individual notions of self vanish 'into a stage of relatedness. One ceases to believe in a self independent of the relations in which he or she is embedded," (Turkle, page 257).
So although their creation is separated by about 500 years, newspapers and Multi-User Domains achieve the same thing - they create independent experiences and identities that actually serve to unify a larger group amongst all who use them.
They do both create independent experiences and allow for a sense of group belonging - but how do they differ? It is interesting that you used an image of an avatar on Second Life (yes?) reading a newspaper. It brings into question the very notion of reality. What does it mean to read the newspaper? Is the avatar "actually" reading the newspaper - and does it have the same personal/social effects as those which Anderson outlined? How does the virtual process of reading the newspaper differ from having it tangibly in one's hands?
ReplyDeleteThis is something that I hope to look back on when we explore MUD's in more depth later on in the semester (this is actually my presentation topic as well!). Stay posted
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