Blog Reflection #6: This blog post isn't half bad.

Why do the social networking examples in Wesch’s video matter?
Wesch was trying to reconcile two conflicting uses of social media: social media as a fragmenting force and social media as a unifying agent. His examples showcased both of those things. Specifically, this set of equations made his point.

Anonymity + physical distance + ephemeral dialogue = hatred as public performance

(Statler: You know, this blog post isn’t half bad.
Waldorf: It isn’t?
Statler: Nope, it’s all bad.
Both: Oh ho ho ho ho.)

Anonymity + physical distance + ephemeral dialogue = freedom to experience humanity without fear or anxiety

For the first equation, Wesch showed the negative comments left on YouTube. For the second equation, Wesch showed the videos created by MadV and responded to by thousands more.

What is the role of "self" in social networking?
Because people are defined by how they relate to others, social networking now defines how people relate to themselves. Social networking causes the re-evaluation of the “self.” Because the type of communication is more anonymous, more physically distant, and more ephemeral, it changes how people create it. Will they turn their self inward, becoming focused on only their small niche of the world? Or will they turn their self outward, engaging the whole world around them? The new social media reflects both of these perspectives, and each perspective has been strengthened in the last decade.

Based on your answer, what are the implications to using social networking in education? Do you look at social networking differently based on this video? How?
Social networking in education must be focused on extending the self outward. Some of the educational social networking that I’ve seen has not seemed to focus outward. The individual unit (either a student, student group, classroom, or school) just contributes a piece to a greater unit, never bothering to put that piece together with the other pieces, or even ensuring their piece is part of that puzzle. The social networking that has focused outward has been much more valuable. Those products focus on the positive social aspects, like communication and collaboration. Communication and collaboration transform social networking from mental masturbation to stimulating mental intercourse.
What educators must do before social networking is build the community before assembling the content. If there is no community, no collaboration, the activity is merely a hi-tech method of displaying information.

I believed that social networking was self-minded individuals getting together and reinforcing their beliefs, becoming more insular than expansive in their thoughts and behavior. I’m still unsure that social networking is not what I thought it was, but seeing extra examples brought me more faith in the concept of social networking.