COMM 105 1st Edition Lecture 3Outline of Last Lecture 1. Chapter 1 - Mediated Communication (continued)a. Mass-personal Communicationi. Characteristicsb. Computer Mediated Communicationc. Chapter Summary2. Chapter 2 – What is the Internet?a. The Internet Is…b. Who is in charge of the Internet? YOUc. The Internet as a social spaced. Web 2.0e. Web 3.0?f. CMC Action – Google Flug. What do the advancements in information mean for the future of the Internet?h. The main concern going forwardi. Chapter SummaryOutline of Current Lecture 1. Questions to consider2. Law of Accelerating Returns3. Rate of AdoptionThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.4. Technology change and CMC: 3 implications5. Technology and Humanity6. Uses and Gratifications7. Media as tools Current LectureChapter 3 – Media as ToolsQuestions to Consider- What are some central debates concerning the relationship between people and machines?- What do we mean when we say that we use media as a tool?o How is this different from how we used to look at media?- Why are uses and gratifications especially important when we are examining CMC?- Are we inclined to think about CMC using the assumptions we use in face to face exchanges?Law of Accelerating Returns - Humans overestimate the immediate influences of a technology while underestimating the long term effects of a technology- Instead of asking how can this help me in the future – we ask – how can this technology help me right now- Our need for instant gratification is greater than anything- We tend to disregard it if we can instantly use it- Technology changes quickly and change engenders skepticism- Technology changes are exponential, not linear (they don’t follow a straight lineRate of AdoptionTime- Example: Twitter used to not be cool – but we changed how we use it and how it works –we made it functional and part of our everyday livesRates of Adoption- Examples of technologies exponential growtho The time between technological advances is getting shorter and shortero 4000 years to go from writing to printingo 15 years to go from radio to TV- To get 25 million social media users:o Facebook (created in 2004) it took 36 monthso Twitter (created in 2006) it took 36 monthso Google Plus (created in 2011) it took 1 month- Our attention spans are getting shorter- Things are coming out faster than everTechnology Change and CMC: 3 Implications1. We will continue to see increasingly rapid change2. We will overestimate long term benefits3. Today’s technology expert will have to learn new technology quickly and constantly“Don’t forget that while technology changes at a faster and faster pace, people (generally) do not.”- People don’t adjust to change well and old habits die hard- The older you get the harder it is to adapt- Example: the rebirth of vinyl isn’t because music sounds better on vinyl, its because there’s a nostalgia factor of listening to music on vinyl that you don’t get when buying a song off of iTunes. People don’t forget easily.Technology and Humanity: 2 schools of thought – relationship between people and technology can be understood in terms of:1. Technological Determinism - We are slaves to our technology and it drives us- Technology changes people with each advancement- We have to jump on board or we will get left behind- We’re over stimulated by our technology2. Social Shaping of Technology- Technology and society develop together- The needs of people influence the design and implementation of new technology- Necessity is the mother of invention- But how separate are people and technologies – are we “natural born cyborgs”? (Clark 2004)o Cyborgs are biological organisms that use tools to adapt to their environmento This is possible because our brains have a high level of plasticity; they adapt well to new inputo Clark would say the use of technology makes us more human, not lessHe said it’s wrong to separate humans from their technologyo Some say Facebook would decrease face to face communication  But Clark says technology is not good nor bad, it’s just a tool – that we can use for good or bado Humans are willing to adapt because we feel our lives become easier with the new technology- Eventually humans integrate technology into their lives o It becomes transparent technology (second nature) The kinds of technology that we use without having to think about We could use them in our sleepo Opaque Technology Those that require our constant attention while we use them Example: when you’re first learning to drive a caro Driving a car goes from opaque to transparent with practice- We can also use technology to scaffold (support) our minds; helping us work more efficientlyo Example: taking notes in class so we don’t have to remember what we learned. - In a way, we are our own tools. It’s a part of us & contributes to our status- Each piece of technology is making our life easiero Example: memorizing phone numbers is now obsolete, thanks to cellphonesUses and Gratification- The Uses and Gratification Theory explains how we use and are influenced by our tools.o It was originally developed to explain mass media preferences, concepts apply to technology as well.o The theory focuses less on how we are affected by technology and more on how we use it to fit certain needs.o We use technology differently based on our needs and the different gratificationswe expect. Example: do you listen to slow or upbeat music when you’re sad?- Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – a theory of human motivation-Social and Psychological Origin ofNeeds, which generateExpectations ofCommunication technology, which leads toDifferential patters of exposure, resulting inNeed gratification andOther unintended consequences- What kinds of needs are media consumers looking for?o Information (no questions go unanswered, with the help of Google)o Personal Identity (Maslow’s love and belonging)o Integration and Social Interactiono Entertainment (tastes change)- Gratification sought (expectations) vs. Gratification obtained (results)- Unintended because we usually don’t consider these needs when we discontinue using certain mediao Example: some people you only talk to through Facebook, so if you get rid of your Facebook you will no longer have a relationship with that person Media as Tools- Why is