Polarization of People Chapter 6 Shedletsky & Aitken

Common Ground or Intense Differences? n Does Internet communication enable people to find common ground or intensify differences, polarization? n Does the Internet increase democratization or create a digital divide?

Polarization n By polarize, we mean that the Internet encourages groups of people to emphasize their differences with others;

Intensification of Polarization n The way people connect with others to increase polarization of people; n You find people scattered geographically who think in ways similar to the way you think; n In other words, the Internet can bring together people who think alike;

On the Other Hand: New Communities n The Internet can also bring people together in new communities and identities, creating new boundaries as it breaks down old ones; n The utopian image pictures a new and more liberated way of being; n The Internet is a communication medium of paradoxes;

The Dark Side of Communication on the Internet n Digital divide or technical together? – Papert (1981) theorized that with the computer would come a greater division of classes; – Lopsided computer skills; – Unequal access, use, knowledge, speed and quality of connections, and ability to evaluate information; – The advantaged would have and use the Internet effectively; – People in developing countries may have limited access;

Democratization n Some scholars argue that the Internet reduces communication and status differences; n The Internet moves us farther in the direction of collapsing the distinction between highbrow and lowbrow;

Cognitive Dissonance n According to cognitive dissonance theory, our beliefs (or cognitions) can be related either by: – their consistency – their contradiction – or their irrelevance

What We Seek n We tend to seek information that is consistent with our beliefs (consonant); n We tend to avoid or refuse to believe information that is inconsistent with our beliefs (dissonant); n The number and importance of consonant and dissonant elements within a cognitive set determines the amount of dissonance we feel;

When We Experience Significant Dissonance n We have to reorganize our beliefs; n Or, somehow dismiss the significance of the source of dissonance;

WHY INTERNET COMMUNICATION PRODUCES DISSONANCE n On the Internet, people come into contact with people and ideas they would never (or rarely) encounter face-to-face; n In an online discussion, inconsistencies in our ideas are more likely to be brought to our attention than offline; n The public nature of the Internet can intensify reactions;

WHY INTERNET COMMUNICATION PRODUCES DISSONANCE (cont.) n Many group participants are seeking confirmation of beliefs they already hold, and when they find conflicting ideas, they experience polarization;

HOW DO INTERNET VIDEOGAMES INTENSIFY THE POLARIZATION OF PEOPLE? n Children have been known to act out scenes from a videogame; n The interactive nature of playing videogames may have an effect on the person; n Playing violent games may influence the perception that the world is a dangerous place;

Privacy n Information may be collected by you through your Internet activity; n Identity thieves are at work on the Internet; n Yet many people feel a sense of anonymity on the Internet; n A sense of anonymity may give people the idea that they cannot be held responsible for what they say and do;

Increased Freedom of Access with Decreased Privacy n There has been increased information collection about personal information; n At the same time, there is privacy protection through court decisions, legislation, and self-regulation;

Hoaxes, Rumors, and Myths n Internet Hoax: A practical joke communicated over the Internet; n s go out to many people with the hope that they will believe the lies and spread them; n These hoaxes, rumors, and myths can be serious, because they can upset people or do real harm to individuals;

Internet Addiction n Internet addiction is the idea that a person cannot control their behavior, so that the Internet interferes with normal activities; n Some argue there is no such thing as Internet addiction and others take it seriously; n We think the Internet is not the problem where there is excessive or extreme use;

Hostile Metaphors n A metaphor is a word used to represent something that it is not, an analogy or a comparison; n Many of the online metaphors used appear sexist or violent;

Hostile Metaphors – Blow away – Brute force – Locked and loaded – Search and destroy – Webmaster – Logic bomb

Flaming n Flaming is when people exchange hostile or insulting remarks

What Stimulates Flaming? n Computer distance may encourage flaming; n There are fewer consequences to being rude online in contrast to face-to-face interaction; n Perhaps flaming is simply an outlet for expression; n Flaming may be used by pranksters or to control the discussion; n Flames may be the expression of hate;

What Stimulates Flaming? n Some think that flaming is due to computer users who are overly controlled and nonassertive normally, and unleash their aggression on the Internet; n Another explanation is that flaming is a way of making interactants feel more intensity in a medium that lacks the direct interplay of human senses;

Personal Fear n Some Internet users may think the world is a dangerous place and that is why they prefer to use the Internet to communicate; n From the safety of their home they express hostility toward a world they see as hostile; n Violence on the Internet may seem surreal—with stalking s and harassing websites;

Hate Speech n There are thousands of hate sites on the Internet; n Hate sites are designed with the intent to hate, hurt, or murder other people; n Never before has there been such an intensive way for disenfranchised people to gather to reinforce their prejudices and hatred;

Fear of Terrorism n The objective of terrorism is to commit unexpected acts of violence against innocents, which makes other people feel afraid and vulnerable; n It is believed (known) that terrorists have used the Internet to communicate with one another, to organize and direct terrorism; n There is the threat of terrorist attacks on Internet’s infrastructure or individual businesses;

Facing Fears n The Internet also enables people to face their fears; n The Internet is a powerful source of connection and information;