I have had a number of relationships over the Internet. Although I have had relationships through cyberspace I have not had any that were exclusive to cyberspace. Most of the relationships that I deal with through the Internet usually consist of friends that I’ve already made, family, or classmates. I am not too sure why I have not had any sole cyber relationships. As I think about this, I believe that I just not comfortable with talking to complete strangers. Making friends that you only speak to over the Internet is like having a close friend, but never seeing them. You allow them to know so much information about yourself and them in return, but who know what they decide to do with that information. Of course there are exceptions to only having friends through cyberspace, for example the class we are all taking right now. Although we all attend the same university I may never see or speak with some of my peers outside of our communication through the blogs.
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When I was growing up, the internet first came out to be this big thing. My mom would let my brother and I use the internet for an hour a week; she was also very cautious of who we were talking to. She had this fear of sexual predators, and rightly so. Today, that fear has stayed with me (although not just of sexual predators, but any predator). I think that the internet is a fantastic way to meet people; however it also can be a deadly tool to sadistic games. I rarely talk to random people, unless one or more of my friends can vouch for them. This way I feel less at risk of being attacked in some way.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about sharing personal information over the Internet with someone you have never met. By solely communicating with someone through cyberspace, there is no complete way for you to know for sure that how the other person portrays themselves is truly accurate. I am not trying to say that everyone uses the anonymity of cyberspace to manipulate and lie to others; however, sometimes people wholly accept what the other person says on the other end of the computer too readily. We need to remain cautious, but not cynical, when it comes to sharing our own private matters, whether it be in face-to-face interactions, or computer mediated communication. Personally, I am just more guarded with it comes to the latter.
ReplyDeleteIt would be weird and awkward talking to a complete stranger and becoming their friend solely on the internet. Like you said, it would be like having a close friend that you always talk to without being able to ever see them. I think using the internet as a way to meet people in real life and hang out and then possibly build a friendship that way is cool. I’ve met people online that also go to SJSU and met them in person, people who I didn’t know in real life prior, but we met in person right away. Talking to someone on the internet that is too far to meet and therefore keeping the ‘friendship’ strictly online is weird and dangerous.
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