-Wing Kin, Man

When Turkle speaks of losing contact with each other, she means DIRECT contact. Sure, technology enables us to still see the other person you are speaking to, but only if you have the luxury to do that. Not everyone can afford to buy videos, although they are available.

It helps us think in many ways. For example, let's take Excel. It does the calculations for you, thereby thinking for us. Yes, it helps us distribute ourselves, but I agree with Turkle when she talked about "multiple selves". You made a good point about a woman being a sister, mother, grandmother, etc. A woman distributes HER TIME to these roles. However, each title serves a different purpose. Therefore, she does "multiply" herself to satisfy these different roles. No, I don't feel that those who can't express themselves as well are at a disadvantage. Like Turkle talked about in her interview, in e-mail for example, it is more of a "free writing" tool. You don't have to be formal, although she states that it is like writing an essay.

I feel that the Internet is fairly safe; as safe as you make it for yourself. It can only hurt you if you let it. In other words, if you're aware of the disadvantages and avoid them, then yes, the Internet can only help you like it's original purpose is to do. In the article that I was assigned to, Turkle doesn't provide a precise definition for "Internet addiction". She did however, state that the amount of time spent on the internet could be considered "internet addiction". We established in class, however that the amount of time spent on the Internet isn't valid enough to come to that conclusion. Therefore, I can't answer your 3rd question.

Multiple windows show multiple selves in the sense that in each window, we have different purposes. In one window, you can be a writer, in another window, you can be player in a game, and in another window, you can be a friend e-mailing another friend. I think that the real self and the virtual self does become hard to distinguish because some may have the tendency to become more involved in these virtual worlds, and forget about their real self. For example, someone who spends hours and hours playing games on the Internet may get caught up and forget that he has homework to do. He puts aside his/her priorities as a student in school. Therefore, that person loses touch with his/herself, or of the reality that the time spent on these games is not going to help him/her get good grades. E-mail does make it easier to communicate, yes indeed! What Turkle discussed is how DIRECT verbal contact decreases as a result of the convenience of e-mail.

Yes, it is unhealthy. Like we've established in class, you never know who you're really dealing with. People aren't always honest with you. Therefore, you have to be careful. It's just a game for some people.

No, personally I don't think this is so. With the use of the internet and the ever-so changing world of technology, technology will make life so much easier, that people will depend so much on it. Further technology will draw the attention of people onto the marvels of these advances.

-Wai Chong, Pun

Yes, I feel it's good for people to make new friends on the web. It's important to socialize. My advice would be to be careful because like I said before, you just don't know who you're really dealing with.

My answer is similar to one previously discussed. Please refer back to the answer for #2.

An "addiction" is a codependency; fixation; chemical dependency; a habit, etc.

No, I don't feel that having a virtual self means that you have a multiple personality disorder. Having another identity doesn't mean that it's a bad thing. For example, at home I am a different person as compared to when I'm out with my friends. When I'm in the presence of my parents, I play the role of a daughter. When I'm with my friends, certain behaviors are more acceptable in that setting. That doesn't mean I have a personality disorder because I conduct myself in a different manner, or present myself differently to different people. Having another personality on the net is more acceptable, but is dangerous in real life because it's all a "soap opera" in a virtual setting. Actors and actresses take on these different identities/characters on stage, but in real life it's always a different story. For example, a man shoots his best friend for sleeping with his wife...we're more accepting of that because of the fact that it's NOT REAL. Having a different personality in real life can be dangerous because people might be affected by it in some way. People could actually get hurt.

Turkle views the Internet as more of an advantage than disadvantage. However, there has been a lot that that has been said regarding its disadvantages. For the most part, its an informational tool that helps to make our lives easier.

Technology has an effect on how we live our lives; it usually makes our lives easier and makes things more convenient. It also may cause us to become dependent on it, and may even start to view technology as a necessity. The convenience of computers affect our lives more in a positive way. It enables us to delegate our time to many different things at the same time, and it helps to make tasks easier to accomplish. We are also able to be in touch with the rest of the world, which exposes us to what there is out there to be offered. I don't think Turkle provides any precise information. It's hard to provide such information when everyone has their own opinions where technology is concerned. Turkle's information was pretty general, I thought.

-Dr. James

Although the Internet is a technological issue, technology has some bearing on a person's identity, which is why (in this case), identity is also an issue. I've learned from this site that technology has changed the way we think and use it to help us in our daily lives. Overall, technology has been positive for our purposes. The issue of identity (in Turkle's article), however focuses a little on how technology has negative effects on our identity. In my opinion, we may tend to become computer-dependent, which I feel is not entirely a bad thing. However, there is this controversial issue about how our "identities get lost" somewhere down the road. I think that maybe that's just a figure of speech. I don't believe that it's entirely true. Some have said that more identities are gained, but not lost. It's something that needs to be further discussed. I don't think I can come to any kind of conclusion without enough information to back it up.