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Introduction
In this report,you will
learn about Cyberspace and how it relates to the mind. You
will also read about the previous generations and their
opinions about Cyber-psychology and the mind. Before this
report, I had no idea about cyberspace and how it relates
to the mind. However, as I began doing my report, I
realized that there is another world besides the physical
world...there is actually cyberspace and virtual reality.
Now, I feel a little more confident about exploring the Internet. I
realized that there is so much to learn from this and yet, we have so
little time.
What the Instructor Says: Cyber in Relation to the Mind
Hyper in hypertext is a new dimension of technology. It is constantly moving from place to place by just clicking on it. Actually, everything is given to you electronically just by clicking on it. Hypertext gives greater access to people's thoughts and/or feelings and makes thoughts and communication really possible. Hypertext technology is rapidly creating a more accessible communication line called cyberspace or virtual reality. The hardware of cyberspace is located in our computers. The more links that are connected, the bigger the cyberspace there is. One example is cyberspace is the pathways. These pathways create close social relationships between software designers of a word processor and its users. Since computers are becoming more accessible, the communication level between people is growing dramatically. Computers are like parts to a human mind. The brain is like a network of the mind. There is no limit on how to sustain thought and feelings. Cyberspace is the virtual realness created through computers.
Virtual Reality deals with the communal mind. It is created by interactively. In cyberspace, we all create one mind. It is doing something together that you cannot do alone. In addition, it could be mind sharing the same space together. Cyberspace allows us to put our mind together and reveals how we put things together. Virtual reality has no physical form or mass. The most simple form of interactivity, on the Internet, is a clickable title or word which enables you to go off to another place in cyberspace. You can also use search engines, databases, group files, or newsgroups in order to find other text or multimedia. Communal mind exists and grows in cyberspace. The communal mind creates virtual communities. Virtual community means a group of people who relate together using on-line technologies to become a virtual reality. These virtual reality zones are from mutual interest and community concerns, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, or popular personalities. The virtual reality is formed when two or more minds are brought together through an interest, topic, or intention. These interest are produced in joint activity. According to Dr. James, "Cyberspace is virtual reality produced by navigating the global electronic information network." These people (cybernauts) explore by expressing their intentions or interest through links that they decide to use for teletransportation. Since these interest and intentions are the mind, they also exist in the mind. Hypertext navigation is displacing yourself in cyberspace. You can meet someone by following a link, searching, or knowing their address. The hypertext links are navigation vehicles and roadways in cyberspace. It creates a virtual highway between two locations. Presence in cyberspace is the linking the creates presence. Bookmarks may be one example of potential links. These links are like using a car to get someplace. In cyberspace, you can get to anywhere just by the link itself. Hypertext is like a library, where you can look for anything without any limits. Its forever growing as a representation of the communal mind. Navigating cyberspace is like an endless journey, there is always different things that's being linked together. Dr. James states that, "Constructing cyberspace objects requires attention to three basic properties: appearance, content, and access." The Web is like marketing, they are always selling you things and advertising things. There is a strong correlation between spirituality and cyberspace. In cyberspace, there is virtual reality since mind and spirit are closely related. The word "psych-" or "psyche" means both the mind and the spirit. Virtual presence is formed through access and usage which are brought by intentions and interests, which both are spiritual acts. The process of clicking creates a more accessible, more visible virtual reality to self and to others. This clicking is similar to a person's spiritual habits in daily life. Clicking is also a spiritual act in the sense that the Internet software industry allows suitable information and control to servers, teachers, and parents. The idea of controlling these accesses to communal mind is similar to education, law, and spiritual discipline. Cyberpsychology studies the mind through virtual reality which evolves around the net. Spiritual psychology studies people's mind through observation of one's thoughts and feelings based on the daily round of activities. Non-clicking is a moral act. In order to maintain virtual communities, they need to have continued willingness to click. The promotion of clicking makes it attractive through human interest and intentions. According to Dr. James, Spiritual psychology is deeply involved in assuring our success in the global information society by creating the motive and method for assessing and managing the growth of the communal mind. " Spiritual psychology deals with methods of internal control through self-observation and self-modification encouraged in freedom by principled choice and educated preference.
In Dr. James' Cyber-psychology article, I was fascinated by the way how the mind and cyberspace are correlated. I never thought that we would go hand-in-hand with each other. After reading the article, I learned how similar our mind and the computer. I think that this part is important because it gave me a better understanding of how people and computers can be same, but different in ways. Another thing that was attractive to me was learning about the links. I never realized that these links can go on forever. In addition, they may be very useful when you do research on a particular topic. This information will help me in the near future as I explore more on the Internet. There is so much information that I haven't seen yet! The third information I found that was interesting was about designing objects in virtual reality. When I read the article, I noticed how much a difference it is with appearance. In order for your page to get some attention, appearance, content, and access is important. I agree with the fact that cyberspace is like marketing. They are always influencing you in some way and always making their promotions "stand above the rest." Your page has to look attractive and be interesting in order for people to visit your page. This information will be useful for future projects. I will have an idea on how to make my page unique.
What Generation 4 Says: Cyber Feedback
As I looked into the student's home page of Generation 4,
Kai
Hansjuergens stated that all kinds of psychologist should be
interested
in the exchange of data and research on the net. With virtual reality, it
is more dramatic than physical reality. In addition, cyberspace is
created with the help of our mind.
On
Ryan
Mitsui's home page, he states that in cyberspace, we can only judge
others
by what they write or what pictures or icons that they post. Cyberspace
creates on-line relationships such as e-mail or newsgroups and also
creates on-line personality. Ryan Mitsui compares virtual reality in
relation to the mind with a dream or a thought. He states that they are
real but it does not take up any physical space. Virtual reality is more
than reality and exist outside the boundaries.
On
Ross
Takara's home page, he says that cyberspace is the product created by
the human mind, and therefore is represents a portion of the human mind.
Cyberspace grows through the interactivity of the minds. Cyberspace and
the human mind are similar in the sense that neither has form nor shape,
but is a virtual reality. With the human mind, virtual reality is created
by the brain. With cyberspace, virtual reality is created by the minds of
humans through a computer. Cyberspace is also similar to the mind with
the sense of organization of information. The human mind organizes
information and memories by the similarities or contextual cues.
Cyberspace has its information categorized by similarities in topic area.
The views of Generation 4 relates to the instructor's views in terms of
how cyberspace and the mind are closely related together. As I stated
earlier, they are both similar with their organization of information and
also with virtual reality. Dr. James and the Generation 4 students state
that cyberspace is created by the communal mind of people all over the
world. It starts to grow by the interactivity of the minds of cyberspace.
They both agree that cyberspace is something that is endless and will go
on forever.
The definition of Cyber-psychology states that it is a combination of words that you are studying on the computer about psychology. It may also be used as an interest of human behavior.
Cyberspace and the human mind are very closely linked together. The hardware of cyberspace is located in our computers. One example of cyberspace is pathways. The more links that are connected, the bigger the cyberspace there is. On the other hand, the human brain is the network of the mind (the hardware). It is organized thoughts or feelings in the mind. There is also no limit on how to sustain thought and feelings
While I was working on this project, I realized how huge the cyberspace was. I don't even know if I can ever look at everything that is on-line since it is constantly updated. I do know that there are so much to see and so little time. In the beginning, I felt so lost and confused with trying to figure out my way through the internet. I do believe that this is a easy way to find out as much information as possible.
Right now, I have gotten used to where things are and I am more familiar with what I am doing. I do think that the Internet is one of the most useful and productive inventions of all time! In addition, I feel that everyone should have the opportunity to explore and surf the net...you can learn so much with just a click of a button.
When I talked to people about cyberspace and the internet, most of them didn't understand what I was saying. They do know about the internet, but most of them hardly ever used it. I think that they are missing out on this great invention. Therefore, they should take time out to explore the internet and find out what they are missing. By letting them have this opportunity, they will realize how much internet makes our life simplier. What used to take hours to be looked up can only take a second by clicking on a button. I really think that these people need to realize how easy and convinient it is and how much it can change your life.
What Others Are Saying: Links to Cyber Experts
While working on this report, I found these links that has helped me understand Cyberpsychology a little better. On Storm A. King's article, he deals with the social and psychological problems that cyberspace has. He also talks about the social advantages and disadvantages that cyberspace has on society. Another links that has helped me is on Leon James' article called, "Cyberpsychology: Principles of Creating Virtual Presence." In this article, he discusses the connection between the mind, cyberpsychology, and cyberspace. Dr. James' article gave me ideas and concepts about cyberpsychology and virtual reality. The last link that has helped me with this report comes from John Suler's article, "The Psychology of Cyberspace." This article gave me a more "in-depth" look at cyberpsychology by having different views and ideas. It also mentions the various psychological components of cyberspace and how other people react and behave within it.
These links gave me more information and more ideas with cyberpsychology. It has shown me people's thoughts and ideas about cyberpsychology and how much it has grown.
Final Considerations: The Future of Cyberspace
I think that everyone should consider having internet as part of their lives. It's fast, convinient, and useful...all in one! Before doing this project, I had no clue on what Cyberpsychology was. I was facinated by the analysis of the mind and how it relates to cyberpsychology. I think that within time, everyone will have access to the internet. Who knows, maybe everyone will start communicating through it. Cyberspace is a whole new way of communication. It makes communication easier and quicker. Being that we have so many things to do with so little time, cyberspace helps us by making things easier. I think that the internet is just the beginning of a new communication line and that in the future, it will progress to something bigger and brighter!