It’s Connectedness, Not Technology, That’s Transforming Society
In the comments of this week’s discussion starter, William Smale asks, “Who is connected and the corollary of who is not connected? Is the northern hemisphere more connected then the southern hemisphere? Is the so-called developed world more connected than the developing worlds?” William’s understanding of connectedness, at least in this instance, is about technology saturation – in other words, how many people have Internet access. This is an important issue, but, I think, a too-narrow view of what connectedness means.
Connectedness is about people, about how we can touch each other. Yes, there are millions on the other side of the Digital Divide, who can’t plug into the Internet for direct connectedness. But even so, I feel that I am closer to them than ever before. Just a few days ago, I received a note from a journalist in Nigeria who told me that at his paper they’ve been talking about the We Media Global Forum. I don’t know if they plan on writing any articles about it, but it’s possible, which is very cool. Only few years ago, it would have been impossible for them to have even found out about the forum, let alone talk about it in their newsroom. No matter how poor a country or how repressive a regime, there can be one lonely computer that somehow manages to connect to the World-Wide Web. If, through that one computer, someone learns something of the wider world and passes on that knowledge in some form – through articles written for the local newspaper, on the radio, or even just through everyday conversation, then there is some level of connectedness between that person and the world, and between the world and that country.
I am everyday amazed by how I can surf the ‘Net, come across an item of interest, and, with little difficulty, connect with the person responsible for it, no matter where that person is in the world. How many times have I sent out emails to people in the farthest reaches of the globe who have never heard of me or The Media Center, but who respond within a few days? This sense of being one email away from 95 percent of the people around the world with Internet access (the other 5 percent being heads-of-state, celebrities or people who are too self-important to acknowledge me), of being able to communicate with any individual with an email account, of being able to reach out to many people separated by millions of miles with one email is, to me, connectedness.
It is this is the kind of connectedness that is transforming media, politics, advocacy… everything.
TAG: wemedia
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A couple of African Masters students, I lecture, are preparing to head back home soon.
They are “connected”. They are aware through new contacts /interactivity with others etc. of the formidable nature of online media e.g. blogs, vlogs, podcast, rss, wikis, virals, flash mobs etc
But they are physically impaired by the lack of connectivity. Here’s one of their articles from a site they built in a short space of time
Ghana:
a long wait for dial-upl
I agree with Gloria Pan about the true meaning of connectedness. I do believe that I connect to my neighbour no matter of his deep illiterace on computing and information technologies. However, we share some common core values about life, family, security and so far. For instance, when the New Orleans disaster ocurred, I felt very close to those poor people on the roofs, and I was sorry about how much they felt neglected. It is not a matter of war, borders, technologies, computer facilities and even on languages or religion. I understand that connectedness is a moral disposition based upon humanitarism.
Just a test really, to find out how to comment.
The technology matters. Seoul has had broadband for about five years. OhmyNews would not have been possible otherwise. Have I missed it or is there not much mention of OhmyNews, by the way?
Technology is largely an enabler – but the it’s probably one of the few phases of technology where users directly and largely appear to determine the direction of technology.
So whether it’s connecting or others, or setting levels of increased privacy – technology enables what we want (or don’t want) in our offline lives. Similarly – the notion of circles of trust. Or establishing organic relationships.
That said – this is the first time we’ve gotten on this level of connectedness. We’ll just have to wait and watch! 🙂
Gloria,
This is a great conversation. I beleive that connectedness is the key to a stable, secure future.
This is also the thesis of Thomas Barnett’s work under the umbrella of “The Pentagon’s New Map.” http://www.thomaspmbarnett.com
He says the less connected a region is to the rest of the world…the more likely it is to be the host for war.
My own work on Arab media shows that connectedness can be facilitated by both old and new media. Certainly the Internet is the most comprehensive, two-way, on-demand communication system we have at the moment. But in the developing parts of the Middle East…older technologies like radio and especially pan-Arab satellite TV are having an amazing impact.
Even in the most repressive regimes in the region, people (of all economic classes) are sitting in their homes wathcing Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya…watching no-holds-barred political debates about their own country, their neighbors and the world. Watching political debates they could never have out in public. Those viewers are connected to the rest of the world like never before.
Even watching the newscasts on Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya (plus BBC and CNN and more) confirms for those viewers their suspicions that state run media is lying. In fact, even in countries like Syria, state-run media is changing because they can no longer keep up that charade.
The impact of open media in the Arab world is unfolding at a mile a minute….and no one is sure what will happen next!
More info here: http://www.stanleyfoundation.org/initiatives/oam/