Life in the Network

My Meez character is so far from who I am, it just makes me laugh! I chose a male who was into gaming and being in his room late at night on the computer. He is into punk rock and likes to talk with words like “raddddd, man” and “totally sweet game…” I am a very social person who enjoys sports and being active, and I rarely spend time alone unless I am working out or reading a book. While I like being online, I find that being on the computer too long makes me feel disconnected with the world. The last time I can actually remember thinking about being a male was when I was little. I always thought that I could be better at sports if I was just a guy! The character I created would rather make eye contact with the screen and is shy around anyone with who he does not know. I, on the other hand, love being with people I know and do not know. I think it is so much fun to hear about other people and their lives.
From Cyberliteracy, I enjoyed reading about the little things men and women do to make online communication more comfortable for their gender. For example, women use emoticons to make light of topics, or to set a tone (Cyberliterecy 72). I think this is so true, because if I am unsure of the tone someone might think I have, I know I can always add a “” and get away with it! I also
The quote from Turkle I would like to discuss is “. . . chivalries communicate belief in female incompetence” (Turkle 211). I really think that it is amazing how chivalry still presents itself today; both in the social world and the online world. We, as women, are to believe that there is gender equality, but I still think it exists. Many assumptions about women’s responsibilities on earth are due to our anatomical differences. But, when it comes to the workplace, our brain power should never be thought of as lower. I also think Gurak’s discussion of online gender bias’ being that of the real world, is true to many degrees, but is harder to always see. Online, the reality of no face to face contact means that we are not always aware of the bias’ going on. If you pretend to be male and are female online, you will have less prejudice and probably more acceptance. But, once a person finds out you have been lying, I think they questions come flooding in.
As far as Turkle’s experience being a male, I think I would have felt the same way. I would be unsure of myself, because there are so many different aspects of a male that are just unfamiliar and foreign to me. It even boils down to how manly you should act in any given situation. All in all though, it is a good exercise of “putting yourself in someone else’s shoes” and understanding the struggles of the other gender. It would probably be a good exercise for companies to engage in; perhaps in an interview setting. If you could allow a male to see how a woman gets treated (just because she is a woman!) I think this could help resolve and enhance a male’s insight into our world. The opposite is just as true for a female seeing what it is like to be in a male’s shoes. During an interview, there are probably assumptions about a male’s capabilities and knowledge that make the interview tough for the male as well. Overall, I believe that this week’s readings and use of the Meez site have really gotten me thinking about gender and gender differences in an entirely different way.