My Technology Use in India: Travel Reflections from a True Rhetoric & Media Nerd

Hello from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India! I have been in this country for about a month and a half on a Study Abroad program through Lewis & Clark College. I am traveling with a group of 18 other students, as well as two awesome program leaders. I haven't posted on Media Mindfully in quite some time, but have been inspired since arriving in India to start blogging about my experiences regarding technology and media use in another culture.

Before coming to India, I spent a lot of time pondering what my technology use was going to look like. After taking interpersonal media, I left off on a very optimistic note about the role social media and other communication tools play in my life. I am grateful for all of my the connections sustained and created online, but I also acknowledge that different media have different affordances that may or may not be helpful for my wellbeing while traveling. I'd like to share with anyone interested what my media "game plan" was, and how it has transformed throughout my travels. I hope that in hearing about my experiences, others may be interested in reevaluating their media use before traveling, so as to be mindful about carrying out whatever their intentions behind the trip are. 

The first decision I had to make was what physical devices I would carry on my journey. Because I am switching locations every few weeks, I tried my best to pack light-- everything in a 75 liter backpack. With this in mind, I didn't want to bring much, or anything heavy. Additionally, our trip leaders warned us to "not bring anything we couldn't replace if stolen or damaged". I am on a tight budget as a student, so the idea of losing my phone or laptop sounded like a nightmare. So I didn't bring either. 

Instead, I bought an iPad mini and a keyboard case, which was surprisingly affordable and very lightweight. I have been using this (solely with wifi) for writing papers, researching, emailing, and some social media use. In addition, my dear friend Rosemary let me take an old, cracked iPhone 4 of hers. There is no calling or messaging on the phone because it isn't set up with a network, but I take it out with me to snap photos, and it can also connect to wifi to share those photos and allows for other communication via Internet. I basically wanted to use this phone because it is already damaged and I don't have to worry about it. 

The second decision I had to make was what platforms I would use on those devices to communicate with others. Something important I factored into my decision making progress was that I wanted to be able to share snippets of my experiences with friends and family, but I didn't want my communication with them to take away from being fully present in India. I ended up working with these platforms:

Facebook

I made an announcement on my Facebook page the day before I went to India, providing my email and Instagram account, because I wouldn't be using my Facebook account much. Well, that was the plan. I originally wanted to avoid Facebook, because I didn't want to constantly be updated with photos, posts, and invites that were connected to Santa Cruz and Portland. However, after being in India for a month, I made friends with many locals along my travels and wanted to be able to stay connected with them, so I would pop on every once in a while to add new people, and inevitably check up on my notifications. For the most part though, it has felt good to take a break from posting and checking up on my Facebook.

Facebook Messenger

When Facebook Messenger first came out as a separate app, I though it was weird and annoying to have it be removed from the rest of Facebook. Now I love it! Facebook messaging has become my main means of communication (in conjunction with email). It is nice that it is separate from the Facebook app, because I have the affordance of communicating with people I want to without having to log onto my Facebook page and see everyone's updates from home. It has allowed me to fulfill my intention of not focusing on information that isn't relevant to my present experience. 

Instagram

Instagram has been my favorite social media app for some time now, and this has remained true while in India. Just as I didn't want to be overwhelmed with information from back at home on Facebook, I also felt like I needed to disconnect from people in this way on Instagram. I made a new account (@ajnainindia), and have been very selective about who I follow-- mostly only people that are on the study abroad program with me. Also, with my regular Instagram, I have always been particular about only posting one picture at a time, but now with a fresh start, I feel as if I have the space to post endlessly. I think this is my own peculiarity. 

Another benefit to creating a new account was that I felt comfortable making this new account public, which allows me to contribute to our group hashtag (#LCindia2015) which posts directly to our group Wordpress site. With a public profile, my photos also show up when people search different locations that I have added to my photos. For example, a lot of random people liked the photos I posted of my mandala painting at the Beatles Ashram, because I added the geotag for that location (see photo below). I also was able to find a picture that someone else had posted of my art through the geotag! This feature can also cause some tension though. I will write another post soon about the contention I had with someone who found a picture of mine through a geotag at a Delhi Metro stop, and put the link here. 

Email

I dig the email app on iProducts. I love that all of my various accounts can filter into one Inbox! I have continued to use my email to receive various updates from school, as well as from our program trip leaders. I have also used email socially to keep in contact with friends and family. It is so much fun. Receiving emails at home (especially while in school) often can be overwhelming and tedious to sort through and respond to. But here, getting emails feels special, like receiving a postcard or handwritten letter. Sharing photos and stories in this way has been nice, especially because most people I am communicating with are 12 hours behind, real-time talk is challenging. 

Wordpress

Part of my academic assignment in India is journaling about my experiences everyday (See photo below of my journaling-station on the train To Haridwar from Delhi). I have been doing this in a physical journal, but for each city I am in, I transfer an entry onto our group's Wordpress site. You can read the posts I've made so far here. I have also been updating my progress on my research project about cows on Wordpress, which you can read about here. Wordpress can be a bit hard to work with, but I have used it for academic work before, with my multisite Metanoia (currently under renovation). It feels good to have a creative, digital outlet for my academic work.

Overall, my media usage has felt very different being in India, both intentionally and unintentionally. Not accessing posts from people back home often has been a choice that I am very happy with so far. It feels rather good to be primarily receiving information that is meant for me directly, through email and messaging. The wifi here has been very spotty where we are living though, so there are times when I don't have much access to communicate with people back home. Also, when I am out and about on the streets, I can't communicate with anyone, use GPS to find destinations, or quickly google a place to eat or answer to a question that arises. Having more time "disconnected" has made me truly appreciate what ease and convenience technology normally brings into my life, but has also challenged me to engage more fully where I am. Stay tuned for more updates about my experiences while in India, and if you haven't already, checkout my Instagram @ajnainindia for photos of my travels. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at ajnagabriella@gmail.com too. 

Contemplating Social Media and Whatnot With YouTuber Oceangela

When discussing online identity in a small group within my Interpersonal Media class, the topic of vlogging (video blogging) came up. I mentioned that one of my classmates in high school, Angela, was very involved in the YouTube community, and it turned out another student, Rachel (check out her blog Meow Media), had met Angela at VidCon (a multi-genre online video conference, held annually in Southern California since 2010)! This was one of those “what a small world” moments, and it inspired me to talk to Angela about her experiences with digital communication and see how they related to the topics I have been studying in class and exploring on this blog.

Angela and I met in highschool and had some mutual friends, but got much closer our senior year when we worked together as editors for our school’s yearbook and then started making music together (see pictures of us below). Angela has always inspired me with her radiant positivity and unique creativity and this definitely shows in her videos. Curious how she got into vlogging? In 2007, Angela’s sister showed her charlieissocoollike, a popular YouTube vlogger, and told Angela she would be good at doing the same. Angela thought it looked fun and made her own video in 2008, adopting the username and persona of oceangela.

Beyond YouTubing, Angela is active on other social media sites. When I asked her about how she feels different aspects of her personality come out on these different platforms, she responded that she thinks about these different representations of her self a lot. She acknowledged that she brings a different vibe to each site, largely tailored to what fits in on that platform. For example, on YouTube she is very happy, bubbly, and family-friendly, whereas on Twitter, she allows her sarcastic side to show. On tumblr she finds herself being more artsy, and on Instagram more inspirational. I've noticed these differences on social media and I'm curious about how this “vibe” or culture is developed on a particular platform-- something to investigate further another time.

After discussing the various facets of her identity online, I asked Angela about how she would compare her digital self to her physical self. She paused for a moment, eventually saying that she feels that she embodies all of her different social media aspects “in real life”, not all at the same time, but in different situations. I asked her if there is any aspect of her self that can’t be captured online, and she paused again. She then brought up people she had originally met online but then spent time with in person, saying that they definitely noticed a “presence” that wasn’t captured in her youtube videos. This made me think about how In one of my first blog posts, I talk about auras and question if someone’s essence or energy can be captured through digital media-- but Angela was a bit more practical, guessing that her body language and 3D movement added this other element. Whatever it is, she thinks there is something you can never capture with technology. Nevertheless, Angela is excited about social media and loves to engage with people online.

In our media class, we have talked a lot about relationships that are primarily maintained or started online. When I asked Angela how many friends she has made online she couldn’t count how many! When I asked how many of them she has met in person, she still couldn’t give me an exact number (because VidCon brought so many of them together). She did say though that she feels like she probably has about 20 people that she has met online that she feels close enough with that she would stay with them, and two of her very best friends (that she would go to immediately for support with a problem) are people that she met online.

Angela was excited to talk about her online friends! I asked if she has noticed any particular differences in these relationships, and she responded that the friendships she has cultivated online seem to become deeper connections faster, because “all you have is conversation”. Angela explained that friendships in person can sometimes be obscured by distractions, like the time it takes to meet up somewhere and the surrounding environment, but when you meet online and skype or message, “all you have is each other”. Angela most often uses text messages to communicate with people, but prefers to use Skype with friends that she has met online. Sykpe is more interactive because it has more social cues (you can hear voices, see faces, you talk in real-time, etc.) and it mirrors the platform that she met many of them on-- YouTube.

Beyond the directness of her online interactions, Angela explained that her online friends’ mentalities and interests tend to be very aligned with her own. She specified that a lot of her online friends are especially artistic and into communication (things Angela loves and is passionate about) which gives them so much to talk about. Angela has a video on YouTube with one her online friend Corry, from South Carolina, who traveled to visit Angela in California. Angela gave me a little more context to the video, explaining that her and Corry had met through Myspace and then both gotten into the YouTube world.

In their video together they mention the show Catfish (which has come up in class a few times).  The MTv show brings couples together who have been interacting online to see “what will happen when they meet in real life for the first time,” often with the assumption that they may have been deceiving each other. The show’s name comes from an alternative use of the word catfish as a verb, meaning to pretend to be someone you're not online by posting false information, such as someone else's pictures, on social media sites usually with the intention of getting someone to fall in love with you.

I asked Angela if she ever worries about being “catfished” or deceived online, and she responded very confidently that she doesn’t. She explained that most of her online interactions with people are video oriented-- making deception very challenging. This makes sense. YouTube and Skype are “rich media” in that they allow for a lot of social cues to come through, like facial expressions and voice. It’s pretty transparent. While on the topic of deception, I tried to poke at Angela’s extremely positive perspective a bit, by asking her if she had ever experienced any sort of negativity or hostility online, like in comments on her YouTube videos. She told me that a few mean comments pop up every now and then, but she sounded unfazed by them. I kept poking, “doesn’t that hurt?” She said that she can pretty easily just delete them and move on because they are so few in comparison to the overwhelming amount of good responses she receives. Angela also confirmed that if something truly hurtful or serious appeared, she is sure she would be supported and defended by the YouTube community.

Again, perplexed by her incredibly wonderful online experience, I asked Angela to share any fears she has at all about using digital communication and social media. It took her a moment, but she responded that the “foreverness” of online material does haunt her a bit. She often thinks about the reality that employers can easily look you up online, so it’s important to make sure you are presenting yourself well. Angela sometimes feels that balancing being “real” with her online community but not being “too real” that she could get in trouble can be challenging. Knowing that Angela currently works at American Apparel, I asked about how this professional side meshes or clashes with her online identity. Angela got excited talking about her job, referencing the trending #aaselfie as an example of how many companies today, like American Apparel, want social media attention because it helps the business. Angela even has a YouTube video where she tries on American Apparel clothes and talks a bit about her work experience.

When prodded to speculate on her future with electronic communication, Angela knew that she wants it to be a part of her job. Angela’s passion for digital media is so obvious as she talks about how “it reaches so many people”. Angela already sees herself leaning away from the more leisurely/fun aspects of social media because she is busier and it’s less exciting than it was when she was younger. Angela questions if she’ll even still be on these same social media when she’s older, joking that it would be weird for her future kids to be able to look back on her younger self. This sparked an interesting conversation between us about how our generation is so well documented.

This led me to bring up concerns about younger generations becoming increasingly disconnected. Angela said that there is definitely some validity in this claim. She explained further that her experience with the internet seems to be pretty rare-- the YouTube community she fell into has been super supportive, but she explains that it can be hard on other platforms, like Instagram, to make these connections. Angela brought up how “likes” on these media can make people feel bad if they aren’t virtually popular enough, and mentioned how hard it would be to grow up with this mentality. The constant influx of information and new platform for bullying can be a lot to handle in conjunction with the already present pressures of adolescence. When I asked Angela what advice she would give to younger generations and digital media users in general, she said “don’t worry about numbers! Just focus on having a couple really good friends and that will be more fulfilling.”

Overall, chatting with Angela was lovely and I was thrilled that so much of her experience has aligned so well with the topics we have touched in my media studies. From now on, my posts will probably be a lot less frequent as this semester comes to a close, but I’m inspired to keep being mindful about my media usage and share my ideas digitally. After speaking with Angela, I’m even slightly intrigued to try out some vlogging myself. Who knows where Meditating on Media will go next . . .

Examining #ThisGeneration

What about technology scares you? Do you think that our generation has lost touch with each other because we are constantly "plugged in"? Does social media distract us from forming meaningful relationships?

Photo by Decur

In Nancy Baym's book, Personal Connections in the Digital Age, she claims that rhetoric about electronic communication matters because it is reflective-- it is one of the best places to see the desires and fears of an individual or a society.

Since I started "Meditating on Media", many people who read my blog have expressed to me their perspectives about living in the digital age, and often send me links to interesting dialog about digital media. This past week, My friend Chestina shared some interesting art with me that critiques our use of technology, specifically social media. I want to try to speculate a bit on what deeper concerns these signify.

The critique is in the form of a set of images that got popularized online with the hashtag #ThisGeneration (I've included a few below but see here for more). The images are a set of photoshoped memes made by Ajit Johnson Nirmal that illustrate the current generation as having too big of a dependency on technology. The images were featured on the artist's tumblr at the end of March and received over 140,000 notes in one week.

These images have resonated with some viewers, quick to vent about how disconnected and lazy the internet makes us, but others have gotten very defensive about such claims. Many parodies have been made to reverse the anti-technology claims, and are circulating Tumblr right now. Additionally, another hashtag has emerged to counter these claims: #LastGeneration (see twitter screen shots below for various examples).

By looking at the original memes and the following reactions on social media, we can see that talking about electronic communication has stirred the emotions of many, allowing us to see some of our cultural fears and hopes more clearly. The original artwork shows a concern that we are addicted to technology-- choosing it over books and even over water, which is isolating us and making us dumb down our experiences of life. Many responses counter this by pointing out the irony of using a hashtag and social media to bash that very electronic media. Others have responded by pointing out the positive affordances of new media (like @LaurenEldekvist above). 

What does this all say about our society? Well, a lot. There are infinite interpretations of how we could use this art and its responses to speculate on what's going on in our society's collective psyche. That's why it's so cool to look not only at how people are using media, but how people are talking about it! 

I think the biggest underlying theme that I've taken away from looking through the #ThisGeneration posts is that modern technology has truly become ubiquitous in our culture, which is comforting for some people and terrifying for others. As for me, I feel the whole spectrum. 

Our current means of electronic communication have basically become necessities. I don't think I could practically make it through school at all without a computer to do research on, write papers, or receive important information via email and web updates. I also don't think I could emotionally make it through school without my phone to connect me to loved ones hundreds of miles away, or coordinate with my friends and peers close by. Clearly, I don't need this communication technology for my basic survival needs, but I do need it to maintain the current lifestyle I enjoy. That scares me! 

Image Source

I am afraid of being dependent on this technology because it costs money to make and maintain, which is a source of stress for me. I also think about how this technology costs the environment in the forms of resources and energy. This technology has social costs, including the exploitation of labor to make it. This technology has health costs, such as potentially harmful radiation and the debatable psychological addiction. Yet despite all of this, I use these devices everyday, and so does pretty much everyone else I encounter. It makes life easier, more fun, and helps us stay connected to each other and aware of what is happening in the world. Even those criticizing our use of electronic communication are doing so through this technology. 

Anyone who has been keeping up with my blog posts for the past few months knows that I am critical of our use of technology, but also incredibly optimistic about all of the opportunity it opens up. I have talked about how it can be used to spread happiness, how it can create community spaces, how it can contribute to emotional healing, and more. The internet has catalyzed many social movements and brought about justice for marginalized people whose voices wouldn't otherwise have as far of a reach. Overall, my Interpersonal Media studies in conjunction with my daily experiences using digital media show me just how complex and nuanced our use of these technologies is.

I am part of a generation that incorporates electronic devices into almost all aspects of life. I don't desire or foresee us reverting from this position, but I do hope that we can move forward more mindfully. Having discussion about the harms and benefits of our media usage is important. Being self-aware of the amount of time spent online is healthy. And I strongly feel that taking into account the social and environmental costs is something we need to have more dialog about, all generations. 

Photo By MERIMART

~* What do you think the #ThisGeneration art and responses says about the fears and hopes of our culture? How do you see us moving forward? *~  

Fear of Missing out? Hyperreality: An Exploration of Why We Post and What it Does to Us

In my Media Theory class, we have talked about how sometimes signs, symbols, and icons can mean more to people than the reality they represent. This idea is sometimes referred to in academia as hyperreality.

 

Sock Images from Hotsox.com

We talked about how the commodification and digital circulation of art (such as the Mona Lisa, which can be found on clothing, billboards, websites and more) and images of monuments (such as the golden gate bridge, statue of liberty, or eiffel tower) can be valued more than the original. We discussed how circulating the image so widely can mean that if/when the object is seen in its original form, it doesn’t often meet the hype of its popularity.

Image Source

Personally, I notice this affecting my perception of reality. Sometimes in nature when I see something beautiful I find myself saying “that doesn’t look real!”. Or I find myself comparing physical reality to digital symbols-- saying that something looks like a picture I’ve seen, or mentally imposing emojis into a situation.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show from emoji'd screencaps

Beyond seeing how growing up with access to virtual reality has partially shaped my perception of the world, this discussion in my theory class got me thinking about social media and online profiles as a sort of collection of symbols for ourselves. For example, often at concerts or other events I notice people snap-chatting the event more than actually participating, or spending a whole occasion just taking photos.

Image Source: Vivvid on Tumblr

I have definitely met people who I feel portray themselves online very differently from how I encounter them in embodied reality. As I mentioned in my post “Can an Aura be Liked, Tweeted, or Reblogged?”, Nancy Baym says that, “Authentic self representation is not always a simple question of true and false”. As I touched on in my other post, “Embracing Electronic Escapism”, Virtual spaces can act as a safe space for people to explore different facets of their identity. In Walther & Park’s Handbook for Interpersonal Communication, they claim that instead of having a binary of the online vs. real self, we should see both virtual and physical selves as one continuum of expression. As much as I acknowledge and support this idea, I can’t help but notice how these online entities change the way we interact interpersonally.

Image Source

As I observe people engaging in social media more frequently, I notice that embodied activities become repurposed for documentation as symbols of “fun” or “involvement” rather than actually participating for the sake of being present. “FoMO” or “Fear of Missing Out” is a phenomenon widely written about regarding social anxiety induced by being constantly bombarded by updates and images of people’s sensationalized lives. In Daniel Miller’s “Tales From Facebook” one woman openly admits attending social events with the main purpose of trying to get a cool new profile picture. One example from my own life was my senior prom. Below is a picture of me before going to the actual dance. I spent a good amount of time picking out a dress, curling my hair, etc. A bunch of friends met up before hand at an different location than the dance for the sole purpose of taking pictures. To be honest, I was more interested in taking pictures than the actual dance itself. It is such a customary action, I didn’t even stop to question the silliness of it.

Senior Prom, 2013

Now I want to be very clear that I am not trying to shame anyone who takes photos or uses social media to share events in their life-- I do this all the time! Even though getting all dressed up to take pictures rather than simply enjoy others’ company is silly, it was pretty fun. The point I’m trying to make in connecting hyperreality to our social media usage, is that I think it is healthy for me to be more aware of my actions and make sure that when I am documenting my life I am appreciating the present in conjunction. Engaging in virtual reality doesn’t have to be “fake” or detract from our embodied lives, but I believe that it takes using media mindfully, in moderation, to ensure so. 

Here’s something I’ve been trying: Next time you reach for your phone to take a picture of something, maybe try to meditate for a moment on the purpose for capturing the image, and again on the purpose for sharing it. Does this intention align with your values? Uplift others? Enhance the experience of the moment? Generally make you feel good?

If you find yourself reflecting in this way, I would love for you to use the hashtag #mediamindfully so I can see your post and maybe read about your intention for it!

How to be Happy (Or the Internet is to Brains as Brains are to Mushrooms)

Mycelium Rhizome By Richard Giblett

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I have a love for whiteboard animation videos (you can see many amazing talks by RSA illustrated here, and my own academic animation here). The other day I was scrolling on my Facebook and saw that Upworthy posted a white-board animation video made by Dr. Amit Sood, a professor of Integrated Medicine. This video is called “A Very Happy Brain” and outlines advice on how to achieve one.  You can watch the short video for yourself before you see how I connect this to my interpersonal media studies, or read my outline below:

Basically this video outlines three traits of the brain (neural predispositions):

1. Your brain feels others pain as its own (the same neurons fire for pain you experience yourself and as pain you experience for others)
2. The imaginary = the real (your brain lights up the same way for imagined situations as it does for experiences in physical reality)
3. Your brain can’t tell physical pain from emotional hurt (the same neurons are activated for both)

Dr. Sood then prescribes two simple practices to cultivate inner contentment:

1. gratitude
2. compassion (giving others positivity is like giving it to yourself)

After watching this video, I started to think about how modern technology, especially the Internet, can enhance our emotional experiences, despite being a disembodied platform. Those of us who feel a lot of fear and self-doubt in physical situations probably carry this over to the internet, feeling paranoid about how an online identity is perceived or self-conscious about an online voice. But I think this goes deeper than just transferring our own feelings onto the internet. 
Anyone who knows me well, knows that in addition to loving whiteboard videos, I am a mycophile. It’s not uncommon for me to read articles about Mushrooms in my free time. As I did this the other day, I stumbled upon a piece called “Livin’ In a Mycelial World” by Claire Evans, that compared mycelium networks of mushrooms to the networked neurons in the brain, and to the basic structure of the internet. Okay, I could talk about this phenomenon forever, but I’ll get to the point of my realization: the internet is like a universal brain, housing the collective consciousness of humanity.

"Farmers of Fungi" by Dustin Eirdosh: A Mycelium Network 

"Nueral Connections and the Mind" by Jon Leiff, MD 

"A visualization of the network structure of the internet 

by Hal Burch and Bill Cheswick, courtesy of Lumeta Corporation" 

featured in Claire Evan's Artice.

In light of Dr. Sood’s video, this means that the Internet is a platform for experiencing collective pain. This counters cynical thoughts that I have had before that the internet desensitizes us to injustices or that it doesn’t increase our empathy. According to recent neurological studies,  It doesn’t matter if the pain witnessed on the internet isn’t physical, or if  the pain isn’t ours, or even if the pain didn’t “really happen”. Our individual brains perceive it all the same. The age old proverb of “treat others the way you wanted to be treated” has never been more real in my mind.

 Image Source: Karen "Mushrooms" Moreau

If pain is easily shared through the Internet, this also means that the internet is a platform for us to practice and enhance gratitude and compassion, to make it a “a happier” place as Dr. Sood would say. The key is being mindful about what we add to the mix, because what share, others’ brains will feel. I am inspired after making these connections to make my statuses and posts on the internet reflect gratitude. I am inspired to reach out more to my friends on Social Media to spread positivity. We have an incredible tool at our fingertips, and sharing our ups and downs with our online communities is a way to practice compassion, empathy, gratitude and meaningful connection. The creative possibilities for reaching out are endless.

What Do a Coffee Shop, River Spot, and Tumblr Have in Common?

In his book The Great Good Place, Ray Oldenburg brings up the idea of third spaces as social places for casual interaction. He calls the home the "first space" and work (or school in my case) the "second space," leaving "third spaces" as sites for broader community interaction. Common examples include bars, parks, or cafes. In my Interpersonal Media Class, we came up with some characteristics for third spaces: 

• You can easily come and go in them.
• There are "regulars" that frequent the space often and integrate newcomers. 
• Users could describe it as a home away from home. 
• There is an emphasis on conversation in the space with a playful mood. 
• People congregate from different walks of life.  

"Feelings Not Held Are Swallowed Instead" By Delilah Jones on Flickr

After discussing third spaces in class, I started to wonder about if we go there to engage with community, or to escape our other realities. Do people head to the bar to feel a part of meaningful social interaction, or is the point to forget stress at work and issues at home? And what about Facebook, videogames, and other websites--are physical and virtual third places interchangeable?

In order to grapple with these questions, I want to take a look at three places I consider to be third spaces for me, two physical and one virtual.

1. The first third space I hold close to my heart is a coffee house in my hometown Felton, California, The White Raven.  It is an adorable, small space nestled along Hwy 9, surrounded by mountains of redwood trees. Inside there is local art, jewelry, and other cool merchandise being sold. There are scattered metaphysical and poetry books, delicious drinks and pastries, and an eclectic ebb and flow of locals. People of a wide range of ages and backgrounds come and go throughout the day. And there are a lot of regulars I almost always see coming in at the same time for their coffee. It is cozy and welcoming. People go there to chat. I often meet friends there to catch up while sipping on the best chai. Sometimes I'll go by myself to read or write, as do many others who can be seen on laptops, buried in books, or scrawling in journals . . . but I often find myself chatting with familiar faces, even if that wasn't my intention for going (and it seems that's the case for most people). There is a definite sense of community, where bonding occurs between friends and bridging can be stimulated between these groups because of the intimate shared space.

"Counter Space" from the White Raven Website

2. A slightly different type of third place in my hometown is what is referred to as The Garden of Eden, an area of the San Lorenzo Valley River in Henry Cowell State Park that seasonally becomes one of the top hangout spots in the summertime. People trek through the redwoods, along a railroad track, and down a steep trail to this sunny haven (See this video for a sort of virtual tour). People come and go throughout the day, and there are individuals and groups that frequent the spot practically everyday (I have gone through periods of this during my summer vacations). "The Garden" is a free space for relaxing, which often includes casual drinking and smoking, sun tanning, and swimming in the river. People go there just to hang out, chat, have fun, and relax. You can find kids, young adults, and older folks at The Garden, as well as people from other areas (often San Jose) visiting, which increases ethnic diversity. This influx of tourists and non-locals has created some divide at The Garden though, with parking being harder to find, litter increasing, and a slight harsh to the homey vibes The Garden is loved for. This space is one for friends to bond, but there is room for social capital to be built between friend groups and newcomers, as long as the shared practices and expectations are made clear adopted to respect the space.

Rock Stacks at The Garden, photo by me 

3. When transitioning to trying to consider a virtual third space for myself, the one place that comes to mind as a possibility is Tumblr.

• People come and go throughout the day and night. 
• There are people I will almost always see coming up on my dashboard, who post regularly and reach out to other users in an almost mentoring manner.  
• The network I am a part of is welcoming, inclusive, and sensitive to the member's needs and concerns. For example, the language used is mindful not being offensive, and intense posts often carry trigger warnings. 
• People go there to chat, share information and inspiration, and express themselves creatively in a welcoming space. 
• All genders, races, and sexualities are embraced and encouraged to be expressive. 

I turn to tumblr to procrastinate, often by just scrolling through my dashboard looking at cool pictures and reading articles and personal stories people post. I often post stuff myself, mostly photos but also some writing. Tumblr has the feature of "reblogging" where you can re-post content that others created or reblogged to your own page. Although this process, and Tumblr in general, can be a detached medium, void of community interaction, I often use it to build my social capital. I am friends with a few people I know IRL, but I love Tumblr as a sort of third space because of the bridging that happens-- I converse with people I've never met, solely based on our shared interests. I get so much inspiration and motivation from these people (as I mentioned in my last post about embracing electronic escapism through the internet). I even had a pen pal for some time that I had met through Tumblr!

Screen shot of a portion of my Tumblr posts & reblogs

Sure, I can't swim on tumblr. I can't drink virtual chai. I can't get a hug from my online friends. I often go to third spaces for embodied interaction with tangible objects and scenery to consume.
Online, physically I might be in a "first" or "second" or even "third" place, making Tumblr and other internet sites a sort of fourth dimension. Wow, that's trippy.

Overall, comparing my embodied third spaces with the potential third space of Tumblr, I come back to my question of escapism vs. engagement. Online sites can be used as third spaces if one intentionally seeks out networks that are inclusive, diverse, and community oriented. However they can also just be used to escape into an individualized internet surfing session. I think this can be true for embodied third spaces too, though. I could go to the coffee shop and ignore everyone-- headphones in, eyes lowered. I could go to the Garden of Eden and hide behind a rock to enjoy the river in solitude. There is nothing wrong with taking time for the self, but I think that is a different use of an environment all together. 

~* What third spaces do you inhabit, IRL and on the internet? 

Do you find yourself frequenting these spaces often? Why? *~ 

>>> comment below <<<

Embracing Electronic Escapism

Hey, how are you?

No, but really, how are you? Take a minute to meditate on it.
Close your eyes and feel your body on your seat or the ground. Notice any sensations.
Seriously, stop reading this and really experience how you are doing in this moment.

Notice any emotions that came up just then. Do you feel calm? anxious? sad? excited?

When someone texts you, Facebook messages you, or some other form of electronic communication, you have time to meditate on your response. You can ruminate on your ideas, spellcheck your messages, take your time formulating exactly what you mean and just want you want to get across. Not to mention, if you are feeling down, you can express that without the worry of your cracking voice being heard or teary, flushed face being seen.

"How are you?" has become a common greeting, casual conversation starter, and a quick check-in. But how often do we answer honestly? With whom? Through what medium?

Would you say "fine" on the phone to your mom, but then spill thrilling secrets to your best friend in person? Would you say "good" to your professor, but then complain about all of your stress and worries to your roommate later?

I started thinking about this because this has been an especially challenging week for me. I had some dramatic turn of events take place in my personal life that left me feeling incredibly vulnerable and emotionally on edge. I had to miss some class, and didn't even feel comfortable enough to eat in the dining hall. I didn't want to be around people. I didn't want to be asked "How are you?" casually, because I didn't want to lie, and I didn't think I could talk about my feelings at all without completely breaking down.

I isolated myself in my room and opened up to my roommate. We watched a funny movie together and it allowed me to take my mind off things.
When he couldn't be there, I texted a friend in another state. I was able to articulate to her my feelings and get support without leaving the comfort of my secluded cave.
I spent some time with close friends who gave me hugs and wise words.
I called my mom. I could vent to her and get reassurance from hundreds of miles away.
I turned to tumblr for inspiring stories and advice, and strangers uplifted me from across the globe.
After sometime I felt grounded and confident enough to go back into the embodied world.

Interestingly, the week before this, we talked about social support in my Interpersonal Media class. In class, we made a list of people in our lives who we exchange support with, and noted if we communicate with them face to face, or virtually. Almost everyone on my list fit in both categories; whether they were near or far, I had exchanged support with them via technology and IRL. Through this exercise, I started to realize that technology truly supplements rather than than replaces communication with those I am close with. My virtual identity is not separate from who I am, it is an extension of me. Because of my social networks online, I feel connected and know that there is information, advice, and inspiration out there constantly.

Some people argue that we are becoming more individualistic and isolated due to being glued to our smart phones and laptops. I'm not going to dismiss this idea. I am all for being present, and engaging with the senses. I don't think a virtual hug can compare to a physical one at all. I think that it is important to engage with the people near to us, and to not allow ourselves to be distracted and numbed by our ability to be constantly plugged in. But when we need a little escape, when we need some love from afar, when we can't pull it together and face the world-- I think it is pretty dang incredible that we don't have to be alone. Technology doesn't have to be isolating. This week, it greatly contributed to my healing. It's just a matter of doing so mindfully. I'm learning that the world is at my fingertips-- and it's incredibly empowering.