Today in class we are doing specific exam preparation going thru some practice multiple choice questions. Exam is on wednesday so this will be my last post for my new com tech blog :( I have enjoyed this class more than i expected and it has broadened my horizons in the IT sector. So farewell, wish evryone the best of luck with future travels,
Peaceout, Ez :)
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Weeks 9-12
These weeks i have used my time wisely by working on my essay draft, final product and also starting exam preparation. So no blog tasks for these weeks!
Week 8: Parts 1 & 2
This week there were various tasks for tutorial.
Part 1 consisted of both Excel and Word. Now i'd have to say that this was one of the easiest tasks for this subject, as i completed certificate III in Business Services/Office Administration at TAFE in my last year at highschool. And my 1st year out of school i worked as an assistant front office manager for a small internet company, which allowed me to put to practice all the office stuff i'd learnt from my course. So the tasks set for this week i had already mastered years ago, and used on a daily, sometimes weekly basis. I can see how these tasks would seem daunting to first-timers but once you have completed them a few times they become alot easier and are very valuable in an office environment.
Part 2 is where we have to look at the qualitative differences between regular IM programs (eg:MSN) and 3D environment. The obvious differences would be that one is 3D like real world and MSN is simply chatting about personal subjects to your friends or family or people you know thru a message window. When i think of 3D chat rooms i think of a game one of my ex-boyfriends used to play called counter strike where u not only play the game but there is constant interaction with other players and their characters thru microphones or typing but it looks real. There are positive and negatives to both, it depends what you're into but i suppose MSN would be more widely used for general communication. 3D environments would be more useful for the hard core computer people.
Part 1 consisted of both Excel and Word. Now i'd have to say that this was one of the easiest tasks for this subject, as i completed certificate III in Business Services/Office Administration at TAFE in my last year at highschool. And my 1st year out of school i worked as an assistant front office manager for a small internet company, which allowed me to put to practice all the office stuff i'd learnt from my course. So the tasks set for this week i had already mastered years ago, and used on a daily, sometimes weekly basis. I can see how these tasks would seem daunting to first-timers but once you have completed them a few times they become alot easier and are very valuable in an office environment.
Part 2 is where we have to look at the qualitative differences between regular IM programs (eg:MSN) and 3D environment. The obvious differences would be that one is 3D like real world and MSN is simply chatting about personal subjects to your friends or family or people you know thru a message window. When i think of 3D chat rooms i think of a game one of my ex-boyfriends used to play called counter strike where u not only play the game but there is constant interaction with other players and their characters thru microphones or typing but it looks real. There are positive and negatives to both, it depends what you're into but i suppose MSN would be more widely used for general communication. 3D environments would be more useful for the hard core computer people.
New Comms Essay
Cyber bullying is a relatively new and pervasive form of bullying that is rapidly effecting today’s youth. This essay will demonstrate the main effects cyber bullying has on adolescents. In doing so this essay will firstly define and outline cyber bullying; secondly, clearly state the main effects associated this form of bullying; and finally, detail the two main social networks used in cyber bullying: MySpace and mobile phones. It will be concluded that cyber bullying effects not only the physical but also emotional aspects of a person, with sometimes extreme outcomes. The social networks used by today’s youth are very firmly embedded as a part of day-to-day life, therefore, it is considered punishment, to the victim, to ban usage of such networks in order to prevent bullying.
Cyber bullying is said to be one of the most prominent issues facing today’s youth. This new form of bullying is a 24 hour occurrence that often goes undetected by parents. “Cyber bullying describes bullying using mobile phones and the internet” (Smith et al., 2008: 376) to humiliate, threaten and tease other persons. While fundamentally the concept is the same as traditional bullying, there are some different characteristics (Smith et al., 2008: 376) that highlight this form of bullying as something new and of high importance. Cyber bullying is a result of this new communication era that has emerged with the invention of the internet and mobile phones. Both means of communication have existed for quite some time, however, it is this “always-on generation” (McKenna, 2007: 26) that has catapulted cyber bullying into society. Today’s bullies in cyber space still use gossip as their main form of ammunition against their victims, be it in the form of text message or internet chat rooms. Even though such bullies maintain traditional weapons of bullying, the characteristics that differentiate play-ground bullies from cyber bullies are the methods used on their victims. These include, but not limited to, e-mail, blogs (or Web logs), mobile phones, instant messaging” (Sparling, 2005: 18) and also social networks such as MySpace. The general appeal of cyber bullying as opposed to the traditional methods of cyber bullying, is the anonymity and lack of face-to-face contact with the victims. This allows the bullies to gain confidence and therefore, heightens levels of nastiness. The level of concern raised for this form of bullying is because “cyber-bullying transcends school boundaries into the so-called virtual world” (Tomazin & Smith, 2007) and doesn’t allow for any period of rest or peace for the victim.
The effects of cyber bullying vary from victim to victim and include not only the emotional but physical as well. Although research into this modern form of bullying is still in its early stages, it has been proven that “symptoms include poor socialisation, obesity, depression, addiction, sleep deprivation and a drop in academic performance” (Tomazin & Smith, 2007), as well as significant self-esteem issues. These are some of the key points that may alert parents to something more serious affecting their child, before it’s too late. Research shows that cyber bullying is most dominant in “11 to 16-year-olds” (Tomazin & Smith, 2007) and is the leader in school abuse statistics. One teenager stated “they've taken my freedom and my happiness away, and now all I ever want to do is really be alone” (
The methods applied in this new-age of bullying are central to the internet and social networks. The key contenders are MySpace and mobile phones, which most teenagers have access to on a 24 hour basis. These social-networks are an integral part to an adolescent’s day-to-day life, being considered a ‘life-line’, and easily accessible, so it is conceivable that these would be the main target regions for bullies. MySpace is regarded as being “a social networking site meant to share music, foster new friendships and a sense of community”, (Hewitt, 2006: 113) thus the appeal to today’s youth. However, this particular social network is also noted as a “preferred venue for cyber-bullies” (Hewitt, 2006: 113) due to its massive popularity amongst adolescents. Mobile phones are largely considered a key aspect in this communication era where cyber bullying has emerged. The technology available on many mobile phones today is inclusive of camera’s that capture both still and video imagery, as well as messaging capabilities that allow these images to be forwarded to a large audience. It is evident that cyber bullying ranges “from abusive text messages and emails, to degrading digital photographs, mobile phone videos and teasing or humiliation within the virtual walls of an internet chat room” (Tomazin & Smith, 2007), which highlights the large area this new form of bullying covers, on such an extreme scale.
The form of bullying present in the twenty-first century is similar to the traditional form of bullying, but uses modern technology as its weapon. The ‘always-on’ culture of today’s youth makes teenagers highly susceptible to cyber bullying, through such social networks as mobile phones and MySpace. It seems bullying has moved from the school playground to cyber space, in this all pervasive form of cyber bullying. The ramifications evident on victims, include the physical and emotional, even tending to the extent of suicide. It is the internet and its capabilities to reach such a wide audience that make cyber bullying so easily accessible and so humiliating. Whether it be MySpace or mobile phones, it is clear that cyber bullying is on the rapid increase and effecting many adolescents in a significant way.
Word Count: 970
Hewitt, B., (2006) MySpace Nation: The Controversy, People.
McKenna, P., (2007) The cyber-bullies are always with you.., New Scientist, London, Jul 21-Jul 27, 2007, Vol. 195, Iss. 2613.
Smith, P.K., Mahdavi, J., Carvalho, M., Fisher, S., Russell, S., Tippett, N., (2008) Cyberbullying: its nature and impact in secondary school pupils, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 49 (4).
Sparling, P., (2005) Mean Machines, Current Health 1,
Tomazin, F., Smith, B., (2007) The bully you can't see, The Age Newspaper, March
10th.
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