Thesis on Cyberculture

The definition of a "Thesis" as stated by Wiktionary is either:

1. A statement supported by arguments

2. A written essay submitted for a university degree

I have no intention of completing a degree at this point in time, however I am interested in the former, as the latter is now to be disregarded.

I am particularly interested in a number of intriguing social phenomena which are currently occurring at this moment. These phenomena are varied and diverse, but I think all can be safely encompassed by the general term “Cyberculture”.

Cyberculture

Cyberculture is the term I am applying to the recent sub-culture which has emerged due to a number of factors.

The prefix “Cyber-“was popularized in the Sci-Fi literature of the 1980s, (However was first used in 1948) and refers to all things locked up in the online world of “cyberspace”. The etymology of the term comes from the Greek kybernētēs meaning steersman, governor, pilot, or rudder.

The main factors that contributed to the birth of what is now regarded as Cyberculture are numerous; however I have outlined the major causes here in some detail.

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is a term coined in reference to the second version of the internet, or more specifically the World Wide Web, which is distinguished from the first by the appearance of truly interactive systems, which have turned the web from a mere research tool into a versatile and multifaceted platform of communication, via the media of social networks and companies like “YouTube” and “Twitter”.

A Multi-Platform Format

The shift of the Internet from a solely Desktop based system, which was seen as only particularly viable for business and rather introverted pastimes, to other platforms as diverse as Mobile phones and Games consoles has seen an explosion in the interest and capabilities of the web, catapulting it into mainstream “Pop Culture” and solidifying its position as a true alternative to Radio, Television and other well established media broadcast systems.

The Rise of “Generation I”

“Generation i” is what I have dubbed the next generation of young people. The name is taken as a reference to the “Generation x “of the ‘90s, and is defined loosely as people who have done most of their growing up in the first decade of the 21^st century. These are the people who never had to sit down and learn how to use a computer, text or send an email, the people who learned to set up email and social network accounts while they learn life skills, essentially making the new technology part of their lives from the beginning.

The media and big advertising see this generation as a key demographic, and so most of today’s big business is gear towards the needs and wants of these children and young adults.

Cyberculture itself is mostly confined to Generation i, and as this essay concerns Cyberculture only, I shall only touch on Generation i briefly.

These are the three main factors which began the move towards the revolution that took place, and is still taking place in among today’s culture.

To answer that question, I shall pose another question:

When you need to get a message to someone do you write them a letter? Or when you need to find an old acquaintance to you look through the phonebook?

I didn’t think so. You open up your email host, and fire off an electronic message, or search the social networks for your old friend’s name. This is Cyberculture!

The very fact that the old archaic ways of communication are not even considered is proof of Cyberculture in action!

Even using the phone can be cybernised, with VoIP, and video messenger.

In the next installment of this essay, I shall build upon what we have discovered about the technology that created Cyberculture, and then advance into what the culture is, and what the consequences of it’s rise are.