Nowadays, most of the people look at their
phones every single moment. They check their e-mail, facebook. According to
Baron, they are turning on volume. On the other hand, if you ignore the
incoming calls, stop talking to people on facebook chat, you are said to be
turning down the volume. In Baron's point of view, volume control refers to the
frequency of contact or the restrictions on access.
Baron pointed out that people are conducting
non-face-to-face communication frequently. We write letters, using answer
machine, and IM to avoid talking to people we hate face-to face.Although you may be friend with the person you hate on IM, you can block
him or her so that they will not be able to see you.
Another
point regarding the communication between people nowadays is multitasking.
Baron pointed out that multitasking is becoming popular among adolescents and
young adults. Baron pointed out how people perform several tasks as the same
time. In a study, when people attempt to attend strictly to a single task, they
are often distracted by other cognitive demands. When comes to computer, Barons
recalled her memory that one of her students said that computers are naturally
multitasking devices. Baron compared using computer with driving, describing
how we perform multi-tasks during driving. Baron pointed out the advantage of
multitasking enabled the students to accomplish several activities at
simultaneously especially when they are short in time. Some students also said
that they carry out more than one task when they are bored. However, when
conducting face-to-face or telephone conversations, students believe that it is
not appropriate for multitasking because they believe it is rude not to give
your full attention to someone face to face.
Personally, I do feel that people nowadays rely on phone more than
before. Phone brings us convenience and fun. Therefore, we communicate by phone
rather than face-to-face. However, it can be good sometimes especially you do
not want to talk to the people you hate face-to-face. Talking through the
phone, you do not have to see them, when you really do not want to talk to
them, you can make up a situation to refuse to talk to them such as saying that
you are busy. Through the phone, speaker on the other can’t really know what
you are doing.
In Gerogakopoulou’s
article, he pointed out that CMC is in the intersection of writing and oral
discourse. The study that he put in his article focuses on how specific
resources, captured by the term “code-alternations” are strategically drawn
upon by participants to meet local context requirements and how their situated
use provides for certain understandings of performed activity of email by
looking at Greek and English e-mails. When looking at the e-mails, the switch
between English and Greek can be seen. Code-alternation prove to be the most
important and frequently used contextualization cues. Code-alternation shows
that the participants are intimate with each other. Meanwhile,
code-alternations are frequently part of the expression of request and apology.
When code-alternation is used, the participants have to have shared knowledge.
Honestly, I
use code-alternation most of the time. I switch between English and Chinese or
English and Korean. This is done in an informal conversation. So, this only
happens when talking to the people who are closed to me. When we are typing a
formal e-mail, such as a job application, it is not a good idea to switch back
and forth between two languages.
Well, I think that electronic devices are handy and can be used for multitasking. As for me, I cannot multitask, I am horrible at it. Ever heard of the saying haste makes waste? Well that pretty much defines me when I try to multitask. If I'm on the phone with someone and I'm trying to perform another task like cleaning, I'm either: (a) being a good listener and not putting much effort into cleaning or (b) cleaning well and not really listening. I see that if I try to multitask, there is somthing I'm not doing right. However, I think some people multitask very well. I think electronics work well for them, because living in the fast paced world we live today, they can get much done within 24 hrs.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that its not good to try to multitask when you are face to face with a person. For example, if you go out to dinner with someone and they pull out their phone to take care of "business" or etc. I think thara juat a big "No-No"...but if you are not face to face the other person could be doing whatever they want but it would not bother anyone but it can't be seen. I have to admit, I sometimes do that when I'm busy and I'm on the phone, I say thinks like "uh huh" "oh really?" "Wow" ...etc... to make it seem like im engaged...I know its horrible but true.
As for code-alteration, I do not do it much. If I am texting my mom, although she understand english very well, I sometimes text her in spanish. I just feel like my message well get "through" to her quicker. (Spanish is her first language). Or sometimes I mix spanish and english. But I rarely use code-alteration. I think its a pretty handy tool that devices have these days, especially for those who have friends and family outside of the States.
Let me begin by saying that I loved Baron's chapter and her explanation of "volume control" in terms of being available for others and wanting to speak to people. It's so true that people do this, I honestly think everyone does. As I mentioned before in class, when I see that a certain someone is calling me, I ignore the call and send them straight to voicemail. The same thing happens when a text comes in." What about with email?" you ask - simply say you never received the email. Perhaps the email server crashed at the specific second that the email was went (hey you never know!).
ReplyDeleteMultitasking is one of those iffy things - sometimes you love it, others you hate it. Again, I'm one of those people who tends to multitask a lot! I admit, it does have many advantages: being able to do more than one thing at once, complete all of your tasks in less time. But then again, how good are you actually at multitasking? If you're writing a term paper and listening to music at the same time, or even chatting on FB, how well do you think your paper is coming out? What if spellcheck missed a spelling or grammatical error? Doesn't your paper-writing take forever? Or what if you need to read a book chapter for class? How well are you absorbing the information? Do you feel like you're constantly losing track of the idea and find yourself reading the same page over and over again? For some things, it's best to do one thing at a time, especially if it's something that is for your job or school.
Lastly, the article on code-alternation was great. However, I should point out that when I refer to code-alternation, I will use the term "code-switching" (sounds less of a mouthful, and I learned about this under the 'code-switching' term). I do code-switching A LOT, both with friends and at my job. As you guys know, I work in the foreign languages department. So it's assumed (even at times expected) for me to speak in another language other than English. With students, I tend to alternate between Spanish and English. The same thing goes when I talk to instructors (Spanish, English, French, and some Italian). Of course this code-switching mostly occurs in face-to-face conversations (perhaps the occasional email, too). When it comes to code-switching with my friends, it's done all over the place: talk, text, face-to-face conversations. This is because we as friends have an even more intimate relationship with each other, and because we know each other so well, we know that if we code-switch it will not cause any miscommunication. I've noticed that when I'm with my friends we usually begin a conversation in one language and finish it in another. Because we know that we both speak the same language understand each other's lexicons, our speaking and code-switiching is very fluid. We don't stress about using a word or expression that the other might not understand.
Do we not all like a little bit of power? I think that the ability to control the conversational traffic in our lives can sometimes make us feel like we are important or that we have control to be able to strengthen or weaken our relationships as we answer or ignore a call or not respond to a text message. I think that is why all this technology on hand-held devices is so addicting to us; it allows us to have this kind of power that was not available to the generations before. In this day and age, there is not really an excuse of not maintaining your relationships because you have so many venues to choose from. It is interesting to note also, that the negative effect of all this is that it might be a bit more difficult to completely cut ties with someone because of all the venues you can be reached at. For example, I don’t have to even talk to some of my friends to see what they are up to; I just go on their Facebook page, Instagram or twitter to find out what they are doing.
ReplyDeleteBut back to controlling the volume, I know I have seen countless of my friends ignore their girlfriend or boyfriend because they are mad at them. They pick up their phone to see who is it and then slyly smile as they say with confidence, “I’m just gonna ignore their call.” I have also had incidences where I have accidentally ignored a call from a friend and then when I finally remembered to call that friend he ignored me. His reasoning: “You did it first.”
As for code-alteration, I usually do not use it that often. I would say in my case if I am speaking in another language and I would occasionally say an English word if I didn't know its Spanish or French equivalent.
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ReplyDeleteBaron's chapter on multitasking is relevant to all CMC. I find that more and more people are either very good at or not so good at it in terms of the time of response. For example, many of my loved ones are so close to me that they expect me to forgive them whenever they don't respond to my text messages. Yet, if I do it they will most likely talk to me or even get mad at me. I don't leave without responding, yet if I can't answer I won't. In this generation of CMC I feel that many of us who are good at multitasking are also good at texting and responding, yet we may get caught up for different reasons. Maybe you are in focus mode or you are choosing to ignore the situation.
DeleteMuch of the devices we are using are playing a big part in our over use in multitasking. Nowadays you can find an app or a blog with links to function three applications or devices at once. Youtube is one great example of this. You can sign in to you computer or mobile device and control the videos you see through a television. So with the use of these applications multitasking is becoming helpful in merging all possible things in one, yet can a first time mother really text while breastfeeding? That will be truly difficult! Such connects should be alternative or even banded.
Code-alternation is very frequently use in my social networks especially if I am speaking to a spanish person, but not so when speaking to a kid or a monolingual. The same goes to face-to-face speech.
I think that I said last week that I enjoy multitasking through CMC and the internet. The ability to do several things at once is incredibly useful to me. Being able to control conversations (to an extent) is also very comforting. Everyone likes to feel in control, and the more you're in control of the better. Code-switching, however, I have no experience with. I only speak English fluently and I don't converse with my bilingual friends in Spanish.
ReplyDeleteBeing social beings, it is vital to want/need/crave control. Multitasking is essential in understanding why it’s more favorable to others. Multitasking is the act of doing multiple tasks at once. I totally agree with Baron when stated we’re always on. Yes, our advances in technology have made us more attached to our devices (checking emails, texts, Facebook, Tumblr, etc.), but keeping face-to-face conversations out of the picture is totally dramatic, and simply impossible. Our need to seek control happens unconsciously. In relation to the bilingualism phenomenon: bilinguals work perfectly fine with two languages stored in their brains – studies have been proven that bilinguals are better at multitasking, and have a better ability to suppress distractions. From my point of view, when a bilingual speaks; they’re multitasking by suppressing one language, and distinguishing the different sounds from the other. Now, how amazing is that?
ReplyDeleteOur ability to communicate effectively is the reason why our species of mammals is different. We have the sufficient cognitive function to make an infinite amount of sentences, rephrase for further understanding, console (when need), and simply communicate with words.
As for code-alternation, I only do it specifically with certain people. I’m not going to write a text in English when texting my mom, but I will when texting Liana. It all depends, really.
Who doesn't like being in control? When it comes to CMC that's the best part of it. It's your choice whether you would like to an email right at this moment. Perhaps, ignore an incoming phone call because you want to keep listening to your music. Especially living in a metropolis of a city like New York, one can only learn how to control the volume and be able to multitask. If I don't want to talk someone via text, I can simply ignore the person.However, it does make you feel bad when the other person has a timestamp that they read you text message and they never replied to you.
ReplyDeleteNow, multitasking is the way to be. Being able to do plenty of things at the same time is great. I also agree with Baron with the statement " we're always on" . Our phones are attached to the hip. We constantly like to check what's going on around us. I can tweet,check the news,write on someone's wall and stream my favorite show on CMC. It's what we do.
As a bilingual myself, I love code - alternation. This article discusses about how it can be intimate with the addressee with code switching. Again, in a city like New York, I feel like I do this with all of my bilingual friends in my position. My position as a 1st/2nd generation american with roots from another country,We both know the language, we're able to switch whenever we want. If one feels more comfortable texting more of one language,it's fine. The ability to code switch is a special one.