“Tag this photo!”, shouted a friend. “Tag that one!”, said another. I hear these words a lot when I carry around my black Nikon D60 while hanging out with friends at our old high school, cafes, and malls. It is as if our gathering was arranged in the first place primarily so it could be publicised on Facebook.
I accordingly upload and tag the requested photos. The photos I add are just a few out of more than 800 million uploaded to the site each month.
What is it about Facebook that makes its 150 million users sacrifice the precious time they have to upload that many pictures? A lot of factors can be attributed to this phenomenon; and uploading pictures is certainly not the only feature on this and similar sites that people make routine use of.
Other features that people can’t stay away from include the core functions such as Profile, Friends, Networks and additional applications such as Notes, Groups, Events, and Posted Items. The key to the growth of Facebook lies in the simplicity and originality of these features.
The Facebook statistics are staggering. In one month, there are more than 5 million videos uploaded; 20 million pieces of content, such as web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, and photos shared, and as many as 2 million events created.
Facebook started out in February 2004 when 20-year-old Mark Zuckerberg and his Harvard friends conceived the idea of a social networking site, originally to create a network for university students. The site became an instant success and expanded to other Ivy League universities such as Stanford, Columbia, and Yale Universities. By the end of the year, Facebook had reached nearly 1 million users.
Although displaying users’ profiles is hardly a new feature on social networking sites, the way Facebook displays them is somewhat different in that it is more subject to social interaction. The Wall feature on the Profile is a simple, effective way to communicate Facebook activities to the world. “We can talk about anything; we can even send emoticons and cute gifts,” said Karin, who logs in to her Facebook account every day.
“Ghian is now friends with Fransisca Laij”, “Ghian is excitedly waiting for a President Obama”, or “Ghian commented on his own photo”, these pieces of information are typical examples of Facebook’s Wall entries; these can be commented on and feed our need both to tell other people what have we been doing and, as we scroll through the pages of our friends, to find out what they have been doing.
However, this can also turn out to be a major inconvenience.
I certainly wouldn’t like my friends to comment obsessively on “Ghian went from being ‘in a relationship’ to ‘single’”. I wouldn’t like it either if other parties read my “Wall-to-Wall”, a feature that allows us to display our posts on a friend’s profile and read his or her replies. For the former, I can settle the issue by simply altering my privacy setting whereas for the latter, I wouldn’t even know it if anybody has attempted to do such thing.
A feature called ‘News Feed’, acts as the groundwork for our Facebook experience. It randomly picks out any friend’s activities and shows them on the Home page, thus providing us with potentially interesting information which we might want to learn more about.
The News Feed is another important element in Facebook. If you have, say, one thousand friends, it is impossible to keep track on all of your friends. This is where News Feed comes in handy; you might have been tagged on a long-awaited picture, a childhood friend might now be in a relationship with your co-worker, a group in which you are affiliated to might host an event that you might be interested in attending to. News Feed can offer that element of surprise which can easily slip through the cracks.
The Photo application is another feature crucial to the Facebook experience. The two elements that appeal to users are tag and comment. When a friend ‘tags’ you in a photo, you will be notified and be given a direct link to it. This way, the variety of photos in your profile does not entirely depend on yourself. If you feel uncomfortable with any of your tagged photos, you can simply click ‘remove tag’ and you cannot be tagged again into the same photo.
“It’s something new. You could share photos with friends and family in a click, plus you could chat and comment as much as you want with them,” said Putri, a Facebook user who has been tagged 433 times.
A unique feature that Facebook provides is its Applications. Users not only can enjoy them; they are wikis; they can create them. Most Facebook Applications are created by users around the world.
Facebook Applications has added a new dimension in social networking websites. Users can engage in activities other than commenting on a photo or posting an entry on other users’ wall. They can now send virtual plants to grow in an Application called ‘(lil) Green Patch’; they can now describe five characteristics of a friend through ‘iDescribe’; they can even arrange their own soccer team comprised of their Facebook friends through ‘Premier Football’.
“My favorite Application is iDescribe,” said Annisa, a digital native.
For digital natives, the generation that has grown up with digital technology, Facebook has become the social tool in this era of the Internet. However, they aren’t the only ones who are exploring the social networking site. The fastest growing demographic of Facebook users is, in fact, those who are 30 years old and older.
That was one of the main viewpoints that Professor Sarlito Sarwono expressed when I interviewed him about the Facebook social phenomenon.
Professor Sarwono is a well respected expert in his field. He obtained a Bachelor of Psychology degree at University of Indonesia and a Masters degree in Psychology from Leiden University. He has written dozens of books on psychology that discuss social issues, adolescent issues, and sexology issues. He has been attending international seminars for thirty years, lectured in various universities for forty years, both home and abroad, spent time at Cornell University as a visiting professor.
For a sixty four year old, he is still very much up and running. He is now a professor on the Faculty of Psychology on his almamater, UI, and on Perguruan Tinggi Ilmu Kepolisian. Professor Sarwono is still active in writing, giving speeches, and consulting. He is respected as one of the great social thinkers of this country.
“Facebook is just one of the new social tools of current young adults,” he explains. “On the other hand, it is not just for young people. I myself have a Facebook account, and among my friends are ministers, mayors, medical doctors, as well as other professionals, and my ex-students.”
Whether Facebook will endure still remains to be seen. Although the young adults comprise a hefty segment of the users, the professor is not optimistic regarding the site’s future. “Facebook will also fade out once there is a better medium or technology; it happened to Friendster.”
The rise of Facebook is driven by the concept of ‘online social playground’. People nowadays can communicate with each other through a keyboard and a glass that emits lights and colours, while having the sensation that the conversation partner is right next to us. However, chatting with friends face-to-face in a café and chatting with them through Facebook, even from a café, are completely different experiences.
“They are not similar, of course. Cyber social interactions can never replace real person-to-person live interactions,” the professor argues.
He also emphasises that Facebook cannot reach a majority of society. “Facebook is only for those who are able to access computers, particularly the Internet.” Moreover, he adds, the generation gap on the technology can also become a factor. “Not everybody is interested in learning how to operate computers.”
With the digital natives becoming increasingly plugged in to their smarphones such as iPhone and Blackberry, this ‘Facebook Revolution’ has the potential to change fundamentally the way young adults communicate or will communicate in the future. However, Professor Sarwono thinks otherwise.
“It is the Internet, not just Facebook. The possibility of virtual communication, including e-mail, blog, and etc, changed the life of all human beings, not just young adults,” he explains.
One of the main reasons why millions of Facebook users log in to the site, or to any social networking site for that matter, is because of the natural expression of human curiosity. We are curious about how other people are doing and feel the need to stay updated with the latest news, by our nature.
“Everybody needs to know what are other people doing,” the professor affirms. “When you meet somebody on the street, you will automatically ask ‘Apa kabar?’. Gossip and infotainment are some other forms of the expressions of human curiosity.”
Nowadays, Facebook has somewhat become a necessity, if you don’t want to miss all of the latest topics among your friends. For non-digital natives, Facebook presents the dilemma of jumping on the bandwagon or not. One could survive without having a Facebook account. However, going into the 21st century, the era of the Internet where the world is more connected than ever, not having a Facebook account may prove to be like living in a secluded cave, while life goes on outside.
Blogged with the Flock Browser
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
The Role of Education in Saving the World
The recent Israeli attack on Gaza has caught my attention to learn more about the issue of terrorism. With the Hamas trying to overthrow Israel no matter what, while Israel will stand still, no matter what, the only conclusion I am able to draw is that it is an extremely complicated issue.
Then again, there's the issue of climate change. The simple notion that mankind is contributing to its only home's destruction is apparently not enough to arouse an epiphany in all sides; if we do not take this problem seriously, we will suffer. The excuses range from economic reasons to practical issues, making it, too, a not so simple issue.
Now there's this global financial crisis, an issue so complicated that I still have a less than mediocre understanding on the issue itself. But I understand one thing, numerous jobs have been lost and it's not doing the prices any good.
Now how on earth are we going to survive this era, one might ask. While it is perhaps a grave misfortune for us to be living in this era, this also means that we are living in an era of opportunity. However, it is a long shot from turning the former set of mind into the latter. It is difficult because our culture teaches us not to care; it teaches us that our lives are separated from other people's lives.
The core problem of my generation, the well-educated, middle to upper class Indonesian youth who are coming of age in the dawn of the 21st century, is that as we are not directly affected by the major issues of our time, we are also not exposed enough to these issues. Our culture, and our education system for that matter, does not encourage us to help take care of the world; it only encourages us to take care of ourselves.
When we sit down at elementary school, we learn math. We study English. Throughout high school, biology and history added further complications to our heads. After we graduate from high school, we enter university passionately as we are finally able to study only in the fields that really caught our attention. We don't have to study physics if we don't want to.
While choosing a major in fashion design, music, or business management is in no way faulty, but just how many of those who do made the decision to became masters in the specified fields have in their minds the commitment to solve the climate change? The commitment to help relieve poverty in impoverished areas? The commitment to help eradicate corruption in the government? When have we ever been directly exposed to the real problems in the world around us and be encouraged to do something about it?
As a result, our goals and definition of success have been limited only to ourselves. However, one should only look to two examples to learn the importance of education: Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Troops) and US President Barack Obama.
The true story of Laskar Pelangi reflects just how education can shape one's character. It portrays the ever-wise Pak Harfan with his committed effort to teach his students the values of boldness to do the right thing; and the ever-determined Bu Mus to be the window of the world for her students. Unshaken by the poor nature of Belitong’s state of living, they insisted that every child has a right to education. The result? Despite all odds, one of their students has become a man who inspires millions of people through his literary works.
Meanwhile, the story of Barack Hussein Obama continues to dazzle the world. The Hawaii born son of a Kenyan father and an American mother, a guy whose 4 years of his childhood was spent in Indonesia, has become the 44th President of the United States. The man who received his education from Columbia University and Harvard Law School was directly exposed to the problems of the world when he was a community organizer in Chicago. It aroused him to help make change in a bigger scale, and, indeed, he inspired millions to follow his footsteps.
One of his principles, he once declared: "Because it's only when you hit your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential and discover the role that you'll play in writing the next great chapter in the American history."
A wise teacher of mine once said, "The greatest success stories are made by people who turn problems into opportunities."
If we are to fix this world that is troubled by issues as grave as terrorism, climate change, economic meltdown, we need to prepare future generations with proper insights that will equip them not only the mind needed to solve those problems, but more importantly, the heart. As we carry the burden of the issues facing the 21st century, it is in our hands to write mankind's greatest success stories.
Then again, there's the issue of climate change. The simple notion that mankind is contributing to its only home's destruction is apparently not enough to arouse an epiphany in all sides; if we do not take this problem seriously, we will suffer. The excuses range from economic reasons to practical issues, making it, too, a not so simple issue.
Now there's this global financial crisis, an issue so complicated that I still have a less than mediocre understanding on the issue itself. But I understand one thing, numerous jobs have been lost and it's not doing the prices any good.
Now how on earth are we going to survive this era, one might ask. While it is perhaps a grave misfortune for us to be living in this era, this also means that we are living in an era of opportunity. However, it is a long shot from turning the former set of mind into the latter. It is difficult because our culture teaches us not to care; it teaches us that our lives are separated from other people's lives.
The core problem of my generation, the well-educated, middle to upper class Indonesian youth who are coming of age in the dawn of the 21st century, is that as we are not directly affected by the major issues of our time, we are also not exposed enough to these issues. Our culture, and our education system for that matter, does not encourage us to help take care of the world; it only encourages us to take care of ourselves.
When we sit down at elementary school, we learn math. We study English. Throughout high school, biology and history added further complications to our heads. After we graduate from high school, we enter university passionately as we are finally able to study only in the fields that really caught our attention. We don't have to study physics if we don't want to.
While choosing a major in fashion design, music, or business management is in no way faulty, but just how many of those who do made the decision to became masters in the specified fields have in their minds the commitment to solve the climate change? The commitment to help relieve poverty in impoverished areas? The commitment to help eradicate corruption in the government? When have we ever been directly exposed to the real problems in the world around us and be encouraged to do something about it?
As a result, our goals and definition of success have been limited only to ourselves. However, one should only look to two examples to learn the importance of education: Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Troops) and US President Barack Obama.
The true story of Laskar Pelangi reflects just how education can shape one's character. It portrays the ever-wise Pak Harfan with his committed effort to teach his students the values of boldness to do the right thing; and the ever-determined Bu Mus to be the window of the world for her students. Unshaken by the poor nature of Belitong’s state of living, they insisted that every child has a right to education. The result? Despite all odds, one of their students has become a man who inspires millions of people through his literary works.
Meanwhile, the story of Barack Hussein Obama continues to dazzle the world. The Hawaii born son of a Kenyan father and an American mother, a guy whose 4 years of his childhood was spent in Indonesia, has become the 44th President of the United States. The man who received his education from Columbia University and Harvard Law School was directly exposed to the problems of the world when he was a community organizer in Chicago. It aroused him to help make change in a bigger scale, and, indeed, he inspired millions to follow his footsteps.
One of his principles, he once declared: "Because it's only when you hit your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential and discover the role that you'll play in writing the next great chapter in the American history."
A wise teacher of mine once said, "The greatest success stories are made by people who turn problems into opportunities."
If we are to fix this world that is troubled by issues as grave as terrorism, climate change, economic meltdown, we need to prepare future generations with proper insights that will equip them not only the mind needed to solve those problems, but more importantly, the heart. As we carry the burden of the issues facing the 21st century, it is in our hands to write mankind's greatest success stories.
Friday, 5 December 2008
Reflection: I'm Back
My dear blog, I apologize for abandoning you for the last 5-6 months or so. Things have changed so much since then. Now, I'm going to summarize my life in the past few months. So, listen up.
Let's see. I notice that I haven't written anything during college, while it's pretty much everything that's been going on lately. So now I am actually and finally enrolled in Monash College Diploma of Arts (Communications, Journalism, Psychology). If I look back at my past writings, a lot of them were about getting here. Now, I'm here.
College life suits me so far, at least college life in here. It remains to be seen whether I will enjoy Melbourne life or not. My guess is, I'll love it. We'll see.
What are the significant events in the last few months? Globally, Obama's won the election and we are in the middle of a global financial crisis which I'm having a hard time to understand what it's all about. Personally, I've had a few significant changes as well. Let's see. Five months ago, I wasn't interested in journalism at all, and wouldn't have considered politics as a university major. I was also set to take a degree in business. Now, I am all but those stuff.
Watching the US election closely has a big impact on me. Of course, it wouldn't be the case if it weren't for a guy named Barack Hussein Obama. I am just one out of millions of people who are deeply inspired by him. Obama taught me a lot of things; he made me think about a lot of things. The lessons that I learned by following his movement has laid the foundation of what I want to do with my life.
What do I want to do with my life? Well, let's just say when I die, I want to be remembered as a person who always puts others first, who devoted his life to helping make positive, significant changes in people's lives. I want to be remembered as a source of inspiration for millions of people. I want to be able to carry out good deeds and while doing so, inspiring others to do just the same.
So, where do I start? Again, I noticed that my ambition was to work in the media business, which is still a passion for me. But, now I learn that having a job in an advertising agency or work in the public relations sector will not help me grow as a person to achieve my dreams. Sure, it could be fun, but that's it.
Like I said, I've been following the US elections closely and, consequently, learn about the American politics and politicians. In the American political spectrum at least, I consider myself to be liberal as I relate more to the Democrats than the Republicans. I admire figures such as Obama, Al Gore, and Edward Kennedy. I noticed that all of them have the qualities that I would like to possess: ambitious, intelligent, compassionate, selfless to name a few. They develop those qualities through public service.
And then it all became crystal clear for me: public service is the perfect area to bring about positive change with great magnitude.
Now, what is the first thing that I can do to make sure that I would develop the qualities needed for public service? Through education, a major in politics. It has always been a subject of interest for me, alongside with the environment. I still deeply believe in the cause of climate change and that we need to take care of our planet. Why? It's our home. It's our only home. I see the challenge of climate change as an opportunity to bring people together and do something extraordinary. Because we have to. It's our only chance, to stand together. As I have already learned, that's the only way to do it. Combine those two, politics with environment, and what do you get? Unsurprisingly, Al Gore. In terms of career path, he is my main role model. And guess what, he started out as a journalist.
I also happen to have a grandfather's brother who is a former Minister of Environment and both sides of my family are heavily involved in international relations (my opa was an Ambassador for our country in Brunei, Egypt if I'm not mistaken, etc and my eyang was a councillor general in Canada). So, it can be said that politics and environment run in my family. And a double degree in arts (majoring in politics) and science (majoring in environmental science), instead of business, would also make sense.
Another thing worth mentioning is my newly developed passion for journalism. Entering college, it is the least subject I am passionate about, as I'm more interested in psychology and communications at the time. Now, it's my favorite one. This has got a lot to do with Patrick, my journalism lecturer. He showed me the very best qualities that journalism can teach: the values of honesty, fairness, responsibility, accountability. These features are crucial if you want to be a decent, genuine public servant. Moreover, as you'd probably have noticed, I love writing. What more can you ask?
So, bit by bit, the pieces of jigsaw puzzle of my life have been put together.
Let's see. I notice that I haven't written anything during college, while it's pretty much everything that's been going on lately. So now I am actually and finally enrolled in Monash College Diploma of Arts (Communications, Journalism, Psychology). If I look back at my past writings, a lot of them were about getting here. Now, I'm here.
College life suits me so far, at least college life in here. It remains to be seen whether I will enjoy Melbourne life or not. My guess is, I'll love it. We'll see.
What are the significant events in the last few months? Globally, Obama's won the election and we are in the middle of a global financial crisis which I'm having a hard time to understand what it's all about. Personally, I've had a few significant changes as well. Let's see. Five months ago, I wasn't interested in journalism at all, and wouldn't have considered politics as a university major. I was also set to take a degree in business. Now, I am all but those stuff.
Watching the US election closely has a big impact on me. Of course, it wouldn't be the case if it weren't for a guy named Barack Hussein Obama. I am just one out of millions of people who are deeply inspired by him. Obama taught me a lot of things; he made me think about a lot of things. The lessons that I learned by following his movement has laid the foundation of what I want to do with my life.
What do I want to do with my life? Well, let's just say when I die, I want to be remembered as a person who always puts others first, who devoted his life to helping make positive, significant changes in people's lives. I want to be remembered as a source of inspiration for millions of people. I want to be able to carry out good deeds and while doing so, inspiring others to do just the same.
So, where do I start? Again, I noticed that my ambition was to work in the media business, which is still a passion for me. But, now I learn that having a job in an advertising agency or work in the public relations sector will not help me grow as a person to achieve my dreams. Sure, it could be fun, but that's it.
Like I said, I've been following the US elections closely and, consequently, learn about the American politics and politicians. In the American political spectrum at least, I consider myself to be liberal as I relate more to the Democrats than the Republicans. I admire figures such as Obama, Al Gore, and Edward Kennedy. I noticed that all of them have the qualities that I would like to possess: ambitious, intelligent, compassionate, selfless to name a few. They develop those qualities through public service.
And then it all became crystal clear for me: public service is the perfect area to bring about positive change with great magnitude.
Now, what is the first thing that I can do to make sure that I would develop the qualities needed for public service? Through education, a major in politics. It has always been a subject of interest for me, alongside with the environment. I still deeply believe in the cause of climate change and that we need to take care of our planet. Why? It's our home. It's our only home. I see the challenge of climate change as an opportunity to bring people together and do something extraordinary. Because we have to. It's our only chance, to stand together. As I have already learned, that's the only way to do it. Combine those two, politics with environment, and what do you get? Unsurprisingly, Al Gore. In terms of career path, he is my main role model. And guess what, he started out as a journalist.
I also happen to have a grandfather's brother who is a former Minister of Environment and both sides of my family are heavily involved in international relations (my opa was an Ambassador for our country in Brunei, Egypt if I'm not mistaken, etc and my eyang was a councillor general in Canada). So, it can be said that politics and environment run in my family. And a double degree in arts (majoring in politics) and science (majoring in environmental science), instead of business, would also make sense.
Another thing worth mentioning is my newly developed passion for journalism. Entering college, it is the least subject I am passionate about, as I'm more interested in psychology and communications at the time. Now, it's my favorite one. This has got a lot to do with Patrick, my journalism lecturer. He showed me the very best qualities that journalism can teach: the values of honesty, fairness, responsibility, accountability. These features are crucial if you want to be a decent, genuine public servant. Moreover, as you'd probably have noticed, I love writing. What more can you ask?
So, bit by bit, the pieces of jigsaw puzzle of my life have been put together.
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