Techno-Politics

My thought of the day...

@Rokoyama_L: "So vamps happen to be immortal though when sun exposed or stake through their hearts they die...wow talk about being IMMORTAL!!! #ItsNkay"

Like blogging, conveying my thoughts on a social networking and micro-blog platform, with a provision of 140 characters, known as Twitter is an illustration of how communication has evolved over the periods of years. It is also an illustration of how technology has evolved.

From telegram communication to sending an electronic mail, known as email, to connecting with a vast number of people from various walks of life and countries via Facebook, and not forget the up-to-the-minute news and gossips via Twitter, technology has transformed the way of life. All technological innovation such as blogging, Facebook and Twitter are classified as new media. Though technology has changed the manner in which we communicate and connect on a daily basis, it has also managed to change the political sphere.

The audio-visual media known as YouTube has changed the face of politics. An excellent example of this change is the birth of Obama girl. Long story cut short, Amber Lee Ettinger was the girl who sang the song "I have a crush on Obama" during Obama’s presidential run February 2007. Thus new media also enabled South Africa to digitise its government in transforming and establishing an e-government and e-democracy.

So you ask what is e-government and e-democracy. Once again I shall consult the Nkay-tionary and of course the experts within the fields. The Nkay-tionary defines e-government as a group of people who run the country via the Internet. E-democracy is defined as a country in which its people have the right to select which poltical party should run the country and it is a means of how a country should be run through communication means via the Internet.

Well that’s what the Nkay-tionary defines both terms. But the authentic definition of e-government is defined, by Tlagadi, as the involvement of new styles of leadership, new ways of debating and deciding policy and investment, new ways of accessing education, new ways of listening to citizens and new ways of organising and delivering information and services.
Mpidi also refers to e-government or e-governance as public sector’s use of information and communication technologies with the aim of improving information and service delivery, encouraging citizen participation in the decision-making process and making government more accountable, transparent and effective.

Though e-governance makes it easier for the citizens to communicate with South Africa’s government through accessing it via the Internet, not all have the leisure of communicating and participating with the government. With that said, it draws our topic discussion to the concept known as digital divide within the sphere of new media. Mphidi’s article sources various definitions of digital divide.

The American Library Association (ALA), Office for Information Technology Policy (2000) defines the digital divide as disparities based on economic, status, gender, race, physical abilities and geographic location between those who have or do not have access to information, the Internet and other information technologies and services.
Mariscal (2005:410) defines the concept as the gap between individuals, households, business and geographic arrears at different socio-economic levels with regard both to their opportunities to access information technologies and to the use of such technologies for a wide variety of activities.

From both definitions sourced by Mphidi, the main idea a person concludes is that digital divide is simple a lack of access to technologies such as computers and the Internet. Therefore South African citizens who do not have access to computers or the Internet, it makes it difficult for these citizens to gain access to government resources or participant within the running of the country. Therefore, such lack of access to media technology contradicts the idea of a democratic society in South Africa. Democracy in South Africa is based on the foundation of equality for all due to the past injustices that were induced by its previous government within the country. Though the gap of digital divide is still evident in South Africa, it is slowly becoming extinct.

Though what needs to be noted is the fact that digital divide is not merely the lack of access to technology or information but it also varies from one level to the next. Hargittai’s and Hinnant’s article, Digital Inequality: Differences in Young Adults’ Use of the Internet, tackles the issue that not all adolescents utilise technology similarly. They conducted a hypothesis that deduced adolescents with a variation of high levels of educational recorded various levels of the adolescents’ digital literacy. Therefore, by contextualising Hargittai’s and Hinnant’s hypothesis, it means that South African have varied degrees of digital literacy.


Surely with time, every South African citizen will have access to government resources and information and participate with government.

Sources consulted

• Hargittai, E. and Hinnati, A. 2008. Digital Inequality: Difference in Young Adults’ Use of the Internet.pdf [O] Available at:

http://www.online.sagepub.com Accessed 18/04/2013

Levinson, P. 2009. New New Media. New York: Penguin Academics

Mphidi, H. Digital divide and e-governance in South Africa.pdf

van Dijk, J. 2006. The Network Society: Aspects of New Media. 2nd ed. London: SAGE Publication Ltd

A Tech-ciety

It is said that an iPhone now has more processing power than the North American Air Defense Command did in 1965. This is a clear illustration of how technological innovation expands at an infinite rate. Though with great power generated from a compact device, it makes you wonder if what van Dijk states will come to pass. He states that mobile and wireless technology will spread the network society to the most remote places and the deepest pores of the world. However, I must agree to disagree with van Dijk’s statement. Various factors play an influence with my decision. One needs to generate comprehension of the concept of what is meant by network society and all relevant concepts that pertain to this discussion.

My definition of a network society, from the all made up Nkay-tionary, is a group or groups of people connected via the world wide web commonly known as the Internet, from vast geographical locations .i.e. Africa to South America or USA to Japan.

Nonetheless the politically correct and complicated definition of a network society, defined by van Dijk, is a social formation with an infrastructure of social and media networks enabling its prime mode of organization at all levels (individual, group/organisational and societal). Increasingly, these networks link all units or parts of this formation (individuals, groups and organizations). In western societies, the individual linked by networks is becoming the basic unit of the network society. In eastern societies, this might still be the group (family, community, work team) linked by networks. With that said and done, I’m sure that you’re super confused and thrown off the bus. So in simple English, there’s is an established relation between political, economic, cultural and social systems that are linked or connected on a global, societal, group or organisational and individual levels. This link or connection is facilitated by telecommunications and computer systems. This in turn, generates the inclusive role of mobile technology within the network society.
"In the world of fashion, one day you’re in and the next you’re out", a phrase famously spoken by Project Runway host and judge, Heidi Klum. Similarly in the techno world, Nokia Lumia X today, Nokia Lumia X3 tomorrow. Though it’s too much of an exaggeration, it’s a reality. Technological innovation is a rapid process. Personal computers and laptops are almost a thing of the past. Mobile technology such as Blackberry, Samsung, iPhone, Nokia and Sony Ericson are changing the face of the technological innovation. Though before such gadgets are present fixed telephony, also known as land line, was the core foundation of a network society.

Though one was not connected to a vast number of individuals or groups, a connection between individual to individual was present. The connection between both parties was done manually then with time it was done automatically. Skip and a hope through the timeline and the invention of cell phone revolutionises the technological world. With constant innovative cell phones being manufactured, the more the network society involves. With software such Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram and so forth, it established a knowledgeable connection amongst locals of a country to vast individuals of various citizenship and culture.

Therefore why would I then disagree with van Dijk’s statement that mobile and wireless technology won’t spread the network society to the most remote places and the deepest pores of the world? Firstly one needs to consider the fact that certain parts of the world such as African countries lack infrastructure to facilitate such technological innovation. Over the period of years, Africa has been seen as a developing continent as a whole. The presence of civil wars makes it difficult for such a process to take place. While South Africa may be more developed compared to other African countries, it too fails to facilitate the passing of a network society reaching the deepest pores of the world. Secondly, Internet access is freely accessible in North American countries whilst in South Africa one needs to purchase their way in. Accessing the Internet in South Africa is quite pricey too. Another factor is the role of political or government power. In Zimbabwe Internet access is strictly monitored due to the president’s abuse and grip on power.

Therefore, I have lack of confidence that a network society shall reach the deepest pores of the world. Frankly, as much of a utopian world this sounds, reality needs to kick in as a network society of such a nature is beyond becoming a reality.
　
　
　
Sources
Levinson, P. 2009. New New Media. Penguin Academics: Cape Town
van Dijk, J. 2006. The Network Society: Aspects of New Media. 2nd ed. SAGE Publication Ltd: London