Week 2, Cyberculture

This week's class reading was 'Why Cyberculture' written by David Bell. Within the text Bell refers to 'material storytelling' when talking about the relationships between us and technology. I agree with this statement because technology is another form of storytelling. My own interaction with technology reflects this statement, for example the television - programs all contain stories whether it is the news or a movie, or even a series . Even the fridge tells a story - its contents alone hints to the food I eat and what food I don't like to eat. Next is the internet and my Facebook page - it is a log of what I do, it records thoughts, feelings, events I attend and hosts a variety of photos have uploaded. So no matter where you look, the technology you own tells a story about you.


Another main point Bell focuses on is something he calls a 'digital divide'. From my understanding and help from the Oxford dictionary, the digital divide is a division between those in favour of the use of digital technology and those who are not. It can also mean the devision between those who have access to digital technology and those who don't. He then goes on to say 

in order to deal with ‘clusters of connotations’ in our material stories, we often are ‘invisibilizing those people on the “wrong side” of the digital divide’. This statement could be seen as people who have access to these digital technology are on the right side and those who don't are on the wrong side. A digital divide happens in every country among those who are not well off finically. Those who have money can afford to buy luxury items such as a computer with access to the internet,  or phone to keep in contact with others. Sadly this is truth.