Tabloid Issue Vol XL No 3
By Mary Ann Suing, Xyrah Pearl Joaquin, Raquel Magtalas
“’Eto ‘yong mundong kinabibilangan ko at alam kong habang buhay nang hindi matatanggal sa akin ‘yong pagiging netizen ko, ‘di lang bilang ordinaryong member nito, kung ‘di mismong isa sa mge creators nito.”—Justin, not his real name, who finds social networking sites very addictive but also sees the world in it, his world. Their world.
They live in this artificial realm of cyberspace, where anonymity and freedom reign supreme. However, for the vast majority of netizens, prowling the grounds of cyberspace mostly involves social networking and playing with online games which might seem harmless at first but as addiction progresses, become detrimental in nature.
Shared worlds. Reality and cyberspace clash often in most cases, however, in the following stories, cyberspace wins over reality. Netizens take additional and long shifts in the free, anonymous and enticing environment of cyberspace, not wanting to leave….
Easy level: Commoner turned hero
If your senses made you believe that you are a warrior in the making, if you felt armed with enormous shields and special weapons whenever you go online and play games, then you must be one of the beginner netizens roaming cyber world through gaming.
One is Therence Manalo of BSMEE 2A, a netizen who often consumed four to eight hours a day on surfing the internet, unconscious of the time he spends being hooked to the cyber world.
“No’ng una talaga isa ako sa mga anti-netizen na ‘di mo mapapatagal ng isang oras sa computer. As in kapag may kailangan lang talaga akong i-search, do’n ko lang gagamitin ‘yong internet,” said Therence. However, when Therence got hooked to internet games in Facebook and got perfectly immersed in the environment of online games, his life gradually changed.
He admitted that he always stays up late because of his addiction to playing games. But then, he believes that the entertainment is worth his time, “Kasi nandito ‘yong mga games na kinalolokohan ko at ‘yun ang naging reason ko para maging netizen ako.”
Some people would say that computer addicts are wasteful, useless and have nothing to do with their lives but to eat and play. But, believe it or not, there is an explanation for this hasty generalization about their addiction.
Psychology professor Melinda Ramos stated that an internet user may begin to become a first touch netizen in playing Local Area Network (LAN) games and internet games.
“Mostly kasi sa mga nasa stage one pa lang ng pagiging netizen, LAN computer games ang sinasanay nila kasi mga estudyante naman ngayon ang perspective nila mawala talaga ‘yong boredom nila at sa bigat ng acads nila kaya naiisip nilang isa ‘yon sa magiging stress ball nila,” said Ramos.
Moderate Level: The cyberspace butterfly
In addition to being a gamer, staying in front of the computer rather than watching television programs and developing an interest in creating one’s own websites, connecting with friends on social networking sites without even noticing the time, and being updated on the latest trends classifies a person as a netizen.
“’Yong tipong madalas mag-text lang talaga [ang ginagawa] ‘ko pero no’ng nag-college ako, puro facebook, twitter at blogs na ang kaharap ko sa monitor at sobrang impact ‘yong nagawa sa ’kin ng social media through these websites, since then ‘di ko na talaga tinantanan,” shared Alex, junior Mass Communication student.
Alex consumes a minimum of nine hours and a maximum of eighteen hours in front of the computer and is basically ‘ahead’ of beginner netizens.
“Lahat ng ‘yon [social networking sites] I make sure na active [ako] every single day of my life. Lalo ‘yong blog ko sa Tumblr. Bukod kasi sa trending ngayon ‘yong mga social networking sites, hooked talaga ako do’n kasi I always feel connected and updated sa lahat ng nangyayari,” added Alex confidently.
Aside from being also a gamer and a member for three years of the so-called internet society, Alex is also a web designer, a layout artist and a video editor, which are all related to her own course.
“Iba ‘yong naging epekto ng internet sa ‘kin kasi kung ‘yong iba, ginagawang libangan ‘to, ako naman license ko ‘to para ma-improve pa lalo na ‘yong techie skills ko na sobrang kailangan ko talaga lalo ‘pag nag-OJT na kami. Saka alam ko namang magagamit ko talaga ‘to e,” added Alex.
Ramos stated that there are certain characteristics that will define the distinctions between the online users and the true-blue netizens.
“’Di naman kasi porke’t nagbukas ka na ng facebook kahit sa cellphone mo for five hours, masasabi mo nang netizen ka eh pa’no kung ‘di ka naman updated at post ka lang ng post ng status mo? Kung aware ka pa sa trending at expert ka sa pasikut-sikot ng concerned website mo, do’n pa lang ma-identify na netizen ka,” Ramos said.
Difficult Level: The half-life
You know you’re beyond the normal level of netizenship if you can live perfectly in front of a laptop or computer with internet connection for a day without bothering to get up your chair or get out of the house. Meet Xander from the College of Arts and Letters who styles himself as a fulltime netizen.
“Being a netizen is something more that social networking or games. It is also about socializing through forums, posting opinions and such, buying and selling online, then may ventures din syempre sa grey areas ng cyberspace. For example, may red light district din kaya sa ‘net,” shared Xander.
His ‘net escapades started when he first got hold of a phone that can connect to the internet for free using the so-called free browsing technique (FBT) which ultimately evolved to more sophisticated levels of changing IP addresses just for the sake of ‘free ‘net.’
“From then on, regular tambay na sa mga mobile sites. It’s fun, lalo na kung makikipagtalo ako sa mga relitards at iba pang mga troll or simple conversations lang sa threads about love, technology and other interesting stuff,” stated Xander quite enthusiastically.
Indeed, Xander became an active member of an online Filipino forum where he participated in thread discussions and in which he reached “Grand Master” status for having posted 3,000+ posts. He was also given “reputation” or points for the useful things that he posted, including his own poems, short stories and essays. He also started buying and selling online to satisfy his desire for technology, cellphones in particular.
“The thing about online buy-and-sell is, you’ve got to be careful. Very careful. Maraming predators online na marami na ring naloloko. Trust your instincts, when in doubt, don’t deal with someone lalo na when it comes to large amounts of money. Pero in fairness naman, sa apat na taon kong pag-bu-buy-and-sell online e ‘di pa ako naloloko,” reminisced Xander.
An online community where you can socialize, meet new friends, express your opinions and engage in trade is something unimaginable a decade ago. However, the likes of Xander have shown that with technological convergence also come new ways on how people communicate with each other. However, this kind of intrapersonal communication was often bashed as being not personal at all, deceitful and “only for people with no life.”
“When someone screams at me to: ‘Get a life!’ Sinasagot ko na lang ng, ‘My online life is much more fulfilling than your real life.’ Gan’on na lang, may masasabi at masasabi naman kasi ang mga tao eh, ang mahalaga, alam mong wala kang ginagawang masama,” defended Xander.
Abyss level: The creator
So if identifying a netizen comes down to awareness, then those people who are not just typically logging in and out of different sites, chitchatting with online friends and enjoying games surely have something to say. If there’s such a thing like the highest degree of being a netizen, then it is those people—the professional netizens.
“Kapag sinabing professional netizen, talo ‘yong twenty four hours sa iyo kasi mostly talaga two to five days ang tatag ko sa harapan ng computer ‘yong tipong kakain lang talaga ako pag-uwi galing school tapos dire-diretso na ‘ko,” shared Justin, not his real name, a junior student fom the College of Information and Communication Technology.
Being a major and essential part of every netizen’s life, Justin’s usual surfing of the internet doesn’t just include the usual things that the aforementioned three netizens do.
“S’yempre lahat na ng ginagawa ng mga beginner at mild [average] pinagdaanan ko na ‘yan kaya this time ‘di lang ako ‘yong updated, warrior, designer, blogger o surfer ako din ‘yong mismong nagpapatatag ng advocacy ng mga netizen na mas dumami pa kami lalo ngayong nasa techie era na tayo at kailangan talaga nating mga kabataan ‘to,” said Justin.
True to his advocacy, the junior IT student who is also a game master in one of the popular internet games in the country dedicates his blog in promoting the online community by blogging not only his activities but the activities and advantages a netizen can have in the cyberspace.
However, with being a professional netizen comes the risks and consequences it poses to the life of people like Justin. According again to Ramos, the internet must be used with measure and limitations, “Kapag kasi out of the limit na ‘yong gusto mong malaman, ang tendency no’n maapektuhan na ‘yong totoong buhay mo kasi minsan magkakaroon ka ng doubt at conflict sa pananalita at kilos mo dahil napaghahalo mo na sa real world mo ‘yong mga ginagawa mo sa cyber world at kahit nagsisimula ka pa lang, ‘di pa rin ‘to healthy.”
Reality Level: Case unclosed
“Actually matagal ko nang na-consider na parte ng social life ko ‘yong pagiging netizen ko kaya ‘di ko na masyadong ramdam na apektado ‘yung social life ko kasi talagang binigyan ko ng malaking time ‘to at pinagkasya ko sa schedule ko,” the professional netizen, Justin, said. According to him, there is not much difference between his life in the cyberspace and his life as an ordinary person, since whether online or in actual situation, cyberspace has been a usual topic for him and his friends. However, if Justin doesn’t find the distinction between both worlds anymore, to Alex, he has found himself in a somehow conflicting situation.
“Malaki rin ‘yong epekto sa social life ko kasi mostly monitor na ‘yong lagi kong kaharap kesa ‘yong family ko. Mas malaki ‘yong time allotment ko sa internet world kaysa sa pagiging estudyante ko at pagiging son ng parents ko kaya pati sila mama ayaw na rin ‘yong habit ko kaya minsan grounded ako sa paghawak ng PC sa’min,” related Alex. Meanwhile, the beginner netizen Therence doesn’t find being a cybercitizen a hindrance to his social life, for he makes sure he still prioritizes his family and his studies. While Xander believes that a balanced interaction between the real world and cyberspace is essential for a netizen to not become out of touch.
However, it is difficult to accomplish things that demands sufficient working time such as assignment, projects, or reviewing for exams if there will be hindrances to one’s focus.
“Ever since consistent ako sa pag-maintain ng grades ko pero no’ng na-attach na ako sa internet, nagkaroon ako ng dalawang tres sa two major subjects ko and worst, isinugod din ako sa ospital last month dahil low-blood ako [at dahil sa] kakapuyat,” said Alex, who is trying to moderate his online activities. But more to just having an effect to a student’s studies is the actual scenario of having problems in prioritization.
“Naranasan ko na ring unahin ‘yong mga ginagawa ko sa internet as in hindi talaga ako nakakapasok sa mga subjects ko o ‘yong tipong dadalhin ko ‘yong laptop ko habang nag-didiscuss ‘yung prof namin at minsan pa nga nakakaranas na ako ng iba’t ibang pananakit sa katawan ko, gano’n kalala ‘yung epekto sa’kin ng pagiging internet addict ko,”shared Justin.
Some BulSUans spend most of their time in the internet shops or browsing their favorite websites at home as well as being hooked up in playing until midnight. This leads to the lack of physical activities among youngsters that make them less active, less communicative, less productive and less healthy.
“Pwede namang maiwasan ‘yong pagiging isolated ng mga estudyante like having a group talk sa mga trending sa internet ngayon, do’n siguro ma-enhance nila ‘yong reality relationships nila at pag nagkataon, ‘yong confidence nila na kaya pala nilang makipagsabayan, added Ramos.
Laters, cyberspace
“Cyberspace is like your home away from home,” Xander mused.
Indeed, the internet has grown more personal these past few years, with websites being much more user-friendly and intuitive to neophytes. It is even unthinkable these days for the internet to suddenly disappear. The huge contribution of the internet for worldwide cohesion has not remained unrecognized since ‘hacktivism’ itself helped overthrow the repressive regimes of the Middle East in what was known as the Arab Spring.
The cyberspace has evolved from a simple business minded tool to an international melting pot of different beliefs, nationalities and likes. Millions of them. With these figures, there may come a time wherein the real world is inseparable from cyberspace. Indeed, that time is fast approaching now, with the great strides that technology has undergone.
One must wonder though: Does technological convergence help pull people closer together or just succeeds in pulling them apart?
By Mary Ann Suing, Xyrah Pearl Joaquin, Raquel Magtalas
“’Eto ‘yong mundong kinabibilangan ko at alam kong habang buhay nang hindi matatanggal sa akin ‘yong pagiging netizen ko, ‘di lang bilang ordinaryong member nito, kung ‘di mismong isa sa mge creators nito.”—Justin, not his real name, who finds social networking sites very addictive but also sees the world in it, his world. Their world.
They live in this artificial realm of cyberspace, where anonymity and freedom reign supreme. However, for the vast majority of netizens, prowling the grounds of cyberspace mostly involves social networking and playing with online games which might seem harmless at first but as addiction progresses, become detrimental in nature.
Shared worlds. Reality and cyberspace clash often in most cases, however, in the following stories, cyberspace wins over reality. Netizens take additional and long shifts in the free, anonymous and enticing environment of cyberspace, not wanting to leave….
Easy level: Commoner turned hero
If your senses made you believe that you are a warrior in the making, if you felt armed with enormous shields and special weapons whenever you go online and play games, then you must be one of the beginner netizens roaming cyber world through gaming.
One is Therence Manalo of BSMEE 2A, a netizen who often consumed four to eight hours a day on surfing the internet, unconscious of the time he spends being hooked to the cyber world.
“No’ng una talaga isa ako sa mga anti-netizen na ‘di mo mapapatagal ng isang oras sa computer. As in kapag may kailangan lang talaga akong i-search, do’n ko lang gagamitin ‘yong internet,” said Therence. However, when Therence got hooked to internet games in Facebook and got perfectly immersed in the environment of online games, his life gradually changed.
He admitted that he always stays up late because of his addiction to playing games. But then, he believes that the entertainment is worth his time, “Kasi nandito ‘yong mga games na kinalolokohan ko at ‘yun ang naging reason ko para maging netizen ako.”
Some people would say that computer addicts are wasteful, useless and have nothing to do with their lives but to eat and play. But, believe it or not, there is an explanation for this hasty generalization about their addiction.
Psychology professor Melinda Ramos stated that an internet user may begin to become a first touch netizen in playing Local Area Network (LAN) games and internet games.
“Mostly kasi sa mga nasa stage one pa lang ng pagiging netizen, LAN computer games ang sinasanay nila kasi mga estudyante naman ngayon ang perspective nila mawala talaga ‘yong boredom nila at sa bigat ng acads nila kaya naiisip nilang isa ‘yon sa magiging stress ball nila,” said Ramos.
Moderate Level: The cyberspace butterfly
In addition to being a gamer, staying in front of the computer rather than watching television programs and developing an interest in creating one’s own websites, connecting with friends on social networking sites without even noticing the time, and being updated on the latest trends classifies a person as a netizen.
“’Yong tipong madalas mag-text lang talaga [ang ginagawa] ‘ko pero no’ng nag-college ako, puro facebook, twitter at blogs na ang kaharap ko sa monitor at sobrang impact ‘yong nagawa sa ’kin ng social media through these websites, since then ‘di ko na talaga tinantanan,” shared Alex, junior Mass Communication student.
Alex consumes a minimum of nine hours and a maximum of eighteen hours in front of the computer and is basically ‘ahead’ of beginner netizens.
“Lahat ng ‘yon [social networking sites] I make sure na active [ako] every single day of my life. Lalo ‘yong blog ko sa Tumblr. Bukod kasi sa trending ngayon ‘yong mga social networking sites, hooked talaga ako do’n kasi I always feel connected and updated sa lahat ng nangyayari,” added Alex confidently.
Aside from being also a gamer and a member for three years of the so-called internet society, Alex is also a web designer, a layout artist and a video editor, which are all related to her own course.
“Iba ‘yong naging epekto ng internet sa ‘kin kasi kung ‘yong iba, ginagawang libangan ‘to, ako naman license ko ‘to para ma-improve pa lalo na ‘yong techie skills ko na sobrang kailangan ko talaga lalo ‘pag nag-OJT na kami. Saka alam ko namang magagamit ko talaga ‘to e,” added Alex.
Ramos stated that there are certain characteristics that will define the distinctions between the online users and the true-blue netizens.
“’Di naman kasi porke’t nagbukas ka na ng facebook kahit sa cellphone mo for five hours, masasabi mo nang netizen ka eh pa’no kung ‘di ka naman updated at post ka lang ng post ng status mo? Kung aware ka pa sa trending at expert ka sa pasikut-sikot ng concerned website mo, do’n pa lang ma-identify na netizen ka,” Ramos said.
Difficult Level: The half-life
You know you’re beyond the normal level of netizenship if you can live perfectly in front of a laptop or computer with internet connection for a day without bothering to get up your chair or get out of the house. Meet Xander from the College of Arts and Letters who styles himself as a fulltime netizen.
“Being a netizen is something more that social networking or games. It is also about socializing through forums, posting opinions and such, buying and selling online, then may ventures din syempre sa grey areas ng cyberspace. For example, may red light district din kaya sa ‘net,” shared Xander.
His ‘net escapades started when he first got hold of a phone that can connect to the internet for free using the so-called free browsing technique (FBT) which ultimately evolved to more sophisticated levels of changing IP addresses just for the sake of ‘free ‘net.’
“From then on, regular tambay na sa mga mobile sites. It’s fun, lalo na kung makikipagtalo ako sa mga relitards at iba pang mga troll or simple conversations lang sa threads about love, technology and other interesting stuff,” stated Xander quite enthusiastically.
Indeed, Xander became an active member of an online Filipino forum where he participated in thread discussions and in which he reached “Grand Master” status for having posted 3,000+ posts. He was also given “reputation” or points for the useful things that he posted, including his own poems, short stories and essays. He also started buying and selling online to satisfy his desire for technology, cellphones in particular.
“The thing about online buy-and-sell is, you’ve got to be careful. Very careful. Maraming predators online na marami na ring naloloko. Trust your instincts, when in doubt, don’t deal with someone lalo na when it comes to large amounts of money. Pero in fairness naman, sa apat na taon kong pag-bu-buy-and-sell online e ‘di pa ako naloloko,” reminisced Xander.
An online community where you can socialize, meet new friends, express your opinions and engage in trade is something unimaginable a decade ago. However, the likes of Xander have shown that with technological convergence also come new ways on how people communicate with each other. However, this kind of intrapersonal communication was often bashed as being not personal at all, deceitful and “only for people with no life.”
“When someone screams at me to: ‘Get a life!’ Sinasagot ko na lang ng, ‘My online life is much more fulfilling than your real life.’ Gan’on na lang, may masasabi at masasabi naman kasi ang mga tao eh, ang mahalaga, alam mong wala kang ginagawang masama,” defended Xander.
Abyss level: The creator
So if identifying a netizen comes down to awareness, then those people who are not just typically logging in and out of different sites, chitchatting with online friends and enjoying games surely have something to say. If there’s such a thing like the highest degree of being a netizen, then it is those people—the professional netizens.
“Kapag sinabing professional netizen, talo ‘yong twenty four hours sa iyo kasi mostly talaga two to five days ang tatag ko sa harapan ng computer ‘yong tipong kakain lang talaga ako pag-uwi galing school tapos dire-diretso na ‘ko,” shared Justin, not his real name, a junior student fom the College of Information and Communication Technology.
Being a major and essential part of every netizen’s life, Justin’s usual surfing of the internet doesn’t just include the usual things that the aforementioned three netizens do.
“S’yempre lahat na ng ginagawa ng mga beginner at mild [average] pinagdaanan ko na ‘yan kaya this time ‘di lang ako ‘yong updated, warrior, designer, blogger o surfer ako din ‘yong mismong nagpapatatag ng advocacy ng mga netizen na mas dumami pa kami lalo ngayong nasa techie era na tayo at kailangan talaga nating mga kabataan ‘to,” said Justin.
True to his advocacy, the junior IT student who is also a game master in one of the popular internet games in the country dedicates his blog in promoting the online community by blogging not only his activities but the activities and advantages a netizen can have in the cyberspace.
However, with being a professional netizen comes the risks and consequences it poses to the life of people like Justin. According again to Ramos, the internet must be used with measure and limitations, “Kapag kasi out of the limit na ‘yong gusto mong malaman, ang tendency no’n maapektuhan na ‘yong totoong buhay mo kasi minsan magkakaroon ka ng doubt at conflict sa pananalita at kilos mo dahil napaghahalo mo na sa real world mo ‘yong mga ginagawa mo sa cyber world at kahit nagsisimula ka pa lang, ‘di pa rin ‘to healthy.”
Reality Level: Case unclosed
“Actually matagal ko nang na-consider na parte ng social life ko ‘yong pagiging netizen ko kaya ‘di ko na masyadong ramdam na apektado ‘yung social life ko kasi talagang binigyan ko ng malaking time ‘to at pinagkasya ko sa schedule ko,” the professional netizen, Justin, said. According to him, there is not much difference between his life in the cyberspace and his life as an ordinary person, since whether online or in actual situation, cyberspace has been a usual topic for him and his friends. However, if Justin doesn’t find the distinction between both worlds anymore, to Alex, he has found himself in a somehow conflicting situation.
“Malaki rin ‘yong epekto sa social life ko kasi mostly monitor na ‘yong lagi kong kaharap kesa ‘yong family ko. Mas malaki ‘yong time allotment ko sa internet world kaysa sa pagiging estudyante ko at pagiging son ng parents ko kaya pati sila mama ayaw na rin ‘yong habit ko kaya minsan grounded ako sa paghawak ng PC sa’min,” related Alex. Meanwhile, the beginner netizen Therence doesn’t find being a cybercitizen a hindrance to his social life, for he makes sure he still prioritizes his family and his studies. While Xander believes that a balanced interaction between the real world and cyberspace is essential for a netizen to not become out of touch.
However, it is difficult to accomplish things that demands sufficient working time such as assignment, projects, or reviewing for exams if there will be hindrances to one’s focus.
“Ever since consistent ako sa pag-maintain ng grades ko pero no’ng na-attach na ako sa internet, nagkaroon ako ng dalawang tres sa two major subjects ko and worst, isinugod din ako sa ospital last month dahil low-blood ako [at dahil sa] kakapuyat,” said Alex, who is trying to moderate his online activities. But more to just having an effect to a student’s studies is the actual scenario of having problems in prioritization.
“Naranasan ko na ring unahin ‘yong mga ginagawa ko sa internet as in hindi talaga ako nakakapasok sa mga subjects ko o ‘yong tipong dadalhin ko ‘yong laptop ko habang nag-didiscuss ‘yung prof namin at minsan pa nga nakakaranas na ako ng iba’t ibang pananakit sa katawan ko, gano’n kalala ‘yung epekto sa’kin ng pagiging internet addict ko,”shared Justin.
Some BulSUans spend most of their time in the internet shops or browsing their favorite websites at home as well as being hooked up in playing until midnight. This leads to the lack of physical activities among youngsters that make them less active, less communicative, less productive and less healthy.
“Pwede namang maiwasan ‘yong pagiging isolated ng mga estudyante like having a group talk sa mga trending sa internet ngayon, do’n siguro ma-enhance nila ‘yong reality relationships nila at pag nagkataon, ‘yong confidence nila na kaya pala nilang makipagsabayan, added Ramos.
Laters, cyberspace
“Cyberspace is like your home away from home,” Xander mused.
Indeed, the internet has grown more personal these past few years, with websites being much more user-friendly and intuitive to neophytes. It is even unthinkable these days for the internet to suddenly disappear. The huge contribution of the internet for worldwide cohesion has not remained unrecognized since ‘hacktivism’ itself helped overthrow the repressive regimes of the Middle East in what was known as the Arab Spring.
The cyberspace has evolved from a simple business minded tool to an international melting pot of different beliefs, nationalities and likes. Millions of them. With these figures, there may come a time wherein the real world is inseparable from cyberspace. Indeed, that time is fast approaching now, with the great strides that technology has undergone.
One must wonder though: Does technological convergence help pull people closer together or just succeeds in pulling them apart?