Cyberculture origina

No category Today 12:02 AM

Cyberculture originate from cybernetics date back

to 1948, when Norbert Wiever experimented on the
relationship between man and machine. Theorized on
the shift of the human brain to machines which
means those machines (digital tools) think on behalf
of man, he calls them "living machines". Cybernetics
fostered the ground for artifical intelligence which is
the outcome of this metaphorical fusion between
man and machine. It is so evident that the human
brain has been projected onto the machine creating
cyborgs or robots (half human half machine) which
basically pertain to science fiction movies like
Robocop and Terminator. Since that period mankind
became intensively tied-up/depending on machines.
Those machines or digital tools are metaphorical
extensions of man and are organically linked to
man's body or brain, they are prosthetic to man.
Those machines are metaphorical extension of
human memory componsate for inadequacy or the
falliblity of human man. In 1964 Marshal Mcluhan
who has been impacting the world of the media
especially through his book understanding media :
The Extentions of Man, his famous quote "We
shaped our tools theirafter our tools shaped us" his
famous quote has open up multiple venues for the
exploration of media and especially digital
technology. New technologies have reshaped,
remaped and redefined old notions, concepts and
theories about geography, cultures and humanity. All
physical boarders have been removed giving way to a
free flow of cultures, knowledges, capitals,
ideologies reducing the world map to an
interconnected tiny village where e-citizens interact
and share some universal values and cultures such
as music, clothes, food, democracy, freedom,
equality, political activism...
New technologies could be assumed to date back to
cybernetics in 1948 which focuses on the
experiment and the exploration of human machine
interaction/metaphorical fusion. Nurever Wiever
experimented on the ways human project their mind
or brain onto the machine which means machines
become "the extensions of man" or the extension of
the human brain in this case machines think on
behalf of man "they are living or thinking machines".
This is how the ground of cyberspace was laid
down / founded. Quote : Cybernetics is the study of
human/machine interaction guided by the
principlthat different types of systems can be
studied according to the principles of feedback,
control, and communications. Thanks to these
thinking machines people can control, process and
store data. These machines replace/componsate for
the limited capacity of human memory. Thanks to
these machines the process of communication has
taking on a wider scope in the sense that boarders
have become porous allowing in the free flow of
communication, knowledge, cultures, identities...
Cybernetics has fostered virtual reality (VR) which
will set up platforms/ hubs/venues for cyberspace.
Cyberspace:
The concept Cyberspace was coined by William
Gibson in 1984 through his science fiction novel
titled "Newromancer", for Gibson cyberspace is a
projection or a conceptualization which he ironically
labeled "Hallucination" of billions of users. The term
hallucination highlights the imagined and mentally
conceptualized reality. In fact the outcome / the
output of the metaphorical interaction fusion
between the user's mind and his digital device, but
"We leave our bodies behind" (Howard Rheingold).
Cyberspace has reshaped the world making
communication more accessible and more
instantaneous, the world has shrunk to a small
global village where geographical borders have been
replaced by "the electronic frontier" (Howard
Rheingold).
Cyberspace is therefore an abstract virtual space it
has no physical dimension it represents human
online activities on cyberspace reality/offline are
being virtualized : there has been a mass
immigration/rush to virtual / electronic spaces
where people have transferred or shifted their
offline activities. Cyberspace (social media) is now a
normative space / practice / routine /culture.
Gibson defines cyberspace as "a consconsual
hallucination experienced daily by billions of [Users]
in every nation, by children... A graphical
representation of data abstracted from the banks of
every computer in the human system. Unthinkable
complexity in the non-space of the mind, clusters and
constilation of data". In the light of this quotation,
cyberspace is a complex virtual and infinite coming
out from the human system (the fusion between
mind and machines). Cyberspace is beyond human
control it is an unlimited constilation or galaxy of
data. We are shaped by the tools we have invented
"We shape our tools thereafter our tools shape
us" (Marshall Mcluhan, 1964) in his book
"understand
understand media: the extensions of man
man"..
Despite its virtual
No category Today 1:01 AM

Despite its virtual dimension or scope cyberspace

does exert a huge impact on user's behavior,
attitudes, psyche, cultural identities, world view,
ideologies... It is safe to underscore the shaping
force of cyberspace, especially youth or younger
generation for whom cyberspace is a way of life, a
normative daily habit... By definition / theory
cyberspace is a liberating space/venue/platform; it
goes beyond the geographical, social, cultural and
above all psychological restrictions or inhibitions
which are internalized through culture and education
and religion. These inhibitions vanish on cyberspace
allowing users to vent out/to unleash their wishes,
thoughts, practices, dreams, wishfullfilment.
Cyberspace provides for youth a "second life" a life
that transcends the restrictions, frustrations and
pressures of a real-time society.
Cyberspace is a platform for freedom, agency (youth
self representation and self-empowerment) the most
cherished / appreciated strength of cyberspace is
interactivity.
Through interactivity youth have the potential for
self-expression, interaction with members of the
same virtual/ online / e-society / networked
community. Interactivity also allows youth to develop
a sense of affiliation or belonging or membership,
through the practice of interactivity "youth live
together on cyberspace" being together on
cyberspace allows youth to engage in a virtual
process of socialization. Most cyberculture
theorists pinpoint the fact that youth starting from
digital natives down to generation Z, have gradually
shifted their social life activities to cyberspace
which is a defining sign or marker or a semiotic
signifier of youth culture.
Cyberspace fostered (established) a virtual abstract
electronic culture that has been internalized or
conceptualized by the human mind. The human mind
has been all together reinterpreted in terms of
electronic/digital technologies; we are now
constantly connected, wired plugged in as a
consequence/aftermath of this metaphorical fusion
between man and machines.
Cyberspace has systematically metamorphosed the
world map where geographical borders have been
supplanted by "electronic frontier". The latter refers
to the symbolic removal of geographical boarders
allowing and making cyberspace open, free, flexible,
fluid and malleable thanks to the metaphorical
erasure boundaries, humanity is now experiencing a
new form of universality which is more developed
complex and advanced than globalization.
Cyberspace, when conceptualized in terms of / in the light of cyberculture, is supposed to
provide/lay down the venue / the context for the platform for cyberculture, that is the practice
of cyberculture, so there is a dialogical relationship between cyberspace and cyberculture
neither of the two can be understood/investigated without the other.
Cyberculture has been normalized as a daily habit, as a normative practice that defines what
is known as "Cybers-society" "e-society" "networked-society". Cyberculture is the most
eloquent expression of the society we live in; it is an epitome of the digital "paradigm shift"
humanity is now experiencing, the so called a new society must be conceived within the
framework of digital technologies.
The French scholar Pierre levy is the first to initiate an academic definition of cyberculture as
a scholarly discipline known as cyberculture studies which investigates internet practices as
systems / markers of e-society. He does not separate between cyberculture as a set of
technologies and cultural practices, there is a smooth merging between technology as a
system, data, digital devices (hardware), codes, digits, algorithm on the one hand, and
technology as cultural, social and psychological practices on cyberspace which produces
hubs for cyberculture.
Cyberculture is, then, a set of technologies, cultural practices, moods of thoughts, cultures,
identities all lived on cyberspace; cyberculture is definitely a semiotic "signifier" of the new
society. To enhance this assumption/premise Levy proposes that cyberculture embodies a
new universality which is the outcome of the removal of geographical boarders leading to the
new concept of the electronic frontiers which is a surrogate/alternative for geographical
boarders. Through cyberculture the notion of distance has been redefined in the sense that
users can live together on cyberspace transcending / trespassing offline boarders; they also
empowered to integrate/assimilate, share cultures, habits, and build up "virtual communities"
which do embody the concept of universality.
Cyberculture has redefined/remaped the mainstream notions and concepts of time, space
and distance. Individuals are now empowered to move, switch, travel, navigate beyond
boarders, they can share, post, connect, break geographical boarders which does confirm
Levy's theory of universality.
With the internet new forms of knowledge and information have been established, creating a
radical changes and transformations vise-a-vie cultures, identities and above all society per
see. This conjunctual transformation has consolidated youth culture in the sense that they
have ample space through which they can socialize, construct platforms and venues
breaking therefore the limited and parochial scope of real-time / offline communication.
Cyberculture is now the mainstream normative culture, especially among younger
generation: it is all together safe to claim that most youth have immigrated to virtual
electronic platforms where they can vent out their most suppressed wishes, desires, needs,
whims through the most commun platforms, namely social networks/ media.
No informed critic scholar or acadimition would contest the essential and more precisely the
ontological/existential dimension of social media for younger generations, starting by digital
natives down to alpha. Youth (worldwide) define their identities their social relations along
with or in the midst of social media.
We would even venture to assume that the core of cyberculture depends on youth culture.
Most youth cultural, social and psychological practices are profoundly hosted on social :
socializing, building up communities, constructing multiple identities, being involved in
political activism, seeking notoriety or fame (e.g influencers) are all ramifications of social
networking (the most cherished / hive of youth ).