Blog #5

Lupton states that “the overt reasons for portraying computers as human is to reduce the anxieties of computerphobia that many people, particularly adults, experience”(Lupton 428). The Terminator films are a great illustration of this concept. The first film has the terminator as a destructive force out to kill John (the one person who stands in Skynet’s way to destroy mankind). In the film, Skynet is portrayed as a form of artificial intelligence out to conquer the world and destroy mankind by initiating a nuclear holocaust. The concept of this film is a prime example of how some people feel about computers, especially the older generations that have not had much exposure to technology. There is a small portion of the population that believes in the possibility of an artificial intelligence being able to take over the world someday. The film definitely portrays computers as villains that threaten humankind. However, by the second film the original terminator is now “good” and fighting a more advanced ‘bad” robot. I think the concept here is that computers are constantly evolving into machines that are more and more powerful. This power frightens people. People are always concerned with the unknown and don’t really like not having control over their environment and thus some view computers as frightening and even threatening.

I think that one of the most significant things I’ve learned so far in this course has to do with the constructionist view. Rosenblum and Travis explain that “social processes, such as those in political, legal, economic, scientific, and religious institutions, create differences, determine that some are more important than others, and assign particular meaning to those differences” (Rosenblum and Travis 2-29). I believe that most of our actions, beliefs and thoughts come from personal experience or upbringing and does not necessarily mean we were born with these. How we are raised contributes to our views of the world and those views can sometimes change as people go through life experiences. I think the challenge with this view in incorporating it in RL, is being able to accurately distinguish between genetics and developmental traits and how they affect how we view a person.

Works Cited:
Rosenblum, Karen E. and Travis, Toni-Michelle. “Framework Essay.” The Meaning of Difference. 5th Edition. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2008, 2-39. Print.

Bell, David, and Barbara M. Kennedy, eds. The Cyberculture's Reader. 2nd edition. New York: Routledge, 2007, 428. Print.