APR 22, 2010
Campus Quotes
Miss Hispanic UCO
Library Book Sale
NFL Draft
Do you think lack of face-to-face communication is leading to digression of socity? Page 2.
Edith Quinonez wins pageant. Page 4.
Sales increase 150 percent from last year’s sale. Page 6.
Sports edtior Chris Wescott gives a preview of who he thinks will be chosen top 10. Page 10.
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THE VISTA
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA’S students voice since 1903.
Technology and Society
ARE WE LOSING THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE FACE-TO-FACE?
UCO student Ashlee Smith types a text message between classes on April 21. A recent study indicates one in three teenagers sends and receives over 100 texts per day, begging the question; is technology digressing society?
By Ryan Costello / Staff Writer With each passing season, today’s newest technological achievement gives way to the cutting edge of tomorrow. As legions of future gadgets hit the market, they do so with the promise of pulling the world’s farthest corners closer to the consumer than ever before. In turn, the people and places across our rapidly shrinking planet have grown increasingly finite in measure, and in recent years have become instantly accessible to a user with a capable device and a data plan to match. The cell phones that more and more resemble the computers they aim to replace have taken the tech revolution off the desk and to the streets. But have scores of flashing, vibrating mobile miracles degraded society’s ability to communicate face to face? In transmitting word across seas, mountains and plains, have they forged a void between those who stand shoulder to shoulder? “It has the potential to do that,” Dr. Gary Steward, associate
dean of the Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Substance Abuse at UCO, said. As the pace of the world quickens, it’s unfair to criticize developers who simply create products that keep up with it. However, the same cannot necessarily be said for the user. Steward, whose specialties include social movements and collective behavior, has seen the connection between user and gadget. “In terms of social interaction, it’s always connected to the technology of the day,” Steward said. “An observation that I had was that one of the consequences is the fact that communication has changed.” The current wave of cell phones, laptops, et al, communicates almost exclusively via text, which Steward said may have altered the tone of conversation, or just removed it altogether. In a typical conversation in person or even over the phone, there are common pleasantries exchanged through the course of an interaction. “I’ve got water boiling, so I’ve got to let you go.” “I’ll talk to you this weekend.” And so on.
This is an example of a certain etiquette in conversation Steward said is lost when interacting in the text-centric environment of instant messages and e-mail. “In text messaging, people tend to be much more direct than they would be when speaking face to face or via telephone,” Steward said. “What happened was communicating through text changed communication. You didn’t have time to use etiquette.” That sort of social impatience, a mirror of the rest of the world, can sometimes bear teeth. “The interaction in some ways has become more crass,” Steward said. “It seems to me that text messages can be awfully terse. You’re able to express emotions like anger that might be softened in face to face conversations.” Simply shortening “you” to “u” and a few tactless statements may well be just the tip of the iceberg. “We are more connected than ever before, and in a sense we’re saturated with the lives of others,” Steward said. At some point during all this connecting the masses, some of the meek have fallen through the cracks. Consider the person who lives life primarily through social networking sites, or the roommate who spends more time in a virtual game like World of Warcraft than in the real world of work and taxes. The popular computer game topped 12 million individual users in 2009, and Facebook, by far the most used networking website, has more than 400 million users, 50 percent of whom log on at least once a day, according to the site. “There seems to be a pervasive sense of loneliness,” Steward said. The revolution of connectivity shows no sign of slowing down either. According to a 2005 article in the Los Angeles Times, the number of cell phones surpassed the total count of active landlines, and in 2008, 20 percent of households in the U.S. had abandoned landlines entirely in favor of their portable counterparts. In India, more people have access to cell phones than bathrooms, and the number of text messages sent and received worldwide in a single day outnumbers the population of the Earth, according to researcher Karl Fisch. Google, the Internet search juggernaut, had first-quarter revenues totaling $6.78 billion this year. At this point, there is no turning back the tides, only riding the wave into whatever post-modern gadget or movement
Continued on page 6
Campus Economy
TODAY
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UCO CHILD STUDY CENTER ART SHOW By Jenefar DeLeon / Staff Writer
TOMORROW H 74° L 56°
More weather at www.uco360.com
DID YOU KNOW? What we call Earth’s magnetic “north” pole is really a magnetic south pole. Because opposite poles attract, this pole draws the north pole of a magnet’s compass needle toward it.
University of Central Oklahoma’s Child Study Center began its first annual Art Show Tuesday at the Human Environmental Science building. From paintings to sculptures, the young artists attending the center age 3 and up created all art pieces displayed. Guests, students, faculty and staff were welcome to participate at the silent auction of replicated pieces of art and gift baskets. T-shirts were available for purchase at $5, and decorated cards painted by the children were available for $3. Proceeds from the event will be split. Money goes toward the Early Childhood Association for its scholarship fund, as well as to the center itself to provide supplies. No exact goal was set, but the center was happy to showcase its students’ art to the UCO community. More than 10 individual pieces made by children were availble including mosaic pieces and creative large pieces. “People who rarely step into the building saw art that not everyone gets to see,” Elizabeth Martin, a junior early childhood education major, said.
The Child Study Center provides half-day programs for young children, an afternoon class and a morning class Monday through Thursday. The program supports education, training and research for Central’s community by providing hands-on work expierence. The Child Study Center is a threestar facility accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children since 1956. UCO students guide the children through curriculum activities and observation assignments. Cristy Smith, director of the Child Study Center, said the children worked hard throughout the semester on their art pieces. It was a wonderful opportunity to share it with their family, UCO students and faculty, and guests, she said. “The children were so proud of what they have made,” she said. “They are so appreciative and excited to share it with the community.” The Art Show is part of the center’s goal and philosophy, Smith said. “Learning through playing is our philosophy for our children,” she said. “Art is a process, and through the art shows parents, students and guests can see how these children de-
PHOTO BY GARETT FISBECK
WEATHER
The UCO Child Study Center debuted its first annual Art Show April 20. More than 10 pieces of art were made by children.
velop their artwork and skills.” Next year the organization hopes to expand the Art Show by including a fall event or spring event with more art to exhibit or by having a larger silent auction, she said. Recently the children participated in the annual Earth Day on Wednesday by displaying their recycled art
pieces to the UCO campus. “This is another opportunity to show our children how to use their resources creatively.” Last year the children made an igloo out of cardboard. “The children and I were very excited to participate at Earth Day,” Smith said.