In the twenty-first century, the experience of being human in most parts of the world includes consistent interaction with the Internet. Many of our professional, personal, and social interactions occur online, and social networking, shopping, reading news, and communicating via email and text message are some of the ways we engage in the virtual world.
Virtual interaction is now an indispensable part of human existence, and the primary method for interacting virtually at Walden is through course Discussions. You will also interact one-on-one with your instructor via the feedback and grading process for all your assignments.
In this week’s Discussion, you will comment on being human in the online world and observe others’ in the same context. Include some reference to the week’s resources in your post and responses. If you are relating an idea or building upon the readings, poems, or videos, please identify which one by listing it at the bottom of the post.
TIP: You can copy and paste the reference details from the Resources page to make your life easier.
To prepare for the Discussion:
- Read and reflect upon the Week 1 Learning Resources.
- Think about interactions you have had in a virtual space such as a chat, comment section, online discussion board, or social networking site.
- Think about the times you have had emotional reactions to online content and interactions.
By Day 3
Post a paragraph (about 200–300 words in length) responding to the following questions:
- Do you behave and communicate differently online than you do face-to-face? How so? Give specific examples.
- What does it mean to be “fully human”? Considering your definition, do you think we can be “fully human” while interacting with others in a virtual space like this classroom? Why or why not?
- Select one of the pieces. How does the author speak to the concept of being human?
