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Koobecaf Phenomenon By: Belinda Baber
The many facets of American culture is always fascinating as well as very complex, even confusing. Their love of technology is one aspect that is here to stay. However, it is always changing and different technical products can become obsolete fairly quickly. Not so with the personal computer. Most all Americans have a deep attachment to their respective computers. As usual the poorer individuals within the culture who can’t afford a personal computer are disadvantaged, which seems to be true when one concentrates on the educational benefits of the internet but I have concentrated on just one aspect of the Internet, Koobecaf, and upon further observation it may turn out to be that the poor in this instance may have an advantage that is yet unrealized.
On the surface Koobecaf is a social network originally set up to link University students from different regions or within the same region who exchange personal information (truthful or not) and form ‘friends’. “Friends’ are people they may know but many are people they do not know, have ever met, or will ever meet but are accepted into a group based on similar interests or any number of superficial reasons. The number of ‘friends’ one has is apparently very important, they believe it shows others how likable, popular, fun, desired and many other of their favored cultural traits you have, or more likely, wish you had. It was easy to hypothesize when Koobecaf was first introduced that this could enhance the reading and writing skills of Americans. History shows that this has been a cultural priority. They periodically ‘test’ all students and it’s adults to see how well they compare with each other and other cultures in reading and writing, referred to as literacy. With Koobecaf you must be able to read and write in order to communicate on a computer right? So this is good for their literacy concerns right? Well not exactly.
A new form of language emerged within the younger members of society and caught on quickly throughout each age bracket. Basically the new language is a shortened version of their English language, taking the first letter of each word to symbolize a common word used. Variances are incorporated when a letter symbol can replace a full word such as: the words see you would be written as c u. They initially used this shortened language to disguise conversations that may be seen by authority figures such as parents that would otherwise reveal their activities or language not approved by an authority figure. However it did not take long for the authority figures (i.e. parents) to comprehend the process and now they use the form as well. Reasons for this are expressed as being a timesaving way of writing conversations and just simply easier. So much for the increase in literacy but it does satisfy their unending quest to harness time.
Living among the Americans I can safely say that their unwritten motto is: I want it bigger, better and faster than anyone else. I’m waiting to see how they will take it when they learn that bigger and faster isn’t always better…. but that’s another book. As Koobecaf has grown in popularity, large corporations and large cities are now among the ‘groupings’ within the site allowing adults of all ages in on the growing culture as well. Advertisers who aim to entice the American consumer to buy services or goods are also embracing it. As a nation of consumption, one could see that one coming from kilometer away!
As the capitalistic nature of this society slowly takes over the site I am certain the Americans will create ‘new and better’ sites and Koobecaf will become a thing of the past and one can only hope that the individuals who may feel disadvantaged by not being able to take part in the Koobecaf phenomenon will realize that maybe, just maybe they actually have the advantage. This time.
On the surface Koobecaf is a social network originally set up to link University students from different regions or within the same region who exchange personal information (truthful or not) and form ‘friends’. “Friends’ are people they may know but many are people they do not know, have ever met, or will ever meet but are accepted into a group based on similar interests or any number of superficial reasons. The number of ‘friends’ one has is apparently very important, they believe it shows others how likable, popular, fun, desired and many other of their favored cultural traits you have, or more likely, wish you had. It was easy to hypothesize when Koobecaf was first introduced that this could enhance the reading and writing skills of Americans. History shows that this has been a cultural priority. They periodically ‘test’ all students and it’s adults to see how well they compare with each other and other cultures in reading and writing, referred to as literacy. With Koobecaf you must be able to read and write in order to communicate on a computer right? So this is good for their literacy concerns right? Well not exactly.
A new form of language emerged within the younger members of society and caught on quickly throughout each age bracket. Basically the new language is a shortened version of their English language, taking the first letter of each word to symbolize a common word used. Variances are incorporated when a letter symbol can replace a full word such as: the words see you would be written as c u. They initially used this shortened language to disguise conversations that may be seen by authority figures such as parents that would otherwise reveal their activities or language not approved by an authority figure. However it did not take long for the authority figures (i.e. parents) to comprehend the process and now they use the form as well. Reasons for this are expressed as being a timesaving way of writing conversations and just simply easier. So much for the increase in literacy but it does satisfy their unending quest to harness time.
Living among the Americans I can safely say that their unwritten motto is: I want it bigger, better and faster than anyone else. I’m waiting to see how they will take it when they learn that bigger and faster isn’t always better…. but that’s another book. As Koobecaf has grown in popularity, large corporations and large cities are now among the ‘groupings’ within the site allowing adults of all ages in on the growing culture as well. Advertisers who aim to entice the American consumer to buy services or goods are also embracing it. As a nation of consumption, one could see that one coming from kilometer away!
As the capitalistic nature of this society slowly takes over the site I am certain the Americans will create ‘new and better’ sites and Koobecaf will become a thing of the past and one can only hope that the individuals who may feel disadvantaged by not being able to take part in the Koobecaf phenomenon will realize that maybe, just maybe they actually have the advantage. This time.
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