Social production in the old economy was simple, in that most areas of exchange dealt with tangible goods. For example, many people in the old economy were workers in factories because with that time in history, is what the United States had exceeded itself in producing. With the rise of the internet not just as surface, but as an interface, people took advantage of this new module of communication in early 2000. Compainies such as Ebay, Google, and eventually social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook brought a new media, as well as a new form of social production into existence.
Shopping, for most people, is now done online because of the convenience. Many people are also able to work from home, because of greater advances in technology and a more common understanding of how to effectively use these tools. What does this have to do with the everyday person?
We are now living in what will likely be dubbed the “Information Age”. Just in the past 10 years, our society has shifted from an industrial economy, to an information and knowledge economy. One may be a very dedicated worker, but with the changing of what might be considered “wealth” in this country and across most of the world, it seems to be all about who you know. By this I mean how well one can network their connections in order to advance in the workforce/society in general.
Commodities have been created, whereas people can go to an online source for almost anything they want or need. This may involve financial capital, or not. People log onto Myspace and Facebook and other online forums to share information either because they get either personal satisfaction or a greater sense of self worth from it. Nobody forces anybody else to spend time online, but it is obviously self imposed.
An article entitled “New Study Shows Time Spent Online Important for Teen Development,” explains how teenagers can benefit from spending time on the internet. According to the article, “spending time online is essential for young people to pick up the social and technical skills they need to be competent citizens in the digital age.” This article is based on a study done over a period of 3 years, and released in 2008 by the American Anthropological Association.
