Intercultural Relationships Strengthened by the Internet

Over the past three months I have taken the time to explore relationships over the internet through various websites. The website where I did more cross-cultural relationship building was on myspace. Here is where I was able to comment on the various posts of a teenage girl starting her first year of high school and we began to build and pick up on a relationship where we left over a year ago.
It began with a simple posting of pictures on her space. Having remembered the young lady she was just last year a bubbly teenager, with a feisty spirit and punk rocker identity it amazed me to see her in a dress for her high school homecoming. It was interesting to see her grow up in such a short period of time and look more like a young woman than the girl she was just last year.
I began commenting on her pictures and updates and we began to talk about the newest addition to my family by way of the baby growing in my belly. Her mom was having her coordinate my baby shower so it was an effective means of communication for the both of us. I was able to talk about my fears, joys and excitements of having this baby while getting more information on how she was doing her first year of high school.
If it weren’t for the internet there would have been no sharing in this manner. There would not be a sense of bonding that we shared by way of these conversations we had via myspace mail. I am not really a big phone person all the time. I talk when I want to talk, but sending a message and receiving one back is a little bit easier for me in order for me to keep lines of communication open with someone that I would probably not ever have sat down to have a phone conversation with.
I was most often at home when I had my conversations and that did not effect what was being said. It is more so the method of being able to communicate that matters most. I could have been on the bus, which is the case most days these days, because of no longer having a laptop at home. I could have been sitting in a classroom waiting for a professor to come in. The conversation would have taken the twists and turns it did no matter what.
I believe this medium had the effect of breaking down walls and age barriers. While there may have been no reason for me to call this young girl sending a message commenting on her pictures got a good conversation flowing.
In many ways the effect of our being able to communicate in this way was that we were able to bridge a generational gap. I could understand some of the things she told me she was dealing with in her first year of high school. I could offer my advice about her dating so soon exclusively. We could share laughs about how big my belly and other parts of my body have grown since having gotten pregnant. Because of our conversations shared over the internet there was no reason for me to think her comments stemmed from disrespect, it was just a familiarity that I had allowed in my conversations with her which I of course thought nothing of because when young ones feel comfortable with an older person it may very well help keep them out of a dangerous situation because they know there is someone they can talk to if they feel uncomfortable talking to their parents.
I enjoyed this process of using the internet for social networking. I have opened doors, and created relationships I would have never thought I would have created and now have resources in which to keep the relationships flowing.

I am a consumer of popular culture

In my room there isn’t much hanging around because I am still unpacking and moving and getting my room prepared for something bigger. However I kept art in my room when it was fully furnished of African American art. Many pieces were part of my collection that showed black people in motion. I do have nikes and many Jordan’s in my collection of sneakers because I am a part of the era of the bulls when they reigned as champions for three years, and took time off and became champions again for three consecutive years. I have my IPOD dock sitting on my dresser so that I can have access to my music wherever I go. Apart from that there is nothing that I can look around that makes me feel as if my motivations for decorations has been provided by pop culture. I take a step out into my living room because maybe that will provide me with a little more to work with. However, when I go into my living room I look at my flat screen HDTV and know that buying a TV that large and of that quality has definitely been motivated by pop culture. I would not watch much television if it were not for visitors in my home. I prefer the lull of music taking me into another world while I search for things on the internet. Almost everything else in my living room has a classic feel. The Italian leather sofa and loveseat set, and a contrasting coffee table compliments the large bright earth toned painting of a tulip that hangs above my loveseat. The African art adds to the comfortable feel which makes me sigh with relief whenever I step foot in my apartment because at last I have made it home. The play station that never gets used is definitely a part of popular culture. There are constant commercials on television to catch the attention of gamers so that they are willing to buy a game console and I happened to get caught up in the hype and purchased one that I used to play more frequently than I do now. I know I am at a stage of my life where there is only one thing that really matters to me, so the choices I make are motivated by this one thing. However, just one year ago popular culture was my life. I would take my own spin on what was popular to make my own identity with it. Therefore, my apparel was heavily motivated by the desire to be. Be what one may ask? To be me. I have an extensive collection of sneakers that I bought because they were part of the hip-hop culture and helped me stay true to my B-girl nature. I also really only wore designer jeans and T-shirts with funky logos and sneakers. Like I said before I have a few Jordan’s and a couple of pairs of Nikes, but for the most part I have a lot of Adidas, Creative Recreations, and Supras to complement my “kicks” collection that was a part of the popular culture that mattered to me. It took a long time for me to buy the Nike brand for social reasons. I know that the workers were getting paid minimally to create these shoes for popular mass consumption. I also at one point in my life worked for the company and left the job after I felt that the beliefs they upheld were different from my own. I try to be socially conscious but most of the time I am drifting in my mind so it is difficult for me to actually do so. I guess even though I try to be an individual I am a product of popular culture because in many ways it has played a role in the decisions I have made in my past about how to look, and what to purchase. I shake my head in disbelief because I could’ve sworn I was different.