Emotive Internet

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Emotive Internet (also Emotive Web, Emotional Internet) is a conceptualization of the Internet as an emergent emotional public space, such as how it serves as a space for the social sharing of emotions. [1] It can also denote the quality of the Internet that allows it to be used to communicate in an emotive fashion or with emotional intent. Since it is an expressive medium, it also enables users to construct and represent their identities online. [2] This is evident in the way emotional responses have been integrated in online communication and interactions. [3]

Contents

The concept is also linked to emotional analytics [4] and emotion-sensing applications, particularly those technologies that power the Internet of Things (IoTs) - the smart home devices that have the capability to store and process the user's emotional profile to deliver services. [3]

Concept

It is recognized that the Internet has the capability to allow its users a genuine display of emotions. [1] This is demonstrated in the video conferencing platform, which represents the closest form of synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) to face-to-face communication because it tends to reproduce, on a technological level, relationship and communicative experience that feature complex sensorial channels. [5] It transmits a considerable amount of information so that it sustains interpersonal relationships and exploit shared context that allows for mutual understanding. [5] This phenomenon is also no longer confined to communication between users but also between users and smart devices or users and applications. An application of the emotive quality of the Internet involves emerging technologies that fall within the affective computing field. These include those that use sensor technologies and computer algorithms to enable smart machines to detect, recognize, and share human emotions. [6]

The display of emotions in the Internet can be observed in platforms where users interact such as online forums. A Polish study, which analyzed thousands of posts, discovered that not only are users allowed to express their emotion but they also produce highly emotion-evoking contents that affect other people and their behaviors. [7] The new communication technologies provided the average citizens the opportunity to subvert political and media hierarchies so that they are able to play an active role in shaping policy and dialogue through highly-emotional content. [8] Due to the so-called "virality" of the Internet, particularly with the speed by which emotions such as fear and anger are transmitted, the speed of reaction often takes precedence over slower and more cautious assessments. [9] This is also demonstrated in the case of the so-called "emotive falsehood", which is said to travel faster than fact today. [9]

An emotive Internet became possible because of broadband technology, which allowed users to easily communicate visual and interactive rich media, as well as Wi-Fi technology, which made the Web available everywhere so that users' control of and demand for words, images, and audio exceeded that of television or of anything that has ever existed. [10] The development of web technologies also enable the emotional digital space such as the case of Web 5.0, which is designed to enable computers to interact with humans by measuring and computing their effects and emotions through neuro technology so that web experiences are more personalized and exciting. [11] There is also the Emotion Markup Language (EmotionML) 1.0 W3C, which is taking its first step towards a coherent and consistent means of annotating emotional states. [12]

Identity and representation

For some theorists, Emotive Internet emerged as Internet users construct their identities online. [2] It falls within the postmodern view that identity is multiple and shifting. [13] A study, for instance, described this identity construction among American teenagers and cited the critical role played by emotive features of the Internet such as emoticons and "netspeak" in the process. [14] In this platform, identities may be constructed through personality, social roles, relationships, and shared values as manifested by language, names or nicknames, avatars, and social cues. [14] The language here, for example, assumes several dimensions such as linguistic, semantic, syntactic, stylistic, and rhetorical aspects. [15]

The need for identity construction is driven by the way the Internet, particularly in terms of the textual computer-mediated communication, tend to produce a social void, where personal identities tend to fade and disappear. [5] In the absence of crucial data such as facial expressions and other non-verbal cues in the processing of messages, new forms of feedback are created to allow these messages to be processed in terms of their social meaning. This is evident in the increasing role played by the emotive component of a text, which is recently gaining attention in computational linguistics. [16] This is also shown in the range of buttons that people can use to express their emotions towards Facebook posts such as the Like button, which represents "liking" or any of its emergent meanings within the online communicative system. There is a study conducted by the Australian National University that showed that the number of Facebook likes help drive acceptance of what is real online. [17]

Emotional analytics

Emotion analytics is one of the Internet-based technologies that can identify and analyze the full human emotional spectrum, which includes mood, attitude, and emotional personality. [4] There are, for instance, new Internet technologies that can now recognize emotions. These include those based on galvanic skin response (GSR) technology, which use biometric sensors of wearable devices to gauge or identify emotions and stress-levels based on data taken from perspiration, breathing, heart rate, and skin response, among others. [18] The information is analyzed in combination with the user's digital life, covering information from his calendar and social media activities, etc. [18]

The personalization algorithm allows for the so-called "emotional Internet", which creates a user experience that reflects daily likes, subscribes, locations, tags, comments, ratings, and emotions responses. [3] Technology companies such as Google and Amazon develop sophisticated algorithm so that devices outfitted with their respective smart assistant technologies can process the emotional information gathered from the interaction between the device and its user. For instance, Amazon's smart assistant Alexa can now function as some form of therapist since its algorithm allows the device to judge emotions. [19] There is also the case of a chatbot called Replika, which functions as a digital companion and is powered by a neural network that gives it the ability to "emote". [20] It is capable of learning about its users so it could offer an ongoing, one-on-one conversation as well as "caring" that resembles friendship. [20] Millions of users have already downloaded the application.

Form of control

There are specific applications that can demonstrate the dynamics of the relationship between emotion and the internet. These include dating websites, which are identified as arenas that control and shape the emotional ordering of users, which means that spontaneous emotions in these platforms are regulated. [1] There is also the notion that instead of being a digital friend or companion, the technologies that drive the emotive Internet serve as a stalker, collecting the user's digital behavior so it can mold where the user attention is, who he interacts with, and what new things he will discover. [3]

Another example is the Internet meme culture, which does not only serve as a way to affirm political beliefs and identities but also a way to manipulate media into spreading political views. [21] This is the case because memes give people a place to express themselves and their values so that even if they do not circulate useful facts, they are not viewed as falsehoods but folkloric contents that focus on motivations rather than accuracy. [21]

Related Research Articles

In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but could refer to any piece of equipment or functional unit that is connected to a larger system. Being online means that the equipment or subsystem is connected, or that it is ready for use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital media</span> Any media that are encoded in machine-readable formats

In mass communication, digital media is any communication media that operate in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, viewed, distributed, modified, listened to, and preserved on a digital electronics device, including digital data storage media and digital broadcasting. Digital defines as any data represented by a series of digits, and media refers to methods of broadcasting or communicating this information. Together, digital media refers to mediums of digitized information broadcast through a screen and/or a speaker. This also includes text, audio, video, and graphics that are transmitted over the internet for viewing or listening to on the internet.

New media are communication technologies that enable or enhance interaction between users as well as interaction between users and content. In the middle of the 1990s, the phrase "new media" became widely used as part of a sales pitch for the influx of interactive CD-ROMs for entertainment and education. The new media technologies, sometimes known as Web 2.0, include a wide range of web-related communication tools such as blogs, wikis, online social networking, virtual worlds, and other social media platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internet culture</span> Culture that has emerged from the use of computer networks

Internet culture is a quasi-underground culture developed and maintained among frequent and active users of the Internet who primarily communicate with one another online as members of online communities; that is, a culture whose influence is "mediated by computer screens" and Information Communication Technology, specifically the Internet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile device</span> Small, hand-held computing device

A mobile device, also referred to as a digital assistant, is a computer, small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physical keyboard. Many such devices can connect to the Internet and connect with other devices such as car entertainment systems or headsets via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular networks or near field communication. Integrated cameras, the ability to place and receive voice and video telephone calls, video games, and Global Positioning System (GPS) capabilities are common. Power is typically provided by a lithium-ion battery. Mobile devices may run mobile operating systems that allow third-party applications to be installed and run.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internet security</span> Branch of computer security

Internet security is a branch of computer security. It encompasses the Internet, browser security, web site security, and network security as it applies to other applications or operating systems as a whole. Its objective is to establish rules and measures to use against attacks over the Internet. The Internet is an inherently insecure channel for information exchange, with high risk of intrusion or fraud, such as phishing, online viruses, trojans, ransomware and worms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Security token</span> Device used to access electronically restricted resource

A security token is a peripheral device used to gain access to an electronically restricted resource. The token is used in addition to, or in place of, a password. It acts like an electronic key to access something. Examples of security tokens include wireless keycards used to open locked doors, or a banking token used as a digital authenticator for signing in to online banking, or signing a transaction such as a wire transfer.

Internet identity (IID), also online identity, online personality or internet persona, is a social identity that an Internet user establishes in online communities and websites. It may also be an actively constructed presentation of oneself. Although some people choose to use their real names online, some Internet users prefer to be anonymous, identifying themselves by means of pseudonyms, which reveal varying amounts of personally identifiable information. An online identity may even be determined by a user's relationship to a certain social group they are a part of online. Some can be deceptive about their identity.

Cyberpsychology is a scientific inter-disciplinary domain that focuses on the psychological phenomena which emerge as a result of the human interaction with digital technology, particularly the Internet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital rhetoric</span>

Digital rhetoric can be generally defined as communication that exists in the digital sphere. As such, digital rhetoric can be expressed in many different forms, including text, images, videos, and software. Due to the increasingly mediated nature of our contemporary society, there are no longer clear distinctions between digital and non-digital environments. This has expanded the scope of digital rhetoric to account for the increased fluidity with which humans interact with technology.

Affective design describes the design of user interfaces in which emotional information is communicated to the computer from the user in a natural and comfortable way. The computer processes the emotional information and adapts or responds to try to improve the interaction in some way. The notion of affective design emerged from the field of human–computer interaction (HCI), specifically from the developing area of affective computing. Affective design serves an important role in user experience (UX) as it contributes to the improvement of the user's personal condition in relation to the computing system. The goals of affective design focus on providing users with an optimal, proactive experience. Amongst overlap with several fields, applications of affective design include ambient intelligence, human–robot interaction, and video games.

The Internet of things (IoT) describes devices with sensors, processing ability, software and other technologies that connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the Internet or other communications networks. The Internet of things encompasses electronics, communication and computer science engineering. Internet of things has been considered a misnomer because devices do not need to be connected to the public internet, they only need to be connected to a network, and be individually addressable.

Identity tourism may refer to the act of assuming a racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, sexual or gender identity for recreational purposes, or the construction of cultural identities and re-examination of one’s ethnic and cultural heritage from what tourism offers its patrons.

Privacy-enhancing technologies (PET) are technologies that embody fundamental data protection principles by minimizing personal data use, maximizing data security, and empowering individuals. PETs allow online users to protect the privacy of their personally identifiable information (PII), which is often provided to and handled by services or applications. PETs use techniques to minimize an information system's possession of personal data without losing functionality. Generally speaking, PETs can be categorized as hard and soft privacy technologies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sociology of the Internet</span> Analysis of Internet communities through sociology

The sociology of the Internet involves the application of sociological or social psychological theory and method to the Internet as a source of information and communication. The overlapping field of digital sociology focuses on understanding the use of digital media as part of everyday life, and how these various technologies contribute to patterns of human behavior, social relationships, and concepts of the self. Sociologists are concerned with the social implications of the technology; new social networks, virtual communities and ways of interaction that have arisen, as well as issues related to cyber crime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virtual assistant</span> Software agent

A virtual assistant (VA) is a software agent that can perform a range of tasks or services for a user based on user input such as commands or questions, including verbal ones. Such technologies often incorporate chatbot capabilities to simulate human conversation, such as via online chat, to facilitate interaction with their users. The interaction may be via text, graphical interface, or voice - as some virtual assistants are able to interpret human speech and respond via synthesized voices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital citizen</span> Person using IT to engage in society, politics, and government

The term digital citizen is used with different meanings. According to the definition provided by Karen Mossberger, one of the authors of Digital Citizenship: The Internet, Society, and Participation, digital citizens are "those who use the internet regularly and effectively." In this sense a digital citizen is a person using information technology (IT) in order to engage in society, politics, and government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile technology</span> Technology used for cellular communication

Mobile technology is the technology used for cellular communication. Mobile technology has evolved rapidly over the past few years. Since the start of this millennium, a standard mobile device has gone from being no more than a simple two-way pager to being a mobile phone, GPS navigation device, an embedded web browser and instant messaging client, and a handheld gaming console. Many experts believe that the future of computer technology rests in mobile computing with wireless networking. Mobile computing by way of tablet computers is becoming more popular. Tablets are available on the 3G and 4G networks.

Racist rhetoric is distributed through computer-mediated means and includes some or all of the following characteristics: ideas of racial uniqueness, racist attitudes towards specific social categories, racist stereotypes, hate-speech, nationalism and common destiny, racial supremacy, superiority and separation, conceptions of racial otherness, and anti-establishment world-view. Racism online can have the same effects as offensive remarks made face-to-face.

Affective haptics is the emerging area of research which focuses on the study and design of devices and systems that can elicit, enhance, or influence the emotional state of a human by means of sense of touch. The research field is originated with the Dzmitry Tsetserukou and Alena Neviarouskaya papers on affective haptics and real-time communication system with rich emotional and haptic channels. Driven by the motivation to enhance social interactivity and emotionally immersive experience of users of real-time messaging, virtual, augmented realities, the idea of reinforcing (intensifying) own feelings and reproducing (simulating) the emotions felt by the partner was proposed. Four basic haptic (tactile) channels governing our emotions can be distinguished:

  1. physiological changes
  2. physical stimulation
  3. social touch
  4. emotional haptic design.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Benski, Tova; Fisher, Eran (2014). Internet and Emotions. New York: Routledge. p. 12. ISBN   9780415819442.
  2. 1 2 Fuchs, Christian; Boersma, Kees; Albrechtslund, Anders; Sandoval, Marisol (2012). Internet and Surveillance: The Challenges of Web 2.0 and Social Media . New York: Routledge. pp.  19. ISBN   9780415891608.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Beiley, Alfred (2016-04-22). "What is 'Emotional Internet of Things'?". Medium. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
  4. 1 2 Jenblat, Omar. "Let's Get Emotional: The Future Of Online Marketing". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
  5. 1 2 3 Kappas, Arvid; Krämer, Nicole (2011). Face-to-Face Communication over the Internet: Emotions in a Web of Culture, Language, and Technology . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp.  97. ISBN   9780521853835.
  6. ↑ Clark, Tony (March 21, 2016). "The Emotive Internet". 2-Dooz. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  7. ↑ Sobkowicz, Antoni; Baraniak, Katarzyna (September 2016). "Political discourse in Polish Internet – corpus of highly emotive Internet discussions" (PDF). nl.ijs.si. Retrieved 2018-12-10.
  8. ↑ Kiyohara, Shoko; Maeshima, Kazuhiro; Owen, Diana (2017). Internet Election Campaigns in the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 48. ISBN   9783319636818.
  9. 1 2 Davies, William (2018-09-08). "How feelings took over the world". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2018-12-10.
  10. ↑ Weber, Larry (2007). Marketing to the Social Web: How Digital Customer Communities Build Your Business . Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & sons. pp.  208. ISBN   9780470124178.
  11. ↑ Issa, Tomayess; Isaias, Pedro; Kommers, Piet (2015). Social Networking and Education: Global Perspectives. Dordrecht: Springer. p. 6. ISBN   9783319177151.
  12. ↑ Luxemburg, Daniel (2012-02-25). "How to Build an Emotional Internet Without Emoticons". Motherboard. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  13. ↑ Waggoner, Zach (2014). My Avatar, My Self: Identity in Video Role-Playing Games. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 24. ISBN   9780786441099.
  14. 1 2 Kajee, Leila (2008). Constructing Identities in Online Communities of Practice: A Case Study of Online Learning. Oxford: Peter Lang. p. 115. ISBN   9783039111053.
  15. ↑ D'Errico, Francesco; Poggi, Isabella; Vinciarelli, Alessandro; Vincze, Laura (2015). Conflict and Multimodal Communication: Social Research and Machine Intelligence. Dordrecht: Springer. p. 168. ISBN   9783319140803.
  16. ↑ Shanahan, James; Qu, Yan; Wiebe, Janyce (2006). Computing Attitude and Affect in Text: Theory and Applications. Dordrecht: Springer Science & Business Media. pp.  94. ISBN   978-1402040269.
  17. ↑ Wallis, Paul (2018-12-02). "Analyzing the Facebook memes — As dumb as it looks". www.digitaljournal.com. Retrieved 2018-12-10.
  18. 1 2 Charara, Sophie (2016-12-08). "The future of emotion sensing wearables". Wareable. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  19. ↑ Shulevitz, Judith (2018-11-15). "Alexa could become your therapist as experts make smart speakers judge emotions". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 2018-12-10.
  20. 1 2 Pardes, Arielle (2018-01-31). "The Emotional Chatbots Are Here to Probe Our Feelings". Wired. ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  21. 1 2 Mina, An Xiao (January 19, 2019). "Memes are modern-day propaganda". Quartz. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
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