Lost in Time

In this chapter, “Experiencing Time,” Professor Strate explains that human interaction through computer media include our use and experience of time with cyberchronemics. For example, email and computer conferencing are asynchronous forms of interaction. This makes email highly flexible and an efficient way of interpersonal communication. The dictionary definition of asynchronous is, “requiring a form of computer control timing protocol, in which a specific operation begins upon receipt of an indication/signal that the preceding operation has been completed.” The asynchronous character of email eliminates many time-related issues that may create loss of control over the groups output, and even a loss in time it takes to complete the task. Asynchronous forms of interaction allows for increased participation, creativity, and satisfaction.

In cybertime, distinctions between past, present, and future start to fade and our sense of time becomes distorted. For example time flies by when engaged in computing and gaming. This is particularly evident in video gamers who are capable of blocking out their sense of time in order to enter only the world of the game. Now whether this underlining feature is positive or negative is up for further debate. I personally find that with the advancements we are making with video gaming, falling into a virtual reality while playing is a natural tendency. The ability to differentiate the two is for the gamer to decipher. Often times long-term computer users jolt back and forth between the two worlds of game time and reality time. This is called, “temporal schizophrenia,” which is when a user is caught between two distinctly temporal orientations.

As said by G.S. Kirk author of The Nature of Greek Myths, “cybertime is in someways a form of sacred time, a mythic time or dream time.” I found his observation directly on point. If you have ever engaged in gaming, even if it was something as simple as Atari, you will notice that when playing that game you are unable to accomplish something else successful. This was because you had entered an alternate reality. When engaged in the game, you became the figure on the screen that you were controlling with your hands. No other medium provides the same sense of active personal presence like the computer; no other medium allows us to construct and encounter other versions of ourselves. Computer mediated communication has also led to the discovery of multiple roles, personalities and identities. Through VR technology we can see our dream selves or fantasy selves. Our cyber-selves are digital creatures made of data and information and are unaffected by time.