Digital anthropology – these two words are relatively simple and complimentary. The class, in a whole, is an attempt to understand how human beings engage with the digital world, in the forms of technology, and more recently and on a larger scale, with the internet.
But is it really that simple? I’ve tried to think of a witty or overtly intelligent thing to write about for this final blogpost, as the last few readings covered wide topics of self-representation and the importance of understanding people through this mediated space known as “online.”
As I browsed through the ANT291 twitter feed, which many students in the class are doing now instead of this archaic form of blogposts, I see links that simply include people and anything online and technological. Or even not – it is the online representation of something, like the news, that’s made easier to consume because of the digital world.
Conclusion – yes, it really is that simple. If we are to understand that life is enhanced or made simpler, and not transformed, digital anthropology should simply be a study of 1 + 1: people and the digital world.
