The Culture(s) of Cyberspace

Abstract

Computer-mediated communication between humans is becoming ubiquitous. Computers are increasingly connected via high-speed local and wide-area networks, and via wireless technologies. High bandwidth interaction is increasing communication speed, offering the possibility for transmission of images, voice, sound, video and formatted data as well as text. Computer technologies are creating the possibility of entirely new interfaces of human-machine interaction, and entirely new virtual “spaces” for human-human interaction. As a collectivity, these new spaces of communication are known as cyberspace. Human-human interaction is the foundation of culture. Vygotsky and Luria’s (1994) model of cultural development highlights the need to consider the culture(s) of cyberspace (“cyberculture(s)”) in any examination of computer-mediated human communications, because it invokes both the communicative and behavioural practices that humans employ as they interact with their environment.