The Internet
By Julian Schmugge and Cailyn Tripp
One of the best things about the internet is that it allows people to collaborate. After seamlessly working with Cailyn Tripp on the “Rebuild the internet” project, we decided to renew the partnership for our final.
Our first thought when making something “on the web about the web” was to make a video. Many of us spend most of our time on the internet consuming videos on various social media platforms, so we thought it would be fitting.
One of the main focuses in this class has been figuring out “What is the internet?” Throughout the semester, we have seen various responses from people in the class, but we wanted to see what people outside the class thought. So, we created a google form asking our friends to write one word or a short phrase to describe the internet. Using some of those responses, we created this video:
We wanted to go all in on the idea of doing the project over the internet. So, we used our school email and text messages to plan the project and send the google form to friends. This also reflects how our methods of communication have changed due to COVID-19 and how the internet has allowed people to connect regardless of the virus. As responses rolled in from our friends, we worked on finding ways to represent their ideas about the web in our video. We found examples from places like Twitter, YouTube, and even our own canvas site, which we shared over email and combined. These examples were all created using either a computer or phone, which showcases society’s fixation with the digital world.
The responses from our friends to the question, “What is the internet?” varied. This shows that there is no right or wrong answer to the question because everyone uses the web to suit their own preferences and needs.
Overall, we gained more from the project than we initially expected. As teenagers who grew up in the digital world, we already had a decent appreciation for the internet and were rather confident in the idea that we “knew it all”. However, this project forced us look at the internet from different viewpoints. Cailyn always saw the internet as a “place for entertainment and to connect with others on a virtual plane,” but I saw it as an endless void of information that mankind will never be able to fully to comprehend. When reviewing our friends’ responses, we saw that it was that and more. We still do not fully understand the internet, and we probably never will, because it is forever evolving into something much larger than ourselves.
