The Social Dilemma in South Madison

It’s really astounding to see how far technology has changed even from a decade ago. As Reingold says in “Smart Mobs: The Power of the Mobile Many”, he wonders what is the world’s potential when it comes to using new technologies to bring people together for a cause. He said that even in 2002, “Wild as it sounds, mobile squads of citizen telejournalists have already surfaced.” The invention of the “blog” and mobile phones with the capacity to take audio and video and post it directly to the web was nothing but a vision at this time. Looking ten years into the future to today, the technologies that one uses every day far surpass the technologies a decade ago.

By looking at new technologies such as smart phones and laptops, the lack of these technologies in certain areas may affect the South Madison area greatly. People today are more and more referring to websites, e-mails, etc. to access events, news and more in their communities. When people can not simply access an internet connection, they essentially lose connection with a part of the world. They can’t access resources that many people take for granted on a day-to-day basis. I think this definitely could be an the issue in the South Madison area. If our research shows that people in the South Madison area do not have normal ways to access the world wide web every day, then that could be a reason why as to this community may be experiencing a “social dilemma.”

What I think technology can do to help the South Madison area is by first understanding the demographics of this diverse neighborhood, including available internet access or owning smart phones and home computers. One simple thing that will help South Madison connect more on a social level is something which our class is already accomplishing: a website. The potential we have in store for this website will greatly help bring people from many areas together to see what South Madison is all about. By combining elements of food, culture, and language into our website, we incorporate many backgrounds and make this incredible information available to anyone.

Making Observations from Afar

In the somewhat busy schedule I’ve had the past two weeks, unfortunately I have yet to truly visit and experience the South Madison area. Writing this in a Coach Van Galder bus on the way to Chicago (with fabulous internet connection, by the way), I can tell you what I knew about the South Madison area, and from there, think about today’s new technologies and how we as a community can implement new technological strategies to this area while realizing the challenges we may face along the way.

In the couple times I have stopped in South Madison, I remember filling up at the BP gas station at West Washington and South Park Street. Yes, technically this is just the beginning of where this area starts, but it’s important to note the differences in the community from that point south. Especially looking out the window of the bus this afternoon, I took special notice to the variety of restaurants and store fronts just within a 3 block stretch. Asian, Mexican & American restaurants sit side-by-side on Park Street, and it’s great to see people walking in and out of these places on a Wednesday afternoon.

From what I have heard from this class especially, South Madison is a very racially and ethnically diverse area. Coming from Chicago’s South Side, I have experienced this first-hand my entire life. The Irish community mixes with the African American community, which mixes with the Arab-American community, which mixes with the Polish community, and so on. Coming from a high school that had an annual “All American Day” complete with a parade of flags and foods from around the world, I understand and appreciate what it’s like to come from a neighborhood that is so diverse. My neighborhood at home is also economically diverse. The majority of students in my high school came from middle to low-income families, and a lot of people received free or discounted lunch. Realizing these situations and experiencing these things first-hand, I can hopefully relate my life experiences to the people in the South Madison community.

Something that we all take advantage of today is internet connection. It would be an easy guess that the majority of UW-Madison undergrads have a smartphone or a phone with internet access. Being able to check Facebook or Twitter anywhere, at any time makes our lives “easier,” and connecting with friends, professors, and family much simpler and faster. About 5 years ago, the iPhone was an unaffordable luxury, coming in at around $500 when it first came out. Now at various phone providers, they can be as low as $99. I believe the more affordable these phones are becoming, the most accessible they are, even in low-income financial situations.

So what does this mean for the South Madison community? I think more and more people today are taking advantage of internet-accessible phones, even if shared by multiple family members, which in all could cost less than paying for monthly home internet. A device like an iPod Touch also comes Wi-Fi ready, so taking advantage of a local open Wi-Fi network means free internet accessibility without the monthly charge. Simply put, there are many ways now in 2012 than even 5 years ago that someone can more easily access the World Wide Web and gain information from social networks they could not have had before.

I of course am assuming that this is the situation for new technologies in the South Madison area. But if this is the case, then I believe new information technologies, like smartphones, can easily help and support this community. A community website, such as savorsouthmadison.com allows residents in the Madison area to see what this neighborhood is all about. The internet allows people from all different backgrounds to easily connect with each other. I hope that within our class research, we can explore the ways people in South Madison can best make use of new technologies today.