Thank you for this wonderful comment. It extends what I’m saying beautifully and you go further into areas I might have liked to include. I consider your comment above a post continuation.

I like what you say about class being the elephant in the room. The only people I’ve ever met who get uncomfortable around it are those who haven’t had to deal with it as a real issue in their lives.

For example, the feeling of shame around discussing your technology if everybody around you has something better and makes fun of those who don’t. Most people take a cell phone or laptop for granted these days – even though the cost of mobility is steep for those already struggling to pay for basic services, rent, etc.

People discuss cars, property and other things as matter of fact when for some of us the prospect of owning either is beyond reach.

Right now, the current model of technology is “made to break” you get the latest and greatest and then it’s no good in a couple of years. The other popular model is deregulation. Cell phone users may pay next to nothing for the devices but the cost of connection is outrageous – though assumed an “ordinary” part of life and business. If you cannot afford the “ordinary” you are excluded.

Peek into any Starbucks and you see people typing away at their laptops. Though this is presented to consumer culture as de rigeur and “normal” – to me, this is an image of privilege.

The same people will say, “oh a laptop is affordable” – right, if you have any money left over for extras. If you are not already wondering what’s wrong with the computer I paid thousands of dollars for only a few years ago? Why is it “no good” now.

These sorts of norms are absolutely 100% classist and entirely obscuring of the issues faced by the poor.

I think that consumerism versus community is the most important battle that educators face in the coming century. Don’t get me wrong this is not a new battle. After we get past the taboo “ism” words like capitalism and communism, we can see that at heart the battle you described is the same one we have been fighting for years. The question is are we educating the future generation to value things like community, love, cooperation or are we allowing corporate forces teach us that profit and consumerism is the ultimate human success.

Consumerism has tainted everything human beings have created, look at the music industry, film, art, etc… Everything that is artistically created is commodified and mass marketing, thus losing its original value. The Internet and technology are no different. The web and social networking is actually the media companies’ cash cow. Because they brainwash people into giving each other Dr. Peppers on Facebook and think it is cute, without realizing that they have now become not only the consumer but unaware advertiser as well.

You said that, For those who do not own or have access to current technologies and material privileges (even TIME), many social networking sites can be a source of shame, embarrassment or isolation.

Perhaps they are the lucky ones. We that do have access to these tools are blinded by their charm. I think it is so funny that people rant and rave about the Patriot Act and the intrusive nature of big government, but we have no problem displaying our every interests to big business marketing firms, so we can be sold the goods we like. Most of us are aware that all of our information is most likely being stored in some FBI file. So go on FBI agent, you don’t have to monitor my library action, just go to my library thing account and see that I have several books there on revolution and yes I have read Lenin and Ho Chi Minh.

As globalisation and other forces widen the social and digital class divide, I’d like to ask you to reflect on your experience of social networks as socio economic spaces.

I have gone a bit tangential here; I am sorry, but these things are what excite me. I think after politics and religion, class is the biggest elephant in the room, although I suppose the three taboo topics are from the same source. In America, we never speak of class, because we believe that some how we have solved that problem, but the one percent upper class that controls most of the wealth has been lying to us for years. And now they are using the Web to further dilute our class-consciousness. We don’t need to get the lower class on Facebook, we need to get the middle class off!