I think, if I were ever to go back to school for a doctoral degree, I would pursue research in internet behavior and phenomena.
If professors can teach courses on The Beatles or The Simpsons, then we're not far from making pretty much anything an academic pursuit. The internet meme would be fascinating research material. I'm of the All Your Base and the Hampster (sic) Dance generation; I was late to the party on the LOLcats (which, by the way, never get old!), but I've made up time in the air. Those I get, mostly. But some are just inexplicable. Like, what began the recent obsession with Chuck Norris? A few months ago, a student made an offhand reference to Chuck Norris, which I thought odd, so I asked her, "you mean, Chuck 'Walker, Texas Ranger' Norris?" (to which she responded affirmatively). I just shrugged it off as delightfully obscure - as she has that tendency; I learned later that Chuck Norris is big on teh internets. Who knew?
Anyhow, the generation and propagation of popular internet culture would be fascinating research. Something like this, really. Google even provides access to some data for analysis.
Honestly, though, I'd just like to understand the pure psychology of why, specifically, pictures of cats with text overlaid can be so funny. Of course, once Time publishes an article about it, one wonders whether it's jumped the shark.
If professors can teach courses on The Beatles or The Simpsons, then we're not far from making pretty much anything an academic pursuit. The internet meme would be fascinating research material. I'm of the All Your Base and the Hampster (sic) Dance generation; I was late to the party on the LOLcats (which, by the way, never get old!), but I've made up time in the air. Those I get, mostly. But some are just inexplicable. Like, what began the recent obsession with Chuck Norris? A few months ago, a student made an offhand reference to Chuck Norris, which I thought odd, so I asked her, "you mean, Chuck 'Walker, Texas Ranger' Norris?" (to which she responded affirmatively). I just shrugged it off as delightfully obscure - as she has that tendency; I learned later that Chuck Norris is big on teh internets. Who knew?
Anyhow, the generation and propagation of popular internet culture would be fascinating research. Something like this, really. Google even provides access to some data for analysis.Honestly, though, I'd just like to understand the pure psychology of why, specifically, pictures of cats with text overlaid can be so funny. Of course, once Time publishes an article about it, one wonders whether it's jumped the shark.
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