Internet+use+in+iCarly+-+Caitlin+Gainsborg

Nickelodeon’s hit program, iCarly, is a scripted show which centers around three high school friends who have created a hit web show. Much of this show is focused around the internet, and for the most part, iCarly does a great job teaching children and teens how empowering a useful the internet can be. However, I also feel that this program doesn’t necessarily teach kids about the dangers of the internet and how the improper use of this medium could make it unsafe. Specifically, I believe that an episode from season two entitled “iRocked the Vote”, gives examples of improper use of the internet, but does it in such a way that it seems almost glorified.

In the beginning of the episode, Carly and her friend Sam tell the viewers of the web show to vote for David Archuleta so that he can win a singing competition. When he wins, a news program does a story about how it was Carly’s show, and her audience, that swayed the votes in David’s favor. This part of the episode shows how powerful the internet can be and how fast and idea can spread. I think this is good for children because it teaches them that they can get their opinions heard through the internet and they can actually make a difference. In the next part of the episode, Carly and Sam feel bad for the loser, Wade Collins, and invite him onto the show so that he can sing and hopefully become a popular artist. Unfortunately, Collins turns out to be a jerk, so Carly and her friends decide to take create a video of the outtakes (where Collins is acting rude towards them), and premier it on their web show. This is the part of the episode where I think the dangers of the internet are downplayed a bit. What Carly and her friends do could be considered internet bullying because they play the video for the explicit purpose of ruining this man’s reputation. However, there are never any repercussions, and Carly is made to look like the hero. Also, at the end of their web show the give out the address to the hotel that Collins is staying in so that people can go and ridicule him. In reality, this is illegal and Carly and her friends would be in some serious trouble. Yet again, Carly and her friends look like heroes and there are no repercussions.

In an age where children and teens are learning getting behavioral cues from the shows that they are watching on television, it’s important that networks recognize the need to infuse positive messages into their shows. When they show the improper use of the internet //by// children without and consequences, the kids watching are going to think that they can do the same things and get away with it. Because iCarly relies so heavily on the internet (which basically becomes like its own character), they need to teach kids that there is a right way and a wrong way to use this tool. It can be a really great thing, but it can also be really dangerous if you don’t know what to look out for.

Thanks for summarizing this important episode - I selected it for the exact reason you have suggested here. It makes light of reputational advantage and disadvantage. I hope you will pull specific clips from this episode and look at them carefully to see how they introduce an important issue and then deflect, ignore or trivialize it. It will also be important for you to connect this episode so some aspect of the literature that addresses the theme of reputation. Take a look at the work of Danah Boyd to learn more about this issue. GRADE: B