Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out

• Digital environments provide an extension of real-world interaction, and an enhanced environment for sharing information and engaging in social interaction. Hanging out is a social, not merely technological activity that develops one’s social identity. The next step is to mess around to understand the technology and media themselves. This brings the concepts of knowing, making, and play into contact with each other. It takes you beyond your relationship to others and on to your relationship with the environment. This can allow you take personal interest in a topic and pursue it in self-directed ways. As your pursuit becomes more intense and esoteric, you reach the geeking out stage, which uses social and technological resources for deep exploration.

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