When I think of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, computer mediated communications is the furthest thing from my mind, but in this particular episode CMC is a dominate theme. The writers of Buffy address an issue that is very relevant in today’s society. This is the question of whether computer mediated communication is an important and helpful tool, or a menace to society.
According to the librarian, who is a bit of a traditionalist, CMC is certainly a major threat. His opposite may be the woman that he works with who informs him that computers are a rapidly growing source of information and communication. Still, the librarian refers to the computer as an “idiot box” and uses terms like “skin it” as apposed to scan it. This highlights his distaste and lack of understanding for these technologies. He may be an extreme case, but he has a valid concern about how CMC is changing human interaction.
These fears become a reality when Willow develops an online relationship with Malcolm. Buffy has apprehensions about this exclusively online relationship because she does not know what Malcolm is like face to face (in this case, a demon seeking world domination). Willow shows the worst case scenario of what could happen when online relationships become dangerous. She chats with Malcolm so much that she stops hanging out with her friends, and skips class just to sit at a computer. Though Willow is an extreme case, she can be compared with a lot of today’s youth who sometimes miss out on face-to-face social behaviors for online socializing.
The writers continue to highlight fears of technologies when they show how easy computers have made it to find personal information about virtually anyone. This is noticeable when Malcolm finds Buffy with a web camera, and looks up her information within minutes.
The entire episode, while highly impractical, is based on a very real issue. An online friend probably won’t turn out to be a demon, but online relationships can be very dangerous if you don’t know who you are talking to. Also, with fast and almost infinite information readily available, it is frightening to think what could happen if the wrong person were to obtain certain information. I’m not saying that I agree with the librarian on his “idiot box” theory, but I think that these technologies should be used to enhance communications, not replace them.
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