Tech Culture and Social Interaction

This set of flashcards covers key concepts related to tech culture in Silicon Valley, social interaction types, nonverbal communication, and impression management.

Silicon Valley Values

Innovation, speed, individual success, and profit are glorified.

Digital Elite

A group that dominates visibility and influence online, often comprised of white, male, and affluent individuals.

Marginalized Voices

Outspoken women and minority voices that are often ignored, harassed, or excluded in digital spaces.

Algorithmic Bias

Built-in biases in search engines and algorithms that reflect the demographics of their creators, often privileging dominant voices.

Civil Inattention

Polite behavior acknowledging strangers without engaging, such as brief eye contact.

Focused Interaction

Direct communication, such as a conversation or group meeting where people are actively engaged.

Unfocused Interaction

Passive awareness of others nearby without direct conversation, like sitting in a classroom.

Nonverbal Communication

The exchange of information through body language, gestures, facial expressions, posture, tone, and eye contact.

Interactional Vandalism

Intentional violation of expected interaction rules, such as disrupting politeness norms.

Impression Management

The process by which people perform roles to control how others perceive them, as described in Goffman's Dramaturgical Theory.

Front Stage

The public role where individuals perform expected behaviors in social settings.

Back Stage

The private area where individuals can relax and be themselves, away from public scrutiny.