DIGITAL GAP HUMOUR IN THE CYBERSPHERE/INTERNET: THE PERSPECTIVE OF URBAN FOLKLORE

This essay attempts to understand ‘digital gap’ humour in the cybersphere/Internet. The notion of ‘digital gap’ refers to the difference in information and communication technological (ICT) competencies or digital literacies between social groups. As such, the impact of digital gap on society becomes the obvious fodder for humourous anecdotes and idiotic jokes which circulate in the cybersphere/Internet through blogs and social networking applications like Facebook, Twitter, Friendster and Myspace. Theses stories are considered as urban folklores. Based on varying levels of digital literacies, two general cohorts of user have emerged from these stories namely, ICT illiterate and ICT literate. Witty yet cynical, the comical sense of humour generated in such funny folklores is constructed mainly by flouting of the social maxims (quality, relevance and manner) ludicrously played out by the-stupid-who-thinks-he-is-clever or the country bumpkin as well as the clever/dumb social opposites.