Imagine my excitement when I saw that we'd be reading an article by Malcolm Gladwell of Outliers and The Tipping Point fame for our class, the same author who kept boredom at bay for me many a time in many an airport. I hold Malcolm Gladwell in the highest esteem and wouldn't hesitate to call him a genius, which is an overused word to be sure. That being said, I was disappointed in his The New Yorker article "Small Change".
"The revolution will not be tweeted!" Gladwell claims, playing with the great Gil Scott-Heron line. To summarize, Gladwell rails against the "weak ties" of social media by comparing their potential to the African-American civil rights movement that had no such technology to hold it together. Here's the problem with Gladwell's article: he spends the whole article talking about how good brocoli is for you. Does that mean no one should eat any other food but brocoli?
The worst part about being disappointed in Gladwell's article: I actually agree with him. Twitter is not going to replace "proper" activism and weak ties don't trump strong ones. I don't think anyone is trying to put down the civil rights movement by saying Twitterized activism is somehow better. It's a tool to help spread awareness and that is never a bad thing. It doesn't solve the problem by itself (like KONY 2012 and similar mimimal investment causes as someone mentioned), but it isn't meant to. Social media is complementary to traditional activism. It hasn't erased it! Just as Sullivan said in his article on blogging, jazz is not a replacement for classical!
Is a person of today's drive to activism sated by social media, allowing people to think they've done all they can without having left their computers? Gladwell seemed to support that claim. I believe I have evidence to the contrary, which appeared almost exactly a year after Gladwell's October 2010 article: Occupy Wall Street. Whether or not one agrees with the Occupy ideology, it is undeniable that they performed a traditional form of activism that was augmented by social media. Activism isn't dead and it continues online and off.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Parasocial Relationships and Me
Unfortunately, I am the type of person to say things first and reflect on them later. Yesterday I said something aloud which shocked me and made me come to the conclusion that I have a parasocial relationship with a celebrity; that is, I am emotionally invested in a pop culture icon who (most likely, unless he's seen my tweets at him), is hitherto unawares of my existence. What I said was so ridiculous that I thought I would share.
On Thursday, MTV aired its "Video Music Awards." Despite the fact that most critics agree the program is a cultural abomination, showcasing the fact that America's youths seem to be growing stupider and more party-obsessed annually, I tuned in, lured by the fact that my precious darling Frank Ocean would be performing and was nominated for Best Video and Best New Artist. Tweeting furiously throughout Lil Wayne's pathetic caterwauling, Pink's undignified crotch shot, and Drake's tearful speech about childhood bullies, I waited for Frank's awards to be rightfully presented to him.
Much to my disappointment in humanity, Frank Ocean lost both awards to boy band One Direction.
I get it. I am twenty one years old watching a program I feel I outgrew at fifteen, expecting an artist who actually wrote, composed, and produced all his own songs to win against these adorable tweens. The camera panned to Frank Ocean and I saw that he looked pretty unsurprised by the news.
Cue me, yesterday. My roommate asked me how the awards turned out, because, sadly, she knew how excited I was to watch them. I told her this" "Frank Ocean lost to One Direction in both categories. He wasn't surprised. He knew it was a stupid awards show. I saw it on his face. We both knew it."
I am still stunned that I said such a thing.
This incident leads me to question what role these parasocial relationships have in our lives. I definitely know that my consideration of a person who is totally unavailable to me is coming at somewhat of a social cost. How would we be as people if a celebrity culture did not exist? Maybe my life would be much simpler. I am not qualified to go into the psychology of the matter, but I am interested in the implications of a fictional world created by a person obsessed with a public figure.
On Thursday, MTV aired its "Video Music Awards." Despite the fact that most critics agree the program is a cultural abomination, showcasing the fact that America's youths seem to be growing stupider and more party-obsessed annually, I tuned in, lured by the fact that my precious darling Frank Ocean would be performing and was nominated for Best Video and Best New Artist. Tweeting furiously throughout Lil Wayne's pathetic caterwauling, Pink's undignified crotch shot, and Drake's tearful speech about childhood bullies, I waited for Frank's awards to be rightfully presented to him.
Much to my disappointment in humanity, Frank Ocean lost both awards to boy band One Direction.
I get it. I am twenty one years old watching a program I feel I outgrew at fifteen, expecting an artist who actually wrote, composed, and produced all his own songs to win against these adorable tweens. The camera panned to Frank Ocean and I saw that he looked pretty unsurprised by the news.
Cue me, yesterday. My roommate asked me how the awards turned out, because, sadly, she knew how excited I was to watch them. I told her this" "Frank Ocean lost to One Direction in both categories. He wasn't surprised. He knew it was a stupid awards show. I saw it on his face. We both knew it."
I am still stunned that I said such a thing.
This incident leads me to question what role these parasocial relationships have in our lives. I definitely know that my consideration of a person who is totally unavailable to me is coming at somewhat of a social cost. How would we be as people if a celebrity culture did not exist? Maybe my life would be much simpler. I am not qualified to go into the psychology of the matter, but I am interested in the implications of a fictional world created by a person obsessed with a public figure.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?...No
After reading the article "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?", I knew I had to post something on this blog. This article made so much sense to me. We've all probably heard or read accusations that spending time on Facebook - or the internet in general - replaces our desire for human contact, and we search for friends online instead of in the real world now. It's the entire idea behind The Social Network, which is one of my favorite movies.
I am an active user of Facebook, and I do log on at least once a day, usually more. I have a few hundred contacts on Facebook. A lot of them are family and friends, and then there are classmates and coworkers I added to make communication about homework and projects easier. But I have never requested to be friends with someone I have never personally met or accepted a friend request from a stranger. I have never understood the logic behind that.
And here is the true insight of the article: Facebook does not REPLACE your social network. It merely TRANSFERS your contacts from one platform to the other. I agree with Burke's research in that the people who experience loneliness on Facebook are most likely lonely in real life too. Online a Greek brother or sister can have 1000+ friends and then you see the profile of a socially awkward person you know from class who has maybe 30+ friends. Those numbers may not be precise, but they are generally accurate in contrasting the size ratio of the social circles these people would probably have in real life.
Finally, the communication I have with my friends over Facebook doesn't replace my desire to hang out with them in person. I didn't spend Friday night in my room looking at Facebook, I went out with my friends to see The Avengers. I don't know for certain what I'm doing tonight yet, but I guarantee it won't be updating a Facebook status.
I am an active user of Facebook, and I do log on at least once a day, usually more. I have a few hundred contacts on Facebook. A lot of them are family and friends, and then there are classmates and coworkers I added to make communication about homework and projects easier. But I have never requested to be friends with someone I have never personally met or accepted a friend request from a stranger. I have never understood the logic behind that.
And here is the true insight of the article: Facebook does not REPLACE your social network. It merely TRANSFERS your contacts from one platform to the other. I agree with Burke's research in that the people who experience loneliness on Facebook are most likely lonely in real life too. Online a Greek brother or sister can have 1000+ friends and then you see the profile of a socially awkward person you know from class who has maybe 30+ friends. Those numbers may not be precise, but they are generally accurate in contrasting the size ratio of the social circles these people would probably have in real life.
Finally, the communication I have with my friends over Facebook doesn't replace my desire to hang out with them in person. I didn't spend Friday night in my room looking at Facebook, I went out with my friends to see The Avengers. I don't know for certain what I'm doing tonight yet, but I guarantee it won't be updating a Facebook status.
Media Logic of Facebook
The media logic of Facebook is that it is not normal to be in college without having a Facebook account. Just last weekend i was working with a group, while we were exchanging information a girl mentioned that she did not have Facebook, you could almost hear the other members gasp as she said this. Media logic influences us on what is good, normal, and desirable. Not having a Facebook caused this reaction because we are in college and Facebook is popular, it is common for a large percentage of students to have accounts. When i came to college i can remember setting up my Facebook account the day before school because i was told to get one because everyone else in college has one. Now i barely use it and that is considered odd because it is a large means of communication between college students. I think the media logic of Facebook puts pressure on students to have an account or else they will be considered an outsider or wrong to not have one. When i tell people that sometimes i do not post anything for months they look at me like i have no social life. This is not true, but because of the belief that Facebook is an important tool of communication people may perceive me as anti-social. In the coming weeks i have an assignment in one of my classes where the professor will be monitoring our Facebooks and other social media accounts to see how we our marketing ourselves online. It is expected that we will post interesting articles related to our views and follow groups that we believe in, but because i do not use Facebook or Twitter that often this assignment seems superficial. Facebook and other social media sites our based on the belief that is normal to broadcast our own beliefs and views, but what about the people who would rather keep these views and beliefs to themselves or discuss these topics between close friends? Is it normal to discuss these views through Facebook, or odd to discuss them between close friends?
Friday, September 7, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Pop Culture, Privacy, and the Lollipop
Today in class we discussed the influence of our personal information towards advertising and media logic. Media logic is important to understand because it seeps into our everyday lives without us even recognizing it and without us analyzing it's disguise. We learn our "normals" from media logic and advertisements, so it's an important thing to recognize. I feel that the most alarming form of advertising that strongly uses media logic lies in the Facebook advertisements that use your personal information to personalize your advertisements.
Facebook's advertisements are alarming because they are just that; a little too personal. I feel that the extraction and manipulation of my information that I choose to share over Facebook is downright creepy. One website gets a hold
of my information, and that website shares it with another website that shares it with another website and then with another. The following website is the website that I mentioned during class today. (see www.takethislollipop.com)
No, a creepy guy is probably not stalking you at this moment, but what you have to be aware of is the fact that there are companies that CAN access just as much information as you can about yourself by logging onto Facebook. Take This Lollipop did. So you think your profile is just for your friends? Think again. Each and every time you give your information away, you are signing away your rights to privacy on Facebook.
I find this alarming not because I'm paranoid, but because I don't trust people I don't know. Would you walk up to a stranger on the street and just write down your hometown, mobile phone number, the names of your parents, siblings best friends and more? Probably not. Would you tell that stranger that you're "Going to Starbucks on 116th tonight with the besties!! (:"? No. We recognize that, as Zooey Dechanel put it in New Girl, "Stranger danger is real", but we don't recognize that stranger danger exists on the internet also.
I know many people who are deleting their Facebook for this reason. My boyfriend deleted his Facebook partly for this reason after graduating from high school. He did not want to share his personal information. Have you ever googled yourself? I have, and my profile picture, some status updates, twitter, and other information was available for strangers to use at their disposal. When you google someone who doesn't participate in social media, almost nothing comes up.
The moral of the story? Use Facebook wisely. Do you really want a single old man in his 50s staring at pictures of you and your friends on Spring Break? Just the same, do you really want advertising companies to analyze you to target you? Remember, you have the ability to share what you want. Use Facebook, but use it smart.
Katy
Facebook's advertisements are alarming because they are just that; a little too personal. I feel that the extraction and manipulation of my information that I choose to share over Facebook is downright creepy. One website gets a hold
of my information, and that website shares it with another website that shares it with another website and then with another. The following website is the website that I mentioned during class today. (see www.takethislollipop.com)
No, a creepy guy is probably not stalking you at this moment, but what you have to be aware of is the fact that there are companies that CAN access just as much information as you can about yourself by logging onto Facebook. Take This Lollipop did. So you think your profile is just for your friends? Think again. Each and every time you give your information away, you are signing away your rights to privacy on Facebook.
I find this alarming not because I'm paranoid, but because I don't trust people I don't know. Would you walk up to a stranger on the street and just write down your hometown, mobile phone number, the names of your parents, siblings best friends and more? Probably not. Would you tell that stranger that you're "Going to Starbucks on 116th tonight with the besties!! (:"? No. We recognize that, as Zooey Dechanel put it in New Girl, "Stranger danger is real", but we don't recognize that stranger danger exists on the internet also.
I know many people who are deleting their Facebook for this reason. My boyfriend deleted his Facebook partly for this reason after graduating from high school. He did not want to share his personal information. Have you ever googled yourself? I have, and my profile picture, some status updates, twitter, and other information was available for strangers to use at their disposal. When you google someone who doesn't participate in social media, almost nothing comes up.
The moral of the story? Use Facebook wisely. Do you really want a single old man in his 50s staring at pictures of you and your friends on Spring Break? Just the same, do you really want advertising companies to analyze you to target you? Remember, you have the ability to share what you want. Use Facebook, but use it smart.
Katy
Sunday, September 2, 2012
why we should study pop culture
According to Sellnow popular refers to systems or artifacts that people share and that most people know about. Popular culture should be studied because it is something most Americans have in common and can relate to. For example, in class we have seen clips of the show "Jersey Shore," but even if most of class does not watch this show we all know something about it. Jersey Shore is shared between the class because it is part of our popular culture. Because most students have a T.V. or access to one we are able discuss the show. Jersey Shore was a big part of our mediated popular culture. What was interesting about Jersey Shore or any other shows that are or were that popular is that they speak about our generations and what we value. My mom is a big Andy Griffith fan because she use to watch the show when she was a little girl and it was a part of her popular culture. That show emphasized small town life and "good old American values" like being a good neighbor and a part of your community. Shows like Jersey Shore are about partying and being young, which is attractive to high school and college age students. These two examples also illustrate the changes in perceptions or ideologies of people across generations. The values that were held in Andy Griffith are nothing like that of Jersey Shore, yet they both are a part of our beliefs and actions. This is why popular culture should be studied. Being a critic of popular culture allows us to see past the shows into what the real message is and instead of becoming a blind part and consuming it, we have the ability to analyze and come up with our own conclusions.
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