Where do we see ourselves heading with social media? Well in all seriousness it is impossible to see where we will end up. I mean people believed that we would be driving round in flying cars and would have robots catering to our every want and need by this particular time but that does not seem to be the case. There is no doubt that our social interactions are changing and with the ever increasing techonological advances it will only become more complex.
One main worry for me in the future is the fact that we may become too reliant on the technology that we possess especially with devices such as mobile phones. The introduction of the iPhone was a huge phenomenon and is no doubt a useful piece of technology however, after hearing about how addicted people are to their phones and how they beleive they can not live without them it does arise some concern as to how dependent we are on our portable hand devices. Now I'm not implying that we should get rid of all mobiles however I do feel that we need to take more control over our own lives and learn to focus on moderating our use of mobile phones. It amazes me how many times I have heard someone ask a question and the response be "look it up on your iPhone". Yes it is a convenient and fast way to get an answer but it is also reducing our capabilities with regards to other skills. For instance a friend of mine was unable to read a melway because he had become so use to relying on his GPS to tell him the way. This is just one example but does provide some food for thought with regards to the topic.
As expected technology will continue to advance. Mobiles will continue to attain more features and it will only be a matter of time before
Thursday, June 3, 2010
From Average Joe to David Attenborough. The Future of Documentaries.
It is clear to see that the online documentary has become a major addition to the internet and has paved the way for many individuals to give the world their insights. In previous years documentaries were restricted only to those with money and a significant amount of time however with the introduction of websites such as Youtube and other media platforms it can be seen that this is no longer the case.
Nowadays with the use of a cheap video camera or the camera on a phone an individual is able to make a first hand documentation of an event and display it to the world with relative ease. There are no significant costs attached and there are no particular set guidelines which need to be followed thus making the use of online documentaries all the more appealing. Granted there are instances where amateur documentaries are just pointless (daily life accounts for example) and make the individual conducting them look like an attention seeking tool but in most cases documentaries put forth by everyday individuals do have some information that may be relevant to someone else.
As a rule I am not usually a fan of personal documentaries however over the years I have found them to be quite useful especially with regards to topics that are of interest to me. The use of the internet as a means of displaying these documentaries is important because there is no other medium which could support as much of the information as that found within these sites. Television only has so many time slots and there would never be enough time for each individual to get their point of view across. This is what makes the online documentary such an important tool of information because it ensures that no opinion is unheard and allows everyone a chance to express themselves.
It is clear to see that online documentaries are here to stay and overall I beleive its a good thing. Not only does it provide a more extensive range of information but it also means that we are not subject to whatever the media feels like disclosing to the public.
Nowadays with the use of a cheap video camera or the camera on a phone an individual is able to make a first hand documentation of an event and display it to the world with relative ease. There are no significant costs attached and there are no particular set guidelines which need to be followed thus making the use of online documentaries all the more appealing. Granted there are instances where amateur documentaries are just pointless (daily life accounts for example) and make the individual conducting them look like an attention seeking tool but in most cases documentaries put forth by everyday individuals do have some information that may be relevant to someone else.
As a rule I am not usually a fan of personal documentaries however over the years I have found them to be quite useful especially with regards to topics that are of interest to me. The use of the internet as a means of displaying these documentaries is important because there is no other medium which could support as much of the information as that found within these sites. Television only has so many time slots and there would never be enough time for each individual to get their point of view across. This is what makes the online documentary such an important tool of information because it ensures that no opinion is unheard and allows everyone a chance to express themselves.
It is clear to see that online documentaries are here to stay and overall I beleive its a good thing. Not only does it provide a more extensive range of information but it also means that we are not subject to whatever the media feels like disclosing to the public.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The Dominance of the iPhone
The iPhone has been a huge hit ever since its introduction to the general public. I personally was never a fan of the iPhone and always thought of it as a rather intelligent marketing ploy rather than a useful piece of equipment but none the less the iPhone has become a huge hit within the general public. Don't get me wrong though i mean i still use a mobile phone(not an iPhone)and find it extremely useful in order to communicate with friends and family each day however dependence on phones has become an increasing trend and one has to wonder whether some of us are borderline addicted to our hand held devices. I for one use my phone for calls and texts only and may check it once every couple of hours however others have been known to demonstrate near compulsive behavior. Harmless as this may be it is still a worrying trend that is growing more and more within our society.
Over the last few years the use of mobile phones has jumped dramatically and with the ever increasing capabilities found within these devices who could blame it. With the addition of internet access as well as nifty features such as touch screens, even someone as skeptical as me just wants to get out there and lash out an exuberant amount of money on a phone. It is clear that the main appeal of the iPhone is the fact that it allows people to readily access social sites such as Facebook and Youtube and in a society where social acceptance is important this is clearly the way to go about it. In a way it can be seen that social networking sites such as these are the main contributors to the dominance of the mobile phone mainly because people want to feel like they are part of something bigger. In a way i guess that's why I have a Facebook account though I am still unclear as to why people feel the need to check it every 10 minutes. Surely other peoples life updates are not that interesting?
As they always say knowledge is power and in the case of today's society power is literally in the hands of all who own an iPhone. Its no wonder the iPhone is so desired because with the press of a few buttons one is able to have the whole internet at their fingertips. But what are the drawbacks of this? As I see it constantly being able to access the internet for answers hinders our way of thinking and may lead us to become mentally lazy. I know that may seem like a bit of a stretch but with knowledge being so easily accessible nowadays its hard to see any reason why people would need to think. I mean there is an app for just about anything nowadays and this restricts the need for creative thinking.
But what does this mean for the future then? Personally I think that as technology allows us to put more and more into smaller devices the appeal for larger computer screens will become redundant as individuals will be able to accomplish all that is needed from their hand held devices. Whether we like it or not the mobile phone will prevail over all other screens and it will only be a matter of time before TV and Computer screens are merely a thing of the past (much like myspace).
Over the last few years the use of mobile phones has jumped dramatically and with the ever increasing capabilities found within these devices who could blame it. With the addition of internet access as well as nifty features such as touch screens, even someone as skeptical as me just wants to get out there and lash out an exuberant amount of money on a phone. It is clear that the main appeal of the iPhone is the fact that it allows people to readily access social sites such as Facebook and Youtube and in a society where social acceptance is important this is clearly the way to go about it. In a way it can be seen that social networking sites such as these are the main contributors to the dominance of the mobile phone mainly because people want to feel like they are part of something bigger. In a way i guess that's why I have a Facebook account though I am still unclear as to why people feel the need to check it every 10 minutes. Surely other peoples life updates are not that interesting?
As they always say knowledge is power and in the case of today's society power is literally in the hands of all who own an iPhone. Its no wonder the iPhone is so desired because with the press of a few buttons one is able to have the whole internet at their fingertips. But what are the drawbacks of this? As I see it constantly being able to access the internet for answers hinders our way of thinking and may lead us to become mentally lazy. I know that may seem like a bit of a stretch but with knowledge being so easily accessible nowadays its hard to see any reason why people would need to think. I mean there is an app for just about anything nowadays and this restricts the need for creative thinking.
But what does this mean for the future then? Personally I think that as technology allows us to put more and more into smaller devices the appeal for larger computer screens will become redundant as individuals will be able to accomplish all that is needed from their hand held devices. Whether we like it or not the mobile phone will prevail over all other screens and it will only be a matter of time before TV and Computer screens are merely a thing of the past (much like myspace).
Is there any place for Politics in Social Media?
Politics is about winning the respect of the general public in order to get elected to a certain position. Before computers and mobile phones this was usually accomplished through the use of campaigning and other public interest events however as technology has furthered within our society it can be seen that politicians are also utilizing the large grasp of the internet in order to gain the interest and respect of the general public. Social websites such as Youtube, Twitter, Facebook and Myspace have all been exploited in order to reach a more substantial proportion of the public including more youthful generations. Barrack Obama during his election campaign used Twitter in order to communicate with his intended audience and I found it to be quite an ingenious bit of campaign work on his behalf. Not only did he reach the audience he intended to capture but he also managed to portray himself as a sort of 'peer' rather than a politician. Now I'm not speculating that this won him the election but I do believe that his tactic did help to represent him in a more positive light with the general public.
Lately politicians have been using mediums such as Youtube and Facebook in order to not only promote their own image but to smear the image of their competitors. The use of sites such as these are not only cheap but are able to gather a huge amount of public interest without the costs involved with campaigns and television commercials. In a way I guess this is a good thing because it means that both sides are able to equally represent themselves and ensures that elections are won based on the merit of the politician rather than whoever has more money. But at the same time the use of these sites may also prove detrimental to a politicians campaign. All to frequently have we seen parody and remakes of political campaigns in order to not only tarnish the credibility of said politician but to also prevent others from taking them seriously.
So the question is, can there be a place for politics within the social sphere of sites such as Youtube and Facebook? I believe that in some instances politics does have a place in social media because it demonstrates that a politician is aware of the changing society we live in. It not only exhibits this but it also shows that the politician has actually taken the time to try and grasp the attention of more youthful generations and is trying to adhere to there particular needs and wants rather than focusing on their own image. Although there are many positives to utilizing this form of social connection there are instances where it can backfire and politicians need to be careful of where and when they decide to place their campaigns. This may seem like a double edged sword but as society become more immersed within their social media the chances of reaching them through other means becomes less apparent and therefore reinforces the importance of adopting social mediums in order to connect with the general public.
Lately politicians have been using mediums such as Youtube and Facebook in order to not only promote their own image but to smear the image of their competitors. The use of sites such as these are not only cheap but are able to gather a huge amount of public interest without the costs involved with campaigns and television commercials. In a way I guess this is a good thing because it means that both sides are able to equally represent themselves and ensures that elections are won based on the merit of the politician rather than whoever has more money. But at the same time the use of these sites may also prove detrimental to a politicians campaign. All to frequently have we seen parody and remakes of political campaigns in order to not only tarnish the credibility of said politician but to also prevent others from taking them seriously.
So the question is, can there be a place for politics within the social sphere of sites such as Youtube and Facebook? I believe that in some instances politics does have a place in social media because it demonstrates that a politician is aware of the changing society we live in. It not only exhibits this but it also shows that the politician has actually taken the time to try and grasp the attention of more youthful generations and is trying to adhere to there particular needs and wants rather than focusing on their own image. Although there are many positives to utilizing this form of social connection there are instances where it can backfire and politicians need to be careful of where and when they decide to place their campaigns. This may seem like a double edged sword but as society become more immersed within their social media the chances of reaching them through other means becomes less apparent and therefore reinforces the importance of adopting social mediums in order to connect with the general public.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Producer vs Produser
When i first heard about the produser i wasn't really fussed by it because i had assumed that the recreation of original concepts was just the usual norm. Music, movies and a range of other media are constantly taking the ideas of others in order to create something new and the introduction of social websites such as Youtube and Facebook have aided this further. Nowadays the average Joe can take a song they heard on the radio, put their own spin on it and then re-release it on sites such as Youtube in order to gain public exposure. The reach of Youtube is almost worldwide and can allow an individual to view anything ranging from world changing events to acts of stupidity within someones backyard. The following video is a prime example of how produsage can be applied. In this case it is the recreation of a number of different movie concepts compiled into one storyline.
Now in the grand scheme of things produsage can be a good thing. Classic movies which may have died out years ago are recreated and given the chance to be exposed to future generations and allows all of us to enjoy a good original story line every once in a while. The same goes for music in that old classics or great hits of previous generations are remixed in order to appeal to the general public of today. A perfect example of this would be Elvises "Little Less Conversation" hit which was remixed in 2002 for a Nike commercial. The song was a huge success and rebirthed the king of pop into the 21st century.
Now in cases such as the above produsage can be beneficial however there are instances when this is not the case. Produsage can actually ruin some original concepts and can take away the meaning intended by the initial creator. The Star Wars saga for example has been rewritten and remade countless times by die hard fans and in most cases has actually proved to be more detrimental to the story than beneficial. The same applies in music where individuals create covers of their favorite songs from their bedrooms and post them up on the internet for all to see. In most cases these are quite horrible and merely ruin the song. But the use of produsage in a negative way also exceeds beyond these areas. Input based pages such as Wikipedia which allows individuals to alter and edit information written by other people can also be displayed as a negative form of produsage due to the fact that information on the site may be inaccurate. This not only creates a snowball effect of misinformed individuals but also makes it difficult to remedy any wrong knowledge passed on by these websites.
So what does produsage mean for the future? Well i think that creativity may be hindered but at the same time produsage will help to preserve the classics of the past. By constantly rebirthing and reforming ideas we can ensure that great musicians such as Elvis and great movies such as Star Wars are not forgotten. At the same time though care must be taken in order to ensure that we don't believe everything we see on the internet.
Now in the grand scheme of things produsage can be a good thing. Classic movies which may have died out years ago are recreated and given the chance to be exposed to future generations and allows all of us to enjoy a good original story line every once in a while. The same goes for music in that old classics or great hits of previous generations are remixed in order to appeal to the general public of today. A perfect example of this would be Elvises "Little Less Conversation" hit which was remixed in 2002 for a Nike commercial. The song was a huge success and rebirthed the king of pop into the 21st century.
Now in cases such as the above produsage can be beneficial however there are instances when this is not the case. Produsage can actually ruin some original concepts and can take away the meaning intended by the initial creator. The Star Wars saga for example has been rewritten and remade countless times by die hard fans and in most cases has actually proved to be more detrimental to the story than beneficial. The same applies in music where individuals create covers of their favorite songs from their bedrooms and post them up on the internet for all to see. In most cases these are quite horrible and merely ruin the song. But the use of produsage in a negative way also exceeds beyond these areas. Input based pages such as Wikipedia which allows individuals to alter and edit information written by other people can also be displayed as a negative form of produsage due to the fact that information on the site may be inaccurate. This not only creates a snowball effect of misinformed individuals but also makes it difficult to remedy any wrong knowledge passed on by these websites.
So what does produsage mean for the future? Well i think that creativity may be hindered but at the same time produsage will help to preserve the classics of the past. By constantly rebirthing and reforming ideas we can ensure that great musicians such as Elvis and great movies such as Star Wars are not forgotten. At the same time though care must be taken in order to ensure that we don't believe everything we see on the internet.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Cybersex? An issue or not?
The internet has proven to be an endless vortex of information for just about anyone and has allowed people to communicate and gain access to a vast amount of content with only a click of a few buttons. One of the biggest growing trends within society is sex and this is no exception with regards to the internet. Individuals can now utilize the internet to have online sex with other individuals without ever having to leave the house. Access to endless amounts of pornography is also available and makes one wonder if the act of cybersex really is just a concept. The following clip demonstrates a futuristic look into cybersex. Although we are not at this sort of level as yet it does give some insight into where we may be headed. For the sake of this argument the only part worth watching in the clip is probably the first 20 seconds however I do recommend the rest of the movie just for general viewing.
Although cybersex may seem harmless to some individuals it may also be seen as quite unhealthy for others. Our exposure to sexually related content throughout our everyday lives has made the issue of sex a much bigger concern for people and the growing amount of connectivity has helped the act of cybersex flourish through all sorts of different mediums. Cybersex can now be conducted through chat rooms, forums, facebook windows and even in games. I bet any one whos ever played an online mulitplayer game as a female would understand this quite well as girls within online games are the prime targets of sexual advances by male players, even if that female character is actually a male in real life. However as connectivity is made more available it can be seen that cybersex is expanding outside of just computers. Sex texting has become a new fad for teens and as mobile phones become more in use, especially with younger children, one can begin to wonder what complications this may have for younger generations. Granted it may seem like a harmless act however actions speak louder than words and it may only be a matter of time before kids begin to act on their texts thus outlining a significant complication with cybersex.
So is cybersex an issue? In the grand scheme of things I would have to agree that it is. For instance pornography is the biggest encourager of cybersex and can create all sorts of complications. I mean one wrong word typed into Google and 50 inappropriate sites could pop up for anyone to see, including young children. The act of cybersex also allows individuals to be more promiscuous and can encourages deceitful behavior between spouses. Although some may see it as a means of fulfilling certain fantasy's without actually acting on it one must ask where do we draw the line between harmless fun and cheating?
Although the act of cybersex is still a grey area it is one aspect that should not be overlooked so easily.
Although cybersex may seem harmless to some individuals it may also be seen as quite unhealthy for others. Our exposure to sexually related content throughout our everyday lives has made the issue of sex a much bigger concern for people and the growing amount of connectivity has helped the act of cybersex flourish through all sorts of different mediums. Cybersex can now be conducted through chat rooms, forums, facebook windows and even in games. I bet any one whos ever played an online mulitplayer game as a female would understand this quite well as girls within online games are the prime targets of sexual advances by male players, even if that female character is actually a male in real life. However as connectivity is made more available it can be seen that cybersex is expanding outside of just computers. Sex texting has become a new fad for teens and as mobile phones become more in use, especially with younger children, one can begin to wonder what complications this may have for younger generations. Granted it may seem like a harmless act however actions speak louder than words and it may only be a matter of time before kids begin to act on their texts thus outlining a significant complication with cybersex.
So is cybersex an issue? In the grand scheme of things I would have to agree that it is. For instance pornography is the biggest encourager of cybersex and can create all sorts of complications. I mean one wrong word typed into Google and 50 inappropriate sites could pop up for anyone to see, including young children. The act of cybersex also allows individuals to be more promiscuous and can encourages deceitful behavior between spouses. Although some may see it as a means of fulfilling certain fantasy's without actually acting on it one must ask where do we draw the line between harmless fun and cheating?
Although the act of cybersex is still a grey area it is one aspect that should not be overlooked so easily.
Are 2 lives better than 1?
Avatars were first used in order to create a lifelike representation of ourselves within digital media. Granted these avatars were never really accurate but at least most of us made an attempt to do so because it was never really seen as an important aspect of digital media. However as we begin to use avatars more and more within our different mediums of communication we have also created images of ourselves further away from what what we actually look like. Nowadays avatars are made to represent how we want to look rather than how we are in order to not only gain satisfaction from our peers but to also be more readily accepted by the broader community. This issue is interesting and is also brought up with the following video. I had just watched this movie recently and thought it gave an interesting perspective on avatars and virtual selves.
I used this movie as an example because a lot of hype has been given to the new reality based game called 'Second Life' which allows individuals to create their own avatar and use them within a virtual world aimed at being representative of the real world. Participants are able to communicate with other individuals, develop relationships, buy houses, fly and do an umpteen number of other things. But the thing I found most disturbing about the whole thing was just how attached to this game people had gotten. Stories about parents neglecting their children due to the addictive nature of this game was a scary concept to grasp. Other stories surrounding the game included virtual marriages and virtual cybersex as well as couples breaking up in real life because their partners had cheated on them within a video game. The fact that anyone could become this immersed in a game is becoming a very realistic concept and begins to provide merit to the meaning put forth within the movie 'Surrogates'. One must ask how long will it be before every aspect of our lives is controlled by a virtual avatar of our own?
People will argue and say that they would never become that addicted to a game and would argue how stupid it is, however ask them if they had ever played World Of Warcraft (WOW) and they will tell you its the best thing since sliced bread. WOW was rated as one of the best online multiplayer games and has shown a huge amount of players all around the world. Although this game may not reflect the reality portrayed in Second Life there are certainly a vast number of individuals who are just as addicted to this game as Second Life. So called 'clans' are made between players in order to reach certain goals and it is almost scary seeing how immersed individuals can get while playing this game. On a number of occasions i have watched friends of mine interact with the game and it is almost impossible to gain their attention once they have begun playing.
So the real question is how far is too far with regards to virtual realities? Are we slowly becoming the sort of society who conducts every aspect of our lives through a computer? I believe that we are becoming a more virtual reality based society however I would like to think that it is only conducted as a recreational part of our lives and not a complete replacement of our perception on reality. However that said this may only be due to a restriction in technology and as the advancement of technology takes us further into the future it is unclear just how dependent we may become on our virtual selves.
I used this movie as an example because a lot of hype has been given to the new reality based game called 'Second Life' which allows individuals to create their own avatar and use them within a virtual world aimed at being representative of the real world. Participants are able to communicate with other individuals, develop relationships, buy houses, fly and do an umpteen number of other things. But the thing I found most disturbing about the whole thing was just how attached to this game people had gotten. Stories about parents neglecting their children due to the addictive nature of this game was a scary concept to grasp. Other stories surrounding the game included virtual marriages and virtual cybersex as well as couples breaking up in real life because their partners had cheated on them within a video game. The fact that anyone could become this immersed in a game is becoming a very realistic concept and begins to provide merit to the meaning put forth within the movie 'Surrogates'. One must ask how long will it be before every aspect of our lives is controlled by a virtual avatar of our own?
People will argue and say that they would never become that addicted to a game and would argue how stupid it is, however ask them if they had ever played World Of Warcraft (WOW) and they will tell you its the best thing since sliced bread. WOW was rated as one of the best online multiplayer games and has shown a huge amount of players all around the world. Although this game may not reflect the reality portrayed in Second Life there are certainly a vast number of individuals who are just as addicted to this game as Second Life. So called 'clans' are made between players in order to reach certain goals and it is almost scary seeing how immersed individuals can get while playing this game. On a number of occasions i have watched friends of mine interact with the game and it is almost impossible to gain their attention once they have begun playing.
So the real question is how far is too far with regards to virtual realities? Are we slowly becoming the sort of society who conducts every aspect of our lives through a computer? I believe that we are becoming a more virtual reality based society however I would like to think that it is only conducted as a recreational part of our lives and not a complete replacement of our perception on reality. However that said this may only be due to a restriction in technology and as the advancement of technology takes us further into the future it is unclear just how dependent we may become on our virtual selves.
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