Tuesday 24 November 2015
Super Panopticon
The notion of the super panopticon refers to a building such as a prison that is arranged so that all parts of the interior are visible from a single point or a tower. Thus, the super panopticon is based on the idea that if a prison had a tower in the middle and the prisoners were told that they were being watched by guards who patrolled in that tower, the prisoners would behave better because they thought they were being watched. This aspect translates into todays' society as citizens are told that their actions and online presence are being monitored, so they are likely to act in a certain way in order to avoid trouble. However, no one really knows if they are being watched and/or by whom, but the idea that we are being watched often has a large impact on how people act. For instance, in work places especially, employees are more likely to avoid accessing their personal email or Facebook accounts because they may fear that their boss can monitor their internet use and see that they are being unproductive, which may lead to them losing their job. Hence, I think it is the consequence of what might happen when people are under surveillance that many people have the problem with, which translates into skepticism about privacy policies because people are no longer feel 'free' to do what they want. Collectively, I think surveillance is a good thing because many harmful situations can be avoided when they are caught early, but I wonder where the line is drawn when it comes to what agencies do with the data that is not considered threatening (ex. sell it, 'destroy it').
Lateral Surveillance
In today's society, many things are rarely considered private anymore as governments and their agencies are surveilling citizens' every move on and offline. However, it is not only governments and their agencies that are surveilling us, we tend to surveil each other especially online. This form of supervision is called lateral surveillance which is also known as peer-to-peer surveillance and it consists of individuals surveilling others in order to keep track of one another. In addition, the categories of peoples' lives that peer-to-peer surveillance often tracks are other peoples' romantic interests, family, and friends. For instance, finding friends on Facebook in order to keep up with their lives is considered lateral surveillance as well as looking up an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend to see if they have moved on. Although many people may not consider this a form of surveilling, I would argue that as a result of new digital technologies, we have access to information on people that we didn't have before and we don't require their permission in order to access it, so therefore it becomes surveilling.
Fans
When asked: In what ways are you a fan? I immediately think of wearing team memorabilia such as my teams' jersey or a hat with their logo on it. However, I also believe that being a fan goes beyond wearing physical identifiers, and that being fan also means that you are loyal to the individual(s) and you consume what the individual(s) produce(s). For instance, I am a Sam Hunt fan and I have been to one of his concerts, have a Sam Hunt t-shirt and CD, and I express interest in his music when he is discussed by others even if they do not like him. Although I would consider myself a Sam Hun fan, I do not consider myself to be a super fan. A super fan in my opinion would be someone who is obsessed with a team or band for example, who can also goes beyond consuming products and instead becoming a producer through the creation of mash-ups or creating a highlight reel. Overall, fans come in a wide range whether they are a social fan, an average fan, or a super fan; they are all worth studying and looking into further as their level of fandom may identify that each group has a different needs from one another.
Tuesday 10 November 2015
Reception Contexts and Media Rituals
Appropriation- how communication technology is acquired.
An instant of when I can remember acquiring communication technology was in grade 8 when I got a cell phone and was able to communicate with friends as well as download games for it, which helped to keep my attention on it longer. With my cell phone I was able to keep up with the latest gossip and also organize times to hang out with my friends.
Objectification- when the technological object is displayed in the home, the context to which the technology exists in the home.
When thinking about how technology is displayed in the home and when people come together, I think of how my family television is in the living room, which is close to the kitchen. Thus, after dinner me and my family would watch television and discuss the show during commercials. Now that we are able to record shows and then pause the T.V. when we have work to do, we schedule a different time to watch a favourite show together or we save it for those who missed it.
Incorporation- the ways in which these technologies were used by those in the household.
As a student, I use television in my home as a way to relax and watch T.V. mindlessly in order to escape from the demands of my school work. Also, I sometimes watch the new in order to keep up with current events in my area and the world.
Gender- how technology is gendered.
In some people's households there are televisions in the kitchen that only the mother watches for either cooking purposes or to keep her company during the day. Also, there are televisions that are decorated for boys and girls. For instance, there are Hello Kitty televisions for girls and Spiderman televisions intended for boys. In addition, the technology may be negotiated between the genders on who gets to use it when. For example, when my mom comes home from work, even if my dad or my sister is watching the T.V., they ask my mother what she would like to watch as they understand that she has had a long day and watches television as a way to relax.
Conversion- when information is carried by a communication technology and becomes part of everyday social interaction and builds social capital outside the home. Social capital increases as you know more about what everyone is watching/talking about.
Before there was YouTube and television recording, if someone missed an episode of a popular show, there was often no way to see it and you were therefore out of the loop in conversations discussing the most recent episode. Thus, without many of the technologies that exist today, many people would lose out on some experiences or gain of social capital if they were not up to date on the most recent media events. For instance, if I were to go a day without using my phone, I would lose contact with many people and not be able to receive updates on their lives and vice versa.
High Holidays- shared mediated moments; bringing people together that changes the status quo.
The event that I remember that really stopped me in my tracks was the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. I was studying for an exam the next day with my friends and one of the girls came into the room and told us there was a shooting at an elementary school in the U.S. We all stopped what we were doing and turned on the television to get live updates to see how the kids were doing and to figure out what had happened. There were interviews of people crying and reports of people losing their lives which caused us to watch even longer in disbelief that something so horrible could be happening in that moment. Eventually one of the girls turned the television off and got us all to focus and compose ourselves for the studying that we had to do, but every so often we would take breaks to get the latest updates on peoples' conditions and any new developments.
An instant of when I can remember acquiring communication technology was in grade 8 when I got a cell phone and was able to communicate with friends as well as download games for it, which helped to keep my attention on it longer. With my cell phone I was able to keep up with the latest gossip and also organize times to hang out with my friends.
Objectification- when the technological object is displayed in the home, the context to which the technology exists in the home.
When thinking about how technology is displayed in the home and when people come together, I think of how my family television is in the living room, which is close to the kitchen. Thus, after dinner me and my family would watch television and discuss the show during commercials. Now that we are able to record shows and then pause the T.V. when we have work to do, we schedule a different time to watch a favourite show together or we save it for those who missed it.
Incorporation- the ways in which these technologies were used by those in the household.
As a student, I use television in my home as a way to relax and watch T.V. mindlessly in order to escape from the demands of my school work. Also, I sometimes watch the new in order to keep up with current events in my area and the world.
Gender- how technology is gendered.
In some people's households there are televisions in the kitchen that only the mother watches for either cooking purposes or to keep her company during the day. Also, there are televisions that are decorated for boys and girls. For instance, there are Hello Kitty televisions for girls and Spiderman televisions intended for boys. In addition, the technology may be negotiated between the genders on who gets to use it when. For example, when my mom comes home from work, even if my dad or my sister is watching the T.V., they ask my mother what she would like to watch as they understand that she has had a long day and watches television as a way to relax.
Conversion- when information is carried by a communication technology and becomes part of everyday social interaction and builds social capital outside the home. Social capital increases as you know more about what everyone is watching/talking about.
Before there was YouTube and television recording, if someone missed an episode of a popular show, there was often no way to see it and you were therefore out of the loop in conversations discussing the most recent episode. Thus, without many of the technologies that exist today, many people would lose out on some experiences or gain of social capital if they were not up to date on the most recent media events. For instance, if I were to go a day without using my phone, I would lose contact with many people and not be able to receive updates on their lives and vice versa.
High Holidays- shared mediated moments; bringing people together that changes the status quo.
The event that I remember that really stopped me in my tracks was the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. I was studying for an exam the next day with my friends and one of the girls came into the room and told us there was a shooting at an elementary school in the U.S. We all stopped what we were doing and turned on the television to get live updates to see how the kids were doing and to figure out what had happened. There were interviews of people crying and reports of people losing their lives which caused us to watch even longer in disbelief that something so horrible could be happening in that moment. Eventually one of the girls turned the television off and got us all to focus and compose ourselves for the studying that we had to do, but every so often we would take breaks to get the latest updates on peoples' conditions and any new developments.
Gratification Studies
There have been many researchers who have looked into the gratifications of specific technologies and media such as cell phones and reality television. With regards to the study done by Wei and Lo (2006) on cell phones, they found that the main gratifications were: status/fashion, social utility, information-seeking, mobility, accessibility, and affection. I can especially relate to the gratification of status as each time I got a new cell phone, my friends were interested in what phone I got and how it functioned, especially if they didn't have it. Also, my cell phone does provide me with information whether it be through text messaging someone, or checking the news and social media for updates.
As for reality television, Papacharissi and Mendelson (2007) studied its gratifications and found that many people get social interaction from it, as well as companionship, reality entertainment, voyeurism, habitual pass time, and relaxation. Since I watch a few reality television shows, I often have a group of friends that I watch them with so I get the social interaction and companionship from it as we also discuss what happens after each episode ends. In addition, I tend to watch reality television as a way to relax because there is often nothing very complex about the shows and thus they do not require much thinking on my part.
As for reality television, Papacharissi and Mendelson (2007) studied its gratifications and found that many people get social interaction from it, as well as companionship, reality entertainment, voyeurism, habitual pass time, and relaxation. Since I watch a few reality television shows, I often have a group of friends that I watch them with so I get the social interaction and companionship from it as we also discuss what happens after each episode ends. In addition, I tend to watch reality television as a way to relax because there is often nothing very complex about the shows and thus they do not require much thinking on my part.
Monday 9 November 2015
Uses and Gratifications
When reflecting on the technologies we use and why we use them, I think of a telephone and how now there are cell phones which aren't simply used to call one another with, but rather they are used for many other purposes. For instance, people use their cell phone to text message one another which is linked to the gratification of socializing, while also staying informed and connected. In addition, the media technology that exists today, to some extent fulfills levels of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs which identifies different types of humans' needs as shown below.
Our basic needs are Physiological needs and Safety needs which involve our survival, then as each level of needs gets met, we move up on the triangle in order to achieve the next level. The example of cell phones relates to this hierarchy in that the need for belongingness can arguably be fulfilled by us communicating with other people whether it be through texting or social media. Moreover, some people may achieve their esteem needs of feeling accomplished by posting a picture from their phone online to Facebook or Instagram and seeing how many people like that picture. Overall, technology today has allowed people to stay connected to one another across time and space which I think is a significant need that technology has aimed to somewhat meet.
Our basic needs are Physiological needs and Safety needs which involve our survival, then as each level of needs gets met, we move up on the triangle in order to achieve the next level. The example of cell phones relates to this hierarchy in that the need for belongingness can arguably be fulfilled by us communicating with other people whether it be through texting or social media. Moreover, some people may achieve their esteem needs of feeling accomplished by posting a picture from their phone online to Facebook or Instagram and seeing how many people like that picture. Overall, technology today has allowed people to stay connected to one another across time and space which I think is a significant need that technology has aimed to somewhat meet.
Tuesday 20 October 2015
Thanksgiving Audiences
As I reflect on this past Thanksgiving season, I think about the audiences that I have encountered and been a part of. The first audience that I was a part of was at church where I attended mass and was part of the congregation listening to the homily. As part of the Catholic community, parishioners came together with their families especially at this time to be thankful and to wish one another a Happy Thanksgiving. From being a consistent church goer, I have noticed that when it comes to significant holidays throughout the year, that is when the most amount of people come to church, maybe because they find that time of year to be more important than others, who knows. The audience at church can be compared to that of sports audiences when it comes to playoff games because more people want to show up to those games and show their support while being a part of something bigger than themselves.
On the day my family celebrates Thanksgiving, we host many of our family members for dinner and we also use this time to catch up with one another. That day I noticed many different audiences around my house; the young adults were listening to their older relatives tell stories about when they were children themselves, there were family members playing with the little children in the family room while also making sure they didn't get into trouble, and there were teenagers playing a board game and some of the older relatives watched them in confusion. Thus, some of the audiences were engaged with those they were watching, while others were able to reflect on the similarities and differences between them and their elders. This reminds of early examples where there were older people gathered around a fire telling stories to the young ones and teaching them life lessons. Hence, in my opinion, not much has changed as far as the idea of sharing experiences between the young and the old audiences, but rather the platforms we use to communicate have evolved and that may be why some people in the older generations find it difficult to use newer technology and communicate with the younger generations.
On the day my family celebrates Thanksgiving, we host many of our family members for dinner and we also use this time to catch up with one another. That day I noticed many different audiences around my house; the young adults were listening to their older relatives tell stories about when they were children themselves, there were family members playing with the little children in the family room while also making sure they didn't get into trouble, and there were teenagers playing a board game and some of the older relatives watched them in confusion. Thus, some of the audiences were engaged with those they were watching, while others were able to reflect on the similarities and differences between them and their elders. This reminds of early examples where there were older people gathered around a fire telling stories to the young ones and teaching them life lessons. Hence, in my opinion, not much has changed as far as the idea of sharing experiences between the young and the old audiences, but rather the platforms we use to communicate have evolved and that may be why some people in the older generations find it difficult to use newer technology and communicate with the younger generations.
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