New Media new battle- the Organisational Man Vs the Flexible Woman

Living in the year of 2011 it is an understatement to say New Media & technology has changed our world. Not only has it impacted our attitude and work ethic, Castell says these days when it comes to working in new media, “The organization man is out & the flexible woman is in”.

Consequently a person applying for any job in new media cannot just ‘wing it’ to survive. Therefore in order to secure a successful job in the new media work force one must be willing to step out of their comfort zone, take on new challenges weekly or for some study an additional course on top of their workload.

These types of traineeships, volunteer positions and internships are unfortunately mandatory for the majority of new media based occupations. Whilst projecting an impressive image of ourselves to prospective employers, we must sell ourselves in a professional manner. Thus, without the use of new media to present these skills we cannot compete and stay up to date in the fast paced world we live in.

Furthermore it is safe to say that our society is leaving behind the traditional ideal of the,” organizational man/ woman” which underlines the difference between older/younger people working in new media today. In the “Snickers" video starrign Betty White, the ad conveys a light hearted style that an older generation struggles to keep up physically with a younger generation.

Although this is a funny way to look at the difference between the two generations it is quite truthful and relevant to the concept that the average person does indeed struggle with new media. Moreover it is a harsh reality that the person with more new media knowledge will most likely be hired. Evidently our younger generation does indeed have a vast advantage over older generations.

Cybercondriacs vs. the Truth

These days it’s hard to tell apart a lie from the truth. In school all we had to do to miss a day was tell a little white lie like Pinocchio & hope that our parents would play along. Today if you miss a day of school,university or work, most would wish a half hearted good luck because without the proof of a doctor’s certificate, it doesn’t count.

In Lewis’s article Medical information via the web, (2006) he explains how new age technology e.g the internet can cause an ‘epidemic of misinformation’ (p523).

For the reason that the internet at times does project false medical information without any sense of proof is definitely dangerous in regards to health. The question to trust an unknown source all the way out there in cyber space can be a horrifying thought. However that all depends on the limit some go to when it comes to putting all their medical faith online. If for example they take false advice regarding a severe/serious matter and as a result jeopardise their health, than that mistake is their own responsibility.

Whilst precarious situations similar to false online content do occur, it must be made known that the internet can be a great way to search anything you are embarrassed or just curious about related to your health.

Another factor to take into consideration is the unfortunate use of recreational drug use. Access to purchasing medication online is a controversial issue as there is no patient-doctor interaction,therefore websites could be assisting addictions quite frequently.

In saying that if our generation as cybercondriacs actually research a wide variety of truthful advice, we might just be able to dodge trouble and steer clear of false medical information online.

Does Media have to define us?

Let’s face it without the modern use of technology and media we would be lost. If we are not looking on our iphones to check with weather of look up the latest movie, we are relaxing to our favorite music or television show. However when considering the imperative notion that media defines our lifestyles and attitudes I have to agree that yes it does. Only if you let it.

In his article Media,Culture & Society Dueze says, “Over the last few decades, these key areas of human existence have converged in and through our concurrent and continuous exposure to, use of and immersion in media, information and communication technolo­gies”.

There is no denying that the media we are exposed to influences and impacts the way we think, act and feel, yet sometimes the image we present externally can be harmful.  QUT student Brooke Lagana believes now is the time to be mindful about the image/brand we wish to project upon ourselves and she is right.

Similar to the Truman Show ideal that Dueze discusses as a metaphor of humans living in their own reality world, at times humans can be consumed by persuasive and alluring media and mistake fantasy for their own reality.

A perfect example of someone who never let materialistic items and beliefs affect their way of thinking is Chris Mcandles. A heart felt biography of his life entails a young man who ventured Into The Wild and shed the ignorance of society and media. Moreover, media certainly does not have to define our lives and thoughts as Chris stated on his journey,” I'm going to paraphrase Thoreau here... rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness... give me truth”.

Follow Deuze @ http://deuze.blogspot.com

Follow Brooke @ http://brookemarydiaries.blogspot.com/

References

Deuze, M. (2011). Media Life. In Media, Culture & Society, Volume 33, issue 1, pp. 137-148

https://sn2prd0102.outlook.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=13c720e09b9f4440803a2cbcd953a344&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.imdb.com%2ftitle%2ftt0758758%2f

Social Media making a difference

“It has been once said that one flap of a butterfly’s wing can cause a typhoon halfway around the world” (reference). The distinction between this century & all centuries before, it that absolutely anyone in this world can make a difference, & the age of Social Media has contributed greatly.

Ten years ago we hadn’t publicly apologized to the stolen generation in Australia. A couple of decades ago women were forbidden to vote. Hundreds of years ago racism was a mere normality. What influenced everyone to change their train of thoughts? Was it time? No. It was the voices of courageous people standing up for what they believed in each person a leader in their own right. In the case of the 2001 Manila mass protest caused by text messaging Estrada’s fate was sealed due to a combination of two things; a mixture of modern social media and the bold community of protesters who banded together in a time of desperation.

Although for thousands of years it has been people leading the way to change the way our world feels, believe and acts, since 1990’s it has been the internet that has assisted change radically.

The award winning film “The King’s Speech” depicts the ideal that social media can make a vast difference. This occurs when King George VI battles his stammer in order to produce a radio broadcast at the beginning of World War II.

Evidently the inspiring story of a King who was encouraged to use his “Voice” reiterates the main idea that today’s technology combined with the public sphehere, can lead to political changes all over the world .

References-
http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bscreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/The-Kings-Speech-Poster-uk-poster.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bscreview.com/2011/01/the-kings-speech-movie-

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289879/

Steering film fans in the right direction

“You wouldn’t steal a car. You wouldn’t steal a handbag. You wouldn’t steal a mobile phone. You wouldn’t steal. You wouldn’t steal a DVD. Downloading pirated films is stealing. Stealing is against the law. Piracy-it’s a crime” (Australian Government). We’ve all heard that quote a million times before a movie starts, yet we still click the easily accessed download button when we’re itching to see the latest song, television show or game. Why do we do it? Because we simply can. The next question is who has the power to stop us committing such a crime?

A costly fine sent from the government is the obvious answer, but more recently it is intelligent Indian film makers who have discovered an even better tactic to steer devious downloader’s in the right direction. The two major Bollywood film companies ‘Rajshri Group’ and ‘Eros Entertainment’ have decided to leak footage of their films, not only to avoid illegal downloading but also expose Indian films to a wider overseas audience.

It is no surprise that the masterminds behind this new phenomenon will eventually gain success. This is clear as revealing any material online sooner can increase sales and popularity dramatically. For instance take the YouTube sensation Justin Bieber, who has now taken the “Teen Pop Idol” title just by uploading a few videos on a public website. Evidently without this exposure no one would know who Beiber was today.

Unfortunately before Beiber reached a high level of stardom no one regularly observed him. This is apparent as westernized film audiences are mainly entertained by only popular mainstream topics in the media. Often Indian films are similarly viewed as they are not popular yet in the westernized world. However it is highly likely that their ratings will increase due to online film releases from Indian film companies soon. So consequently perhaps instead of penalizing devious downloader’s in this day and age, it might just be time for film makers to get creative.

Guess Who? –The Social Networking Game played by all today

In this day and age when it comes to social networking and social interaction online, almost anyone can play. Similar to the old fashioned board game “Guess Who” social networking has become a game to numerous online users. This is evident as the internet can be described as a vast ocean where millions of participants are free to create identities that are either true or false.Therefore guessing identities today proven to be much more of a struggle compared to the “The Mystery Face Game” we played as children.

However regardless of the identity portrayed there is no denying performing any identity can impact and influence an individual. Goffman (1959) said that identity –as- performance links to social interaction as some often create identity performances similar to personal background/environment. Thus when one individual is connecting with another individual online it is probably because of the comparable characteristics and attributes they each have in common. Boyd’s (2006) theory of identity as performance in both the front stage and back stage explores why individuals would rather talk in a front stage atmosphere (public) or a back stage atmosphere (public).

The best way to convey the differences between a public and a private stage would be to use the glass bedroom metaphor -a fantasy mirrored bedroom where intimate online conversations take place. Inside this room each of the four walls are completely glass and symbolize the following; a private place where one person can play different versions of themselves eg the reflections in the mirror, and also a public place as each reflections represent a endless virtual solar system (the internet) where everything is recorded. So all in all it is true that the board game “Guess Who” has become a reality in the online world. Moreover, the power of identity- as -performance can either be negatively used to deceive other or positively to network, bond and connect socially.