Hello World!
MASS MEDIA:
communication created by the few for the consumption of many
Welcome to Blair and Kellie's media blog, a site interested in the relationship between society and people's interaction with media.
Imagine a world without mass media. No billboards, ads, TV, movies, books, magazines, or even internet.
Imagine a world without personal interaction. Avoid eye contact, conversations spoken through bytes, and time occupied by widgets.
Discuss with us. Give us your feedback. How do you feel regarding the photos? How is media consumption affecting the world? How is it thwarting us from social interaction with others?
We need lots of comments! If you don't have an account, relax! Just post a comment as "Anonymous", you could always post your name in the comment box if you want to be recognized. Thank you very much.
-Blair and Kellie
There is nothing of any depth shared here. No mutual enjoyment of the music. No ability to see a friend's expression. No personal revelations to deepen a friendship. Instead of a few, well nourished friendships, as a society we are trending toward mile-wide, inch deep friendships with these media.
ReplyDeleteIn the Facebook conversation there is one underlying theme, besides the shallowness of the conversation, and it's that no real information was sent anywhere. One of them is listening to Journey, okay. This, in my opinion, can be attributed to two things A) lack of social skill, and I'm not saying it's hard to get friends, or even keep them, it's just the shallowness of it all, as the comment above me states. B) Schooling. Now I feel like the topic of schooling is a big debate, and it is. But to quickly (hopefully) relate it to this picture I'll say this: more and more kids do not enjoy reading and writing, which is a shame, and consequently they read less and write less, in school and in their personal lives. Anyone ever seen TL:DR? Stands for Too Long; Didn't Read. Now it doesn't really mean anything bad, and I'm not saying it's bad at all. But the reason it even exists shows that to us, whatever this person wrote doesn't really matter to me. Even now, I feel like I've written so much I'm not going to reread it before I post it, and I actually enjoy writing and reading!
ReplyDeleteThese photos make me sad. Society is moving toward the place where the art and fulfillment of personal, face to face conversation is being compromised by too many superficial ways of "communication". So many people are somehow compelled to keep looking at their texts, facebook and other incoming messages and aren't giving their attention to the real faces and dialog in front of them. While the immediate message to others has its place, the problems arise when, again, the ability is abused. So many hours in front of a computer talking about inconsequential things. Get moving and constructive! Make a difference! If we don't turn off our gadgets more and interact more deeply in our relationships, where will we end up? In a very shallow emotional place. I was a recent witness to another heartbreaking scene: Two parents and their two young children at a table in a restaurant...each parent was texting someone else for minutes on end while the children sat, completely silent, patient, and looking lonely. You call this family time??? Pathetic. Let's nip this habit in the bud and set a better example to our future.
ReplyDeleteWhat I'm getting from this is that they're talking to each other through FB chat rather than face to face, is that what it is? If so, again, I don't find this realistic. Maybe it's just me, but why would anyone do that? I never would! I know our reliance on technology is getting out of control but, seriously, who does this? I feel that these pictures are overemphasizing the problems of technology and ignoring the good things that could come out of it. Frankly, I just don't think that this represents our society at all.
ReplyDeleteI do. Think this represents our society (see above). Not all society, but a large portion and getting larger all the time.
ReplyDeleteThese images are repeated dozens of times a day in homes across the country - homes and buses, trains, parks, coffee shops.
The detachment doesn't need to be our fate, though, as we can decide the rules of our society. We learn when we are very small to say please and thank you. Why? These are just words, but they represent our understanding that the "other" has feelings. Our society has manners because we show respect for our fellow humans.
So, let's implement some manners for technology.
"please don't text while I'm talking with you, as it tells me you're not really here."
"please don't take that call right now - not while we're in the middle of a discussion."
Technology has beautiful possibilities if we choose to act and adapt responsibly.
"[It] destroys memory [and] weakens the mind, relieving it of…work that makes it strong. [It] is an inhuman thing." What was "it?" Literacy. Who said that? Socrates. The arguments against online literacy are the same as the arguments against literacy as a whole. Literacy didn't destroy human communication. Neither did the radio, television, recordings, film or video. Neither will the internet.
ReplyDeleteBut for heaven's sake, go for a walk once in a while.
- CHS staff
It seems "social network" is an oxymoron, eh? The more online we become, the more we isolate and insulate ourselves. It is safer to live alone, and it keeps us from growing.
ReplyDeleteIf the idea is to share a reaction to the photos above, yes it is disconcerting to see to people sitting in the same room IMing. But if it is to answer your question about media consumption, those photos are doing a disservice to the conversation. The photos are basically set up to elicit a certain response -- a negative response to only one aspect of social media.
ReplyDeleteHow about showing photos of victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami who have received assistance because of the awareness that social media brought to the cause? Millions and millions of dollars have been raised through campaigns on Twitter and Facebook and LivingSocial. Connecting users with people across the world who need their help. It's inspiring a generation, one that was long since thought to be apathetic and disconnected from the world at large, to get involved. It's powerful stuff and it's social even if they never meet face-to-face.
I (McNeely) often find technology annoying. Combine that w/ a society that has an ever shrinking attention span & you have an award winning recipe for disaster.
ReplyDelete100? 200? a thousand ? friends on facebook, but are they really your friends? Do you really know thses people. I don't want to call these strangers friends because we send messages once in a while. I'd rather have ten clsoe face-to-face friends and maybe a few long-distance friends then be on facebook. Disconnected.
ReplyDeleteanonymous teacher dude
well done senior project