Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Media Analysis Over Time (Ch. 24)
It's interesting how much has changed throughout human existence when it comes to communication. We went from relying on sound which, at the time, helped us be more aware of our surroundings, to relying on both sound and our sense of touch to help us connect to one another on a daily basis. With the electronic age, it is amazing how we can stay away from the tv, internet, or phone for only a short amount of time without feeling that we "don't know what's going on in the world." I myself, since I don't have cable or any form of network television in my house, don't have easy access to the news or plain tv shows and often feel out of the loop. I'm even out of the loop when people talk about certain commercials. We rely on that ability to have information literally at our fingertips and for a way to be constantly connected to others. I am one of those people who have to always be connected to email, just in case I get an "important" message. It's on my phone, and I always carry my laptop with me between classes and at my internship. It's my way of staying connected with the world. I haven't decided whether it's a good thing or a bad thing to be this connected...
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3 comments:
I liked your post, it was interesting that you pointed out that you feel out of touch with the world when your away from media for more than a short time. A lot of young early twenties people talk about tv shows, and celebrities. I really don't keep up on celebrity gossip and I kind of feel out of the loop when my peers talk the latest on Paris Hilton or Lindsey Lohan.
I recently read an article in the San Jose Mercury News on Saturday Night Live and Tina Fey's impersonation of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. SNL made the skits about Palin available online as soon as they aired on the show. People on the west coast were able to view the skits before the show even aired because they were put online after SNL's airing on the east coast. According to the article, "the Fey skits have gone viral over the Internet, drawing more attention to the show. One study last week said only one-third of people who had seen Fey's impersonations did so on live TV; the rest saw them on DVRs or on their computers." In addition, the producers theorize that making the skits available online has increased the show's viewership. With so many people "watching" tv online, traditional tv watching has changed quite a bit.
I myself have also not decided whether living with this technology is a good or bad thing. At times, its wonderful. If i am away from a computer i can check my phone for my emails, answer a question i have on google, and so forth. Other times it is an extreme distraction. I have been out with people whos phone rings from calls, texts, IMs, or emails constantly. Every minute they look at it. So, question of the day seems to be is it a good thing or a bad thing?
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