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REVIEW

Previously on COMM 3P18 ‘audience studies’ we discovered what it truly means to be an audience member. This includes the role perceptions, members of an audience are involved in, ways in which audience members have evolved since 700 BC, and learned to recognize when you are a consumer or taking part in an environment that classifies you as a viewer.

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Blog#2: COMM 3P18 Audience Studies

      Welcome back to the new segment COMM 3P18 ‘audience studies’ part 2 this season we will be focusing on how and why individuals use media and the ways in which texts are reinterpreted by consumers. All while understanding how obsessions develop such as the ones people have with  Star Wars, a particular artist, cats …. I love cats…Hehe just kidding I was testing to see if you are still paying attention and the ways in which media rituals are established. So basically what I am trying to say is as prosumers we will realize how much we work our daily schedules around fitting social media into our lives. A 1 vs. 1 cycle with human and robots dun….dun……dunnn

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Uses and Gratifications

      In the last segment we spoke all about audiences: who they are, the setting they are commonly placed in, roles they contribute and audience evolution over the centuries Part 2 of COMM 3P18 ‘audience studies’ will further elaborate on these topics while creating a new approach in understanding new media text.

      When you think of your morning or bedtime routine what comes to mind? For me, the first thing that comes to mind is to check my phone. My phone is the last thing I see before going to sleep and the first thing I check when I wake up.

Unfortunately, this vicious cycle is all too common with a majority of people. The reason I emphasize on it being a “vicious cycle” is because it has significantly altered our perceptions on what to consider basic needs of life.  Whether we choose to accept that media and technology contribute an important role within today’s society the truth is, in order to function in the 21st century we must acquire knowledge and access to new media. This is especially true when comparing Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, with what needs the modern world adhere to; Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has five main categories that reflect the universal needs of society. Starting from the top of the pyramid “self-actualization needs” better known as the desire to become the best version of one’s self, the second category “esteem needs” this category focuses on the feelings of accomplishment, next is  “love and belongingness needs” this section is self-explanatory as it focuses on building relationships. Similar to, “safety needs” the need for security, the last category “psychological needs” is the most basic yet important need of all. It is what keeps us human beings capable of making choices and living life  (literally!) Psychological needs focus on the basic necessities of life such as food, water, and shelter but these needs have changed in accordance with media infiltrating our lives. They now revolve around likes follows and trends. For instance, “esteem needs” can be attained through the various different social media platforms that exist; social media such as Instagram is known to be the place where people post photos that often represent the high moments in their lives, their accomplishments Illustrating prestige. I to fall under this category, as I am constantly exposed to accounts and news feeds of micro and macro celebrities that share lavish lifestyles. This causes me to long for the same lifestyle and produces similar content, labelling me a prosumer under these categories. The next category that has changed due to the advances made in technology, is love and belongingness needs, although we still crave face to face human interactions. It has become less common and widely accepted that new media is the best way to create relationships. Following friends on social media and engaging in the most recent trends include placing us in the loop overall creating a sense of belonging. Love has always been based on connection and personal interactions, in order to find love today, people frequently rely on dating apps in order to fulfill their need for love and relationships. Although safety needs have always been something we long for…I believe that now more than ever before we have the resources to take extra measures to confirm our safety. Cell phones, for instance, a device that is always on you provide a form of safety as it can contact anyone and carries an abundant amount of information. For example, when walking home after evening classes I feel a sense of security having my phone on me as I can call my parents or anyone in that matter to provide help if needed. With information available at the touch of a button, it gives a sense of security as you can quickly search for a solution to a problem and act on it. I know I personally do this even on days I am feeling off I often search my symptoms up P.S., I do not recommend this unless you are asking to be paranoid and misdiagnosed even though I am aware of this I still tend to rely on digital media to save the day and give me a peace of mind. It has even gone as far as providing “psychological” peace of mind. It has even gone as far as providing “psychological needs” although we cannot physically eat the food we see on our screen’s (yet) it is possible to get food delivered to your door without having to lift a finger in the making of it or purchase any ingredients needed to produce it technology makes it possible for us to have food and shelter available at any moment through the use of apps such as Uber Eats, Skip the Dishes and Airbnb. Finally, recognizing and understanding one's full potential is a form of “ self – actualization needs” this need is seen in the recent uprise of aspiring social media influencers and want to (wanna) be YouTubers. Prosumers of social media often believe they have reached their full potential or “made it” depicted by the number of followers, likes and or views they receive. This is where social media influencers tend to plummet as they are in a daze of “what next?” Many influencers begin to burn out and run out of ideas. Such as the example provided in a lecture about the Dolan Twins or better yet Little Singh who is better known for her YouTube character Superwomen started her career off with YouTube but realized she can do much more with the platform and fan base she has developed over the past years of her career. A perfect example of a self -actualization moment as she had reached her full potential in the production her night talk show “A Little Late with Lilly Singh”. As active media users, we are in control of the content we choose to consume through the process of being selective and self- aware. In doing so, we use the M.A.I.N model which explains the fulfillment and gratification of social media users. For instance, the “M” in M.A.I.N known as modality refers to the various ways in which we are presented information and content specifically displayed through audiovisuals. My personal experiences with modality gratification are seen daily throughout my social media use, I prefer to watch videos( vlogs, DIY, how-to videos), read blogs as opposed to using traditional forms content for leisure activities. I enjoy watching educational videos for instance in high school I would rely on YouTube videos to teach me easy formulas to my chemistry and biology homework this way I retained ( decoded) the message quicker than I would have read that 800 pages black and white textbook. With so many options accessible to us, it is easy to select between the different forms of media channels available. This is evident in the letter “A” agency based gratification as we are all agents of new media. Taking a look at my previous example of preferring audio-visual aids rather than the traditional black and white textbook, the agent can both consume the information within the videos or produce the information / customize it to my liking. YouTube is a platform that allows agents to be prosumers, consume the media they are in search of or produce it for other audience members to enjoy. Since my experience with YouTube has been a positive one, I will continue to use it to further explain the M.A.I.N model. The “I” stands for interactive based gratification, YouTube gives their prosumers the power to comment, although putting power in the hands of the wrong people can be dangerous… hence internet trolls; it is highly effective as it allows a consumer to interact with the producer of media. Many people use the comment section to give effective feedback on the video, tell the producer what they liked or disliked about the content, how it can improve giving producers a springboard for future posts, this way the producers know they are creating what their audience members want to view. Lastly, coming to the end of these four letters abbreviation M.A.I.N the letter “ N” navigability based gratification if not evident enough is the ability to move freely around channels, to where you want to go. Picture this:  my leisure time consists of me frantically switching back and forth between various social media platforms like it is an Olympic sport … but instead of being active, I am actively engaging in content that will no longer matter or be replaced by the content I will consume in the next 2 hours on my upcoming leisurely break or awkward encounter on the bus. As I use my phone as a barrier to avoid the awkward tension of the sporadic eye contact me and the stranger sitting in front of me make… unfortunately, this happens way too often, until we meet again (lady in the blue hate you know who are) (sigh) alright it is time to log off. Bye. 

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Interpreting and Decoding Mass Media Texts

Unlimited questions, unlimited answers, unlimited possibilities all describe the use of the internet. We use the internet to answer our daily concerns; search engines like google provide answers to our questions about everyday life. Helping us grasp greater knowledge and understanding of the world we live in, but as audience members of the internet we are exposed to various forms of texts, we interpret things differently. Basically, different audience members receive representations in different ways. This makes it difficult for the audience to understand what reality is, to understand the real world we interpret and decode mass-media texts. What does this mean? Well, you came to the right blog. To explain this, we will be taking a look at the four modes of audience reception and applying them to real-life examples. The first of the four is transparent, better understood as reading a text as real life, and getting lost in the fictional world. I am sure that throughout our childhood and currently to this day can relate to watching fictional movies where we find ourselves comparing and wishing that our lives were like that of the characters. Wanting to switch spots for a day, I know that personally as a child used to do this a lot especially with Disney movies or shows such as Cinderella, Arial, or Aladdin where the impossible suddenly became possible and all mystical things came to life. Now that I am more aware of what the real world is like and can comprehend and differentiate what is possible and impossible I spend less time fantasizing about fairy tale endings and more so focus realistic forms of media that I can connect to in my personal life. This is the second mode of audience reception known as referential where we read a text as lifelike, and compare the text to your own life. The third mode, known as mediated which is where we read a text as a production, aesthetic is form of production that often goes unnoticed as we get older we tend to be more drawn towards these forms of media I personally search YouTube videos that give a  look books of the month, providing  audience members like me a run-down of the months top ten bestselling products or cloths .Basically outlining what is trending, that being said I also find interesting the behind the scenes of YouTube videos many vloggers today like to create music videos or intro’s to their channels that are aesthetically pleasing to watch, additionally do it yourself videos (DIY) are also something that I personally enjoy watching. Leading to the last mode of audience receptions discursive mode; known for analyzing the intended meaning of the text. A more complex model, as audience members do this daily but do not recognize that we are constantly decoding messages and meanings of texts.In order to understand the process in which we do so, we should first begin by understanding what it means to decode, decoding is known to be a creative and social practice, “ creative because the message receiver brings to bear history his or her own cognitive and associative resources to the deconstruction of a message and social because the receiver is also informed by larger meaning structures such as language, community norms and cultural conventions.”(Sullivan, 2013,p141). An example of this would be the movie Eat, Pray, Love; as I attempted to pull the message from this movie in attempts to understand/relate to them through applying the events of the movie to my own life experiences that dealt with travel, diversity, self- discovery. This also applies to Negotiated positions, where audiences approach a text with plenty of cultural knowledge. The negotiated position perfectly describes my personal experience with decoding the movie Eat, Pray, Love as it describes how an individual would interpret a message with a blend of adaptive and oppositional elements. Audience members making in negotiated positions understand both the dominant message being portrayed all while filtering through media content through their individual lived experience and world views (Sullivan, 2013, p 142). But wait … theirs more…. to successfully decode a message one must also encode, this process “transforms experiences and ideas into meaningful discourses within existing social contexts.”(Sullivan, 2013,p 141) these two models are also known as the two determining moments in any communication exchange. But to effectively understand the notion of interpretation we must first comprehend the process of communicating ideas through signs, as they assist us in understanding one another. For example, you being an audience to my blog are obtain knowledge of signs that help in the process of understanding the information I am providing you with all with. Signs play significant roles in our lives as they are seen everywhere, shaping our everyday interpersonal lives. This can also be understood as semiotics, where individuals come to an understanding of reality through the creation of signs. At the beginning of this section, I mentioned how we use the internet to provide us with information and grasp an understanding of reality. I am ending this blog off on the same note but additionally, I would like to say that reality is what we make it be through our own lived experiences. 

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Reception Contexts and Media Rituals

At the start of this season’s blog, I opened up by asking the question of what your morning routine consisted of. Where I continued to share my morning routine rituals, the first thing I do, is I being my morning by quickly reaching for my phone to see what I have missed since going to bed, whether or not I have any important emails, texts, or anything of that sort requiring my direct attention or communication . Navigating through my various platforms, the answer to the question reveals how closely ingrained our media usage has become in our daily lives, and how the instantaneous availability of these technologies have begun to drastically change the ways in which we communicate with one another. Evolution/advancement of technology, in particular, are to blame, as media technologies have engraved themselves into our everyday lives. Present even at our most private moments and spaces. This can also be called media reception, “the study of audience interpretations of media that occurs in specific contexts.”(Sullivan, 2013, p162) the media experiences which we encounter within our day, during specific times and spaces are significantly powerful in shaping our understanding of content( three elements space, social environment, and time). We can now be in contact with anyone, anywhere, and anytime, taking complete control of when and what media we consume, due to advanced media technology. Unlike the post-technological eras, where we left with no other options but to set our schedules around broadcasting or television consumption as; on-demand, recoding, portable technology were not available. These tie in with the concept of spatial or physical context they are the confined space or primary place where technological entertainment is available. With these accessible forms of media available to us our reliance on these media has drastically increased as proven in chapter 5: Uses and Gratifications where Maslow’s hierarchy of needs previously mentioned. These changes alter our rituals within a household, incorporating technology in the household, makes evident the modern rituals they are first seen through the way in which audience spend their free time, I spend my leisure time watching YouTube videos or Netflix shows these rituals changed whereas reading or relaxing and thinking are overruled media continuing to dominate our free time. These changes also shape gendered technologies /  gender roles in the home as it is now commonly known that the father figure in the household takes control of the remote control and “watches television” usually uses it for background noise as they fall asleep to the TV playing, all while the children of the household waste their time by watching endless videos or movies used for entertainment purposes ,and  the mother of the household is not too technologically advanced, as she is too busy to learn because  of  household choirs and if she does interact with these media forms it is most likely because she is looking up ways to quicken household choirs and cutting cooking time in half with the next best recipe. The shift in media reshapes our family dynamics, backing up the argument that our media choices and interpretations are shaped by our physical environment. This is also true as I use specific forms of media in school or for educational purposes as opposed to my preferred three go-to social media platforms YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram. In school I use my phone for searching concepts I do not understand, contacting people I need to talk to about an assignment, using the course Syllabus / Sakai to grasp content needed for school assignments and emailing professors / TA’s. The complete opposite of what I would use my phone for if I was at my friend’s house, the bus stop, or at home. These various forms of social media platforms I access throughout the day became a ritual / apart of my lifestyle. It is important to be aware of what rituals we perform within our lives as “they are a significant tool for understanding the meaning behind every day human behaviour in different cultural contexts around the globe.”(Sullivan,2013, p178)

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Media Fandom and Audience Subcultures

Okay, so I may or may not have mentioned something about fangirling in the first segment, the thing about being emotionally connected to The Weeknd's music (an R&B singer /songwriter) and completely freaking out at his concert. I did not think I would have to come back to this and explain myself but here I am….nothing to be ashamed of right? Wrong! In my life, I have gone through a series of different phases whether it includes the taste in the music I like, the movies I watch, or people I look up to. It seems pretty normal am I right? Well, when I share the story in this sense it seems to be, but, I too had my fair share of obsessions to name a few: One Direction, Twilight, The Weeknd, Jonas Brothers why do I feel like this whole chapter will just be me exposing myself? I am getting ahead of myself, maybe I should first define what a fan is and then we can truly see if I fit the description. A fan is a person who fully devotes themselves or is emotionally connected to a preferred media; they tend to think deeply about characters, plots, and messages within those texts, going to the extent of reaching out to other fans the sole reason being to sharing and discussing their mutual connection to a specific thing. From here the development of community occurs where ever people with shared connections or thoughts on a specific topic converse through various forums. Alright, so what if I am classified as a fan big deal it was a long time ago it is not like I am currently following fan pages of one direction sheesh... Like I said I move in and out phases, I moved on to something greater The Weeknd. The term fan is used daily, yet there are negative stereotypes attached to being one that explains my questionable embarrassment before. “Media fans are often portrayed as brainless consumers willing to buy anything with a logo or an image of their favourite media program or star. The popular cultural materials that fans tend to spend their time thinking carefully about are also seen by many to be culturally worthless or simply there for entertainment purposes” (Sullivan, 2013, p193) although these stereotypes about fans may exist, it is not uncommon to be a fan in the 21st century. It is easy to be a fan as we have multiple platforms and forms of entertainment available to us on demand through the touch of a button. With our favourite music artists, content creators via social media, and celebrities constantly attainable. The convenience and availability allow us to create a connection and bond strong enough to be a super fan better known as a person who has developed an obsession or extreme admiration for a particular person or thing. Some particular actions of a superfan are: designing a wedding-themed after your favourite movie, purchasing all the merchandise from your favourite sports team, dressing and altering the way we look to fit the same features of a specific character from your favourite movie. This leads to unhealthy habits and could potentially be harmful to a person, although I do not have any personal examples of being a super fan. A YouTuber I watch comes to mind, he goes by the name of Brawadis. He is an extreme fan of the Phoenix Suns basketball team this is evident through his dedication to the team, his videos, cloths, the YouTube platform, the theme of his room, and even naming his dog “Booker” after a Phoenix Suns basketball players Devin Booker. All of these represent his deep admiration and connection to the team, with the amount of dedication and support he provided the team, Brawadis was able to create and maintain a relationship with the Phoenix Suns members, especially his favourite player Devin Booker. He is now invited to off-court events by the members of the team. Recently he had been invited to the Halloween party hosted by Devin Booker, and attending Devin Bookers sister’s Birthday party as she has become a fan of Brawadis’ YouTube channel. Suddenly being a fan does not seem so bad, connecting and being able to hang out with your icon what more could someone ask for? Brawadis is a prime example for” fans that resist negative characterizations in popular culture, through establishing a sense of ownership over their favourite media texts and engaging in interpretive play with those texts” (Sullivan, 2013, p193). Today’s tech-savvy society revolves around fans and fandoms, a culture of its own. Participating in similar forms of social and textual activities that most media audiences engage in, known to be a part of mainstream culture. These fan cultures engage in activities that are constructed by popular texts. Fans do more than just consume texts, they examine the texts by reading them closely, and often repeatedly looking into greater detail sharing their passion with others, debate, and integrating elements of the media texts into their lives. All more of a reason, to why Brawadis is a great example of a super fan as mentioned before, in the 21st century it is common to be a fan of something in today’s popular media environment which makes the cultural and sociological study of fandom all the more important to understanding media audiences.

( Images of Brawadis being a Supper fan) 

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Online, Interactive Audiences in a Digital Media World

We can definitely agree that the overall evolution of technology has created change in our lives for the better, shifting media consumers into prosumers of media content. These rapid developments in our technology refer to the term digitalization, the transmission of images and sound, this would not be possible without convergence as it is the reason content is available within multiple screens. This dramatic expansion of media creates audience fragmentation where audience members are formed into smaller groups potentially harming traditional forms of media. With these new capabilities available to us we each have the power to produce content. YouTube, for example, one of the largest forms of digitalization and growing.  It allows consumers to be producers and make something of them. These changes not only shifted the audience but the job force, creating new forms of collaboration this shift has pushed audiences to create a new participatory culture where consumer and fans are encouraged to participate in the creation of new media. YouTube is known for being a video sharing platform where the producers can connect with the consumers and vice versa through the comment section, likes and shares. This platform allow the audience to be creative and post various forms content that can suit anybody’s needs at a click of a button, other platforms such as video gaming also make it easy to create a participatory culture as friends/strangers across the globe can interact with one another while playing. An example of this would be when my cousins and I would play PUBG together past our bedtime we could message in a group forum directions for what to do in the game and other times we would enable the microphone to communicate about things not even related to the game it was just another form of communication through another platform all while playing the video game together. It is like a digital playground in the 21st century is more involved in shaping their media and network usage. Previously mentioned above, these changes not only shift audiences but the job force as the YouTube we know today is considered a job that we can obtain easily. These jobs include Vlogging or streaming a video game the options are in our hands and seem to get creative by the second and will continue to grow with the continuous changes foreseen in the future.

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Audience Agency in New Contexts

Within this blog, we have explored what it means to be an audience member along with the multiple perspectives of it. By now it should be evident that the term audience has no set definition and is constantly shifting. As a daily audience member, I believe that it is significant to learn/track the recent shifts occurring within the audience experience. Over the years, media has advanced and undergone significant changes that lead to the evolution of new media, discovering ways in which the audience can engage. Evident through the easy access to entertainment and simplified/modified ways we communicate. With today's on-demand services digitalization and convergence of media have significantly shifted the basis of audience. These changes are evident just by looking back a few years and thinking of the few technologies we had available to us such as the VCR and DCR all of these under a short amount of time have advanced and no longer require us to follow television schedule. This is also recognized as the post-network era where we have the development of networks that provide a wide choice of diversity over channels. Redefining television experience and providing audience members with a choice, control and convenience. Mentioned before available platforms like YouTube make it possible for audience members to participate in and converse with media producers (transmedia production) through comment sections, likes, shares etc. Our engagement with the content produced/ consumed on these platforms is all preconceived ideas that shape our experience with them ( paratexts )an example of this would be viewing a  trailer before watching the movie this text gives us an idea of whether or not we will enjoy it. Due to the mass number of screens available to us, it is difficult to capture the attention of an audience (audience fragmentation) with that in mind it is important to remember that with these shifts in media our identities as the audience are constantly changing and adapting through the interactions we encounter. What we can all take from this blog is that to understand shifting audience we must first examine our everyday experiences and accept that our social relationships change in accordance with the environment we are in. The 21st century is the best time to begin learning about these changes as this is just the beginning.

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Welcome!

Thank you for tuning in and reading my blog. Enjoy!! 

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Blog # 1: All about Audience

Concerts, movies, sports events, family gatherings, media platforms; what do all of these have in common? They require an audience. Whether you realized it or not … you have been an audience member for the majority of your life. We are often completely blindsided to the roles we have been entered into within society or generally this thing called LIFE. But what is an “audience”? Lucky for you, by the end of this blog you will have a clear understanding of what an audience is, the role an audience holds, and the history in which audiences derived from. All while incorporating my very own audience experiences! So stay tuned for the next segment while I fangirl. We will be back after this intermission. 

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To be continued...

HMMM Okay…. (Let us pretend that never happened) now that I embarrassed myself it is time to buckle down and get serious for a moment! What is an audience? An audience can mean many things to many people, there is no set definition per se. To me, audience is someone who is a follower or member of a group in which they participate through attending or viewing the content produced. But to Sullivan audience is a complex notion due to the significant shifts throughout history (traditional media vs digital media) altering the roles of audience members and how we view the content produced. With that being said, let us go back in time to grasp a greater understanding of the history of early audiences. It all began with the Greek and Roman audiences; this is where public performance and oral communication are introduced. The Greeks used their creation of the alphabet and later applied it to the study of written, spoken and visual language better known as rhetorics. This lead to the development of public speaking (thanks a lot Greeks, you are the root cause of my public speaking anxiety) with this new form of communication present we welcome … drum roll please …. THEATER to the floor! The creation of theatre brought notions such as dramas, public performances, and poetry to the stage, no pun intended. (Audience enter) These public performances were located outdoors in an arena setting where the audience gathers around the stage involving themselves as much as they can through cheering, jeering, shouting and more. Not much has changed in regards to past and modern stage settings other than the obvious TECHNOLOGY.  So… what did the Romans have to do with this? Besides Shakespeare, interestingly enough Romans used theatre as a “platform” for political disputes and electoral prospects. Theater caught people’s attention, specifically appealing to those who ranked low in society. To gain the votes of all people and win, too bad print media was not as popular back then as it was in the 19th century it would have been much more efficient and saved political candidates the embarrassment of jumping around on stage. Skipping to the rise of motion pictures and mass media, something that we are familiar with; we experience the changes in which the audience perform their role. As audience members no longer have to attend physically to know what is going on within society, it can all be done at the leisure of our home. Changes also include sizes of audience members, ways in which messages are produced and received, and audience power performance. Keeping all this in mind understand and make connections to the personal experience I will be sharing. 

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Audience Experience

As promised above, I mentioned I would share my very own audience experiences within the blog relating it to the content gathered in the lecture and the textbook. In the past, I have encountered many audience experiences most from the leisure of my home as I binge watch shows such as Dynasty and FRIENDS. Sullivan states that “one of the most popular and historical important leisure time activities at the turn of the 20th century was unquestionably the motion picture.” (Sullivan, 2013, p 15) But when it comes to leisure activities outside of home I have my fair share of significant experiences. Such as the Weeknd concert I attended, when I think of the best audience experience I think of this concert. Taking place in Toronto fans from all over Canada and maybe even around the world attended this concert, as it was the last of the Weeknd's’ Legend of the fall tour. Audience members of the concert vary in all aspects taking into consideration the fans, vendors/workers and everyone else involved in creating the experience. In the lecture we touched on, the roles of the different audience members we have authors who are recognized as the coordinators of the event this role involves ticket salespersons, production manager, security guards, stage crew and a continuous list of other important people. Next, we have spectators this role is made up mostly of the audience/fans of The Weeknd. The performer if not obvious enough was The Weeknd ( Abel Tesfaye ) and the rest of the front liners like Rae Sremmurd, Belly, 6LACK, and surprise guest Drake! Being an audience member amongst other spectators of the concert is recognized as a temporal experience. In taking part of the event, I quickly realized the audience participants I was sharing the stadium with. There are two types of concert goers one of which are characterized as “Rowdy”, these types of people like to make commotion, hype the setting up, cheer, scream you name it they do it!  Briefly mentioned above and seen within the text, these types of actions were seen during the Greek and Roman era when audience members gathered around the theatre stage throwing tomatoes at the performers. The second type of concertgoer was the quiet, respectful, yet still knows how to have a good time type of audience. These settings are a great way to meet people who have common interests as you do connect audience members. Although, in this generation being physically present at an event is not necessary as we can take part in audience settings through our digital media. Technology keeps people connected now more than ever. This was seen while attending the concert,  through the game of “telephone” (the general model of the communication process) news spread quickly that The Weeknd brought a surprise guest along. Through the power of social media, people were able to figure out who that guest was in less than an hour and before I knew it, they were already chanting and cheering for them to come on stage. Lo and behold, the one and only Drake was standing on stage performing with The Weeknd! 

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Blog # 2: About Social Media

Social media, we do not need it but cannot live without it… am I right? In today’s generation, everything we do revolves around social media and technology. Take this blog for example; I need the use of media and technology in order to articulate this assignment. Without it well… you would not be seeing this! I admit that social media can be addictive; personally, I cannot remember a day that I have gone without using technology or any source of media platforms. It has become a significant part of my life a haven for lack of better words. My reliance on technology and media, in general, comes from the identification I make with the content I receive from it. The unlimited source of information presented at a touch of a button, quick interactions, and the feeling of being connected with people all around the world gives off a sense of power, all primary examples as to why I feel so strongly attached to media. 

That stated, my social media routine contains a lot of liking, following, posting all within my leisure time. In lecture professor good asked us a question that concluded what we define as ‘leisure’ in today’s world, is in fact not leisure at all. As we are still generating content and economic productivity providing people with income through the number of follows, comments, and likes we provide. When posed with the question of whether or not our social media habits are healthy? I look back at my social media routine it remains the same with the exception of one additional habit which is often overlooked as it has become a norm. “Comparing”. Social media has many positive effects to it , that often outweigh the negative. With the continuous flow of content available to us it is easy to get caught- up in the unrealistic expectations social media set for us. We learn at an early age that not everything we see in the media is real; most of the content directed to us is purely used for entertainment purposes only. We are often presented stereotypes on how we should view the world, Lippmann defines stereotypes as “the predominant method through which all individuals perceive the world”(Sullivan,2013,p36) it is easy to get lost in our thoughts and dream of fitting into these stereotypes society sets us. Lippmann mentions that we are likely to imagine things way before they even occur, allowing us to better understand why we love social media as much as we do. Tying in chapter five gratifications in communication research as it speaks on behalf of the audience and understanding their behaviour ( Sullivan, 2013, p 108) the answer is clear. We love social media because it allows us to escape reality!

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In the past, audiences put celebrities/ actors on a pedestal. Today, we rank social media influencer next to these celebrities. As previously mentioned, the power social media has is incredible, it gives people status and a fandom. Personally, I too rank social media influencers next to A-LIST celebrities like Jennifer Lopez. As I rarely watch movies anymore, I substituted television with Youtube, Instagram, and Twitter. Having these influencers available to our liking, at any time on any platform can lead a person to develop an unhealthy obsession, better yet defined as worship. In the lecture, we learned that people who worship celebrities often try to morph themselves to be the celebrity themselves, they lose all sense of self-identification and truly believe that they are or will be that celebrity/influencer. This is regularly seen on Instagram, as many of the posts I see on my timeline are females with bodies that have been altered to look similar to, if not exactly like the Kardashian family! This may be the cause of overindulgence of that one celebrity/ influencer being exposed to that specific person through various platforms leads to feelings of connectivity. In which they believe they know the influencer/ celebrity on a personal level when in reality they have no idea the person exists. This can also be seen from influencers to the audience, although not as obsessive YouTubers feel as though they have created a bond with their viewers. At times giving their fandom names or often just having what seems like a one on one heartfelt conversation with the fans usually thanking them for the opportunity and life they have provided them with letting the viewers know that if it was not for their continuous support they would not be who/ where they are today. Stating that as audiences we are also agents and that our actions within the environment (the internet) likes, comments, sharing … has to lead them to their successful (Sullivan,2013,p 18). The wide range of diversity and freedom within multimedia platforms allow for many opinions to be shared by anonymous individuals better known as a mass audience. Leading to media panics the textbook states that “ media panics are a specific type of moral panic that surround the introduction of a new type of media or content genre.” ( Sullivan, 2013,p 30) This makes audiences seem vulnerable to these new forms of content as the messages are thought to directly influence individuals. These are also seen within the comment sections of media platforms where people often battle/roast one another for sharing their points of view on a particular topic/ issue. Imagine a world where comments made behind a screen communicate in face to face interactions ( huge facepalm) we do not have to worry about this because many of us are too afraid of being different this was discussed in lecture, known as the spiral of silence, stating that because we are social creatures we want to fit in generally. A classic example of agenda-setting theory is when media push a specific ideology on us we keep those ideologies in mind we use our knowledge (episteme) of the issue/ topic and make it our priority. When someone says otherwise or counter-argue our beliefs. Another example that comes to mind when speaking of public opinion or public sphere is the topic of the NFL super bowl, Canadians wanted access to the super bowl commercials. In order to do this, the public had to state their concerns/opinions to the  Canadian radio-television and telecommunications commission (CRTC) where a meeting was held eventually passing the policy.

The media content we the audience consume have a significant impact on us, the effects of media are in a constant sea-saw effect that balance out the good, the bad, and the ugly that come with social media. Although social media is great for communicating, connecting and creating there are negatives that need to be considered. People use social media for a variety of reasons whether it is to follow a celebrity/influencer, gain knowledge or disconnect from the real world. Media and technology influence in our lives is an extremely powerful one. What is your opinion on social media’s influence in our lives? 

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BLOG #3: Target Marketing Smart or Creepy?

Have you ever searched for something specific on your phone and later that week the same product pops up on your social media in the form of an advertisement? (Someone has been lurking. Why you so obsessed with me?)

 If so, you are not alone! Many social media platforms push these advertisements on to us in hopes of influencing us to purchase that product. They track our behaviours through recent pictures we liked or commented under and previous searches… creepy? Yeah, I think so too. But, the truth is that these sources of information gathered are information we have no problem sharing with the public anyone who has ever browsed your social media page(s) before could gather this information and easily target you. The truth is “ most national retail businesses today routinely gather and store information about consumer purchases”( Sullivan, 2013, p.77) so do not fret, it is not only social media tracking your behaviour but every store you have ever purchased an item from in the past. This is seen everywhere and on all social media platforms; recently because my attention has been brought to the idea of being watched I realized how many ads have been targeted to my likings specifically! This is also seen on Netflix although products are not being advertised, I do realize the significance of the because you have recently watched ... the section they are targeting us based on the movies we have recently watched a service I could have done by myself! Thanks but no thanks Netflix, I am on to you (I am watching you, watching me, and watching you). Which brings me to the question professor Good (2019) presented to us last week in the lecture , “What if our “choices“ ( as a result of target marketing – and as indicated by media ratings ) are not really choices?”  The choices we make on social media when it comes to purchasing something, clicking on an ad, watching a movie could all be subliminal messages from those advertisements that stuck to us. As previously stated, our leisure time is spent on the same platforms we do our works on, Smythe better explains this term “audience commodity”  within the textbook suggesting that “audiences continue to generate economic value to the system of commercial broadcasting by internalizing advertising messages ad turning them into demand for consumer goods and services” ( Sullivan, 2013, p 81) also recognized as the “blind spot debate.” For example, watching a YouTube video monetized creates wages for the people outputting the content. In the gathering of information within these sites a sample error can occur, for instance in search of my cousin's 20TH Birthday present I found these ads still being advertised to me even after the event passed and has nothing to specifically do with me.