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Digital Storytelling Assignment

Saturday Night Live 

https://storify.com/breezcheez/saturday-night-live-a-liberal-oasis

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Blog Post 5

As the world becomes increasingly immeshed into the internet, the more important it is to educate about its functions- both beneficial and disadvantageous. As we progress, media will only continue to converge online for timely news and rapid communication. Users of the internet depict a vast audience, widening the education gap of internet safety and its disadvantages. I am fortunate to be one of the few to access a proper education regarding the media.

When I declared myself as a communications major, I did not doubt the importance of the major for future success. For employment and relationships, communication will remain a significant role in success. After taking this course, along with other media courses, I chose to obtain a media focus within my communications major. This course has given me the tools to broaden my understanding of the development of media platforms and how it has transformed our society along the way.

This course provided a timeline of significant media technologies and their impact on the way individuals entertained themselves alongside ease of living. As an avid listener of music of all genres, I specifically enjoyed the unit regarding sound recording, radio and broadcasting. Although I was familiar with music platforms such as the gramophone, 8-track, or walkman, it was beneficial to learn about the evolution of media. Each music device or other media technologies within each decade have reflected the ease of living, entertainment preferred and mindsets of users.

This course has provided me with tools to enhance my writing skills in blog posts, augment participation from class voting, and deepen media literacy in current events alongside the news and social media. For example, many individuals were recently involved in malicious acts of phishing through email on google. My knowledge of the term phishing, derived from this course and my education seized further complications with my account. As social media becomes prevalent within the daily lives of individuals, internet pedagogy is a necessity.

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Security vs. Privacy

The internet has become an avenue for users to explore creative ideas, connect with friends, and share personal experiences. However, access to individuals’ information has become a controversial debate regarding national security while safeguarding the right to privacy. Both perspectives challenge each other, resulting in a difficult debate to outweigh costs and benefits. Personally, I side with an individual’s right to privacy among owned items, particularly, technology.

As an owner of multiple technological devices, such as, a MacBook Air, iPhone and iPad, uneasiness coincides jeopardization of privacy among these products. Although social media sites are available for public access, my personal profile and activity online is a private entity. Allowance for government intrusion may risk creativity from knowledge of an outside audience; potentially ceasing the sharing of images, self-education, and digital messaging. All citizens in the United States acquire the right to privacy, which is a human right that should not be violated.

Multiple cities across the United States have suffered a multitude of terrorist attacks, such as San Bernardino, California. The aftermath of the San Bernardino attack initiated a legal case involving Apple and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, regarding national security alongside the perpetrator’s personal phone. The FBI demanded to unlock the perpetrator’s personal iPhone to recognize future terrorist threats via cell phone and provide justice for victims’ families. However, Apple refused the request to unlock the iPhone to protect user confidentiality. Privacy issues have not only been debated in cases like Apple versus FBI, but also in Wurie versus the United States.

The Apple versus FBI case addresses two important sides of the spectrum involving encryption and surveillance. Although surveillance may be used for security measures, I support Apple’s decision to stand behind their privacy standards. I do not deny the importance of national security but I do not believe cell phone invasion is the correct route to pursue safety. Although the perpetrator, Syed Farook committed a malicious attack on the United States, I am not sure if reasoning behind the attack was all behind his personal cell phone.  

As a supporter of Apple’s decision to refuse violating privacy, I pass judgement upon President Trump’s bill by “repealing online privacy protections established by the Federal Communications Commission under the Obama Administration” (Reilly). Trump’s bill disregards the importance of privacy rules, encouraging data tracking and government monitoring. Activity online may correlate an individual’s malicious behavior but this activity alone should not remain the defining factor of national security.

The debate between national security and privacy remains controversial because both are needed for private and public safety. Whether or not Trump’s bill passes, citizens of the United States should not refrain from creative activity online because it violates the human right to freedom of speech. However, individuals should remain cautious of revealing personal and private information, despite encrypted sites.

Works Cited

Reilly, Katie. ”Donald Trump Signs Bill Repealing Internet Privacy Rules." Time. Time, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

Kharpal, Arjun. "Apple vs FBI: All You Need to Know." CNBC. CNBC, 29 Mar. 2016. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

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GTFO: Get The F&#% Out

Individuals whom engage in video games are entertaining themselves while interacting in a vast digital community. Video games have evolved over the years, as participants have shifted from a majority of male players to increasing female players. The gender shift within the gaming community has left women banished from a hobby at the expense of misogyny. The film, GTFO: Get The F&#% Out addresses the pressing issues of misogyny within the gaming realm including male power, sexist female characters, and harassment.  

One important issue discussed in the film, GTFO: Get The F&#% Out was the prominence of male power within the gaming community. Misogynist perspectives commence with the production of games, which generally employ men. According to Media and Media Culture: Mass Communication in a Digital Age, “The source of the problem may be the male insularity of the game industry-few women are on the career path to be involved in game development” (Campbell, Martin and Fabos 95). The men working behind the scenes produce imagery to adhere to their projected audience, straight white males in their 20’s. Typically, this marketed audience demands for hegemonic images in favor of patriarchal values. In result, women are projected as objects in regards to male protagonist dominance. The overwhelming mass of men in gaming discourages women from playing online and attending events in public, alongside harassment.

Another important issue discussed in the film, GTFO: Get The F&#% Out was the magnitude of harassment from male players in the community towards females. The lack of female players, due to stereotypes, creates disadvantages for women whom do participate. The gaming community normalizes hateful rhetoric towards women, resulting in malicious comments from misogynist men. The commonality of harassment has lead to the exposure on social media and has launched positive events in result such as, GeekGirlCon and FatUglyorSlutty.com. Both of these mediums have created safe environments for women to discuss the problems in the gaming community in unity. The exposure of continuous harassment to all female gamers has also launched the movement and hashtag on Twitter as, “#GamerGate.” The movement began in result of a particular woman, Zoe Quinn, whom had been harassed online.

A third important issue discussed in the film, GTFO: Get The F&#% Out was the volume of sexist female characters designed in various games. Generally in video games, female characters’ apparel is overt and sexualized. Alongside unconcealed apparel, women are portrayed as objects, limiting skills and objectives for the male protagonist’s goals. In multiple games mentioned in the film, women are only in service to the man, such as a prostitute and a rape subject. According to Media and Media Culture” Mass Communication in a Digital Age, the game, Grand Theft Auto 3 facilitates misogyny through enabling “male characters to pick up female prostitutes, pay money for sex, get an increase in player ‘health,’ and then beat up or kill the hooker to get their money back” (Campbell, Martin and Fabos 95).

Today, female users have increased significantly to the gaming community.  Over the years, exposure of harassment and female exploitation within the gaming community has increased. Media exposure of problematic gender inequality has resulted in awareness of these issues and is changing the way games are produced and played.

Works Cited

GTFO: Get The F&#% Out. Dir. Shannon Sun-Higginson. N.p., 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. 

Martin, Christopher R., and Bettina Fabos. Media & Culture. By Richard Campbell. Vol. 10. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2015. 207-08. Print.

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The Reality of Our Virtual Reality

Our culture today is highly dominated by actions implemented online. Humans carry out their everyday lives with anticipation of future postings followed by instant gratification. The approval of others has become an infinite cycle of how we rule our lives. Our cycle of events no longer filters through folklore but through creative text attached to our fabricated profiles. The exploration of technology reveals a fine line between the truth real life and life on the internet.

In the first video published by the PBS NewsHour, Tristan Harris explores the innovative idea of “Time Well Spent.” (“Your Phone”). Harris discourages the extensive amount of time citizens spend on their phones, none of which proves to be facilitative. The call for Harris’ “Time Well Spent” proves pandemonium for our society as we continue to yearn for cellular devices and the gadgets they offer. Within the video, Harris specifically touches on the idea of mental afflictions associated with technology. As we deviate from our virtual profiles and timelines, our sense of touch with the outside world- astonishingly decreases. The reality of the outside world is made public by our virtual friends-making those un-connected, symbolically “un-friended.” Relationships are now defined as official when posted on Facebook, instead of the intimate inclusion of two partners.

Our desire to post significant events online, draws the temptation to exert energy towards virtual reality during peek and dull moments. Within Harris’ interview, he describes that our temptations draw from the strategic delay of notifications for anticipated gratitude of postings. I agree with his statement because I am faulty of this technological tactic. Although I associate Harris of high education and knowledge on the topic of technology and its advances, I reject his theories of “Time Well Spent” and its goal of disassociating temptation to surf online from the use of organizing apps within specified folders. As a phone handler, I would continue to draw into surfing the web, as I remember where I organized desired apps. Finding my desired apps would feel apart of a self-inflicted game, rather than psychological backlash.

My interest to respond to this prompt originally stemmed from previously reading Sherry Turkle’s book, “Together, Alone.” I became familiar with this book from recommendation in a previous Communications professor. Turkle’s thoughts on media fueled my disassociation from media, more specifically, social media websites. Social media websites soon began to fuel my distraction for school and life around me. As significant time passed for my affection of perfected profiles, my physical exterior profile no longer reflected my virtual self. As my two personalities diverged, virtual life became prioritized. Conflicts I faced were no longer voiced to another face, but typed for instant feedback without confrontation. Turkle describes the need for members of social networks to “hide from each other,” stemmed from fear of interruption (“Connected, but Alone”). I personally disagree that people divert themselves from conversation in fear because I never experienced this affect. I digressed from peers and family from the mere reality of un-acceptance. I began to mesh self acceptance with others feedback of likes, comments and emoticons, instead of the acceptance of face-to-face body language.

Both Harris and Turkle tackle the disadvantageous components of the technology to the human life. As our lives morph to adhere to technological advances, humans continually discover coping mechanisms and techniques to formally adjust. From use of these techniques, humans may prioritize the reality of life ahead of virtual reality.

Citations:

Turkle, Sherry. “Connected, but alone?” Sherry Turkle: Connected, but alone? | TED Talk | TED.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2017.

“Your phone is trying to control your life.” YouTube, uploaded by PBS NewsHour, 30 January 2017.

[mushumashu-blog]

The Reality of Our Virtual Reality

Our culture today is highly dominated by actions implemented online. Humans carry out their everyday lives with anticipation of future postings followed by instant gratification. The approval of others has become an infinite cycle of how we rule our lives. Our cycle of events no longer filters through folklore but through creative text attached to our fabricated profiles. The exploration of technology reveals a fine line between the truth real life and life on the internet.

In the first video published by the PBS NewsHour, Tristan Harris explores the innovative idea of “Time Well Spent.” (“Your Phone”). Harris discourages the extensive amount of time citizens spend on their phones, none of which proves to be facilitative. The call for Harris’ “Time Well Spent” proves pandemonium for our society as we continue to yearn for cellular devices and the gadgets they offer. Within the video, Harris specifically touches on the idea of mental afflictions associated with technology. As we deviate from our virtual profiles and timelines, our sense of touch with the outside world- astonishingly decreases. The reality of the outside world is made public by our virtual friends-making those un-connected, symbolically “un-friended.” Relationships are now defined as official when posted on Facebook, instead of the intimate inclusion of two partners.

Our desire to post significant events online, draws the temptation to exert energy towards virtual reality during peek and dull moments. Within Harris’ interview, he describes that our temptations draw from the strategic delay of notifications for anticipated gratitude of postings. I agree with his statement because I am faulty of this technological tactic. Although I associate Harris of high education and knowledge on the topic of technology and its advances, I reject his theories of “Time Well Spent” and its goal of disassociating temptation to surf online from the use of organizing apps within specified folders. As a phone handler, I would continue to draw into surfing the web, as I remember where I organized desired apps. Finding my desired apps would feel apart of a self-inflicted game, rather than psychological backlash.

My interest to respond to this prompt originally stemmed from previously reading Sherry Turkle’s book, “Together, Alone.” I became familiar with this book from recommendation in a previous Communications professor. Turkle’s thoughts on media fueled my disassociation from media, more specifically, social media websites. Social media websites soon began to fuel my distraction for school and life around me. As significant time passed for my affection of perfected profiles, my physical exterior profile no longer reflected my virtual self. As my two personalities diverged, virtual life became prioritized. Conflicts I faced were no longer voiced to another face, but typed for instant feedback without confrontation. Turkle describes the need for members of social networks to “hide from each other,” stemmed from fear of interruption (“Connected, but Alone”). I personally disagree that people divert themselves from conversation in fear because I never experienced this affect. I digressed from peers and family from the mere reality of un-acceptance. I began to mesh self acceptance with others feedback of likes, comments and emoticons, instead of the acceptance of face-to-face body language.

Both Harris and Turkle tackle the disadvantageous components of the technology to the human life. As our lives morph to adhere to technological advances, humans continually discover coping mechanisms and techniques to formally adjust. From use of these techniques, humans may prioritize the reality of life ahead of virtual reality.

Citation: Turkle, Sherry. “Connected, but Alone?” Sherry Turkle: Connected, but Alone? | TED Talk | TED.com. N.p., Feb. 2012. Web. 05 Feb. 2017.

“Your phone is trying to control your life.” YouTube, uploaded by PBS NewsHour, 30 January 2017.