Enter World: exploring mediated cultures

Monday, May 14, 2007

Everything Bad is Good for You, by Steven Johnson

Overall the concept is a breath of fresh air, someone finally looked at media impact from a new angle.

As one example, he discusses TV shows with complex narratives and social webs that encourage audience interaction with the stories. Johnson points to cognitive challenges in modern dramas, and states that the good ones don’t “talk down” to audiences (referring both to the removal of blatant hints and the inclusion of technical jargon). However, he also refers to some of this language as above the audience when he discusses the “willingness to immerse the audience in information that most viewers won’t understand” (p.80). It is precisely this information that interests me. While Johnson covers social and technical skills honed by complex media environments, he overlooks the potential for learning specific information. That was an intentional separation for the purpose of this book, but something I’d like to see explored further in relation to the concepts Johnson presents.

These same shows that subject the audience to new information could be aiding the audience in understanding professional and academic fields as well as in developing their cognitive skills. All of the major networks seem to have more shows with problem solving by professionals or academics than sitcoms. Forensics, forensic anthropology, psychology, medicine, mathematics ... these are all fields that have played the background role of nerd or geek in past shows and are now the key roles. (Excepting computer science, which seems to still be represented by an off-beat character kept within the confines of the office to solve those truly complex technical issues.) By following these characters as they solve complex puzzles, the audience is introduced to the scientific process as well as specific terminology.

I read a wire story a while back that said Americans are more science literate now than ever before. It accredited improved understanding to the requirement of basic science classes in universities. But I would argue that the interest in science, and the willingness to read science news, also lies in the popularization of these fields through characters in television shows and the transformation of research from rigorous academic reading into hip, colorful, and fun formats such as Wired, Seed, and boingboing. Science information has become more accessible to the public through these popular media formats. And while hearing fictional doctors spout out medical terminology on TV is no substitute for studying anatomy or pharmacology, it does open interest in the field and make more people comfortable with the jargon.

Maybe Johnson’s assumption that it’s all in the way we think still holds true: it’s not so much which words the audience remembers or that they will be able to mimic the actions presented, but that they can wrap their minds around it and find it interesting. Just don’t throw out the message completely.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

It’s been a while since I’ve been back to my second life. I’m not really attached to it, but maybe that will come when I find a groove. In the meantime, here are some photos from SL reflecting my learning thus far. Although I haven’t built anything yet, I am definitely improving my ability to view things—from my avatar to change what she’s wearing to taking photos she’s not in. In addition, I think I finally get the inventory and how to wear/take off non-clothing items. I bought a Nikon ... but it’s so bulky and awkward, it does not flow with the avatar at all. So much for that.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

I started a Media Psychology, FGU group to connect with others at Fielding who are also exploring SL. When I made the group I didn’t realize that by associating myself with the group I would have the name show up in front of my avatar name. Had I known that, rather than Media Psychology, FGU Vivaine Vielle I would have added a little fancy and set up something like Rock Star Vivaine Vielle. (Plus the FGU almost looks like an insult ...)

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

It seems I’ll be writing a lot about Second Life. There are many things there that I want to explore, and most likely will also want to document. So far I’m reading the book and not finding enough time to sign in and wander around. I haven’t bought anything, but I have a list of places to visit. And maybe I’ll live in a tent ... I don’t feel like paying real rent in a virtual world.

If you happen to be joining up, use the name Vivaine Vielle as your reference and I’ll send you some of the $L for the reference.

I am fascinated with the mediaverse within Second Life. There are classified ads for writers and editors, there are newspapers and magazines of all genres. There are also film contests and art galleries. Reuters is in SL, and like Jennifer Government employees have the last name of Reuters. Adam Reuters is the SL rep. And with all of the events hosted in SL, there seems to be a lot to cover.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

There’s something very Jennifer Government about the way universities can sign up multiple students with the same last name attached to their RL first name. Jenny Fielding gives me the creeps, but probably only because of that book.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Filmmaker Magazine has an article about how MySpace is changing independent film marketing. The potential is so great—but I just can’t get over the horror that is myspace. If the users are truly “overwhelmingly young, hip and media-savvy” WHY ARE THEY USING SUCH AN UGLY SITE? All politics of ownership aside ... where are the aesthetics? Not to mention usability. Though most of my issues are the broken pages due to enormous photos and the constant pummeling by other people’s music. Any site that loads music without letting the viewer choose to play it ... just shouldn’t be.

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Back in March of 2005 I wrote about the mass media’s emphasis on male bloggers in Who’s afraid of the white male blogger?. Today I ran across a Pew study that backs up my assumptions that the blogospehere is not male dominated.

This excerpt from WIMN’s Voices sums it up rather well:

Listen up, corporate journos: time to stop reporting on all those “here’s a photo of me on a picnic with my pet fluffy and a Photoshopped Lindsey Lohan” stories about bloggers. There’s a more socially relevant story to be told. A small but growing (blog readership and blog ownership have increased dramatically in recent years, Pew shows) army of young, racially diverse, fact-checking bloggers - half of whom are women, and a nearly a third of whom are politically motivated - are engaging the public debate every day.

This Pew study doesn’t only shed light on the demographics of the blogosphere - it raises some very basic questions about the demographics of sources quoted in corporate news reports about blogs. If bloggers are approximately 50% female and are racially diverse, why are white men still the majority of bloggers quoted and discussed in print and broadcast reports about blogs (that is, reports not focused on porn, or on predatory threats to girls with MySpace accounts)?