Favorite Concept

3). Pick a favorite reading and/or concept and discuss it.  Please tell the class why this was your favorite.


Last post! Bummer! :(


For my last post I'm going to write about my favorite concept. My favorite concept has for sure been self disclosure and identity on social networking sites. I really enjoyed the article, "Be Who You Want To Be" by Katie Ellis. I think this was my favorite concept because self disclosure and identity online are things almost all of us have to deal with (at least those with active social networking accounts). Since discussing this concept for our class I've definitely been more careful about what I post on my Facebook. I've also played with my privacy settings quite a bit. There are some things I'd like everyone to know, and other things that I'm more likely to keep to myself and a few friends.

I feel like I have several online identities. I have a LiveJournal account that I've had since middle school and I only ever go on there to read my sister's journal and post really goofy posts. I think anyone that would read my LiveJournal would definitely think I was on the brink of insanity. I'm pretty sure my MySpace account doesn't even exist anymore but when it did I had it super personalized. I had a cute background and a John Mayer music player. My Facebook is as personalized as Facebook can get but there are certain things I don't share with everyone. Like I've said before, some of my family wouldn't really approve of me living with my boyfriend so I have more restricted settings for them. I also have some privacy settings against my parents because I don't want them to see certain pictures.

What I've learned...

2). What have you learned throughout this class?  What was your favorite thing about this class?  What was your least favorite thing about the class?  How can this class be improved?
This has definitely been one of those classes where I've come away with quite a bit of information. I mean, some classes you go to, pay attention, memorize information and usually forget it within minutes of finishing the final. This class however, was formated in a way that the information we learned was interesting and useful. My favorite thing about the class was how organized it was and how if there were ever any thing that needed to be clarified it was posted quickly and clearly. I never had any questions because of this format. I also liked how the weekly assignments were generally the same, 2 readings/responses from the text (or D2L) and 1 reading/response about basically anything we wanted (so long as it was new media related).

I think my least favorite thing about the class was how we needed to post 12 hours apart....but that's just because I procrastinate way too much. :) Other than that though, there wasn't really anything I disliked about this class.

Thanks for a great semester!!

Interesting Concepts.

1). What concept/s in this class have you found most interesting?  What was it about that concept/s that you found fascinating or interesting?
I definitely think that the most interesting concepts I've pulled from this class have had to do with the development and beginings of new media. I loved to read about things like the Dynabook because back then it was such an innovative new idea and now similar concepts are just part of every day life. I think I find these kinds of concepts most interesting because I grew up in that kind of inbetween generation. We had most of the new technology growing up but we're still seeing even newer technology and advances everyday. The kids of today have no idea what its like to not have a cell phone while I think most of us didn't get cell phones until middle or high school.

I also found the growth of social networks really interesting. I didn't get a MySpace until late middle/early high school and a Facebook during the middle of high school. Now I see a huge under 13 crowd on Facebook and (pressumably) MySpace. I know people make profiles for their new babies and you can't get much younger than that!

New Media, young audiences, and discourses of attention: from Seasame Street to 'snack culture'

This article was a really interesting read for a lot of reasons. For one thing, we've (at least me and the people I hang out with, haha) have always heard that too much television watching as children will lead to short attention spans. Well, this article says there is no evidence in that, "...evidence has not been found to support the claim that watching television harms children's ability to pay attention". I did a debate a few semesters back and had the hardest time finding actual evidence that supported that statement (that there wasn't any evidence, haha).

It was also interesting to read how children's television was aimed at their short attention spans, with frequent and sudden changes in whatever was being broadcasted. I absolutely HATE that about kid's TV. There's always such sudden changes that sometimes it's hard to follow! Haha. One interesting thing I related that to is that I nanny a 1 year old who isn't allowed to watch TV aside from the occasional educational DVD. The other day I popped a DVD in and was suprised when the first thing that came onto the screen was a message saying something about babies' short attention spans and the video being more efficient if only watched in 5 to 10 minute segments.

The World Wide Web

It was really interesting to read this article because it had a lot of information in it that I didn't know before. I found it to be a pretty easy and interesting read because of the way it was written. To begin with, the first thing I learned came from the first sentence, "The World Wide Web (W3) was developed to be a pool of human knowledge, which would allow collaborators in remote sites to share their ideas and all aspects of a common project" (792). I definitely did not know about the beginnings of the internet and I guess sometimes wondered why it started. I can always remember having the internet and very vaguely remember my dad showing me his computer in his office and saying, "This is America Online...blah blah blah" when I was for sure under 5 years old. I also faintly remember something about the Klu Klux Klan being in Santa Cruz (???) and living in Scotts Valley that apparently really worried me (under 10) and my cousin said we could search for information online. The internet has always been really used at my house. 

 It's funny how the article says, "If you haven't yet experienced the Web, the best way to find out about it is to try it". For some reason that just gave me a smile on my face. Haha.

While I don't remember when I started using it on my own I feel like for the most part I always had a computer and the internet in the room I shared with my older sister...one thing I remember really clearly is looking up the Spice Girls and because I had no idea how to search anything, she was in charge. Haha. 

I loved 'the future' of the internet because while the terms describing it sometimes went over my head, I definitely know we've gone above and beyond the futuristic predictions. 

Demystifying the Weigh-In: Body Politics and Identity Formation of Pro-Ana and Pro-Mia Girls.

While I for sure know that I want to do my final project on the online phenomenon of pro-ana and pro-mia communities, I'm not sure how I want to tie it into new media. The article I read this week helped me kind of lead me in the right direction. The article I read, "Demystifying the Weigh-In: Body Politics and Identity Formation of Pro-Ana and Pro-Mia Girls", describes how, "with new mediums, like the World Wide Web, to channel ideas, create platforms for change and make larger social connections, these cult-like movements are taking form". I think this is where I will center my research on. Furthermore, ther article discusses how, "Analyses of such websites have brought forth new views and lifestyle choices regarding body image, body politics, gender identity, volition, and the development of a feminist consciousness".

I really enjoyed this article because it helped me find a segway into New Media for the final project.

A Comparison of Pro-Anorexia and Treatment Websites

I chose the topic of anorexia and bulimia support websites...but not in the conventional way. When most people think of an eating disorder support group they think of groups of people who support and encourage during recovery...but the websites and communities I'm going to look at don't focus on recovery, they focus on maintaining the anorexia or bulimia 'lifestyle' with tips, encouragement, etc. They're called ProAna and ProMia communities and I'm not sure how I came across them years ago but since I found them I've been pretty haunted by what I've seen and read.

The article I read, "A Comparison of Pro-Anorxia and Treatment Websites" was a pretty good overall explanation of the problem. Young girls and boys are looking to the internet to find information about eating disorders and instead of finding help, they're finding the complete oppostite, information to continue being anorexic or bulimic. What's interesting about these websites and communities is that a lot of times the terms of use specify that if you are truly not clinically anorexic or bulimic than to please not use to websites to 'become' anorexic.

This is a really interesting topic and I really look forward to learning more.