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.

A Virtual Death And A Real Life Dilema

I thought this article was really interesting for a number of reasons. I love reading blogs and usually read them as if I were reading a book...starting at the begining and reading all the way through to the most current entry.
I came across a blog a year or so that really capivated me. It was a mother's journey through a difficult pregnancy. I read and read and read and looked forward to when her baby would be born. I was super compelled by her story and felt heartbroken when her daughter was born premature. He daughter survived the odds and was generally healthy...until one day completely unexpected she died of an unrelated illness to prematurity. I was immediately heart broken and felt for the family. The woman continued to blog and even now, after a year of her first daughters death I read her blog as she writes about her new baby girl. If I found out it was all fake and she still had two alive and healthy daughters (or none at all), I would definitely be angry!

After reading the article about "Kaycee" and her blogged death which turned out to be fake I was immediately angry. I mean...without even really knowing these people you really get attached to their stories. It was interesting to read about online hoaxes because for all we know, almost anything online could be a lie.We learned about online representations on social networks so why not make up a different life via the blog world? 

All in all I thought it was a really good article especially because I read so many blogs....like I said...for all I know the blogs I read could be entirely made up... 

Nomatic Power and Cultural Resistance-Critical Art Ensemble

I read this article about fifty times and still have a tough time understanding it. Nevermind that I had a one year old screaming in my earts the first few times...even after I found some silence I was still confused at times. Hahaha

One of the quotes I found interesting was:
" The connection between history and necessity is cynically humorous when one looks back over the trail of political and cultural debris of revolution and near revolution ruins" (783).

I had never really though of that so it was interesting to learn and the CAE's examples (French, Russian and Cuban revolutions) made the point clear.

The article also discussed "The Persian War" in which Herodoctus describes the Scythians, "a feared people...who maintaineda horticultural nomadic society" (784). It also described how their homeland on the Northern Black Sea was "inhospitible both climatically and geographically, but resisted colonization less for these natural reasons than because there was no economic or military means by which to colonize or subjugate it" (784). I didn't know about the Scythians so that was another thing I learned.

The third thing I learned was about 'bunkers', "privitized public spaces which serve various particularized functions such as political continuity (government offices or national monuments), or areas for consumption frenzy (malls)" (788).

New Media Robots

Me and my boyfriend on Halloween. I'm the one with the bow. :)