Creativity and New Media

       For this assignment I decided to share my Tumblr account. I think it would be a good example of how new media has allowed me to be creative. I wanted my blog to be a photo/fashion blog because I rarely ever made any text posts. I was inspired by all the beautiful photography displayed on my dashboard. I also customized the theme and the background to fit the look and feel that I wanted. Although I don't use my Tumblr anymore, I still think it's a great outlet for anyone that wants to be creative.

Tumblr:
http://nuzhattt.tumblr.com/

Creativity

          New Media has opened an outlet for many people to be creative. Blogs allow for many to express themselves and share their views/thoughts on different topics of interest. Virtual worlds really allow you to be creative because you can customize your own world and the possibilities are endless. Even music is something that has changed a lot since the introduction of new media technologies, and many artists have found new and creative ways to remix songs. Frere-Jones states, "Mashup artists like Vidler, Kerr, and Brown have found a way of bringing pop music to a formal richness..."

Links Used:
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/01/10/1-1-1-1

Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

             Virtual worlds can be used as a bridge between community and creativity; these worlds enable people to escape reality, or they can be used for educational/research purposes. Simon states, "Dozens of hospitals, medical schools and health foundations have staked out space in the online community Second Life, where participants can build their own virtual clinics and stage just about any training drill they can imagine." By making a virtual space with limitless possibilities, game developers created a platform that allows users to have new experiences outside of reality.
              However, some users might be more present in their virtual world more than they are in the real world. This can pose as a con; one might become so encompassed in their virtual world it would become harder to distinguish it from reality. Itzkoff states, "...'But these things are possible in virtual worlds. You’ve experienced it as if it were real, because, in fact, it is real.'" As far as the future of virtual worlds, they will become more complex as developers create new features; hopefully there will be more ways virtual worlds can be used as educational devices. 

Links Used:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/arts/television/06itzk.html?pagewanted=2
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703909804575124470868041204

Social Networking Sites

My thoughts on different social networking sites:

Facebook: Facebook is definitely a website that I have completely stopped using. I deactivated my account over a year ago and it feels great not having to blindly check my notifications everyday. I didn't find myself talking to anyone through the Facebook chat, and I didn't enjoy uploading pictures or updating my status as much. My overall thought is that it was a good social networking site that changed the way people communicated with one another, but I don't see Facebook making a comeback anytime soon.

Myspace: Myspace is another website that I haven't visited in a long time. Mostly because I made it in Junior High and it contains many embarrassing posts. Now that Myspace is geared towards music sharing, I haven't really felt the need to continue using my account. I don't know of too many people that still use Myspace.

Twitter: Twitter is something that I more recently started using because of this class. I didn't create an account prior to this because I knew it would be a huge distraction. But I can definitely see why everyone loves Twitter so much, and it can definitely become an addiction. Twitter reminds me of Facebook's status updates; you can share your thoughts on anything.

Instagram: I personally love the idea behind Instagram because everyone loves sharing photos and it's super easy to use. More recently, Instagram added a video feature, so you can now share funny videos with your friends as well. Many businesses have also started using Instagram to promote their products.

Social Networking

           
            Social networking has become a big part of today's society and this new wave of technology can be both beneficial and disadvantageous. Many corporations have started using social media as a way to market their products and/or their business. The average user might use social media as a way to stay connected with friends, share pictures, or watch funny videos. There are many benefits to the introduction of social media; many people can actually make money on Instagram by endorsing different products to their followers and receiving compensation from various companies.
            Despite the benefits of social networking, there are also many negative aspects as well. Using social media means a loss of privacy because so much of what we put online is public. Also, social media might be a reason for many people to be anti-social because they feel more comfortable talking to someone behind a computer screen. Stout states, "Fifty-four percent said they text their friends once a day, but only 33 percent said they talk to their friends face-to-face on a daily basis." Another issue that arises is cyber-bullying; many young teens get cyber-bullied via Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. and sometimes it can lead to suicide. Young states, "Unlike slurs scrawled on bathroom walls, online posts can be more public, and more lasting."
            Social networking is still a growing concept and there is definitely room for new technology to emerge. In a few years, I don't see too many people using Facebook anymore as it has already lost many users to Instagram, Twitter, and now Snapchat. I also expect YouTube to continue to be successful and possibly start creating more original content (such as YouTube original series) much like Netflix.


Links used:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/fashion/02BEST.html?_r=0
http://chronicle.com/article/Theyre-BackTheyre-B/48220/

Blogs vs. Wikis

           A blog is a website or webpage that is regularly updated with new content. Blogs are typically run by an individual or small group; they also use an informal writing style. Many can agree that blogs have allowed for practically anyone to be a reporter and/or publisher. An example of this is the Brooklyn blog that helped lead to a drug raid; Wilson states, "... the bloggers seemed to know, sometimes chronicling daily activities in detail, misspellings and all: 'Several more crack heads came out of 346 93rd street,' one woman wrote last year..." These bloggers felt the urge to write detailed posts about the strange events that occurred in their neighborhood and publish it; it's not exactly journalism but the bloggers were able to help the police with their investigation. One form of collaboration that blogs offer are the comment section; bloggers can comment on each other's posts and share ideas and opinions.
           Wikis are websites that allow users to make changes, corrections, or contributions. But because wikis can be edited by anyone, there is a question of the validity of the information on such sites. Unlike blogs, "Wikis, by contrast, are collaborative only in retrospect — someone has to be prepared to be the first to write something, and deal with having those words changed by a complete stranger" (Cohen 1). I personally don't use Wikipedia often, so I haven't really considered any new uses for it; but as the semester progresses I hope to come up with some new ideas.
           Convergence is the driving force behind new media and it is essential in today's networking society. The convergence of consumption allows users to use several forms of media simultaneously. Smart phone users can now use multiple apps at the same time. The convergence of media has allowed for media outlets to be accessed through their websites. New York Times articles can now be read online, whereas before you would have to purchase the newspaper.

Links Used:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/04/business/media/04link.html?_r=0
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/26/nyregion/26bayridge.html

Project Description: (Title Pending)

            For our class project, I have decided to research YouTube and the many effects it has had on society. I will be discussing each of these from a different perspective: economic, sociological, technological and educational. When Google bought YouTube in 2006, there were a lot of changes that occurred over time; YouTube began placing many advertisements around user's videos and also before the video was played. Today there are many YouTube users that get paid, per view, for uploading their videos. Also, many musicians have YouTube channels, so everyone can enjoy replaying their favorite songs for free. YouTube has definitely impacted society in a positive way and I hope to learn more from each perspective.