My distinguished padlet by Karis Vallejo

What do you understand for. The term “new” in new media? Why did you decide to enroll in this course? What are your expectations?

kldvallejo02 — 2024-05-08 17:34:07 UTC

What distinguishes “New media” from “Old” media is the interactivity resulting from the merging of computing and IT, content and communication. There is now a countless flow of informations that exist such as a hyperlink which allows a parent link to provide another link, opening a new conduit of user generated comments, creations and replies. As opposed to old media where the flow of information and content was one way, such as newspapers, film and radio. I decided to take this course due to my interest in public relations and I expect to learn the basics in order to move forward with well informed knowledge on publicity for brands, products and services.

Privacy and New Media, how has it changed?

kldvallejo02 — 2024-05-13 17:26:55 UTC

Privacy has not progressed the same rate as New Media. Technological innovation has favoured the expression of users on full exposure, as seen in the transition from newspaper, to radio, to television to telegraph, and now mobile phones with user generated apps. The content we provide can be reached by everyone including the government, job recruiters, anyone can access your profile. Privacy increasingly becomes a concern as new forms of media progressed due the interactive aspects of new media, such as social, educational and government apps. All of which require some sort of agreement in order to access the application for free, this is comprised to gain data on your location, previous search histories, technological patterns, even access to one’s camera and microphone that is embedded within the agreement, making it highly unlikely to be reached by consumers. This is sometimes done with the aspect of business ventures in mind, or to receive a better algorithm, however fundamentally it results in the out spacing of the public and assert control over people.

What has been the hype about New Media, in terms of expectation that it is able to change everything, typically for the better? What has been some of the counter hype?

kldvallejo02 — 2024-05-15 17:37:23 UTC

New Media gained a lot of "hype" in its early phases because of how accessible the interactive components such as Instagram, twitter, facebook, allowing for worldwide reach, which made communicating with friends and family all over the world much simpler. When the modern phones progressed, they gained popularity because they provided individuals the ability to provide real-time information through applications, as well as enabling interaction and engagement. There will always be hype around emerging types of media; even in the 1940s, it was expected that flying cars would be available by 2020. We constantly have some type of forecast that New Media will be able to change everything, typically for the better or to make us more readily available. Every new kind of media that arises is anticipated to provide us with a deeper understanding and connection to the world. A counter-hype for New Media specifically mobile phones, televisions, and laptops is the perpetual availability to the masses. It would be a different story if technology were reduced to its most basic and utilitarian functions, such as phones, clocks, and calculators, while excluding the interactive applications we have today. However, we have easy access to anything and everything at all time, which can lead to distraction and addiction.

What are your thoughts on the debate about whether dependence on mobile devices (and other new media technologies) has resulted in an unhealthy relationship with these technologies? Give an example.

kldvallejo02 — 2024-05-22 21:38:15 UTC

Dependence on mobile devices is subjective and depends on the person's usage, sector of employment, or academic needs. If your work (including school work) is dependent on these new media devices, such as a phone or laptop, you cannot finish it without internet connectivity. However, in terms of leisure time, this might result in an unhealthy amount of time spent on these devices depending on the material they consume, such as scrolling endlessly for videos on Tiktok, which makes you want more because the algorithm is so tailored to you and your preferences. Going back to the basic use of the phone, which is to transmit texts to each other, I would suggest that is not a basis for undue dependency on one's phone. However, as phones get more sophisticated and incorporate sophisticated capabilities such as interactive apps that allow us to consume and create content, the barrier between us and our mobile devices has shrunk significantly. Speaking for myself, I discovered I've formed an unhealthy relationship with my phone when I'm not connected to the internet or when I'm having trouble focusing on the present moment. Because the material that I enjoy on social media is always there and within reach of my hand, it has resulted in an easy source of dopamine release, which scientifically encourages us to desire more and more throughout the day. This may also lead to an unhealthy addiction if it substitutes a skill like knowing how to research, which is inextricably linked to the capacity to focus or think creatively.

Consider the 3 main types of Social Capital. Discuss these, identify examples of these in your own work and life and consider the implications for you and others.

kldvallejo02 — 2024-05-29 17:18:58 UTC

Social Capital is the resources one has in terms of social relations, material or immaterial, which can take form in 3 shapes: bonding, bridging, or linking. Bonding Social Capital is rooted in concrete relationships between people, such as one's own family, community bonds, or ethnic community. I experience this type of social capital within my familial ties, and social circle. However, there is a particular point of view in this, with which they are not only limited to strong connections that share your similar backgrounds and interests, but must also be a source of support, meditative, and someone you're familiar with.

Bridging Social Capital chronicles the less intense bonds that still intersect through business, ethnic groups, or an extension of one's community. This league is characterized by the linkages of people I know who are close in proximity to my neighborhood, job, family, and close friends, which give both parties an assumed belief that "they must be similar to me", in regards to kinship and experience, allowing us to interact in a synthesized way. An example of this personally is the circle in my work, although we did not meet and bonded organically, we are placed in the same setting by our own choices which lead the way in our first conversations.

Lastly, Linking Social Capital is attributed to relationships in which both parties do not belong to the same hierarchy or power. For example, a public policy person who decides the rules and regulations I live by daily, in terms of driving laws, or even legal behavior we all must abide by in public is one a higher position vertically, in which I, as well as people who are in the same class, are placed lower. This linkage is still a trusted relationship in a way where I trust that they will uphold satisfactory protection for me. However, it can also extend from one's own bridging and bonding social capital in which they are closely tied with the individuals or actors who are behind these agencies and organizations.

How do you think advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) will transform the creative industries, and what are the potential benefits and challenges of integrating AI into fields such as Art, Music, Film and Design?

kldvallejo02 — 2024-05-29 17:20:06 UTC

AI has already transformed the creative industries in ways that are placing creative professionals in a precarious state, American writers began an infamous strike on May 2, demanding higher pay, and protect their jobs from the use of artificial intelligence (AI). AI tools have a good and bad side. It’s good in a way that it enhances creativity by assisting writers in suggesting plot ideas and even creating entire story drafts. This helps storytellers overcome writer's block and explore new creative directions. But a bad side would be the job displacement we are already noticing in the strike, which has been more prominent with AI replacing writers as it becomes more advanced, possibly reducing demand for human writers, editors, and other creative professionals. AI has also been imitating old Renaissance paintings and replicating them into thousands of other versions that are realistic, which can trickle down to other industries and revolutionize film and animation. In regards to music, the amalgamation of AI technology into producing music and sound design has altered the music creation by breaking up existing compositions into new and exciting ways such as remixing or even synthesizing the base parts into a new unit. However, this comes with challenges that affect musicians in a way that extracts the essential meaning or most important aspects of making music that are pronounced in artists like Kendrick Lamar, or Beyonde, where we can sense the dedication and meaning in their work, which is lacking in the alternative mixes produced by AI that is devoid of human touch.

What are your 3 main takeaways on this video?

kldvallejo02 — 2024-06-03 17:23:01 UTC

The video on the propaganda model by Noah Chomsky gave me three key points on the role of media companies, which underpin and control the majority of our news, lifestyle, and leisure reading today. The institutional structure of media includes significant sectors, but the agenda where such corporations set the framework for all audiences, such as the New York Times and the Washington Post, are part of much larger conglomerates. Their target market is marketers, and their product, like that of other organizations, is geared toward relatively privileged consumers. The first is how reliant media outlets are on propaganda, in which the material they disseminate is either rumours, fair weathered, or outright lies in order to affect public opinion. That the press cannot be totally trusted because their censorship may harm the reputations of highly protected institutions such as the government. For example, the Washington Post reported the Vietnam War a year after it occurred, despite Corporate America's early desire to shut down the publication. The America vs. Vietnam War was portrayed as a vehicle for doing good, but it ended in 1969 as a fiasco. The non-propaganda model would have addressed the fact that the United States attacked Vietnam, and then bombed South Vietnam in 1961 to destroy its crops. The next significant escalation occurred in 1965, although it was against South Vietnam rather than North Vietnam. The fact that this was not featured in the press and differs significantly from what was reported demonstrates that media sources, especially those controlled by media conglomerates, are strongly skewed and filtered, most likely influenced by a powerful government. Second, a crucial lesson for me from Orwell's research "Literary Censorship" is that "unpopular ideas can be silenced without any force," which accurately portrays the unfair channel of sources we have. The press is primarily owned by wealthy males who are interested in censoring anything that do not serve their self-interest, including the collapse of reputations. Finally, the filtering system has had a significant impact on most of our lives since birth, instilling submission and inferiority in individuals. Journalism, although being a trade that produces investigative findings that benefit the public, is influenced by capitalistic, power-hungry proprietors.

The Dark Side of Social Media: How does this documentary tie into any of the concepts you have learned this term in COMS 203?

kldvallejo02 — 2024-06-18 05:39:26 UTC

The "Dark Side of Social Media" explores the dangers of social media, ranging from how we see ourselves through applications to sociogenic psychosis, a societal phenomena in which people feel extreme collective misery as a result of delusions or incorrect beliefs. Entertainment becomes addictive when it is used to escape the present, and reality, rather than for amusement. I've realized that my addiction to watching videos on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram addresses the dark side of social media, and despite my progress in deleting one addictive app after the other, I find that I crave a dopamine release that can only be tapped by these algorithmic videos tailored to my interests. Despite not having the same algorithmic strength as Tiktok, I still leave about one app, for example instagram or youtube because it is meant to provide a dopamine boost no matter how lousy the short videos are. Comparing Youtube Shorts with TikTok, I attempted to "quit" mindless scrolling (dopamine lever) by downgrading to Shorts instead, and since then I have not browsed for too long and cannot slip into an hour or more scroll binge, yet I continue to observe nearly no valuable information. There are several news and documentary channels available on other platforms, such as Netflix, but my attention span precludes me from watching worthwhile content. This semester, I gained a lot of knowledge about the interplay between knowledge, information, and creativity. I also learned how the rise of the creative industries is closely linked to the ongoing advancement of technology and the economy, as well as the social, cultural, and institutional innovations that accompany these app developments. However, the side effects trickle down into many aspects of people's lives. Alike many others, it is difficult for me to bring myself to pick up a book and read it cover to cover. The internet is widely available and a very affordable source of entertainment because it can be accessed practically anywhere.