S1226589 by Olivia Campbell

A New Space for Dance

S1226589 — 2016-01-22 15:33:52 UTC

In the new technical and digital age the idea of space and physical place has had to develop and change. There are new softwares which can create a 2nd environment, World of War Craft allows for people from different countries and all over the world to come to gather in a new 2D world and connect. This kind of fantasy world is often referred to as a country, a physical space and place.

Another way that the internet has created a blurring between the online/offline space in through the medium of viral dance videos. Dance was once limited to the dance studio, only the dancers, their teacher/choreographer and musician were witness to the process. To see the final product a show was held in a theatre, with an audience and a stage. Today, the audience no longer holds a ticket stub and sits in plush velvet seats, the audience sits in their bed, in a coffee shop or at their office desk. The stage is no longer in a theatre or physical space; it's Youtube, Facebook and Twitter. The Dancers and the choreographer perform once, in the studio, and it is recorded, uploaded to the internet and then shared. The dancer need only preform once and they will reach a vast and diverse audience. The Viral Dance video can reach people in different contents within hours; rather than the limited capacity that single theatre can hold.

The viral dance video has completely changed the way space and place can be defined. It is no longer limited to the physical and 3D but now the digital platforms of the internet.

This video is a prime example of the developing definitions of space and place and the benefits of viral videos. A video that may have only reached a small number of audience members it has been viewed over 1million times.

Privacy

S1226589 — 2016-01-22 16:48:31 UTC

People are now listening into other people's conversations and sharing what they hear on the internet...has digital technology and the internet taken gossip to a whole new level?

Tell Me I'm Pretty...

S1226589 — 2016-02-02 18:31:21 UTC

Social media has become a way for its users to feed their ego; whether it is a Grandmother uploading a post of her Grandchild to have people tell her ‘what a precious darling she is’ or a teenager uploading a Selfie so that her friends can confirm her beauty. We take photos and upload them because we want to show off, whether it is our wealth, our beauty or our growing family. Journalist, Jacob Silverman wrote, how we upload our photos in hope of recognition, we willingly place our private life and moments on a platform for public consumption. The video of our baby cousin walking or running is “less about memorialising a moment than communicating the reality of that moment for to others”, Silverman, 2015. We are really sharing it to show off how amazing out grandchild and even more so we share to seek validation. Sharing photos does not stop at uploading the photo, we must think of a funny caption, a perfect emoji, then there are the comments and the likes. The responses a photo receives becomes such a vital aspect of the photo sharing. I will up load a photo if my eyebrows or eyeliner is ‘on fleek’, but I also upload it because I want others to tell me how good I look, to validate that my winged eyeliner and pencilled in eyebrows are indeed ‘on fleek’. If my post doesn’t get at least 13 likes on Instagram then I will delete it, this does fill me with shame, it shows clearly how much I depend others to validate my make-up skills however I reassure my self that im not so vain- well in comparison to my youngest sister.

My youngest sister is 16 years old and every one of her Instagram posts gets at least 100+ likes and about 20 comments of her friends telling her how beautiful she is. My sister and her friends really feed into the anxiety of needing outside validation. With each photo we upload there is an internal panic of ‘what if someone doesn’t like my photo, or ‘what if someone doesn’t tell me I’m pretty, I am pretty, look at my photo, please tell me I’m pretty’ or as Silverman puts it, “please validate it, and I’ll validate yours, and we’ll take turns saying how much we missed each other”. Although I admit this is a pretty cynical outlook on the Selfie generation and on the uploading of photos, it is an accurate representation. My sisters Instagram account is a prime example, I mean why else has she uploaded a picture showing her protruding hip bones? She wants to be told she is pretty and skinny.

She has given me permission to use these images of her Instagram account to illustrate my argument.

Refference: Silverman, J. (Feb, 2015) 'Pics ot it didn't happen'- the Mantra of the Instagram Era, The Observer

The Bitch Community

S1226589 — 2016-02-02 19:05:59 UTC

The internet is known for creating all new kinds of communities, of people all over the world who share a common interest. This time is had created a community and connected all the girls and women all over the world who share in the same devastating issue, an issue that gets them into no end of trouble...The Resting Bitch Face. Now all of you rejoice and laugh about the issues you all face because of your face

Online Ettiquete

S1226589 — 2016-02-05 16:23:00 UTC

From childhood we have learnt how to interact and socially engage with others. There has always been a an unspoken set of social rules that we all follow to produce and facilitate social cohesion. These rules follow all social interactions offline and now in a developing society, they have followed us online. As we navigate the diverse interactions and networks that are found online we must follow these social rules. However for some people they use the internet to breach these well known and established social rules, thus we have trolling and online bullying. For some, the anonymity of the internet is over whelming, they use and abuse it creating social upheaval. However fear not, for those who are incapable of transferring their well established social rules from offline to online, or how are incompetent at remaining kind and grounded online I've found an article to help.

Please educate yourself and save us all from your awful online interactions, where we are forced to grimace, sigh with despair and eye roll beind out own computer screens at you.

BBC II! (BBC 3)

S1226589 — 2016-02-06 12:53:43 UTC

BBC II! Is running a series of programmes, One Click Away, on how the internet has changed our culture and lives. Thus far there has been 6 programmes.
- Webcam Boys
- Troll Hunters
- The Super Gammers
- The Rise of the Superstar Vloggers
- Murder Games

The series looks at the various different aspect of online activities and how our online activities can affect our offline lives.

It's really interesting to see how in the modern day we negotiate the blending of these two spheres in our lives.

Sugar Daddy Please

S1226589 — 2016-02-09 12:21:49 UTC

Is SAAS not quite covering your lavish lifestyle? Well fear not, there are a range of dating apps linking young attractive girls with rich older men. The article below suggests that over a fifth of university students have started using the new online dating website, Seeking Arrangments, to connect to men who will find their lifestyles. While The University of Edinburgh does not appear on the table in the article our arch nemesis, St. Andrews University does, with 165 student being Sugar Babies.

Seeking Arrangements shows the connectivity that the internet and new social and dating apps facilitate. In this case it connects young girls with wealthier men to date and receive gifts from. A less conventional example of connectivity than Facebook but I would argue a more interesting one...especially for any girls out there who's Student Funding isn't quite enough.

Find the full article attached.

The Internet Take Over

S1226589 — 2016-03-03 20:19:30 UTC

When T.V's were first introduced to wide society there were many individuals who were worried that the television would ruin family life, damage our eyes and family communications. Rather than sitting in the living room talking, reading, play board games individuals worried that the T.V would become the focal point of the room. While in many cases, especially in my family, the TV has become the focal point of the room, it has not damaged out family communication. Every Sunday night when the family is home we cook a roast, eat, clean up and then settle down to what a film or BBC drama. While we aren't play board games any more we are still communicating as a family. WE laugh and share in jokes during the film. WE exercise the traditional patriarchal family dynamics when choosing the film ( only a joke, my dad has no say in the movie or T.V. programme we watch). Further more we share in emotional moments that we would otherwise not experience. When watching a drama where a mother is forced to choose between her children a conversation is sparked; we discuss how the mother most feel; debate what we would do if we were found in a similar situation; and finally the kids bicker and laugh who is my mothers favourite and who she is most likely to save (I'm my mums favourite). Our sunday movie nights also ensure that we are all physically in the same room, rather than dispersing to our private spaces or going to see our friends, time is set aside for us to be together as a family.
However, T.V is becoming les popular and has been overtaken by streaming on the Internet. Rather than sitting with my flat mates and watching a T.V programme I now sit in my room and watch the show on my own. Laptops and computers have isolated us in a way that the T.V never did. The size of the screen on a laptop is too small for five people sit around. The speed and expanse of the internet provides too many options that it becomes difficult for all to agree on one T.V show. The Internet has had such an affect on T.V that channels or being removed from T.V broadcast and are becoming internet exclusive channels. A prime example of this is the removal of BBC 3 from T.V, it is only accesible through the BBc website. The decision to remove the channel from our T.Vs was based on financial issues. It is more economic for the the BBC to have the youth orientated channel on the internet as "younger audiences are already watching on-demand services, and do so regularly" (BBC NewsBeat, 2015).
The internet is taking over from T.V. which once took over from preceding media outlets. In the future I am sure that more internet only channels will appear. Digital technology advances rapidly and with improvements in broadband speed happening it won't be long until most people are watching most T.V. programmes online. The exciting question is; what digital technology will take over form the internet?

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! ....

S1226589 — 2016-03-10 20:34:34 UTC

...The Queen of Social Media, Kim Kardashian West has now joined Snapchat. Finally we can see into her everyday life, she is giving us access to her private life...an access that we have never been allowed before? When you didn't think Kim Kardashian-West could place herself in the public eye anymore she has. With her staring in several reality T.V shows you can watch Kim K in your home. With her clothing lines, make-u lines, hairstyle lines you can look like Kim K. With her website you can read all of Kim K's insightful thoughts so that you can learn to think like Kim K. Her Instagram teaches us to pose like her; Facebook alerts us of her events so we may be graced with her presence; her twitter updates us on her insightful and hilarious thoughts in the moment. With the Kim Kardashian app you can keep up with her on the move. Finally with her Kim Kardashian game we can pretend to be Kim K. Now we get an even deeper insight to our queen's life. For some the intrusion of Digital Culture in their life is resentented, unwanted and dispised. However for those like Kim K she has used social media and the digital culture to her advantage allowing us mere common folk a glimpse into her life of luxury...for a price. She has done mor than welcomed digital culture and social media into her life, she has made her life and livelihood utilising these platforms. While Snap chat is free I am sure that some one is paying her and thank god they are, for without Snapchat how would we get to know our Queen Kim K...? AS Bette Middler recently tweeted, insight of Kim K's most recent nude selfie "If Kim wants us to see a part of her we've never seen,
she's gonna have to swallow the camera." For now though, snap chat will have to do.

Prosumption and Consumption

S1226589 — 2016-03-15 18:21:04 UTC

Prosumption on the internet has recently become one of the most desired jobs. No longer do you have to be an intellectual coder or programmer to work with Internet and make a profit from it. The expanding of the Internet and its platforms has created space for more innovative entrepreneurs. These new entrepreneurs are coming in the form of pretty and funny teenagers, who are creating videos, these entreprenuers have been dubbed ‘Celebritiy Youtubers’. Internet Platforms such as YouTube have created platforms that demonstrate “the asymmetrical relationship between broadcaster. Media producer and audience that characterised 20th century mass communication had been radically changed” (Rheingold). Over the past few years ordinary people have became famous due to this relationship, their audience has become captivated with them and sent them soaring to the height of celebrity. Uk YouTubers such as Zoella, TanyaBur, and Casper Lee have changed their lives, their self-document videos, make-up tutorials are watch by millions of people. The high number of consumers all flooding to one place has turned vlogging into a profitable experience. Companies have realised that these YouTube stars can be used as a new and exciting way of product promotion and advertising. Companies can pay thousands of pounds to have their products featured or reviewed by these YouTube celebrities. The number of consumers a ‘Celebrity Youtuber’ has the more the company is willing to pay. It has just come out in the press that in the 8 month leading up to November 2014 that the once ordinary girl earned just over a cool £400,00. These smart and funny teenagers have utilised the prosummer and consumer relationship and turned self-documenting on the intenet into profitable business.

Below is a link to one of Zoella's videos where she is reviewing make-up products. I wonder how much theses make-up companies paid to have their products featured in just one video?

Digital Music

S1226589 — 2016-03-17 11:28:08 UTC

In 1999 Napster became the first online music download site, Consumers were able to share songs with others and download their favourite song on the their computer or MP3. Napster was the first official illegal site that promoted music piracy. It allows people to download and own music for free; Napster essentially allowed it’s users to steal the property of artists. Since 1999 many other similar sites have appeared on the Internet e.g. Limewire, Youtube2MP3 and MP3World. Most of these companies unfortunately are forced to shut down after a period of time due to their illegality and infringement on copyright laws. Indeed Napaster itself was forced to shutdown in 2001 after declaring bankruptcy due to the decreased traffic on their site as the company adhered to injunctions placed on them from a Lawsuit by A&M Records. However if with each illegal music downloading site that is shutdown another two pop up.

Most recently companies have found ways to get around the copyright laws but still allow their users to share music freely, these included websites such as Spotify and Apple Music. The consumers pay a monthly or annual subscription fee and they have access to an unlimited number of songs and the users can create playlists that can be shared with other users. Although these sites are legal they have recently come under some heat. Spotify has had artists such as Taylor Swift remove their music from the streaming service. Artists complain that the decline in music sales is due to websites and apps such as Spotify. Consumers are no longer purchasing albums or songs because they can now have access to the music for a cheaper price. Swift said in an interview with Time magazine, “everybody’s complaining about how music sales are shrinking, but nobody’s changing the way they’re doing things. They keep running towards streaming, which is, for the most part, what has been shrinking the number of pain album sales.” Spotify argues that they pay 70% of their revenue to label companies and artists who allow them to have their music on the company’s app however many feel that they are not paid enough. Swift who was unhappy with Spotify was the first artist to pull her music from the website/app. Swift argues that “Music is art, and art is important and valuable. Valuable things should be paid for.” She further argues that artists “practically give their music away”. Another artist to have more recently pulled their music from Spotify is BAFTA and Oscar winning British singer Adele. Are artists just being greedy or do they have a point?

Digital music can be seen as bringing communities together, it generates micro-societies of sharing, gifting and creating. However Digital music can also create discourse and controversy. Like most aspects of technology and digital media there are pros and cons, arguments for and against. While I don’t agree with illegal downloading sites and I do believe that it’s stealing; I do believe that Spotify is completely legal and that Taylor Swift and other artists are just being greedy.

The quotes can be referenced from the attached link

Kim Kardashians of the Canine World

S1226589 — 2016-03-19 22:50:28 UTC

There was a new addition to the stands at Crufts 2016 for dog’s who have a large following on social media. Yes…that’s right dogs on social media. Just to shock you even more these dogs’ social media footprint…should I saw Pawprint… is probably bigger than yours or mine.

Dogs who were featured at the stall included:

Bruno the Miniature Daxon who has 70,500 followers on Instagram

Mika the Husky has 59,600 followers on Instagram

Ramsey the Blue Staffordshire Terrier has 130,000 followers on Instagram

This demonstrates how integrated the internet and digital media is in our world. Social media reaches into every part of the world, even in the most unlikely of places. It influences the way we interact with others and view the people on our newsfeeds. Instagram has created celebrity dogs and even more so, it has affected the figures in dog breeding. Winnie the Pembrook Welsh Crogi, who has 19,400 followers in Instagram, is believed to have stolen the hearts of so many people that this year her breed has finally made it off the endangered dogs list. The impact of Instagram is resounding and the success of dogs on social media has created a whole new genre of celebrity.

Social media is the Dream

S1226589 — 2016-03-20 14:49:42 UTC

We use social media to substitute real life experiences. Talking to someone online is easier then than meeting them in person. A netowrk is easier to maintain than a community as you can control who is in it. Being an online activist is easier than being an activist in the physical world where you can get hurt. Bauman argues that social media is a bleaker and smaller parrelle to our brighter 3D world. Social media is a mask the we once hid behind but now we can't escape its grips.

With one click

S1226589 — 2016-03-21 20:49:21 UTC

It is no hidden secret that Kanye West thinks that he is Jesus re-encarnated and that he is free from almost all rational reasoning. His latest twitter rant only confirms our 'suspicions'? Well what we all knew but were too scared to talk about incase we must face the wrath of Kanye West. The internet and social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter have an instilltanteous aspect to them. They allow their users to voice and share their opinions, activities and moments with all their friends at the click of a button. In such a fast pace world these types of platforms only escalate our speed and our need to be connected to everyone all the time. On one hand the speed and this 'in the moment' vibe of these platforms allow our friends to keep up with out activities as and when they are happening. This allows them to feel a part of our life even is they aren't with us. However, on the other hand, when you are an international, world famous, A-list celebrity this instintaneous aspect of social media is not such a great thing. Kanye, shocked and surprised all of the followers and most of the world with is sudden and presumably unprovoked rant on twitter. He seemed to have lost the plot and reached a whole new level of crazy. Maybe if tweets weren't so easy and fast to upload Kanye could have saved what was left of his reputation. Maybe if he thought about what he was writing before he put it out in the public sphere for all to see and consuming we might still think he was slightly sane. Maybe....but it's not really Twitter's fault that Kanye is an idiot. However rather than having an age requirement to have an account, Twitter should maybe have an IQ. test to censor who should have an account.

Virtual World

S1226589 — 2016-04-01 16:57:00 UTC

Technology moves at lightening fast speeds and it's most recent development will blow your mind and take you to a whole other world. Virtual Reality googles have been in development and on sale for the past year. They take the user out of their own real world and place them in a new virtual world. Games such as minecraft have adapted there games to suit this new type of technology. This new type of technology takes on a whole new aspect of Turkle's notorious phrase 'Alone Together'. While we are physically together our minds are in a different place; technology allows us to be in a cafe and be talking to people who are across the globe These new googles will take our minds to a different world. We will no longer be in a cafe or a living room, we will be in a new country, we could be a warrior princess. The googles could create a whole new level of separation and isolation if they become more popular in mainstream consumerism. Warning though, wearing these virtual reality googles in public may take you to a new world but your physical body is in the cafe. This will lead to hilarious scenes that you are unaware of, as the video in the link demonstrates.

Digital Divide?

S1226589 — 2016-04-04 14:51:17 UTC

Since 2002 there has been a sharp incline in the number of mobile phone networks in sub-sarahian Africa. With countries including Uganda, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania seeing an increase from 10% of the population using a mobile phone to percentages in the 70's and low 80's (Pew Research Centre, 2015). With figures like this it appears that what was once thought to be a vast difference in the technologies available to those in a developing country and technologies available to those of us who live in a developed country is not as wide or as big a difference as it once was.
With large companies such as Facebook making steps to further close this divide with campaigns such as 'Facebook for Every Phone' reaching over 10 million people, it doesn't look like we will have a digital divide for long.