Working In and With New Media

In this new media age, it is important to develop informal and formal networks for the benefit of one's career. It may not be everyone's style but it is certainly easier now with websites such as Linkedin which enables academics to connect with prospective employers. There are also a number of groups within universities that are specifically formed for students to network with professionals in their field. With all these tools available to us, it would be unfortunate not to take advantage of it.

Networking
Image from
http://diversitymbamagazine.com/high-impact-networking

Gill (2001, 25) states that "informal networks are the lifeblood of new media work." I certainly agree with this because the people you meet at university and work functions can provide you with many opportunities in the future. A friend of mine worked at a cafe for a few years when a customer offered to help her get a job at a bank. He was able to guarantee her an interview. This shows that anybody can be your stepping stone to a better career, whether or not you have met them formally or informally. In the walkmyownpath blog on May 2, 2011, it says,"getting your foot in the door by making the right connections is undoubtedly the best skill you will ever learn." You could be very talented but without a proper network, you won't get far.

References

Gill, R. 2001.Technobohemians or the new Cybertariat? New media in Amsterdam a decade after the Web. Amsterdam: Institute of Network Cultures.

Rickard, David. 2011. "The most important economy doesn't deal with money," walkmyownpath, May 2. Accessed May 2. http://walkmyownpath.wordpress.com/author/walkmyownpath/

The Virtual Doctor

Gone are the days where we would visit the doctor at the slightest onset of sickness; instead, people are now turning more and more towards the internet to find an online diagnosis. With the rates of broadband internet access rising, so are the number of people accessing health information online (Lewis 2006, 5). An incredible amount of health information and materials have become accessible because of the rise of the internet. However, how reliable is this kind of information? Should people only consult the world wide web for their health issues?

e-health
image from
http://health-research.intodit.com/

I admit that I have Googled my symptoms whenever I have been sick just to see what what the diagnosis was. The plethora of online health information allows people to become accountable for their own health. Jessica Lee also supports this idea, arguing that "new media empowers us to take charge of our own health, rather than just accepting the doctor's verdict." Everyone needs to remember that not everything on the internet is 100% factual, that is why, as Katherine Lamont says, "health inforamtion online should be regarded in addition to non-virtual general practictioner advice..." I too, believe that online health information should be consulted as a second opinion, after seeing an actual general practitioner. After all, they are there for a reason. 

References:

Lamont, Katherine. 2011. "Health and the Internet," An Insight into New Media, April 10. Accessed April 11. http://lamontkcb206.blogspot.com/2011/04/health-and-internet.html

Lewis, Tania. 2006. “Seeking Health Information on the Internet: Lifestyle Choice or Bad Attack of Cyberchondria?” Media, Culture & Society 28 (4): 521-539. Accessed April 11, 2011. doi: 10.1177/0163443706065027.

Monk, Jessica. 2011. "Just Google It," New Media Musings, April 10. Accessed April 11. http://jessicamonkkcb206.blogspot.com/2011/04/just-google-it.html

Selling Yourself Online

Social networking sites have been a very successful tool for people to connect online. Everybody wants to make an impression so the things we write, the photos we upload, the information we share as well as a host of other things form part of how we narrate ourselves online. In this sense, we portray ourselves in a way that positively impacts upon others; which is why I agree with Jessica Lee's New Media Musings week 5 post: Narrating Me - Both of me. Jessica states that people try to narrate themselves as the person or persons they want to be. This is exactly what people do online; they aspire to become the person they want to be by creating an online identity reflecting their inner social desires.

Online Identity
Image from
http://www.openparenthesis.org/tag/identity

Essentially, I agree with Deuze's statement; "our life is lived in, rather than with, media - we are living a media life" (Deuze 2011, p.138). With media everywhere in our lives, it's only natural that it became a part of who we are, and who we want to be. However, there is a point where people should not cross - portraying themselves as something they're not. It's true that online nobody knows who we are, but how we behave online should be an extension of our personalities, not a mediated lie.

References:

Deuze, M. (2011). Media, Culture & Society: Media Life. United Kingdon:Sage Publications.

The Power of Social Media

The introduction of social media has created a platform for many people from all over the world to come together. With a simple text message, email, Facebook invitation or even a blog post, hundreds and even thousands of people can unite for a common or dis-common purpose. An example of this is when the president of the Philippines Joseph Estrada was overthrown by public demand. It just shows how social media can be used for political communication and in this case, political upheaval.

Shirky (2011) presented two arguments against social media in national politics; "the first is that the tools are themselves ineffective, and the second is that they produce as much harm to democratization as good, because repressive governments are becoming better at using these tools to suppress dissent." I somewhat disagree with the first because it could be used to target people who are more tech-savvy so generally the younger generation. I feel neutral towards the second point because using social media will not always suppress dissent.

Therefore, social media can be used in many ways, but mostly to communicate and connect with others. Most of us have probably brought many people together through social media without even realising. For example, using Facebook to create events.

References:

Shirky, Clay. "The Political Power of Social Media." Foreign Affairs 90 (1). Accessed March 28, 2011. doi: 00157120.

The iPod Revolution

During the past few years, the iPod has become a part of popular culture has created a music revolution. It has completely changed the way we listen to music and how we share our personal playlists with others. The iPod with its trademark white earphones is used as a tool to identify ourselves with other iPod owners and creates a sense of 'belonging.'

iPod People
Image by Paul Burd
http://www.onedigitallife.com/downloads/

Apple has developed a unique device that is able to hold thousands of songs and media files that can be accessed all with the push of a button. This isn't anything new, there are plenty of music players that do the same thing; but what's so different about iPods? Apple has seemingly created a cult of followers who are loyal to the brand, whether it is the iPhone, iPod, iPad or MacBook. Most people consider these products as 'hip' and feel obliged to buy them or risk being j ridiculed for not engaging in popular culture.

iTunes has a feature that allows iPod users to share their entire music library to complete strangers and also explore peoples' playlists. Levy (2006, 16) says, "naturally, when you look at someone's music, you make judgements." Sharing playlists enables people to judge each other on musical taste. Levy (2006, 14) states that "a subject's playlist can be as revealing as a diary." A playlist can determine a person's mood, age and of course their preferences.

Reference List

Levy, S. 2006. "Identity" in The perfect thing: how the ipod shuffle commerce,  culture and coolness, edited by Steven Levy, 21-41. Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. Accessed March 21, 2011. https://cmd.library.qut.edu.au/KCB201/KCB201_BK_272671.pdf

Performing on the Online Stage

The online world provides access to an endless amount of virtual platforms to facilitate communication and interaction in a private or public setting. But what happens when the line between public and private blurs? Should we be acting in a way that we would not normally behave?

The concept of the 'glass bedroom' was introduced by Pearson (2009) and basically "describes a bedroom with walls made of glass." Within those walls intimate conversations occur and our online performance comes into play. The way we depict our online personalities and image on social networking sites can encourage other users to engage or disengage. Online, we are able to create a more sociable, confident and outspoken image of ourselves in order to entertain our virtual audience. 

Our audience can range from family, friends, acquaintances and even strangers. Although communicating online reduces face-to-face interaction, sometimes it is beneficial in creating and maintaining online relationships without the awkwardness of 'getting to know' someone via more traditional methods. What makes it easier is that users are able to cease interaction whenever they choose and once again avoiding the awkwardness of 'letting someone down.' The glass bedroom has become a norm in today's society and although some may find this 'anti-social' others see it as a networking tool. 

Reference List 

Pearson, E. 2009. "All the World Wide Web's a Stage: The performance of identity in online social   networks." First Monday 14 (3). Accessed March 14, 2011. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au