Week 7 Post: Is a Career in New Media really for me?

I am a creature of consistency. I have lived in the same house since the day I was brought home from the hospital and I attended only one primary school and one high school. Therefore, describing my potential career in new media with words such as “project-based, freelance, short-term contracts, multi-sited and mobile” makes me a little uncomfortable (Leong 2011).

However, it seems these concepts underpin working life in the new media field and if I choose to make new media the basis of my career it’s something I would begrudgingly adapt to.

Jai Morton (2011) discussed her desire for “a consistent role that provides me with sufficient income” when she enters the job market after completing her degree. I wholeheartedly share that dream. Unfortunately, after reading Gill’s (2007) article it seems a career in new media will be anything but stable. 

Although the prospect at the top is enticing, I don't want to end up in a situation similar to the image below it.

Image sources: (T) http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/mbc/lowres/mbcn277l.jpg
(B) http://technodiaries.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/freelancing-2-final.jpg

I don’t want to worry about unsteady workflow, potential social isolation and lack of affordable workspaces associated with freelancing (Gill 2007, 26). However, I don’t know if isolation would be a real problem because it seems you have to constantly be networking, with one of Gill’s (2007, 26) respondents saying “Monday night is the only night I don’t have networking drinks” (Sonia, female, 30s). This networking merry-go-round could be an extra stress in life as one respondent, Danielle said, “Life is a pitch.” I don’t find this idea very appealing (Gill 2007, 26).

I think I’ll stick to a 9 to 5 job where “my time” remains largely separated from my “employer’s time” (Leong 2011).

Reference List

Gill, Rosalind. 2007. Technobohemians or the new Cybertariat: New media work in Amsterdam a decade after the web. Amsterdam: Institute of Network Cultures, Amsterdam. Accessed April 28, 2011. http://networkcultures.org/wpmu/portal/publications/network-notebooks/technobohemians-or-the-new-cybertariat/

Leong, Susan. 2011. “KCB206 New Media: Internet Self & Beyond: Week 7 Lecture Notes.” Accessed April 28, 2011.

Morton, Jai. 2011. “Media professionals – adaptors to change,” New Media Native, April 25. Accessed April 28, 2011. http://jailouisemedia.blogspot.com/2011/04/future-of-new-media.html

Week 6 Post: Health and New Media - Weeding out the "Cyberquackery"

Jai Morton (2011) said that, “Health is important, and new media allows us to gather information in an alternative way. It shouldn’t be downtrodden.” While I agree with this statement with respect to her discussion of health support groups, I think a lot of “online health information,” especially in the field of diet and exercise can be stomped all over, because a lot of it is rubbish.

It's all in the numbers: Leong (2011) noted that new media plays a management role in health - iPhone calorie counting apps are one example. Eat less than your body's maintenance level (approx 1500 cals/day) and you'll lose fat. No fad diet required.
Image source: http://www.appworld.co/Assets/Content/IPhoneApps/CalorieCounterDietTrackerbyMyFitnessPal548.jpg

I believe that campaigns such as “Find Your 30” are examples of misinformation or “cyberquackery” (Lewis, 2006). New media has failed to provide a place where the fallacies of the diet and exercise industry can be weeded out like in citizen journalism.

2003 figures show 44% of people search for nutrition information online (Fox and Fallows 2003, 525, in Lewis 2006). Lewis’ 2003-4 study found that online health searches amongst her sample of university students were dominated by nutrition and exercise (Lewis 2006, 532).

So why can’t these people find the right information? They don’t know where to look or what to look for – the information is not targeted towards them.

The answer is High Intensity Training (HIT). Although a lot of HIT information is body building oriented, I train in a facility alongside people in their early teens right through to their sixties who are simply looking to stay in shape. So go on, Google High Intensity Training – it’s the most efficient and safe way to exercise. 

Example of HIT in New Media: Check out this blog that explains HIT and the 1970s Colorado Experiment. The results speak for themselves.
Image source: http://thegymmonkey.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/colorado-experiment.jpg

Another example of HIT Online. A complete HIT workout in less than 10 minutes. This would be enough training for an entire week. The man with the stopwatch is a doctor (Dr Doug McGuff) who has extensively researched HIT. 

Video Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_Pmn1b22mk

Reference List

Leong, Susan. 2011. “KCB206 New Media: Internet, Self & Beyond: Week 6 lecture notes” Accessed April 11, 2011. 

Lewis, Tania. 2006. “Seeking health information on the internet: Lifestyle choice or bad attack of cyberchondria?” in Media Culture & Society. 28 (4): 521-539. Accessed April 9, 2011. http://mcs.sagepub.com/content/28/4/521

Morton, Jai. 2011. “A healthy alternative,” New Media Native, April 9. Accessed April 11, 2011. http://jailouisemedia.blogspot.com/2011/04/healthy-alternative.html

Week 5 Post: If Facebook were an online store - Would you buy me?

Although I’m at home, I’m also pulling a stupid face on Facebook, having a rant about weddings on Twitter and I’m on this blog presenting my reflections on how new media is a part of shaping life in the 21^st Century. 

I’m finding it difficult to present what Leong (2011) labels a “Global Me” – a projection of myself that is consistent across all media platforms and all facets of life. This leads me to agree with Jessica Monk in refuting Mark Zuckerberg’s claim that, “Having two identities for yourself is an example of a lack of integrity…” (Monk 2011; Zuckerberg in Kirkpatrick 2010, 198).

I find it hard to juggle and align all aspects of my online projection of self.
Image source: http://www.govdelivery.co.uk/portals/building-better/images/JugglingImage.jpg 

What I write and how I write on this blog is vastly different from my Facebook and Twitter pages. At times I can be quite crass when using these platforms. I am also lazy with my spelling and grammar. I treat those platforms as informal means of interaction with people I already know.

Conversely, on this blog I’m articulate and polite in presenting my views because this platform represents part of my professional development. This is how I would present myself in the workplace and therefore, I think it would be unjust for a prospective employer to judge me by my Facebook or Twitter pages alone.

However, if I were to unify and brand my personality, I would like to be an Aston Martin – a head turning combination of power and elegance. Would you buy me? 

Aston Martin DBS: I would base the projection of my identity on the attributes of power, class and elegance.
Image Source: http://www.wallpaper.net.au/wallpapers/automotive/Aston-Martin-DBS-2008-1-1024x768.jpg

Reference List

Kirkpatrick, David. 2010. The Facebook effect: The inside story of the company that is connecting the world. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Leong, Susan. 2011. "KCB206 New Media: Internet, Self & Beyond: Week 5 lecture notes" Accessed April 4, 2011.

Monk, Jessica. 2011. "Narrating Me - Both of Me," in New Media Musings, April 3. Accessed April 4, 2011. http://jessicamonkkcb206.blogspot.com/ 

Week 4 Post: Ethics and Social Media

It seems the debate over Internet ethics is focused on freedom of expression versus protecting the community from vulgar and anti-social behaviour. I believe it is a person’s right to publish and view content, even if I dislike their interests. However, I also believe it’s imperative for the law to intervene when unsavoury content exploits innocent, unconsenting people – especially children. iDave 2.0 (2011) presented a similar view and I think his post regarding this issue is well worth reading.

Hamelink (2006) noted that the speed of digital communication has made it possible for people to commit immoral acts so quickly that no one notices (p 118). This immediacy makes it difficult for the legislature and courts to keep up. Thankfully, one case was noticed and a man was jailed for posting child pornography on pages dedicated to the memories of two children. 

Facebook tribute page of Elliot Fletcher. It was one of the pages defaced early last year.
Image source: http://media.apnonline.com.au/img/media/images/2010/02/16/elliott_fletcher_facebook_160210_fct502x309x120x2_t325.jpg

Leong (2011) questioned if online ethics was a matter of balancing social media’s immediacy with an appreciation of the potentially devastating effects. In this case, it appears there was no balancing act and that the immediacy of social media allowed the offender to make a premeditated attack on grieving families. Such offenders should not push us offline, but strengthen our resolve to pursue a friendlier online community. 

Reference List

Hamelink, Cees J. 2006. “The ethics of the internet: Can we cope with lies and deceit on the net?” In Ideologies of the internet, edited by Katharine Sarikakis and Daya K Thussu, 115-130. New Jersey: Hampton Press Inc. Accessed March 21, 2011. https://cmd.library.qut.edu.au/KCB206/KCB206_BK_313947.pdf

iDave 2.0. 2011. “Week 4 entry,” KCB206 Blog – Ramblings on New Media. Accessed March 28, 2011. http://n6333869.blogspot.com/

Leong, Susan. 2011. KCB206 New Media: Internet, Self & Beyond: Week 4 Lecture Notes. Accessed March 28, 2011. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au

 

Week 3 Post: Don't Judge a Person by their Playlist

I don’t think my iTunes library of more than 4,500 songs tells you who I am. I don’t even listen to half of the songs. Some of them are from old CDs I got when I was younger and I loaded them onto iTunes because I’m a sentimental sap. Sure, what I just said tells you something about my music collection, but I had to explain it. I think in my case Levy’s (2006) notion that a person’s playlist is a “rich personal narrative” doesn’t apply. Furthermore, I think my playlist is none of your business.

Who will win: The L train iPod wars. Read Trace Crtuchfield's encounter (from Levy's reading) here.
Image source: http://www.brooklynrail.org/article_image/image/1583/STREETS-iPodWars.jpg

My reluctance to share music stems from an incident when I was in grade 10 and had recently acquired my first iPod. I shared what I was listening to with a girl in my class and she essentially told me it was rubbish. This reflects Dr Jennifer Hartstein’s statement that sharing playlists is risky because, “It might let you learn more about me than I want you to” (quoted in Levy 2006, 37). Since then it seems I made a subconscious rule to only share music with close friends who I know have similar musical tastes and only “like” the pages of mainstream acts on Facebook.

I’m not employing “impression management” (Goffman quoted in Levy 2006, 36). I’m just trying to get by without being emotionally lynched for the tunes filling my little white ear buds. 

Reference List

Levy, Steven. 2006. “Identity” in The perfect thing: How the iPod shuffles commerce, culture and coolness, 21 – 41. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. Accessed on March 20, 2011. https://cmd.library.qut.edu.au/KCB201/KCB201_BK_272671.pdf

Week 2 Post: My Online Motives

I am not the young punk you think I am. I still value a sense of connection to my friends, family and community and I enjoy a good story, just as my grandparents did and their parents before them. It is these values that Dr Genevieve Bell highlighted, that seemingly have not been swayed by new media’s surge (2008). Dr Bell’s comments prompted me to reflect upon my online habits and motives and realise that I express these age-old values through new media avenues. I also discovered that social media created an environment where connectivity and story telling become intertwined.

Dr Bell's Presentation. 4min 30sec - 7min 20sec prompted me to write this post.

Every morning, I log on to Facebook, Twitter, Gmail and Sky News. At first glance, this ritual reflects a need to be connected, and yes that is true. These platforms keep me connected to friends, family, colleagues and the wider world. However, after pondering the fact I tend to check these sites numerous times a day and the information I get from each one, it seems I am addicted. Addicted to the soap opera of my friends’ Facebook pages, the comedy of my Twitter feed, the dramas, triumphs and sometimes tragedies that are splashed across news websites. This reflects Leong’s (2011) notion that in social media realm – the conversation is the content. Our means of connection are also our storybook.

Our Connections = Our Stories
Image Source: online-social-networking-2.jpg Accessed March 14, 2011

Reference List

Bell, Genevieve. 2008. “Digital Economy Forum: Presentation by Dr Genevieve Bell (Intel).” YouTube video, posted April 28, 2009. Accessed March 13, 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE6QWUKIP5M

Leong, Susan. 2011. “KCB206 new media: Internet, self & beyond: Week 2 lecture notes.” Accessed March 13, 2011. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au