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