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/