Friday, June 17, 2016
Side notes on compartmentalization and party politics. One reason I have been reluctant to share personal views on recent politics is because as soon as I say anything one way or another I have chosen a 'side.' A side that comes with a plethora of connotations that do not represent my point of view. Just one way I've observed framing. It will be a relief to get off Facebook if for no reason other than I'm tired of hearing strong opinions loosely held regarding this damn election.
I'm at work as I write this, doing what that frontline documentary frowned upon, pausing every paragraph, line, sentence, word, to deal with hungry patrons.
So as I turn over the prospect of getting off social media, I'm examining closer the source of any anxiety that notion causes. I have been thinking about what I will miss out on. When I talk to people about social media (which I do frequently) I find that the a reason many of them stay is because they are afraid they'll miss out on something.
Bringing up Facebook with people makes many a little uncomfortable. Being new to it, there are elements others have accepted as everyday and part of their lives yet for me, these are new discoveries. People don't talk about what they do on the Internet. At least rarely out loud or in general conversation. At least in my experience. I'm not sure why this is.
The life one leads on Facebook is different from that of our own. My first thoughts harken back to representations of nothing. At first, a Facebook account is a way to express who you are and what interests you and in some instances make new friends with similar interests. Very gradually it has become a platform for people to brand themselves and create a version to present to the world. A version that has no basis in reality. That's kind of how I see it now.
In My Dinner With Andre, Andre discusses people who live in New York and always talk about leaving but never do. His reasoning is that we have built our own prison, and we are so proud of this thing we built we can't just leave it. And so we exist in this state of schizophrenia, as both prisoner and guard.
I see my peers (hell, myself!) propping up this hollow simulation of a social life. A simulation of a completely fantasy life. The most mundane of activities like going out to lunch can be turned into these extravagant outings, all by how it's framed/filtered in photos one takes. The quality of the experience is lost, because no one needs to remember it, there are pictures.
So what is it that I am afraid of missing out on when I leave Facebook for a week. The first thought is, someone is going to message me and I won't see it resulting in them getting pissed at me. A legitimate concern, except that almost everyone who would contact me on FB have my phone number and email as well, so if it was really important they'd do that right? We'll see. I'm also curious to see if any events or shows are missed. At school I had the luxury of seeing basically all my close friends everyday. Facebook seemed unnecessary. I get similar feelings when I walk through Times Square. That place feels like the cyberspace version of the worlds Facebook feed. Simply living four miles from that place seems to make even reading the news feel superfluous. This is where news happens!
I'm interested to see if my self image changes. Makes me think of a world without mirrors. How much more selfless would we be if we weren't confronted with our tired faces every morning.
I'm looking forward to what I find. It'll be an interesting week.
So as I turn over the prospect of getting off social media, I'm examining closer the source of any anxiety that notion causes. I have been thinking about what I will miss out on. When I talk to people about social media (which I do frequently) I find that the a reason many of them stay is because they are afraid they'll miss out on something.
Bringing up Facebook with people makes many a little uncomfortable. Being new to it, there are elements others have accepted as everyday and part of their lives yet for me, these are new discoveries. People don't talk about what they do on the Internet. At least rarely out loud or in general conversation. At least in my experience. I'm not sure why this is.
The life one leads on Facebook is different from that of our own. My first thoughts harken back to representations of nothing. At first, a Facebook account is a way to express who you are and what interests you and in some instances make new friends with similar interests. Very gradually it has become a platform for people to brand themselves and create a version to present to the world. A version that has no basis in reality. That's kind of how I see it now.
In My Dinner With Andre, Andre discusses people who live in New York and always talk about leaving but never do. His reasoning is that we have built our own prison, and we are so proud of this thing we built we can't just leave it. And so we exist in this state of schizophrenia, as both prisoner and guard.
I see my peers (hell, myself!) propping up this hollow simulation of a social life. A simulation of a completely fantasy life. The most mundane of activities like going out to lunch can be turned into these extravagant outings, all by how it's framed/filtered in photos one takes. The quality of the experience is lost, because no one needs to remember it, there are pictures.
So what is it that I am afraid of missing out on when I leave Facebook for a week. The first thought is, someone is going to message me and I won't see it resulting in them getting pissed at me. A legitimate concern, except that almost everyone who would contact me on FB have my phone number and email as well, so if it was really important they'd do that right? We'll see. I'm also curious to see if any events or shows are missed. At school I had the luxury of seeing basically all my close friends everyday. Facebook seemed unnecessary. I get similar feelings when I walk through Times Square. That place feels like the cyberspace version of the worlds Facebook feed. Simply living four miles from that place seems to make even reading the news feel superfluous. This is where news happens!
I'm interested to see if my self image changes. Makes me think of a world without mirrors. How much more selfless would we be if we weren't confronted with our tired faces every morning.
I'm looking forward to what I find. It'll be an interesting week.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
I'm at a point now where so many things, especially the major concepts we're exploring seem interconnected I can hardly keep anything straight. The pinball comparison made several weeks ago is apt. It makes a case for compartmentalization, otherwise I'd never get anything done.
Imagine scheduling without language or writing. What I see is humans attempting to grasp a certainly and order when there is none. What is science if not an exploration of patterns? I'm beginning to see the necessity of categorization, however it is ignorance of its created nature that is dangerous. Basically, the Matrix is better to live in than the chaos outside, but being aware of it and ones ability to change it are powerful.
I'm moving closer to a solid idea of a project and the element of language is what has been rattling around in my head the most. I know many of the people in this class and have met many of you in person, but there was still something ever do startling about hearing Dr. Kings voice in the first video tutorial. We've met before yet it's not quite the voice I heard in my head when I first read our morning lecture. What's more interesting is the fact that I hear a voice at all. That is the consequence of having a phonetic language as opposed to one that is symbolic like Chinese. I've studied Chinese and know a lot about the language but I would not go so far as to say I speak it. When one who is fluent in Chinese reads characters, is the experience of that similar to you reading this, or is it closer to how you read a semi ambiguous emoji?
How does the way we communicate through media affect our ability to relate?
The rush of dopamine I get going on Facebook is very real. As is phantom vibrations. According to researcher Michelle Drouin, 9 out of 10 undergraduates have e perks fed phantoms m vibrations at one time. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_vibration_syndrome. We want that vibration, that connection. If be lying get a little excited to see the red number of notifications I've gotten, or messages in my inbox. I'm wanted! Or is this a way we get a quick fix of interaction. Is it killing the way I interact with people.
I'm not sure I feel as cuff ilex as I used to since joining Facebook. There are a large number of things that ultimately factor in to this, one being people present a very limited view of themselves that shows less 'cracks' then the real person. You can present yourself the way you want. Look ugly in a photo? Untagged. You can present who you think you are. Because of some of the things mentioned in Reagan's post in the forum, we can become distracted keeping up with the filtered lives of our 'friends'.
On a side tangent on the topic of filters, what can Bessie about the aging of photos? The want to have photos taken on a cell phone look like they were taken with a shitty camera from 1969? I think it may have to do with imbuing the photo and ultimately that moment with nostalgia it has not even had time to decompose or was devoid of in the first place.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/275361.php
Above is a article I found non-biased examining the impact of social media on our mental and physical wellbeing. The most striking yet not surprising find is that people who use social media the most are people who are more likely to have regular social issues, or rather issues relating to real people. The gratification of likes fulfills our need for social interaction but in fact it is only a reflection. Im really using that word a lot. The reflection pales in comparison to the real thing. Rinn posted a video that depicted a man who's whole life seemed like a game, even wasting a cucumber because he didn't get the score he wanted. When good photos of us are judged by easily quantifiable things like LIKES, this is transforming how we quantify real appreciation when we revive it. Not even how, the fact that it is quantified at all is absurd. It also creates an almost overactive self awareness. It seems to me we are more obsessed than ever about how we look and how wonderful and exiting our lives our. Or at least communicating that to others.
For me, what I need the most when I'm depressed or in need of some social interaction I need empathy. I need someone to say "I've been like that too. Here's what I did. Or I still don't know what to do. I'm just as confused as you." But media seems to be making all aspects of our lives competitive in ways they haven't before. Im rambling. I'm tired.
Imagine scheduling without language or writing. What I see is humans attempting to grasp a certainly and order when there is none. What is science if not an exploration of patterns? I'm beginning to see the necessity of categorization, however it is ignorance of its created nature that is dangerous. Basically, the Matrix is better to live in than the chaos outside, but being aware of it and ones ability to change it are powerful.
I'm moving closer to a solid idea of a project and the element of language is what has been rattling around in my head the most. I know many of the people in this class and have met many of you in person, but there was still something ever do startling about hearing Dr. Kings voice in the first video tutorial. We've met before yet it's not quite the voice I heard in my head when I first read our morning lecture. What's more interesting is the fact that I hear a voice at all. That is the consequence of having a phonetic language as opposed to one that is symbolic like Chinese. I've studied Chinese and know a lot about the language but I would not go so far as to say I speak it. When one who is fluent in Chinese reads characters, is the experience of that similar to you reading this, or is it closer to how you read a semi ambiguous emoji?
How does the way we communicate through media affect our ability to relate?
The rush of dopamine I get going on Facebook is very real. As is phantom vibrations. According to researcher Michelle Drouin, 9 out of 10 undergraduates have e perks fed phantoms m vibrations at one time. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_vibration_syndrome. We want that vibration, that connection. If be lying get a little excited to see the red number of notifications I've gotten, or messages in my inbox. I'm wanted! Or is this a way we get a quick fix of interaction. Is it killing the way I interact with people.
I'm not sure I feel as cuff ilex as I used to since joining Facebook. There are a large number of things that ultimately factor in to this, one being people present a very limited view of themselves that shows less 'cracks' then the real person. You can present yourself the way you want. Look ugly in a photo? Untagged. You can present who you think you are. Because of some of the things mentioned in Reagan's post in the forum, we can become distracted keeping up with the filtered lives of our 'friends'.
On a side tangent on the topic of filters, what can Bessie about the aging of photos? The want to have photos taken on a cell phone look like they were taken with a shitty camera from 1969? I think it may have to do with imbuing the photo and ultimately that moment with nostalgia it has not even had time to decompose or was devoid of in the first place.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/275361.php
Above is a article I found non-biased examining the impact of social media on our mental and physical wellbeing. The most striking yet not surprising find is that people who use social media the most are people who are more likely to have regular social issues, or rather issues relating to real people. The gratification of likes fulfills our need for social interaction but in fact it is only a reflection. Im really using that word a lot. The reflection pales in comparison to the real thing. Rinn posted a video that depicted a man who's whole life seemed like a game, even wasting a cucumber because he didn't get the score he wanted. When good photos of us are judged by easily quantifiable things like LIKES, this is transforming how we quantify real appreciation when we revive it. Not even how, the fact that it is quantified at all is absurd. It also creates an almost overactive self awareness. It seems to me we are more obsessed than ever about how we look and how wonderful and exiting our lives our. Or at least communicating that to others.
For me, what I need the most when I'm depressed or in need of some social interaction I need empathy. I need someone to say "I've been like that too. Here's what I did. Or I still don't know what to do. I'm just as confused as you." But media seems to be making all aspects of our lives competitive in ways they haven't before. Im rambling. I'm tired.
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
I was thinking a lot about emotions that we are allowed and not allowed to have. One obvious example is 'men don't cry.' This is so engrained in us that many men don't can't cry when they are alone. What follows is a link that links the repression of tears to affecting our bodies biologically. The results of holding back tears is of course bad. The pent up emotion can translate to things like high blood pressure down the road. http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/10/12/why-is-it-so-hard-for-men-to-cry/
Essentially, sociability has dictated how we can and can't feel. Hate is very embarrassing emotion that many of us feel but are rarely free to express it. When a story like the one of the Stamford rapist comes to light, everyone rally's around the campfire to throw in their own log of hate (hopin' you're diggin' this metaphor). Feelings of hate are now validated. It's ok now to hate someone; this guy. Dumping all this putrid crap does nothing to better a cause as far as I can see. This article goes a bit deeper. http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/feminism/2016/06/does-outrage-over-stanford-rape-case-do-anything-help-victims
Now with the shootings in Orlando, as Obama said in reference to Oregon, "Our thoughts and prayers are not enough." We jump to sympathize, and send love, before we have time to develop our own feelings regarding news story. We've already been told how to feel. And I'm not saying everyone has a universal point of view on the issue, but the points of view most of us see on the internet reflect our own. When you click on a link from a left leaning news outlet, Facebook goes "oh, she leans to the left, let's show her more if that." And you are then caught in an echo-chamber with the rest of the mob as we invite ourselves in to hysteria. Just to give an idea of the reach of media conglomerates in the United States, take a look at this flow chart.
As you can see, we've basically still have five TV channels, so do you think it's likely that the views expressed by CNN do not go against the ultimate corporate interest of Time Warner?
Thus, my first big question: HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WE FEEL?
Secondly I've been noticing a transition from phonetic language to that of a more symbolic one. Like hyroglyphs and Chinese, our generation is beginning to communicate through media with GIFS, emojis, and the like. Whole conversations are shifting and becoming slightly more emotional and less literal. Someone may respond to a text with an actor from a film or tv show making a face. That face may encapsulate more about that persons personal response to that text than any words could. http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/7950460.html
My second question: HOW ARE EMOJIS AND THE LIKE AFFECTING HOW WE COMMUNICATE?
My final thoughts are about compartmentalizations. As things like gender are becoming more fluid, I am noticing gaps between groups of people and gaps within those groups that I was unaware of. I of course am only 23. I hopefully have a lot of discovery about culture and society ahead of me. But living in New York for a year I see a racial and economic divide I was unaware was so vast and so serious. Has it always been this bad and I'm just noticing finally? That seems the most logical response as I've only been here those measly 23 years and have not had time to track social change in my environment. But why with things like our current presidential debate is there so much us & them? Where is our global village? I'll leave you with this.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rsL6mKxtOlQ
Essentially, sociability has dictated how we can and can't feel. Hate is very embarrassing emotion that many of us feel but are rarely free to express it. When a story like the one of the Stamford rapist comes to light, everyone rally's around the campfire to throw in their own log of hate (hopin' you're diggin' this metaphor). Feelings of hate are now validated. It's ok now to hate someone; this guy. Dumping all this putrid crap does nothing to better a cause as far as I can see. This article goes a bit deeper. http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/feminism/2016/06/does-outrage-over-stanford-rape-case-do-anything-help-victims
Now with the shootings in Orlando, as Obama said in reference to Oregon, "Our thoughts and prayers are not enough." We jump to sympathize, and send love, before we have time to develop our own feelings regarding news story. We've already been told how to feel. And I'm not saying everyone has a universal point of view on the issue, but the points of view most of us see on the internet reflect our own. When you click on a link from a left leaning news outlet, Facebook goes "oh, she leans to the left, let's show her more if that." And you are then caught in an echo-chamber with the rest of the mob as we invite ourselves in to hysteria. Just to give an idea of the reach of media conglomerates in the United States, take a look at this flow chart.
As you can see, we've basically still have five TV channels, so do you think it's likely that the views expressed by CNN do not go against the ultimate corporate interest of Time Warner?
Thus, my first big question: HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WE FEEL?
Secondly I've been noticing a transition from phonetic language to that of a more symbolic one. Like hyroglyphs and Chinese, our generation is beginning to communicate through media with GIFS, emojis, and the like. Whole conversations are shifting and becoming slightly more emotional and less literal. Someone may respond to a text with an actor from a film or tv show making a face. That face may encapsulate more about that persons personal response to that text than any words could. http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/7950460.html
My second question: HOW ARE EMOJIS AND THE LIKE AFFECTING HOW WE COMMUNICATE?
My final thoughts are about compartmentalizations. As things like gender are becoming more fluid, I am noticing gaps between groups of people and gaps within those groups that I was unaware of. I of course am only 23. I hopefully have a lot of discovery about culture and society ahead of me. But living in New York for a year I see a racial and economic divide I was unaware was so vast and so serious. Has it always been this bad and I'm just noticing finally? That seems the most logical response as I've only been here those measly 23 years and have not had time to track social change in my environment. But why with things like our current presidential debate is there so much us & them? Where is our global village? I'll leave you with this.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rsL6mKxtOlQ
Monday, June 13, 2016
Well I can't say I'm 100% certain what I'm even supposed to be doing but then again I can't help but feel that is the point. So here is my proposal:
A study of empathy in our society and how it is affected by media. Over the course of this week I hope to crystallize that a bit more and find a more specific angle on it, like "what can be done?" That sort of thing.
A couple of nights ago there was this shooting at a night club in Orlando and like the Paris attacks and this rapist at Stanford, social media is buzzing. It's amazing to be reminded that everyone has opinions and feeling on just about everything. Everyone wants to put in their two cents. Are these opinions unique? Is everyone tapped in an ever increasing echo chamber? Are people's points of view being leveled out to conform and belong?
My main concern is people on social media seem to feel obligated to express sympathy for a tragedy before knowing much about it. All they need are the basic words SHOOTING, RAPE, TERRORIST, OUTRAGE! And then they see their friends posting paragraphs about it and often times their own personal connection (arguably taking attention off of said tragedy and on to them "what about ME?") By following the fold do we rob ourselves of the ability to develop individual feelings? Just like language is so pervasive we literally cannot think without it, is our media and technology furthering a preoccupation with how we are perceived by others? Is this good or bad? Who knows? I'm gunna find out with this project. It'll be fun. Hopefully I'm on the right track.
A study of empathy in our society and how it is affected by media. Over the course of this week I hope to crystallize that a bit more and find a more specific angle on it, like "what can be done?" That sort of thing.
A couple of nights ago there was this shooting at a night club in Orlando and like the Paris attacks and this rapist at Stanford, social media is buzzing. It's amazing to be reminded that everyone has opinions and feeling on just about everything. Everyone wants to put in their two cents. Are these opinions unique? Is everyone tapped in an ever increasing echo chamber? Are people's points of view being leveled out to conform and belong?
My main concern is people on social media seem to feel obligated to express sympathy for a tragedy before knowing much about it. All they need are the basic words SHOOTING, RAPE, TERRORIST, OUTRAGE! And then they see their friends posting paragraphs about it and often times their own personal connection (arguably taking attention off of said tragedy and on to them "what about ME?") By following the fold do we rob ourselves of the ability to develop individual feelings? Just like language is so pervasive we literally cannot think without it, is our media and technology furthering a preoccupation with how we are perceived by others? Is this good or bad? Who knows? I'm gunna find out with this project. It'll be fun. Hopefully I'm on the right track.
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