Media Convergence & Participatory Culture in Films

I previously commented on Henry Jenkins' and his analysis on media convergence and knowledge cultures, so you can only imagine my excitement that he was featured in our readings for the week.

Jenkins' investigates the film world in this paper, using Star Wars, one of the world's most famous fan films as the variable for comparison of filmmaking and media convergence. He highlights the corporate movement towards media convergence and the innovation of new tools and platforms that revolutionize media content:

"These fan films build on long-standing practices of the fan community but they also reflect the influence of this changed technological environment that has dramatically lowered the costs of film production and distribution.

What emerged are new strategies of content development and distribution designed to increase the "synergy" between the different divisions of the same company. Studios seek content that can move fluidly across media channels. "

He discusses the new media innovations that have revolutionized the film industry, how media convergence is changing the way us consumers, well...consume. With the abundant amount of media platforms for distribution, sharing, and more, it's even affecting the way we are fans: 

"Such an approach requires the constant development of media content that can provoke strong audience engagement and investment. For this synergy-based strategy to be successful, media audiences must not simply buy an isolated product or experience but rather must buy into a prolonged relationship with a particular narrative universe, which is rich enough and complex enough to sustain their interest over time and thus motivate a succession of consumer choices."

Jenkins uses Star Wars as an example of the effect of convergence and participatory culture, but I couldn't help but think of Harry Potter as an excellent example of a movie saga. Not only has the Harry Potter saga been developing alongside technological innovations, but it is an idea example of participatory culture, which Jenkins' explains: 

"Patterns of media consumption have been profoundly altered by a succession of new media technologies which enable average citizens to participate in the archiving, annotation, appropriation, transformation, and recirculation of media content. Participatory culture refers to the new style of consumerism that emerges in this environment." 

This photo was taken of a movie theater the night the 6th Harry Potter movie was released.

Harry Potter has created a subculture of fans that recreate, analyze, and discuss each and every book, movie, and concept of the story-line. From huge online group communities to book clubs, these fans have obsessed through various platforms. These are also the very fans that, like Star Wars, will camp out in front of the movie theater dressed in Harry Potter costumes waiting and discussing the film with one another. What's interesting is that the saga is not just for children, while the author may write a book about wizards, her writing is extremely sophisticated and with underlying meanings. This is the exact reason that J.K. Rowling's books have won over the hearts of both children and adult fans. 

Enter technology.

Add in new media platforms of communication and distribution of media content, and watch as media convergence revolutionizes participatory culture. We've seen the same effect of Star Wars and Harry Potter with Lost fans, Survivor Fans (discussed by Jenkins' in his book Convergence Culture), and most recently, the twi-hard "Twilight" fans. 

A Rape in Cyberspace

Loved this:

"Here on the brink of a future in which human life may find itself as tightly enveloped in digital environments as it is today in the architectural kind...

It asks us to shut our ears momentarily to the techno-utopian ecstasies of West Coast cyberhippies and look without illusion upon the present possibilities for building, in the on-line spaces of this world, societies more decent and free than those mapped onto dirt and concrete and capital. 

It asks us to behold the new bodies awaiting us in virtual space by their phantom powers, and to get to the crucial work of sorting out the socially meaningful undazzled differences between those bodies and our phsyical ones.

And most forthrightly, it asks us to wrap our late-modern ontologies, epistemologies, sexual ethics, and common sense around the curious notion of rape by voodoo doll - and to try not to warp them beyond recognition in the process."

Best Quote from The Social Network Movie

"I think if your clients want to sit on my shoulders and call themselves tall, they have the right to try - but there is no requirement that I enjoy sitting here listening to people lie.

You have part of my attention, the rest of my attention is back at the offices of Facebook, where my colleagues and I are doing things that no one in this room, including and especially your clients, are intellectually or creatively capable of doing.

If you guys were the inventors of Facebook...

then you'd have invented Facebook." 

~Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg: The Antithesis of all that is social

To add to the awesomeness of this class, our class took a field trip to watch the movie that epitomizes our social interactions for the past half decade: The Social Network.

In a nutshell, the movie was more focused on the trials and tribulations of Harvard-genius and Facebook-founder, Mark Zuckerberg. The plot-line was filled with stories of betrayal and lawsuits between Zuckerberg and his best friend, Eduardo, as well as the Winklevoss twins who claimed that he had stole their idea. 

The best part of the movie was that every person walked out with a different view. I personally did not find Mark Zuckerberg at fault. I do believe that he lacked major social skills and loyalty to friends, but I don' t believe that he stole the idea. Mark Zuckerberg did exactly what he said he did: took an idea, and made it better. 

Ironically enough, the most socially awkward individual has epitomized social interaction. He was able to take real life social interactions and virtualize it on the internet, giving people the ability to meet, greet, and socialize with one another via this new media platform. Taking the idea of a "online friends" and the Winklevii's college dating site, Zuckerberg took college social interactions to a whole new level, and made it easier for socially awkward individuals like himself to interact. Hiding behind his computer screen, he began with his blog as a form of expression, followed by "Facemash.com" that was inspired by a break up and a few beers. His website gave men the opportunity to judge women virtually in ways that would deem completely inappropriate and sexist in real life. Then finally, he created "The Facebook", the simplest yet most revolutionary concept of our social lives...but on the internet. 

While I understand that the movie may not be completely accurate of real life events, seeing Mark Zuckerberg in interviews and in the media has confirmed his social awkwardness. The most fascinating bit of it all is that after the hours of coding, the friendships lost, the enemies made, and the millions...sorry, billions of dollars earned - it was all done simply for the social acceptance of a woman.  

Friend Requested: Waiting for Acceptance.

Hiding behind our computer screens

At the tap of a mouse and behind the screens of our computers lies a parallel universe where everything is fair game. A place where in knowing that their identity is protected, individuals find a bolder sense of self and ability to speak their mind; a place commonly known as the Internet. As the co-creator of an opinion-based blog, it wasn’t until recently that the subject of anonymity raised such curiosity as a vital issue in communication. The difference in context and attitudes changes drastically when authors find themselves able to hide behind a pseudonym and say things they would not otherwise say in person. Via the Internet, we find that it is easier to speak more boldly than if face-to-face with our audience. While the significance of this issue has an effect on the general genre of media, in light of modern times and the core subject of this class, I chose to focus on the effect of anonymity on behavior in online communication and journalism. In a nutshell, what makes writers more bold and brave in what they write when they know that their identity is protected? And more importantly, when is this privileged freedom of speech without responsibility taken too far?

This is how I began a paper I wrote last year for my journalism class about the effect of anonymity and identity on online journalism and communication. While the paper was geared towards the class topic of journalism, I emphasized how the veil of our computer screens has allowed people to express themselves in ways that may or may not be appropriate in the real world. By providing a virtual world and an opportunity to use a fake name, we have opened the door to endless possibilities of behavior, both negatively and positively.

As you can see, I couldn't have been more excited when approaching this subject this week...as geeky as that sounds, it's true. As a psychology minor in my undergraduate studies, I find myself fascinated with the way the mind works and the mediums that our outside world provide for it's manifestation. 

This week, we read Sherry Turkle's article on "Cyberspace and Identity", an article dubbed "outdated", yet in my view, is still applicable in respect to the subject. Her article focused on impact of the internet on identity and persona. Turkle discussed how the internet allows for role playing, multiple personas, and virtual lives. The word virtual life is now synonymous with the program "Second Life", a popular online program that allows people to literally live a second life in a virtual world. They build both physical avatars and personality features and engage with other users in work, personal relationships and friendships, and even sexual relationships. 

It has given people a second chance. 

And a third chance. 

And a fourth chance. 

And as many chances as a person wants for themselves in an endless virtual world that allows it and provides infinite possibilities. 

Turkle noted that "some feel an uncomfortable sense of fragmentation, some a sense of relief. Some sense the possibilities for self-discovery." Through community forums, knowledge cultures, blogging, chatting, etc. individuals are free to express themselves, change themselves, re-build themselves, or even "'act out' unresolved conflicts" in their identity on the internet, as explained by Turkle. 

Online, an introverted individual can become an extrovert and the most popular character, or even find more comfort in expressing themselves and engaging in conversation with others (as used in dating websites). In contrast, an extrovert can find solace in being alone as they surf the net and navigate through the virtual world, or utilize blogging as an online diary of sort to share deeper characteristics. Physical images can be changed with an avatar. Everything that you like or dislike in the real world can be changed with a touch of a button.

My paper argued that the use of anonymity on the internet provides a vehicle of emotions and expressions that they would shy away from in real life, either due to their personality or whether or not is culturally acceptable. The invention of the Internet gave human nature a shield to all that is unacceptable in real life, it gave them the opportunity to speak their mind and even change their personality without fear of retribution or judgement. Protected identity provides the liberation to speak freely without fear of consequences; a concept Turkle agrees with in her explanation of persona experimentation in a consequence-free environment. 

But is it really consequence-free?

Do our actions in the virtual world have any reflections in the real world? Of course. We discussed before how social networks have drastically changed our lives. As Clay Shirky said in his book, Here Comes Everybody, "When we change the way we communicate, we change society" ...and not just online.

From a personal level to political levels, our actions behind our computer screens resonate in the real world. Bloggers have been tried for political treason, even those with pseudonyms. Relationships are make and break online using dating websites, social networks, and even Second Life. There have been reports of divorces caused by adultery on Second Life, but infidelity on Facebook, etc. Our friendships are changed in real life with the click of a "de-friend" button. 

I could go on forever about the topic of the psychological effects of the internet on human personalities. As technology grows more and more a part of our lives, the way we communicate and function as a society changes as well. 

The internet has allowed us to live parallel lives, what is important to consider is how we utilize the tools it gives us and how it changes us as individuals, and as societies. 

Obama in 140 characters

How is social networking changing the world?

Well, for starters, our President is on Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace now.

The 2008 Presidential elections were famous for more than just the first African-American and first woman candidates, but for their communication strategies. President Obama's campaign manager was extremely recognized for his push for the use of social networking to get to voters. As a voter, I was personally impressed at the amount of blogging, tweeting and Facebooking that the Obama campaign used, which is why I'm not surprised that the White House is now blogging.

As our own nation changes it's form of communicating, will that change society like Clay Shirky claimed in his book, Here Comes Everybody? How will the government's use of social networking change our nation?

The use of these platforms will also provide multiple platforms for citizens to communicate back to their government - both positively and negatively. With Twitter feeds updating at the speed of light these days, it will be fascinating to see how citizens and well as the government will utilize these platforms to regulate feedback.

Perhaps our State of the Union will soon be limited to 140 characters on Twitter?

"Give me a place to stand and a lever long enough, and I will move the world."

This week, we were assigned to read Clay Shirky's book, Here Comes Everybody, which really put into perspective how social media has revolutionized organizations. 

The book began with a story and a few quotes that really resonated with me:

"Give me a place to stand and a lever long enough, and I will move the world." 

Knowing the story makes that quote that much more powerful. The story that Shirky began with was that of Ivanna, Evan, Sascha, and a phone. As many of us have done or will at one point in our lives, Ivanna forgetfully left her phone in a taxi. Having a friend that works in computer programming, she called on Evan to help try to track her Sidekick phone. Eventually, Evan and Ivanna located the phone in the possession of a teenager that through inappropriate responses, refused to return the phone to its owner. Frustrated, Evan took to his computer and the power of the virtual world. To make a long story short, through the power of social media and networking, as well as a well-versed and persistent friend: websites were crashing with debates on theft, the army was notified of a military officer's behavior, the police was pressured to change a report, and a teenage girl was arrested. 

"When we change the way we communicate, we change society." 

The story of Ivanna's phone was all a result of the power of how communication has changed. Shirky further discusses how much of the influence of the phone case was due to the formation of groups and collective opinion on the internet. He looks at social activity on the internet and how technological innovations have revolutionized those activities, opening up an entire new world of possibilities. 

How can we deny that? Let's face it, forming groups has become much easier. Looking at Facebook alone, each one of us is probably a member of 10-20 groups of things we like and dislike. Between Facebook, Twitter, and the hundreds of thousands of forums, the internet has made it easier for individuals to associate themselves with a number of groups. 

While reading this, I couldn't help but remember a book that we read in CCTP 505 (our program's introductory course), Henry Jenkin's Convergence Culture. In his book, Jenkins discusses the importance of collective intelligence or "knowledge cultures" in groups, by using examples of forum groups for reality TV shows such as "Lost" and "Survivor". The internet has facilitated the vehicles of group interests and collective opinion, behavior, and actions. While some groups come together in forums to discuss the next "Survivor", others come together to protest political campaigns, marketing campaigns, and now even teenagers with lost phones. Regarding the issue of the lost phone, Shirky highlighted that Evan's followers were people that had experienced a similar situation and/or sympathized with lost and stolen property, as well as had strong support for justice to be served. Jenkins' acknowledged this sense of emotion in his book: "Emerging knowledge cultures are voluntary, temporary, and tactical affiliations. People only remain in affinity groups as long as they meet the emotional and intellectual needs of the individual" (Jenkins 57).

Via technology, Sascha's arrest was an indirect result of group actions. Whether or not it was a harsh punishment or not, Evan provided another opportunity for individuals to come to together as a group and influence action.