YouTube - The Future of TV?

David Gauntlett argues that:

Web 1.0 - The Media where like Gods distributing content to the people.
Web 2.0 - Users produce content and distribute it on social networks to other users to view.

Baudrillard's, Strinati's and McDougall's ideas of postmodernism fit into the idea of Web 1.0. The "Media is Reality" (McDougall), Media Saturated Society (Strinati) and "Hyperreality"(Baudrillard). But Web 2.0 is a push back against this idea of the media's control; individuals create content and thereby reclaim the meaning. YouTube fits firmly in the Web 2.0 category.

This BBC documentary by "The Culture Show" explores the idea of users generating content, the audience and the future of YouTube.

 Click here to watch YouTube - The Future of TV?

From Structuralism to Postmodernism

As promised here is your homework... it is in many parts...

First, I want to discuss audience theory in more detail next week. Please read through and make notes on the audience theories covered in the 'Audience' presentation in this post: http://chalfontmediablog.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/a2-series-of-student-made-presentations.html

Then read the section on audience in the document, embedded in this post: http://chalfontmediablog.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/a2-more-media-theory-courtesy-latymer.html

Second, read through this quotation from Jameson again, and respond to the questions that follow:

"Jameson characterizes postmodern society with four elements: (1) superficiality and lack of depth; (2) the waning of emotion or affect; (3) a loss of historicity; and (4) new technologies. A consequence of this is that people are unable to make sense of an increasingly complex society."

• What are the implications of this?

• How does this support/develop the arguments and ideas that we have encountered with Strinati and Baudrillard?

Third, consider the following statements. Do they accurately reflect the ideas we encountered within each paradigm?

• Structuralism: The 'Media' has the power to control

• Post-structuralism: The 'Media' does not have control

• Postmodernism: The 'Media' is control

A2: Assignment No 2

The Matrix is real but it is not a product of mainstream media. It is self-made, constructed by the public, and proliferated by social networks. We are (knowingly) constructing personalised prisons for our minds; our realities essentially giant filter bubbles, made up of ideologies we accept. We are turning ourselves into thoughtless, marketing machines, exploited by the highest bidder.

To what extent do you agree with the sentiments above?

Make explicit reference to:

• The Matrix
• Baudrillard's theory of hyperreality
• Strinati's theories about media saturation and superficiality
• The ideas you encountered in the Boyd, Turkle, Handel, Rosen, Boder, Sunstein, and Keegan articles, including digital identity and the public sphere
• The ideas put across in Eli Pariser's TED talk
• Twitter discussion about friendship, digital self and instant gratification
• Video's about digital identity and digital self
• Notes from lessons and other discussions
• Any other research/reading that you have completed

Critical Perspectives: Postmodern Media

Follow the link below to access an electronic version of 'Postmodernism and the Media: An Introduction' document you were given today.

https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1rS88GITwxzmRjwg0wpqRqyI4PfrM_ltVDRfSShH6fyI


You will be able to access all of the links to videos, articles and key documents.

Regards,
Mr. M.