This week, we were tasked with a couple of readings and videos, with the first part of this blog post being a summary of Clark Shirky’s article; “How to find a village phone.”
The article displays an example of the transmedia or participatory culture that has since become commonplace in recent years. It starts off just as a simple story of one person, Ivanna, accidentally forgetting her phone in the cab she took to get home in New York City. This phone held a lot of information, most notably, that of all the officials and important persons to officiate a wedding. Ivanna asked her friend, Evan, if he could track down the phone. Evan came into contact with the person who had picked up the phone, a teenage mother by the name of Sasha, and was basically rudely denied the return of the phone.
This would cause Evan to utilize all of the communication and media knowledge that was at his immediate and accessible disposal, which would lead to countless coverage, opinions, helpful advice, insider information, and so much more interaction and connection than anyone would have considered 5-10 years prior. This eventually led to the phone being marked as “stolen,” and then Sasha being arrested and sentenced for theft rather than the case being ignored, ultimately leading to the phone being returned to Ivanna after everything was said and done. A lot of things had to come together in order for this to happen, and some important things to consider in regards to media and connective interaction in an age where not only viewing, but actively contributing to a story being told is more accessible now than it has ever been.
For starters, this sense of obsession and the sympathetic quality to someone wanting justice, to right a wrong that they have been denied, is something we can all feel for and get invested in. Why? Simple, it’s happened to all of us at some point in our lives, and now YOU could be a part in helping this out! Or, better yet, you don’t even have to do anything, you can just sit back and watch these real-life events unfold like a more engaging and saucy sit-com! There’s so much new technology that has advanced the inter-connectivity and communication between each other that stories and situations of plight are just a post to social media away from getting international, global attention. Group efforts are inherently something we want to get involved with, given the social nature of our species at large. We love to be connected and hear what stories the other has to say, and when enough people hear a story, well, let’s just say that with enough justification and reasoning as to why this thing should be done, many people can contribute copious amounts of assistance no matter where, who, or what position they are with just a few clicks of buttons. This was unthinkable over 2 decades ago, but now that the media outlets don’t have as dominant a control in what kind of media is produced and instead are put into the hands of ordinary, average people… We can tell stories to anyone and everyone willing to listen.
All that is to say, with this example of the stolen sidekick story, how we communicate, form groups, and ultimately reach a plausible promise as interested followers with the same access to social networks to integrate anyone who might be helpful, is now everywhere, and can happen anywhere, at any time.
The second part of the assignment was to watch 2 videos, being:
Then, choosing a third video of our own, which I have done here:
To compare these 3 videos, let’s break them down to their differences and similarities.
On the side of the differences, the two made by and featuring Henry Jenkins took place close to 2 decades ago, and are reflective of the time that they were produced, answering questions based on the future or potential that these things might have going forward, and being acutely aware of the massive, tectonic shifts of media technology whilst in the midst of said change. They were also made with someone who has a P.H.D. in Comparative Media Studies, who gave some of his expert insights and opinions on the current happenings. As for the 3rd video that I have chosen, this was clearly made by someone who was not of the same standing.
However, this was made in 2023, with over a decade of hindsight and information to show the shifts and changes of having a prolonged world with this much media integration and accessible communication behind it.
Yet, even with these differences, they both make similar claims and good cases as to why culture has this need, this sense of participation within these social networks. Even the 3rd video ends with some things taken directly from Jenkins!
Thank you for reading my blog! I hope I’ve done somewhat of an adequate attempt, and I feel like I’m already improving. I’m looking forward to next week’s post!
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