Emily Gould is an over sharer when it comes to blogging. Her job was to blog gossip about celebrities, and in her free time, she voluntarily put intimate details of her life on the internet as well. She built up a respectable fan base on both of the blogs and loved the attention that she was getting from them.
Her boyfriend, Henry, was more of an anti-blogger and barely got on the internet. When they broke up and she started dating a guy from work, she created a new blog with her friend. They used aliases, but wrote about their personal relationships. Soon, followers figured out who was writing the blog, and the details of real relationships in her life were exploited. Emily was so obsessed with blogging, that she sometimes ranked it ahead of her real life relationships, and put them in jeopardy.
Self expression is a part of human nature. But taken too far, and it can become over sharing. I have a friend on Facebook who writes 1,000 word blogs about himself nearly weekly, and it’s really unnecessary. Some are interesting, but he always goes into way too much personal detail. I was reminded of him when I read Gould’s Exposed.
Personally, I don’t blog much, maybe a few times a year. If you put your whole life story on the internet, then what is there to talk about when you hang out with your friends? I mean, they already know everything that happened to you this week because you’ve written it in your blog. And most things, I don’t want just anybody to know, because it’s my personal life. I feel like real communication happens when two people, or a group of people talk, or text, send emails. Compulsive blogging is just a way of desperately seeking attention from anyone who will listen. There isn’t much interaction happening.
Emily is an extreme example of how much the internet can take over your life if you let it. Our generation puts out a dangerous amount of information about ourselves on the internet. Not dangerous like identity theft, or scam, but dangerous in that blogging and other networking sites reveal a shocking amount of personal information that you may regret one day, like Emily.
I’m not against all forms of blogging. As I said before, I do blog a few times a year. It’s great when you are sharing useful information with others, like reviewing albums and books, and sharing recipes, or even just writing a small blurb on the last few months of your life. But becoming addicted to exploiting yourself on a regular basis is another thing all together. For me, it’s more important to focus on real life relationships instead of blogging about them.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Consumer Vertigo
Virginia Postrel writes in her article, Consumer Vertigo, about the vast amounts of choices we face in our daily lives. To her, the choices make us who we are, and they are a good thing. One year ago, I would have agreed with her, but now I do not. Decisions that should be simple or insignificant are made into complicated ordeals. When we go to the supermarket we are overwhelmed with brands and types and variations of the same product, and it doesn’t help us, it only confuses us. It doesn’t free us, it makes us more unhappy.
I had always enjoyed buying specific foods at the supermarket, but at the same time, it was time consuming. Standing in front of all the cheese options and assessing which I would choose, then bread, then sandwich meat, then cereal took a lot of time. I wasn’t a slow shopper, but to get through all of the aisles is a task.
Then, about a year ago I moved to London. I rented a room of a small home in the ghetto, and there were no supermarkets where I lived. The markets were no bigger than a one car garage, and there were no choices when it came to food. If you wanted bread, they had one loaf; milk, a carton that said milk; turkey sandwich meat, they had ham today. And it really bothered me for the first month. I didn’t want ham. And even if I did, I wouldn’t want that kind. I didn’t just want milk, I wanted 1%. The unfamiliar brands and Turkish labels stressed me out a little.
The second month came around, and the lack of choice didn’t bother me anymore. Shopping for food was easy now; I would just walk in, grab a few things and go home. I didn’t worry about not having that specific kind of cheese, any cheese would do.
Several months later, my friend came to visit me for two weeks. We both stayed in my tiny room and made our lunches to save on hotel and food costs. When I took her to a market, she was totally appalled at the lack of choice, as I tried to convince her to just pick something, but it was hard for her too.
Now, back in the states, when I go shopping I don’t care if the supermarkets have the brand of cereal that I was looking for, I just choose something else and go on. And I kind of miss just going in a store and making a 3 minute grocery stop. Bread, milk, cheese, cereal, apples, check out, and go home. No one needs to choose from forty different loaves of bread. We may like to, and like to think that in a way, our bread choice defines us, but it reveals our culture to be superfluous.
I didn’t realize how dependant I was on these products, until those were not an option at all. The lack of choice was liberating for me. I had to train myself to not be reliant on these brands and products that I was used to and once I did, it was, in a way, freeing. A year ago, I would have said that I disagree with Postrel’s article, because then I liked the variety and endless choices. Twenty different cheddars was great, because I could choose the one I wanted. Now, I feel all these choices are excessive, unnecessary, and a waste of time and space.
I had always enjoyed buying specific foods at the supermarket, but at the same time, it was time consuming. Standing in front of all the cheese options and assessing which I would choose, then bread, then sandwich meat, then cereal took a lot of time. I wasn’t a slow shopper, but to get through all of the aisles is a task.
Then, about a year ago I moved to London. I rented a room of a small home in the ghetto, and there were no supermarkets where I lived. The markets were no bigger than a one car garage, and there were no choices when it came to food. If you wanted bread, they had one loaf; milk, a carton that said milk; turkey sandwich meat, they had ham today. And it really bothered me for the first month. I didn’t want ham. And even if I did, I wouldn’t want that kind. I didn’t just want milk, I wanted 1%. The unfamiliar brands and Turkish labels stressed me out a little.
The second month came around, and the lack of choice didn’t bother me anymore. Shopping for food was easy now; I would just walk in, grab a few things and go home. I didn’t worry about not having that specific kind of cheese, any cheese would do.
Several months later, my friend came to visit me for two weeks. We both stayed in my tiny room and made our lunches to save on hotel and food costs. When I took her to a market, she was totally appalled at the lack of choice, as I tried to convince her to just pick something, but it was hard for her too.
Now, back in the states, when I go shopping I don’t care if the supermarkets have the brand of cereal that I was looking for, I just choose something else and go on. And I kind of miss just going in a store and making a 3 minute grocery stop. Bread, milk, cheese, cereal, apples, check out, and go home. No one needs to choose from forty different loaves of bread. We may like to, and like to think that in a way, our bread choice defines us, but it reveals our culture to be superfluous.
I didn’t realize how dependant I was on these products, until those were not an option at all. The lack of choice was liberating for me. I had to train myself to not be reliant on these brands and products that I was used to and once I did, it was, in a way, freeing. A year ago, I would have said that I disagree with Postrel’s article, because then I liked the variety and endless choices. Twenty different cheddars was great, because I could choose the one I wanted. Now, I feel all these choices are excessive, unnecessary, and a waste of time and space.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Is Google Making Us Stupid?
Nicholas Carr explores the effects and concerns of having a growing ease of obtaining the written word due to the internet in his article Is Google Making Us Stupid? One of the things Carr talks about is that he noticed that after having spent a lot of time on the internet, being used to the instant information, he was not able to concentrate on deep reading or long articles the way he used to. He says, “what the net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation.”
When I read for fun, it takes me a while to get through a book, and it is because I will read in 30 or 45 minute blocks, and then move to something else. I know people who can read a novel in a weekend, but even when I was on a long flight to London, it was hard to keep my focus on a book for very long. Because I grew up with the internet, it is hard for me to judge whether or not it had an effect on my attention span, but to me it seems like it would have.
I like to get my news in headlines or a few sentences, rather than reading an entire page. And frequently when I am busy I like to just ask a question in a text instead of bothering with a long phone conversation. I feel like our whole society has evolved and gravitated towards quickness, and the internet was just another component in the evolution, not the sole cause of this change.
One good way to illustrate the attention spans of Americans through the last few decades is to go back and look at the popular films. Watching Citizen Kane in the year of its release was probably very thrilling and exciting, but compared to a film released today its pacing is very slow. Scenes during this time period were much longer than they are today, and there was generally one main storyline or problem. Today there are many montages, short shots and scenes, more characters, more camera angles during scenes, and possibly several different stories all at one time. To me this is proof that our attention spans have gradually gotten shorter as time goes by.
I don’t think the invention of the internet ruined our concentration, but I don’t think it helped either. Americans have been gradually loosing focus for decades, and maybe it is in part the result of our increasingly busy lives, and the need for quicker information the internet can provide us. It is convenient for many people, and getting used to this quickness also makes it harder to concentrate on long pieces of literature. Though I have no concrete answer, Carr asks a good question. Is Google Making Us Stupid?
When I read for fun, it takes me a while to get through a book, and it is because I will read in 30 or 45 minute blocks, and then move to something else. I know people who can read a novel in a weekend, but even when I was on a long flight to London, it was hard to keep my focus on a book for very long. Because I grew up with the internet, it is hard for me to judge whether or not it had an effect on my attention span, but to me it seems like it would have.
I like to get my news in headlines or a few sentences, rather than reading an entire page. And frequently when I am busy I like to just ask a question in a text instead of bothering with a long phone conversation. I feel like our whole society has evolved and gravitated towards quickness, and the internet was just another component in the evolution, not the sole cause of this change.
One good way to illustrate the attention spans of Americans through the last few decades is to go back and look at the popular films. Watching Citizen Kane in the year of its release was probably very thrilling and exciting, but compared to a film released today its pacing is very slow. Scenes during this time period were much longer than they are today, and there was generally one main storyline or problem. Today there are many montages, short shots and scenes, more characters, more camera angles during scenes, and possibly several different stories all at one time. To me this is proof that our attention spans have gradually gotten shorter as time goes by.
I don’t think the invention of the internet ruined our concentration, but I don’t think it helped either. Americans have been gradually loosing focus for decades, and maybe it is in part the result of our increasingly busy lives, and the need for quicker information the internet can provide us. It is convenient for many people, and getting used to this quickness also makes it harder to concentrate on long pieces of literature. Though I have no concrete answer, Carr asks a good question. Is Google Making Us Stupid?
No Logo
As soon as I read a transcript of Naomi Klein on her No Logo book, I felt like I had already heard everything she had to say. She should have presented the information like: 'you have heard of the sweatshops, outsourcing, globalization, brand names, capitalism, mass advertising, etc., here is what it's doing to us, here is why it's bad, and here is what we need to do to stop this.' Instead, she wrote this article as if it was all new information to us and she was uncovering some shocking hidden truths, and gave us little suggestions on how to change things.
She talks about the idea that we have become more followers of a company than consumers. We come to identify with these brands and become faithful to the companies, like we are following rock stars or sports heroes, and I agree that as Americans we do that. We get attached to companies, for example, my friend in high school wore Adidas outfits and accessories every day. But so what? He liked their style, and they liked him as a customer.
More and more celebrities are creating their own line of clothing, or makeup, or purses, or jewelry, or whatever. We are buying the Sarah Jessica Parker perfume because we loved her in Sex and the City. It's not just endorsements, and we aren't buying it because she likes it, but it has her name on it, and she might have even had a say in the creation of it. We are buying it because we are faithful to her.
We are faithful to brands too, and I catch myself frequently going on and on about how great this designer is, or shoe brand is, and just advertising for them. And I think this is their goal. Their goal is not just to sell X amount of product, but to get people on their side and advocate for them. Just the other day I was defending Starbucks, saying they aren't really an evil machine because they hire all these poor coffee bean farmers and help them out. I'm not sure why we do it, or why I do it, but maybe it’s because we want to justify that we are getting a good deal and are satisfied with the money spent.
I don't understand the problem in doing this, or know why Naomi Klein thinks that its wrong. Everyone wants to have their own opinions on products and brands. If we try something and like it, what is wrong with going back to that company or telling our friends about it? Is it unnatural or too out of control to practice brand loyalty? Every time I need a new dress, I go to Betsey Johnson, not because I am manipulated, but because I like her line of clothes. Sure, companies are becoming rich, but we get what we want, and we are happy about it. I see no real problem or danger in brand faithfulness.
She talks about the idea that we have become more followers of a company than consumers. We come to identify with these brands and become faithful to the companies, like we are following rock stars or sports heroes, and I agree that as Americans we do that. We get attached to companies, for example, my friend in high school wore Adidas outfits and accessories every day. But so what? He liked their style, and they liked him as a customer.
More and more celebrities are creating their own line of clothing, or makeup, or purses, or jewelry, or whatever. We are buying the Sarah Jessica Parker perfume because we loved her in Sex and the City. It's not just endorsements, and we aren't buying it because she likes it, but it has her name on it, and she might have even had a say in the creation of it. We are buying it because we are faithful to her.
We are faithful to brands too, and I catch myself frequently going on and on about how great this designer is, or shoe brand is, and just advertising for them. And I think this is their goal. Their goal is not just to sell X amount of product, but to get people on their side and advocate for them. Just the other day I was defending Starbucks, saying they aren't really an evil machine because they hire all these poor coffee bean farmers and help them out. I'm not sure why we do it, or why I do it, but maybe it’s because we want to justify that we are getting a good deal and are satisfied with the money spent.
I don't understand the problem in doing this, or know why Naomi Klein thinks that its wrong. Everyone wants to have their own opinions on products and brands. If we try something and like it, what is wrong with going back to that company or telling our friends about it? Is it unnatural or too out of control to practice brand loyalty? Every time I need a new dress, I go to Betsey Johnson, not because I am manipulated, but because I like her line of clothes. Sure, companies are becoming rich, but we get what we want, and we are happy about it. I see no real problem or danger in brand faithfulness.
The Numbing of the American Mind
Thomas de Zengotita’s article “The Numbing of the American Mind; Culture as an Anesthetic” touches on many effects media and modern culture have on people, especially on emotional reactions. He suggests that we are too submersed in media, we have too many things going through our brain, we have too many choices, and the result is brief or indifferent emotional responses. He also talks about media creating a false reality and preconceived notions about many aspects of our lives.
Andy Warhol, the famous pop artist, used mass produced images and products in his art, such as Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy, Elvis, Coca Cola, Campbell’s soup cans, guns, dollar bills, lips, shoes, etc. His work symbolizes America’s obsession with consumer culture and mass media, and the replication of the mass produced. Many of his works were on a large canvas with the same image repeated numerous times. Some of the pictures may have altered coloring, but the main image was always the same.
"Isn't life a series of images that change as they repeat themselves?" – Andy Warhol
Warhol did a series of “Car Crash” pieces, repeating the same image of a crash many times on the same canvas. Instead of carefully looking at the one crash and taking it all in, the viewers eyes bounce around seeing glimpses of the same image. This repetition lessens the shock value and numbs the brain to nearly emotionless after a few seconds of viewing because it is so overwhelming. I think Warhol is demonstrating that this constant flow of media, like an image of a car crash, leaves our empathies calloused as if each viewing were a swipe of sandpaper, eventually hardening our emotions.
Andy Warhol, the famous pop artist, used mass produced images and products in his art, such as Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy, Elvis, Coca Cola, Campbell’s soup cans, guns, dollar bills, lips, shoes, etc. His work symbolizes America’s obsession with consumer culture and mass media, and the replication of the mass produced. Many of his works were on a large canvas with the same image repeated numerous times. Some of the pictures may have altered coloring, but the main image was always the same.
"Isn't life a series of images that change as they repeat themselves?" – Andy Warhol
Warhol did a series of “Car Crash” pieces, repeating the same image of a crash many times on the same canvas. Instead of carefully looking at the one crash and taking it all in, the viewers eyes bounce around seeing glimpses of the same image. This repetition lessens the shock value and numbs the brain to nearly emotionless after a few seconds of viewing because it is so overwhelming. I think Warhol is demonstrating that this constant flow of media, like an image of a car crash, leaves our empathies calloused as if each viewing were a swipe of sandpaper, eventually hardening our emotions.
"It's the movies that have really been running things in America ever since they were invented. They show you what to do, how to do it, when to do it, how to feel about it, and how to look how you feel about it. Everybody has their own America, and then they have the pieces of a fantasy America that they think is out there but they can't see." – Andy Warhol
Media finds a way to persuade thoughts and views, and creates preconceived notions and exaggerated fantasy. Hype is generated over new products or places, and maybe that new thing or place isn’t so bad, but you were expecting so much more that you are now let down. Warhol suggests film is the worst at leading people to believe in who they are supposed to be or, how life is supposed to happen, or how the world really is. It is harder to become skeptics of all the information that media gives us than it is to become numb to it. Listening and passively believing is one thing, but becoming emotionally respondent for every piece of advertising or news or image is a little unrealistic, and probably very exhausting. Yes, we agree that this car crash is terrible, but we have a self defense mechanism that allows us to not dwell on every piece of bad news that comes along. It isn’t that we don’t care, we just don’t have the mental strength to carry these burdens day after day, especially when we see things like car crash reports over and over again. We simply absorb the information, and move on.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Media Free Day
As an experiment for class we were asked to spend 24 hours without media - including music, radio, TV, film, and internet. Here are my thoughts on that day:
My usual morning routine is to get up and turn on my iPod while I am getting ready; it really helps me to wake up. Then I go over to my computer and check Facebook and my TU email. But this morning when I couldn’t do those things, I didn’t really know where to start. I got dressed and ready and had about 35 extra minutes that I didn’t really know what to do with. I put a load of laundry in the washing machine and moved yesterday’s dishes from the sink to the dishwasher, and still waiting for class time I did an extended version of my daily yoga. By this point I was really looking forward to going to class because I was feeling bored and needed human interaction, and at least some background noise.
When I got back from class, I wanted to go straight to my computer and check my AOL, MySpace, my ETSY store (in case I got a sale this morning), and Facebook, but I refrained. I started cleaning and cracked the window to get some road noise. I live in a single apartment, which I absolutely love, but during the daytime it gets very quiet, and without the TV or an iPod it’s very dull.
During lunch I almost always turn on the TV or talk on the phone while I make my food and eat, so today was very boring. I cleaned my apartment some and then started writing two papers for class this week. I found myself wanting to get on the internet several times to check facts and find additional info for the paper. I didn’t realize how much I rely on the internet throughout the day. Time was dragging on and the intensity of the feeling of boredom was increasing. I really felt the urge to check my email and shop.
Yoga and snacking replaced my periodic internet surfing study breaks. I kind of felt like I didn’t know what to do with myself. My afternoon and night class really broke up the day and I was actually looking forward to going. After my night class I ate dinner in silence, which was depressing, and started again on my homework, while wondering if anyone had commented on my MySpace or Facebook wall. By the end of the day, I was a little sad and lonely.
Being attached to media like TV and the internet is very time consuming I realized. But it is also a way to escape and be distracted from monotonous daily life, at least for me. Facebook and MySpace is my way of communicating with friends during the busy week, and it makes me feel good when people send me messages. It gives me a little something to look forward to while I am studying. I don’t like that I am in fact used to media being a part of my everyday life, and even feel uncomfortable without it, but it is something that I enjoy.
My usual morning routine is to get up and turn on my iPod while I am getting ready; it really helps me to wake up. Then I go over to my computer and check Facebook and my TU email. But this morning when I couldn’t do those things, I didn’t really know where to start. I got dressed and ready and had about 35 extra minutes that I didn’t really know what to do with. I put a load of laundry in the washing machine and moved yesterday’s dishes from the sink to the dishwasher, and still waiting for class time I did an extended version of my daily yoga. By this point I was really looking forward to going to class because I was feeling bored and needed human interaction, and at least some background noise.
When I got back from class, I wanted to go straight to my computer and check my AOL, MySpace, my ETSY store (in case I got a sale this morning), and Facebook, but I refrained. I started cleaning and cracked the window to get some road noise. I live in a single apartment, which I absolutely love, but during the daytime it gets very quiet, and without the TV or an iPod it’s very dull.
During lunch I almost always turn on the TV or talk on the phone while I make my food and eat, so today was very boring. I cleaned my apartment some and then started writing two papers for class this week. I found myself wanting to get on the internet several times to check facts and find additional info for the paper. I didn’t realize how much I rely on the internet throughout the day. Time was dragging on and the intensity of the feeling of boredom was increasing. I really felt the urge to check my email and shop.
Yoga and snacking replaced my periodic internet surfing study breaks. I kind of felt like I didn’t know what to do with myself. My afternoon and night class really broke up the day and I was actually looking forward to going. After my night class I ate dinner in silence, which was depressing, and started again on my homework, while wondering if anyone had commented on my MySpace or Facebook wall. By the end of the day, I was a little sad and lonely.
Being attached to media like TV and the internet is very time consuming I realized. But it is also a way to escape and be distracted from monotonous daily life, at least for me. Facebook and MySpace is my way of communicating with friends during the busy week, and it makes me feel good when people send me messages. It gives me a little something to look forward to while I am studying. I don’t like that I am in fact used to media being a part of my everyday life, and even feel uncomfortable without it, but it is something that I enjoy.
Media Autobiography
This is a quick autobiography of my media exposure and interests through my life.
When I was in elementary school I was only allowed to watch television on the weekends, and was encouraged by school and family to read in my free time. In the last few years I have not done as much pleasure reading because of my busy life, but my favorite author today is Chuck Palahniuk, a satirical novelist.
I grew up in a fine arts loving family, with lots of exposure to film, music, theater and visual art. I have always loved music and attend several concerts every year. My favorite musicians have very thoughtful messages and sometimes politically charged ideas. My newest addiction is Sirius Satellite Radio, where I especially love the guest celebrity DJs.
I also love film and enjoy art films and classics like The Godfather, I’m Not There, The Departed, Do The Right Thing, and Lars and the Real Girl. I have never been a big TV watcher but I do usually have one or two shows that I am very loyal to; for the last few years it has been Grey’s Anatomy and Lost.
I have always avoided watching local news on TV because I think the coverage is biased and the vast majority of stories are a waste of time, but I do love the Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. My family regularly watches local and world news and I feel they wildly overestimate crime and accidents and receive a one sided view of the world.
I admit to relying on the internet a little too much. I check email and facebook everyday, have my own art store on ETSY, and check the latest film and album reviews frequently.
This past spring I spent 6 months in London where I did not have a TV, and only had access to a business phone. Without these things, I was never in the house, but was out exploring London. After a couple of months without a phone or TV I got very used to it and it actually made me feel better not being so attached to them.
When I was in elementary school I was only allowed to watch television on the weekends, and was encouraged by school and family to read in my free time. In the last few years I have not done as much pleasure reading because of my busy life, but my favorite author today is Chuck Palahniuk, a satirical novelist.
I grew up in a fine arts loving family, with lots of exposure to film, music, theater and visual art. I have always loved music and attend several concerts every year. My favorite musicians have very thoughtful messages and sometimes politically charged ideas. My newest addiction is Sirius Satellite Radio, where I especially love the guest celebrity DJs.
I also love film and enjoy art films and classics like The Godfather, I’m Not There, The Departed, Do The Right Thing, and Lars and the Real Girl. I have never been a big TV watcher but I do usually have one or two shows that I am very loyal to; for the last few years it has been Grey’s Anatomy and Lost.
I have always avoided watching local news on TV because I think the coverage is biased and the vast majority of stories are a waste of time, but I do love the Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. My family regularly watches local and world news and I feel they wildly overestimate crime and accidents and receive a one sided view of the world.
I admit to relying on the internet a little too much. I check email and facebook everyday, have my own art store on ETSY, and check the latest film and album reviews frequently.
This past spring I spent 6 months in London where I did not have a TV, and only had access to a business phone. Without these things, I was never in the house, but was out exploring London. After a couple of months without a phone or TV I got very used to it and it actually made me feel better not being so attached to them.
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