New Media Cultures

It seems that in reality, we quickly get used to the fact that there are physical and social limitations that have a very real influence on our everyday lives. Often these restrictions can make us feel frustrated and stressed and we therefore seek to temporarily escape from 'reality'.
New media technologies such as computer games and gaming consoles allow us to do this.

Narrative form in general allows us to experience a world outside these limits of reality: we can momentarily escape the restrictions and strains of everyday life by becoming mentally and emotionally involved in a fictional world.
The closure, resolution and meaning of fictional narratives provides a frame that allows us to momentarily dismiss the real world outside. Even primitive media forms such as storytelling, that have no physical frame to separate the story-world from the real world, still have this attribute of inclusion and exclusion because as we are invited to direct our attention towards the fictional world and away from real life concerns.

However, in my experience, computer games allow for a special type of escapism. When we turn on a computer game, a whole new world of possibilities suddenly opens before us, allowing us to virtually transcend the boundaries between real life and the fictional world of the game. While a film or a book may ask us to block out the real world, computer games require the player to perform the fictional drama that unfolds in front of them, through their own participation. Thus not only removing us from 'reality', but mentally moving us into the 'virtual reality'

In relation to my recent post on the social networking sites, a couple of things have been brought to my attention that highlight the negative impact such forms of new media can have on society.
As i mentioned, these sites allow us to advertise ourselves along with our social activities within the digital world. However there is always the danger that this information may fall into the wrong hands. I mean do we really want our peronal information on display to the whole of cyber space?
The daily mail today shows a story that reads 'Birthday boy's father and brother battered by YouTube party gatecrashers'. The incident apparently followed details of a young boy's birthday party being posted on the website, in order to invite and inform his friends, however due to the 'open' nature of these sites this information was also available to a number of people who were not invited, and thus gatecrashed the party, causing acts of violence and criminal damage. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=487045&in_page_id=1770 (for full story)

It has also been brought to my attention that these sites are a haven for computer hackers, who simply 'add' you as a friend or to their contact list, and are then able to steal information from you personal computer. It is all very well 'embracing' this digital age, however we must proceed with caution.

I myself, along with many others have recently fallen victim to what can only be described as an internet phenomenon. Social network websites such as facebook, bebo and myspace have taken the internet by storm and are prime examples of new media forms that are being used to expand our social capabilities. Apparently if you Want to find out what’s going on with your friends, who are all on Facebook — you HAVE TO go through Facebook. Just like you had to subscribe to the local newspaper if you wanted to get news in the morning. The massive Popularity of these sites, especially in younger generations, appears to be creating a whole new 'online' youth culture.

Through these sites, we are able to literally 'upload' our identities into cyber space and interact with one another at the click of a mouse.
Such sites allow members to create online profiles of themselves which can then be viewed by almost anyone, anywhere.
This kind of technology literally allows us to 'exist' within cyberspace, and create our own 'online' persona of how we wish to be percieved. It is as though we are 'advertising' ourselves in order to increase our social status, creating a non-physical or a digital 'extension' of our human forms.

We could of course using such technology completely re-invent ourselves, creating a whole new identity without anyone even doubting who we are. We are able to meet and interact with people from all over the world, making friends with people we have never even met before, and even more strangely that we do not even know exist.

It has become apparent that in recent years, new media technologies have become commodities that we can access and use in our everyday lives.
Devices such as mobile phones and the internet, have undoubtedly enhanced our social and physical capabilities from an external perspective.
However, it now appears that our desires to evolve have reached the point where technology is now moving into the body itself, literally becoming part of our physical form in order for us to better ourselves both mentally and aesthetically.
These 'post-human' additions to ourselves can take many forms; drugs for example, such as steroids can be used to increase muscle growth, pushing our bodies further than their 'natural' capabilities, and effectively turning us into what could be classified as 'super-humans'.

Transhumanism has many forms, sometimes apparently contradictory. Its essence is that we humans can, and should continue to develop ourselves in all possible directions. The bodies and minds evolution has given us are wonderful, but far from perfect. They can be improved in many ways, and this can be done in a rational manner using science and technology. In the same way many other parts of the "Human Condition" may be changed through new methods and visions. In the long run, we will no longer be human anymore, but posthuman beings.
(Taken from, http://www.aleph.se/Trans/)

This 'Philosophy' of transhumanism highlights the direction technology is driving the human form, almost to the point where we are in a sense 'non-human'. when discussing such ideas, it is often the physical human form that is the subject to these technological 'enhancements'. Plastic surgery for example, originally developed to render the scars and dis-figurements of accident victims, has now become an extremely popular form of physical enhancement. If we are unhappy or disatisfied with our phsyical appearance then we can simply change it.

The work of Australian artist Stelarc, explores the concept of the 'posthuman' form to it's most extreme, his ideas include a robotic arm, which acts as an extension of the body and is controlled through nerve messages from his own body. A bizarre yet intriguing concept. info: http://www.stelarc.va.com.au/

I have found this area of study to be one of particular interest when thinking about the impact of new media technologies upon our physical human forms. It appears to be almost human nature in a sense that we strive to better ourselves, evolve and progress as individuals. Our most basic instinct of survival is one we no longer need to consider as part of our day to day routines, as within western society everything we need to simply 'survive' is often given, and taken for granted. We therefore strive to progress and evolve into something that extends much further than basic existence, enhancing our bodys both physically and mentally in order to achieve self-satisfaction, as well as improving our capabilities as human beings.

'What is a human being, then?'
'A seed.'
'A... seed?'
'An acorn that is unafraid to destroy itself in growing into a tree'

David Zindell, The Broken God

The concept of the 'cyborg' has existed for decades, and the notion of a half human, half robotic being was once merely a figment of science fiction novels and movies. However technological enhancements of the human form are becoming evermore common practice. Even primitive forms of technology, such as spectacles can be seen as an external enhancement of our bodies. Using this as an example we can also see how such technologies have advanced. when we look at the development of contact lenses, and more recently laser eye surgery, we are witnessing 'new media technology' in it's element. This kind of technological evolution simultaneously allows us to evolve as a species, providing solutions to the physical and mental drawbacks we encounter that hinder our capabilities.

The term 'cyborg' can also be used as a metaphor to characterize the kind of beings we are becoming. Even though the majority of technology in modern day society is not integrated into us physically as such, our reliance on these technologies is becoming an integral part of our lives.

Although i may somewhat be 'stating the obvious' here, i thought a good starting point would be to try to highlight/explain what we mean when using the term 'new media'. When discussing new media, i feel the keyword in explaining what we mean is 'technology'. It is through technology that we have advanced in all aspects of our lives, be it physically, socially and even mentally. However this evolution is not always necessarily something totally 'new', in the sense that these technological changes are simply advancements in the forms that already existed.
Until the 1980s media relied primarily upon print and analog broadcast models, such as those of television and radio. The last twenty five years have seen the rapid transformation into formsof media which are predicated upon the use of digital computers, such as the Internet and gaming consoles. The use of digital computers has also transformed the remaining 'old' media, as suggested by the advent of digital television. Even traditional media forms such as the printing press have been transformed through the application of technologies such as image manipulation software like Adobe Photoshop and desktop publishing tools. This new media, which relies essentially on digital technologies can be identified as a somewhat convergence from the analog to the digital age. We no longer make use of video cassette players or sony walkmans, when we have faster, better and more desirable forms available to us, i.e. dvd's and mp3 players. Academically the term 'new media' has been disputed, mainly due to the fact the technologies involved are now up to 25 years old, and therefore not new in the sense of recent innovations.

Welcome fellow web readers, to my new media blog. My primary aim over the next few weeks is to provide an analytical insight into the world of new media, providing subjects of discussion and debate surrounding the expansion and injection of new media technologies into both our physical and social lives. This blog is essentially part of my university degree, and much of the content will follow my progress in the 'New media Cultures' module i am currently studying. This does mean (unfortunately) i will be no doubt making direct reference to much of the academic and scholary literature surrounding the subject of new media cultures and technologies, and can only hope i achieve this in an insightful and somewhat informal manner...
(p.s this is my first blogging venture.. apologies if it turns out to be mind-numbingly dull!)
The Robot (Tom Scott).