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By: Tenzin, Olivia, and Steven.
Author: t.damdul
Women in Sport Gaming Industry
For years sport video games did not include women players in their games, but in 2016, EA Sports included women players in their FIFA series. This is because the sport gaming industry is fueled but men and modeled after popularity of sport in real life. For instance, the NBA (men’s pro league) is popular around the world and broadcasted around the world. The WNBA (women’s pro league) is not so popular and not always broadcasted on TV. This is because the viewership of men’s basketball is higher than women, resulting in women not being featured in games and receiving a significantly lower salaries. This is all controlled by the market and fans. Therefore going back to why FIFA 16 included women players? Because of the rise of U.S. women soccer and rise in number of fans. This resulted in EA including women players in the game.
In this article, it explains a study where it found that 80% of female characters in games were, “sexualized, barely dressed, or portrayed as beautiful”. FIFA however falls under the 20% of games that don’t sexualize female character. It’s inclusion of women was to expand its market and supply the demand for the increased number of women soccer fans. According to Lisa Nakamura, we should focus on the monority group and view it a potential new markets, “Commercial sites such as these tend to view women and minorities primarily as potential markets for advertisers and merchants rather than as “coalitions”” (Nakamura 9). This is what EA has done with their FIFA soccer franchise. Also EA has included women to give its current players option to choose their gender in the game contrary to their real life gender. “first, that, indeed, the gender of your online representation is a choice and that you can choose the opposite gender of your real-life gender (gender swapping)” (Schaap 238). This quote explain another example where the market dictates the outcome of the video game.
- Do you think video games such as Grand Theft Auto has the power of shaping how we view things?
- Do you think, that by not sexualizing women and men in video games, video games can still perform well? Or has that change become part of certain video game franchise?
What does the future hold?
Why is social media so relevant and a part of our lives? Well the basic concept of social media (socializing) has been around before the evolution of internet. In the past people would gather in physical places to conduct business and socialize. So with the improvement of technology, today the only thing different is that majority of those activities are done through the internet and as technology advances there is a chance where all of these activities will be conducted online. Since accessibility of internet is a concern of many people around the world, I do believe that as we make great leaps in advancement of technology, we will be able to reach everyone eventually.
This video shows some shifts from old to new ways
I would like the growth of advancement in technology to continue so we can build platforms online where we can find cooler ways of communicating online and it becomes more engaging for the users. For example Manovich in his reading describes on way internet has changed how we conduct daily operations, “If before a customer would get the information or buy the product by interacting with a company employee, now she has to spend her own time and energy navigating through numerous menus to accomplish the same result” (Manovich 44). I am very excited to see the types and forms of social media we will be using in the future. In this article it states two new features that can become huge for different social media platforms. But one thing I wish to see change is where companies will look at us users as more than numbers. As stated in chapter 4 reading, “prioritize easily quantifiable measures (e.g., numbers of views, numbers of followers, numbers of fans) over more qualitative measures of audience engagement and participation” (Jenkins 176). This quote states what is important for marketer but I believe that both quantitative and qualitative data is important for the next step in digital communications. This will allow both sides to benefit from one another, companies can improve by listening and the users will feel important and feel more attached to the platform, generating more participation.
- Do you think us as “Lurkers” have any influence in changing how corporate companies view us?
- Do you think the popularity of social media can slow down?
Do You Read It?
This documentary is informative on how corporate companies and government work together to surveil on people. Today corporate giants such as Facebook and Google have become the ruler of todays society. Social network for us today have become a Need and privacy is just the sacrifice we must pay. For example Andrejevic in his article brings up the example of googles free wifi and how using it was generally free but technically you were offering valuable information about yourself to third party companies (Andrejevic 1). Government agencies relation with these companies have become friendly, where they help each other. As stated in the film, government agencies requests information on thousands of people from Facebook. For example Paul Edwards conclusion in his article states that computers were build and funded by the military (Edwards 73), and now the evolution of technology has shifted the interest to surveillance.
Throughout the documentary I was shocked by some facts that I was not aware of before. First the fact that TOM TOM has been sharing speeding info on its navigation system users in the Netherlands to local authorities to issue tickets. Secondly it was surprising to find out the amount of surveillance companies in existence who sell their technologies to government agencies to help with surveillance. Lastly the story of an innocent child who posted his concerns for the president but keywords from his sharing on social media had raised flag on the CIA system. All three of these are dependable strictly data collected by programmed system, which doesn’t always judge correctly and can raise serious concerns.
Here in this Article it explains how surveillance is conducted and who buys majority of the information.
To conclude, after watching the documentary, “Terms and Conditions May Apply“, I see the importance of reading what you are agreeing to but still I will overlook and skip straight down to “Accept” when I sign up for something. This is because in reality this is my only option. In todays society time is valuable and not using a common platform used by the masses can put you behind in what is relevant today and the future.
- Do you think whistle blowers have helped raise public’s awareness towards privacy in the recent years?
- Do you see a future where privacy can be restored or do you think it’s too late for a change?
Selling Your Information
Personal information is very valuable in today’s digital world. During my time on the Web this past week, I purchased a pair of sneaker online and most likely the information I used during checkout is all stored on the companies database. The information submitted includes, Name, address, age from the account created, phone number, and credit card information.
Although we want our information to be kept private, it is not possible in this digital age. Therefore I don’t mind certain information of mine being shared for marketing purposes, such as name and age but credit card information is the type of information that I feel nervous about entering online because it can be hacked and is more valuable than the rest for me personally. And when companies track your movement and use your credit card information without you knowing, then it becomes an issue that is crossing the boundaries of privacy. For Example in this Article, it talks about Uber tracking its drivers movement and using customers credit card information to see if they have any ties with governmental agencies. Also when you don’t know when you are being watched or tracked, it creates a different persona in a person and instills fear of being under constant watch. For example Foucault sharing the example of the British prison model which is how today we are still observed. “At the heart of Bentham’s ‘panopticon’ was the recognition that the best way to controlling the behaviour of prison inmates was to give them the impression that they were under constant observation” (Pg 212).
According to Mark Andrejevic, digital surveillance is used by companies where the information on their customers becomes valuable to other parties. “Information that may eventually be sold to third parties or used by marketers for targeted advertising campaigns” (Andrejevic, 2). Also Andrejevic provides us with example where he suggests, how digital transactions generates more information being shared as to in person transaction which gives you an option to pay for goods and service with cash where no information is being shared. I agree with this concept because it is true but I believe online transaction are more favored today because of its convenience over in person transaction.
When searching online on Google, I am aware of Ad based search results, which are often the first one or two results with a small “AD” symbol. I try to not click those link because then whatever I searched will pop up on other sites which include advertisements. But in terms of illegal download, I use to download music online illegally but now for me music streaming service is much more convenient and gives me access to broader selection of music. And for protection I have an anti virus software where it warns me before entering a potential risky websites.
- In terms of Digital surveillance, is there any positive outcome for the consumer, when companies share information with other parties? or is it only beneficial for the companies involved in this exchange?
- We know our information is being shared with other parties but yet still continue to perform transactions online, Why do you think we continue? Do you think we have a choice or is this the consequence we have to face in using the internet?
Facebook’s Mutual Connection
For this Blogpost, I interviewed my mom about her presence on Social media.
What social media platforms and apps they have used now and in the past?
“Umm, Currently I use Facebook the most, followed by WeChat and WhatsApp. In the past I didn’t use any Social Media.”
Do they use their real name(s)? Have they ever used aliases or created fake accounts? Why?
“Yes, I use my full name because it helps others find me. Especially my long lost childhood friends. I don’t use any other fake account or name because I don’t have time to keep up with multiple accounts and I don’t see any point of it for me to create a fake account.”
What different personas do they construct in each of these platforms and how do they relate to aspects of their experiences in life?
“I guess, I portray myself on Facebook as a family oriented mother, who really loves her three children. and same for WeChat.”
Do the digital personas they construct help them cope with the problems they face or do they create new problems? In what ways?
“I definitely think it helps because my friends and family back in India can keep up with what our family is up to and update on things happening in my life.”
After this interview I realized that the older generation seems to use Social Media similar to the younger generation. I use my Facebook same way as my mom but I mostly use it to keep up with current news similar to how I use twitter. But sharing of photos for me is done on Instagram but the purpose is same, where it is to show people distanced from me what I am up to.
As stated by Turkle in Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age if the Internet, he suggests that people use the digital interface to vent out their real world problems so it can be a form of therapy. “In my interviews with people about the possibility of computer psychotherapy, a ventilation model of psychotherapy came up often as a reason why computers could be therapists. In the ventilation model, psychotherapy makes people better by being a safe place for airing problems, expressing anger, and admitting to fears” (Turkle, 199). I witness this use of computer Psychotherapy on my timeline often. Whether it is someone complaining about slow walking people in the streets or their frustration on a manager who can not seem to provide them with a raise, this is all a form of what Turkle calls computer psychotherapy. They are expressing their views on things/someone online because their is far less consequences.
In connection, author of Digital Media and Society, Adrian Athique, suggests that Social media and the internet should be considered more than just a platform of information exchange but rather as, “conduits for language, as technological-sensory interfaces, as transmitters of ideology, as sites of debate and as sources of pleasure” (Athique, 79).
As of today we all know of that one person who seems to use social media to express his/her feelings and vent out whatever he/she might be thinking. One that we all know is Donald Trump. According to this Article, Trump has tweeted multiple times on the allegations on Barack Obama tapping his phone during the election. Whether this allegation upholds or not, we all seem to use social media today as our personal therapist, who is accessible 24/7 a day.
- Do you think Venting your personal problems on Social Media is okay or should it be kept to one self? and how often do you vent online?
- Do you believe creating multiple personas online can lead to a positive outcome or negative?
The Future Mode of Transportation
Tesla Inc. is a known car manufacturer throughout the automotive industry and as well as in the Tech industry, for its sporty, aerodynamic shaped vehicles and its feature of self driving car computer system. From a recent article in the Daily Mail UK, World’s first self-driving Tesla taxis are set to hit the roads in Dubai by 2020, shows how Tesla inc. has gained trust in its electric self driving cars from a nation that has build its fortune from oil.
The authors purpose of writing this article is to inform people on the position of Tesla as a company and its growth and expansion into newer global market. Many of us might be hesitant to let a computer become our personal driver but this however is the future, as gradually more companies are including/planning on self driving car feature in its vehicle, as listed in this article. Expanding into a country who is rich in oil and open to using fully electric self driving vehicle is huge for the Tesla inc. and for the future of the automotive industry. The evidence from this reporting ca be analyzed by other countries who maybe want to move in this direction to have more sufficient cars on the road.
The findings in this article is to show the possibilities in our future to having self driving car just as an added feature in cars, just as we have lane departure warning as an option to be added in today’s car. Maybe A.M. Turing was right when he predicted that machines may be able to think in fifty years in 1950. “I believe that in about fifty years’ time it will be possible, to programme computers, with a storage capacity of about 109, to make them play the imitation game so well that…”(Turing,8). Although it will take people to get used to it at first, I believe that like every new technology, we as humans will adapt to it slowly. The use of Self driving taxis can also become a tourist attraction for many and benefit Dubai’s economy for the time being. Although it’s in early stages, one thing missing from this article is more information on how Tesla operates its self driving vehicles.
From the list of Lee Manovich’s new media principles, Self driving car falls under the characteristic of Automation because sensors and the software behind the Tesla vehicles uses “high-level” automation. According to the article by Manovich high level automation is automation, “which requires a computer to understand, to a certain degree, the meanings embedded in the objects being generated” (Manovich, 32). In this case when a sensor detects and an object, it is embedded in the computer to slowly slow down to stop.
- My first question would be, will you trust a self driving Uber car to pick you up and take you to your destination?
- Secondly, although Tesla has proven what its computers in its car can do, Do you think that fully self driving car will ever come to NYC where it’s constantly stop and go traffic?
Hunt For a New DSLR Camera
It seems like my hour journey on the internet was just five minutes ago. I am pretty sure we all sometimes get so absorbed on the net that we loose track of time, maybe that is because laptops and cellphones are our new television and digital social device. It keeps us entertained and busy. The internet to me is, a never ending digital quest of a common man in search of a question.
In my case the question was, what camera should I buy?
First I searched on google, the difference between Nikon and Canon. Then I searched and narrowed my decision to the different models that fit my budget. Of course I clicked on a google AD site, on top of all searches, which now will display camera advertising on my computer for a while. Also viewed some youtube review videos. While I was in search, my friend called me about some limited edition sneakers that were releasing soon, so then I put him on speaker and had a mini phone meeting about sharing information on how and where it might be releasing, while reading some sneaker/fashion Blogs.
In the pre-digital era, to find a camera fit for me, I would have to go to a store and ask an expert on the differences between cameras. Due to the digital era we can now obtain and find answers to our question in minutes from different inputs from professionals on the web/blogs. One activity that still remains the same from pre-digital era to now is the delivery process of a product. From planning to delivery, we still need the assistance of humans today.
Computerization and digitization has brought both negative and positive consequences. One positive side to it is that is delivers media much faster than print. “even if massively faster than, the print revolution” (Couldry, 10). Faster spread of media allows it to deliver information to more people which leads to a more informed and educated group of people in society. One negative aspect of digitization is its ability to store information and track user activity. This leads to private information being shared with others. But one question I have is, do we really have a choice not to use the internet in this period of time?