For my blog post, I decided to focus on the term “Mediated Communication”. This term can be found in this week’s reading, entitled, “Conclusion: The Myth of Cyberspace” and written by Nancy K. Baym. Mediated communication can be defined as a method of communicating with others that is not direct or face-to-face. This can encompass many different types of communication, such as using pen and paper to write a letter to someone, or using more recent advances in technology such as email or text messaging.

 

 

 

The media I chose to illustrate the concept of mediated communication and how people use it is a commercial for Windows Live Messenger, an instant messaging platform developed by Microsoft. This commercial is meant to be humorous, and it is; but it also has a point. In encouraging people to use Windows Live Messenger, it shows how messy and complicated mediated communication can be if not done with the proper methods and tools, especially in a workplace setting. With all of the different responsibilities and obligations people have during the workday, it is impossible to communicate face to face about everything one might need from a coworker, making mediated communication necessary and essential for office workers. The commercial shows what can happen if mediated communication is done in in an inefficient way, though they do this to comedic effect by portraying the office’s method as throwing messages in bottles around the office. This inherently ridiculous method of communicating can be contrasted with more efficient forms of mediated communication, which, in the context of this commercial, is Windows Messenger Live. Technology has afforded us ways to use mediated communication that are faster and more effective than ever, and mediated communication forms like email and instant messaging program Slack are now the norm in most workplaces, homes, and everywhere else people wish to communicate easily.