If we are truly aiming to examine the sociological complexities of human beings, Nick Cauldry suggests that we study media as a practice; as something that people do, rather than the text or production in itself. Just studying text is not sufficient in determining the sociological effects that it has on individuals and groups of people. Caudry pushes the study of what people are doing in relation to the text (40).

Studying media as practice entails some understanding of the term “practice.”

 In the reading, Andreas Reckwitz is cited defining practice as “a routined type of behavior which consist of several elements , interconnected to one another” (40). Cauldry adds that practice in itself is social and it is concerned with regularity. In studying media as practice, we are examining what people are doing, saying, and thinking in its consumption and use. Something can also be practiced for more than one reason; for the achievement of  more than one goal. This is evident in the following, one of the biggest pop culture stories of the current year.

Kanye West released the song “Famous” earlier this year. One of its opening lines reads

“I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex (Why?)/ I made that b— famous”

West told media that he had gotten Swift’s approval of the line. Swift condemned the song upon its release, and insisted that she never approved of the lyric.

A couple of months later, West’s wife and reality star Kim Kardashian posted video on her snapchat of West talking to swift on the phone about the song before its release. West recites the lyric and Swift appears to take a liking to it.

This pop culture story is a prime example of media being utilized in a diversity of practices. Snapchat is an application that allows for image and video messaging. It supports a diversity of distinct practices in short time.  A celebrity with as a following as Kardashian can reach a global audience in brief moment; the news  media will pick it up and run with it. Knowing this, kardashian used Snapchat as a platform to “expose” Taylor Swift and garner favor with a pop culture audience.  This act was also done to promote her reality show, as the buzz surrounding the news story would surely compel people to tune in. Thirdly, it was done in defense her husband. I think.

One post serves several purposes, which what validates practice theory. In studying what people are doing in relation to media as opposed to the production of the text itself, we get a better grip of the various social dynamics at play. We get a more layered, realistic perspective of the reasons for which people use digital media.