Week 5: Connecting/Narrating/Branding Me
It’s estimated that under 13% of people had personal computers in 2004 (NationMaster, 2003-2011). Granted an old statistic, most third world inhabitants are unlikely to experience electricity, let alone computers. Yet, throughout his entire report, Deuze (2011) constantly references “us” and commentates on “our” state of mind and play, without defining which people this body includes (assumptions lead to “computer users” but yet he infers the general public). Division of Personal Computers per Capita (not lack of third world countries) Granted, media is not the internet or even a computer in specific, it includes older medium, paper and books, however Deuze pushes patterns in media reports and teachings, what will be talked about, and what won’t, rendering this void (pp. 138 - 140). Branding individuals or small groups is easy, even analyzing their effect on masses is not hard (Genevieve's Tumblr is a good example), because the mass is in their medium (like the discussion of Rebecca Black in the lecture, video below). What’s harder is branding the portion of computer users in media, for being computer users.
This is what i think Deauze misses, purposely or not, recognition of computer users living their life in media (not through) because the technology is just a detachment, like clothing or attitude. Deauze offers two options, in or with media, i’d like to propose living by media. Educated by media, paid by media, engaged by media, broken by media, lied by media and living by media.
Deuze, M. (2011). Media Life. In Media, Culture & Society, Volume 33, issue 1, pp. 137-148. Dell, G. (2006). The Age of the Thumb: a Cultural Reading of Mobile Technologies from Asia. Knowledge, Technology, & Policy, Summer 2006, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 41-57. Personal Computers (most recent) by country, 2003-2011, statistical analysis, NationMaster (RapidContent, Sydney, Australia), viewed 3 April 2011 <http://www.nationmaster.com/red/pie/med_per_com-media-personal-computers>.