Final Refection Blog

After careful consideration I have to admit that I have not lived up to the grade that I thought I deserved at the beginning of the course. This is not because I have not done the work but I don't think I have the best work of which I am capable. I did the work, the projects, the blogs, and the assigments.

But I have to admit that I did not participate in class communications and that I was not as vocal in my views and perspectives as much as the other students. I did not go as much in depth as the other students with the literature and my blogs were not as detailed and full of examples as the other students.

Additionally, I was also absent and handed in a blog later than it was due. And I did not tweet as much as I could have tweeted over the topics and class discussions. I really believe that I could have done more in the class and offered more to class discussions in person and in the blogs and readings.

Therefore, the grade I believe I deserve in this course is not the A which I thought off at the beginning of the semester. I believe I deserve a B for my final grade this semester. I did do all the blogs, projects, and I participated in the course. This is why I believe that I should get a B in the course, I mean, seeing that the Dr of the course agrees.

Participatory Culture and Political Change

     People today are able to utilize the internet and online communities to create and participate in so many different areas and in the political arena like never before. And this participation is not limited to adults or people in the political arena but is used by people of different ages and cultures. People can now use the internet and the variety of communities they offer to post their opinions and their views for everyone to view and from which to learn. These political views and opinions can be expressed through the MEME's, texts, messages, photos, and videos that can be viewed through many online venues.

     And people of all ages can add to the opinion of others and participate in the transmission of that opinion and build upon it to spread their message to all areas of the world. These such political entrepreneurs' can create a network with a goal and start gathering like-minded individuals to join them in their pursuit of their goals. And together they can construct their ideas and their platforms to get their  views across to everyone.

     But with this ability to express our opinions and to gather like-minded people who agree with us. Also comes the danger of exposing ourselves and our beliefs in an area where people who disagree can target those expressionists' and antagonize them without fear of repercussions. This ability to judge others online without fear of consequences leads those expressing themselves open to bullying and harassment which is not what they were looking for when they decide to express themselves for the benefit of the world and its people. But we have to face the fact that when you make yourself available to make a change in the world by participating in it and with others to promote your cause and express your views whether they be political or not we are ourselves at the mercy of those who feel alike and differently for better or worse.

New Media Studies Project of New Technologies

     This project was a new experience for me. For the longest time. I thought to myself about what I could possibly do for this project. I had no idea what type of new technology I wanted to learn and how that technology was relevant to me. But the longer I thought about it. The more stressed I got about trying to figure out what would work for me. Then I remembered that in one of our classes. We spoke about doing coding. And I said to myself if it would be interesting to learn to do some coding so that I would be able to use Java and create my strings of code and save them in variables so that I could recall them later after I inputted the functions into Java. Oh, yeah, that is me using some of the language I learned while using Java which I have never used before and I figured out would be the new type of technology that I wished to learn. This is because if I learned this type of Java. I would learn more about code and how to input it and how to create different strings of information on a Java page.

 

     I actually went to https://www.javascript.com/resources to learn more about Java. I tried a course on this webpage called "TryJava". I went through the whole process and learned about different terms coined for Java. As I went through the program. Different terms were introduced and I used them in Java to give me a better understanding of their meaning and their use and what they do. I learned about strings of code which is just the text that I input into Java. Then I learned about functions which is the combinations of strings in Java. Then I learned that if I put the strings into functions in Java they created pop-up boxes with the information I imputed into the functions in them. It was cool seeing the strings the I wrote into Java actually pop-up in live on the screen. I wrote my name in strings of code and it appeared in a pop-up box. I was amazed because even though I know it is just my name. I have never used the technology before so I did not know I could do that in Java or anywhere else for that matter.

     Now if you go to this link https://www.javascript.com/try and input your names. You will be able to see how it appears after you have put in the code. And if you continue the process. You will be able to continue the course like I did too. It took me through all the steps and showed me different terms like "strings," "functions," "variables," and "alert." Each term builds on the previous one and helps to better understand coding in Java.
    
      Additionally, I got to a point in the process in which I felt myself blocked because the program in Java started to put strings and functions and variables together with alerts and for the longest time I could not figure out why Java was not accepting my commands. I mean I was coding it right. In order for Java to accept a command. The command has to be in between parenthesis and end with a semicolon. Then I hit enter and Java would accept my command and either produce a pop-up box with my string of code in it or reproduce the string on the code screen by itself. But Java continually told me that it could not accept my command. And I kept typing the strings in the functions and it would not go through into the system. Then after many tries and rejections by Java. I found that if I do not type the string exactly as Java wants it to appear it will not read it and process it. Every time I wrote the string I forgot to make sure that one and I mean one single letter was supposed to be capitalized in order for Java to accept the string of code. You would not believe the frustration I went through trying to get Java to say "Omar is awesome!"; It was driving me insane. But after I figured out what I was missing in the string of code. I was so happy that I had met a hurdle in the learning process and successfully overcame it. After that hurdle, I was relieved but proud as well because I had been able to do something about which I had no idea beforehand. It feels good to accomplish something new. I mean it felt good for me.

     Furthermore, to keep learning more about coding. I went on to Mozilla's Java Scratchpad which if you have the Mozilla browser can be activated and appear on your screen by simultaneously pressing Shift+F4 and the code screen opens in your browser. 

      This allowed me to implement different commands in code and to apply them. For example, I was able to do the Hello World code and other codes on the screen.

 

     It was amazing doing these code projects. I had no idea that it was going to be such an odyssey for me to do this project. I expected this to be an easy project and to be able to master this type of technology without delay. But as I started to do this project. I found that it was anything but easy. I quickly faced many milestones. Like learning to place alert before commands and the semi-colon at the end to send the command. Those were some of the things that I learned while doing this project and some of the things that I did not expect to encounter.

     But would I say that I expected a lot of the things that I faced during this project. I  have to say that this project went in a completely different direction than I expected. I did not think that I would have to go from one page to another to learn more about the process and learn to use scratchpad in order to understand the basics of Java. But those are some of the tribulations that I had to face in order to truly comprehend what I was doing. But I have to admit that it is the difficulties of understanding the code, learning to write the code, submitting the code and then watching the results come to life made it all worthwhile for me. It was all unexpected but it made me appreciate the things that happened that I could not have thought were going to happen.

     Each hurdle that I faced helped me to appreciate what I learned. Now will I continue to work on coding after the conclusion of this project. I have to say yes, because I really did end up enjoying the coding process and learning the basics. It was hard but it is not something that I regret at all. I am definitely going to keep practicing my coding ability because I believe that it is just one more skill that I can add to repertoire and it makes me much more versatile.

     And I have to say that If someone asked me whether I would recommend this coding process to someone else. I would recommend it to everyone because they would learn a skill that is not only cool to learn but is also something that can be placed on a resume as a skill. Now not only do programmers know coding but I do as well. This is a boon for me and I think that all people should have the pleasure of learning coding and applying it in different areas. Plus it is cool to write a code in scratchpad and have it pop up on the screen and say "Hi, Omar!" to you in return. It is an awesome experience for me.

     But while I'm reflecting on this process of coding. I must admit that I am really glad that I took the time to learn this skill and to apply in something that I never expected to do in my life. I never thought that I would learn coding let alone use it for a class or actually apply it. But it has become a bit of a habit for me now to play with code and I'm becoming a programming nerd. Not that becoming a programming nerd is a bad thing. But it has given me a new appreciation for technology and giving new avenues of learning a chance. This is because I have never been what you call computer savvy. I have been more of a paper and pencil type of man. Always playing with the things with which I am familiar and secure. And I have never really wanted to venture out of my comfort zone. But this coding adventure truly gave me a new perspective on technology. It taught me that learning continues no matter what your age and that just because a new technology may not appear appealing it does not mean that I should not dive in and try it because I had no idea what I was missing until I actually took the time to think and say just go for it and find out what you can actually learn from this.

     However, I have to admit that there was a part with which I was not totally comfortable. I'm a confident man and I'm fine in front of people and talking with people. But I do not like taking selfies nor do I like videotaping myself. I know it may sound strange when I am engaged in a technology project and course. But I am not used to it because I am used to talking with people not with a camera. So making videos for this project was something weird for me. But I pushed through it and when I got done. I liked the results of the video and the other level of the expression and communication that it brings to my project. It just shows my frustration and hardships with the project at that moment in the way that words written may not do as well. I am not saying it was easy but it got more out of my live recording shell and allowed me to experience the coding and technology itself a little more. I have say, overall, this project has taught that embarking on a new learning experience with technology gives me a lot more experiences that test my boundaries and allow me to grow on several levels instead of those with which I am comfortable. So if anyone is hesitant about trying something new; go for it. I know they will not regret it if they try coding or any other technology because I do not and am definitely grateful for this experience.

    

Reflection on Air-Bn-Me

     When I first started to do this project. I had no idea what type of personality or character I wanted to adopt. At first, I thought of creating a character really out there and not at all conventional. But as hard as I tried to be different and to think outside the box. The harder it became for me to create a character. Finally, I just asked myself what I like and what I enjoy and how can I make that into a great character. Then I came up with the idea of becoming an artist. I wanted to create a character that is a sketch artist and a painter. I've always been interested in art and in drawing. And I thought to myself what better opportunity to create a character that embodies those dreams and ideas but during this project.

     I then created the character of Babe_Ruth. An artist who is skilled in sketches and paintings of the out-doors and nature. Always taking pictures of environments he finds interesting in that elusive search for the all fulfilling and inspiring muse. But he is constantly bombarded by different images and ideas that his muse constantly changes and his inspiration is that ever elusive art that pushes him to follow nature all over the world for his next sketches and paintings.

     And I made up this character that I felt captured what I wish I could spend my life being today. A man completely devoted to his art and his constant search for a muse to create beautiful and ever lasting art. But through this project. I was able to in a way live that dream and give life to what I wish I could be doing if I had not chosen another path in life.

     But I have to say in doing this project. I did not feel at all comfortable in doing this project at first. This is because I had to take pictures of things I felt were personal and I had to reveal things about myself and my interests that I like to keep private. But the project and character creating itself allowed me to open up about what I like to do and what interests me. I did not think I would like it at the beginning. But the deeper I got into the project. The more I learned about being open to different things and about revealing more of myself and that it is not a bad thing. Although, I still like to keep myself a bit reserved. But it is not a bad thing to use my likes and my creativity in a project that I am able to share with my friends and colleagues.

     I think this project allowed me to give my friends and colleagues a better insight into who I am and what I like to do. And this type of revelation is not bad. However, I liked the taking pictures aspect of the project. But since I do not like taking selfies. I did like the part of taking pictures of things that interest me because I think those are pictures that I can share with people that I like and enjoy.
 
     Therefore, I feel this project gave me the opportunity to delve into art in which I have always had an interest. And it gave me the opportunity to use that creative side of myself to make a video that I enjoyed and can freely share with other people. It took me out of my comfort zone. But then again, if I do not get outside of my comfort zone every once and a while. I will not learn new things. And I feel that I have learned more about myself and about the project and about my colleagues through their presentations.

Digital Culture and the Economy

     In this day and age. People are constantly producing material online. But this material is used by companies fo derive information from us to build their monetary income. Even though we are all producers to the digital world. We find ourselves producing digital resources that in my opinion contribute to mass hysteria.

     The digital world has given us the ability to transmit information but has given the capitalist. The ability to profit from what people do for free and for fun. But people always utilize the sites that you visit to find what is interesting and take your interest to profit. And it is these companies that transmit messages of fear to the people in order to get them to buy what they are selling.

     And the digital world has given these capitalist companies. The source they need in order to display events that create fear and play to peoples emotions to get them to act in a selling position. This makes the people interacting in the digital world not only contributors of digital information. And trasmitters of information for those in different areas. But victims of a source that allows for the distribution of multiple uses of digital media but producers of products for companies to benefit.

Vlogging, Learning, and the Capitalist System

     I agree with the article that Vlogging can be seen as a way for the public to participate in society and become producers and sellers instead of mere consumers. It gives the public or people a manner in which to transmit their messages and their perspectives in a multimodal fashion. They can post videos, do live streams, and post conversations live. They no longer have to depend on others for the transmission of information.

     This is also helpful in the educational field. vloggers can post useful information regarding different topics or subject areas which can be used by teachers in different subject areas to teach a specific topic or idea. This permits for an exchange of information through a medium which the youth is familiar and which they know how to utilize and understand.

     But vlogging also puts teachers in a quandary because teachers have to relinquish power to someone else. Teachers have come to recognize that the students are the experts when it comes to vlogging. They have grown up in a technology savvy time in which they are bombarded with and use technology on an everyday basis. This makes students themselves not only receivers of information from their teachers. But makes the students participants in the culture and their educational learning. Their learning is no longer "teacher-driven" but "student-driven." And this allows for a participatory learning experience. The students get more out of this type of experience instead of a teacher led experience. This is because they are thought of as experts in their areas.

     However, participatory vlogging also has its economic side. We live in a Capitalist society. A society in which we are driven by money. The people vlogging do it more for a monetary goal than for the spread of information. Their distribution of information is sometimes dependent on how many viewers view their videos, the donations the people make in support, and the sales that the producers make in order to have a profit. So the vlogging reasons for the public may not always be altruistic or for a learning purpose. They are many times  made with a bias in mind. This is because, using "Youtube" as an example, people participate in this website. But they do it with the goal of posting their videos for fame and for money. Because the more views a person has on the website, the more money the website pays out to them. According to Youtube, the producers who pass a million views get paid by the company and every time thereafter someone views their video, they get another check for the following views. Everyone participates with the goal of attaining fame, renown, and monetary gain along with the transmission of knowledge.

    

    

Identity and Selfies

     After reading the articles, I did not imagine how much people put of themselves into their selfies, whether they realize it or not. Our identities are entrenched within our portraits. Pictures have become or have always been a visual representation of ourselves, as they say, "a picture tells a thousands words." Many times we do not need to speak a word but just take a picture and the look of the picture expresses all the emotion we are feeling. To think that people give themselves in selfies all the time and I just thought it was a sense of egotism and arrogance. People acting as if their own image and lives are so important that they need to be recorded in a picture every few hours of everyday.

     Especially, since I work in a high school with high school students everyday. I see them taking selfies everyday in class when their supposed to be paying attention to me. They would rather take a picture than to listen to what I have to say, damn kids! But that's not the point, now I'm wondering if every time they take a picture. They are actually searching for their elusive self-identity. Because I know in high school, kids are still trying to find themselves and represent themselves as who they believe themselves to be. But could it be that with every picture they take of themselves that they are trying to find one that reflects their personality at that point in time? And is that the reason they continually take selfies because in fact, not one picture that they have taken has fully or can fully encompass who they are or want to be?

     And that, I believe is hard if not nearly impossible for them because they are still trying to find themselves. And if they don't know themselves well enough yet. How can they accurately take a picture or Selfie that represents the best of them or their identity? With this information, I can begin to understand little by little this aspect of self-identity in selfies.

Is there really a good or bad? Or is it perspective?

     After reading the Ferguson article. I have started to realize how multiple perspectives can affect the situation. It makes me think a lot harder about the community and groups that I keep around me or with which I join. I never stopped to think that people actually stick to the groups with which they are comfortable. Being Puerto Rican, I always grew up with other Puerto Rican people my entire life and never sought out other groups of people. Not because I've never cared about other groups or that I am not interested in them. But it just never seemed important to me to congregate with others unlike myself.

     But after reading the article. I started to realize just how much this type of separation affects my point of view. Especially, how my point of view is affected when it comes to issues involving other cultures. When I first read about this case, I never thought twice about putting myself in the victims point of view. Truthfully, I would not know how to view the incident from that perspective nor can I say with certainty that I would do so.

     However, I can understand how differing perspectives affect underlying issues of racism that have been fueling for years. Additionally, how social media assists in the spreading of information and the spread of a racial fire. But this not exactly help in the resolution of the issue. Because people tend to view things in their own perspectives, especially a video, and draw their own conclusions and run to action before they view all the perspectives and have all the correct details. People with the Ferguson case started to act and draw conclusions before they attained a lot of the information regarding the case. But that does not mean that the underlying racial issues were not appropriate.

     Technology helped to bring to light with this Ferguson case the racism that has been brewing in that place for so long. Technology brought this to light and showed people including me that we have to look outside of ourselves and our close communities to understand the perspective of others and how they are affected. We can't just expect the world to treat others as it has treated us. It is only now that I am starting to comprehend what it is like to think that other people view and react to life in completely different ways than myself. I always thought that looking at the world through a different lens was by trying to think and see from a female's perspective. But after reading Ferguson, I can see that it is a good approach but a limited one if I don't put myself in others views without simply considering gender.

Omar Martinez Selfie-Culture Post

     I found Selfie Pedagogy to be interesting. I had no idea the creation or the emergence of the discourse which emerged from the Selfie culture. The changes that the Selfie culture has brought about not just in the scholarly field but in the media field. The way selfie's can be used in a multimodal way to add meaning to written text. And the manner in which people utilize selfie's as a medium for self-expression. Selfie culture has given people a way to articulate themselves through the use of images which was not thought possible.

     Not to mention, the scholarly avenues which have arisen from this Selfie culture. The articles and Facebook groups dedicated to explaining and supporting the Selfie culture. But what I have also viewed is the spread of safety and caution promoted by the scholarly towards the Selfie culture. The researches call for caution when posting information online and asking people who do selfies to be aware of the consequences of their visual post before they make them available to the general public. Considering the role of safety and security in regards to selfies. Especially, since the Selfie culture also draws on the negativity of others. For example, in "Selfie Pedagogy lll: Network Spaces, Slut Shaming, and Putting Selfies in Dialogue Theory." I found the term "slut shaming" to be interesting. I had no idea they referred to women who posted pictures and videos of themselves online in this manner. But as the author pointed out, these women were using the video's as self-promotion and not as a way to dehumanize themselves. But the media culture can be a brutal one which leaves a person or persons open to judgment of people, especially when the person freely places themselves in that position. But what struck me the most is the case of Amanda Todd. And that the Selfie culture and social media allow society is great but it can also turn against people quickly if they don't understand the consequences of their actions.

     Selfie culture has allowed for so many avenues to analyze the was people use images and text and how that correlates to identity. Using these images to provide insight into who they are and what they are trying to get across to people. Additionally, the way these people immersed in the self culture use selfies as a method to alleviate stress and express themselves. Because many times people don't have an outlet and using Selfie expression permits them to release pent up emotions through a popular medium which can be a gateway to the assistance of others in similar situations or carrying similar feelings. In my opinion, selfies are developing as discourse, well even more than they already are and as modes of self-expression

Sociality in an Electronic Century

     Sociality today is far different from the way it was before the internet and the web. People used to communicate with one another in their communities, schools, and employments. Now people communicate and build relationships with people they've never actually met. They simply go on a website and create an account or join a site with different people. The whole idea of how we communicate and interact has changed. But has technology allowed this change in technology to be good or ill?

     However, I don't think the web and internet used to socialize and create communities with others not local but at a far away place is a bad thing. I think the danger lies in not being careful or conscious of your online or web exploits. Because this leads to the danger of being exploited and used online. This could be an ill of socializing online with people you've never met. But I think similarly to Rheingold when it comes to the dangers of online socialization "because what you know, as always, can make the critical difference between being exploited by your use of social media and enriching your life and community by your use of the same media" (210.) People change along with the world and technology, we all change. But not all of us utilize care when going online and socializing with people online, or in chat rooms, twitter, Facebook, Instagram, blogs, etc. It is up to the people engaging in this new type of social life and community online to be aware of what they are exposing to others in an era in which almost everything is accessible online. Meaning, it is great to explore and create connections with different kinds of people online that people could never or do not have the opportunity to meet in person. But the responsible socializer remembers that the same media being enjoyed is also capable of causing great harm if their not careful with their information.

     Conversely, even though people are now more than often creating new communities and making connections online. It does not mean they are not valuing their in-person communities or connections. But only expanding their reach of contact through the computer medium and the available communities which permit socialization. Hence, we as people should view this online based interaction positively because "with the help of the internet, people are able to maintain active contact with sizable social networks, even though many of the people in  those networks do not live nearby" (210.) Therefore, with the use of the internet people are capable of creating strands of connectivity with others. Allowing people to grow as individuals because it permits them to experience others influence and own experiences without having to be nearby. Including the fact that communicating with others online allows for the growth of social skills. People are not introverted and they can speak with others about things in which they have similar interests. This encourages online interaction  socialization. This is true because with the internet "people now find support, information, and a sense of belonging in a digital networks as well as physical communities" (209.) The internet gives people the chance and opportunity to socialize with other people who may like writing, drawing, photography, politics, business, and gaming. They may not find these same people in their physical communities. But they can create these types of online communities of socialization and communication online regarding their similar interests. The internet or web allows for this type of socialization. It does not mean that people won't interact with their physical environment.  It simply means that they have the opportunity to socialize in person online. They get to grow both by proximity and distance, and this is possible because of the internet and web.

     On another point, we discussed what our personal thoughts about what we want to learn from this course? I had to think about what I really want to take away from New Media Studies. I'm not going to lie. I really had no expectations when I first signed up for this course. I'm not too technology prone and I did not have a topic in mind during and for the conclusion of the course. If I have to think of something regarding this course. Personally, I've always been interested in the use of mass media on bilingual students and if it hinders or assists bilingual students in the learning and reinforcement of the English language. For example, if a bilingual student, Spanish/English is trying to understand a concept better. If an interaction with mass media, maybe mass collaboration with a group of peers and others would assist in the transmission of knowledge and learning or if it would lead to distraction and a failure in communication. Or if the bilingual student engages in a website that houses people of similar interests in writing and if that interaction allows them to engage more with the English language and results in a strengthening of the bilingual students writing and reading comprehension. Well, that covers some of my thoughts about what I would like to discuss regarding the impact of mass media on a group of students whose first language is not English and their learning processes.
    

Omar Martinez on Web Literacy

Really, I have to say, I'm impressed. I had no idea of the complexity of web literacy. Especially, the importance of web literacy on the youth. Don't get me wrong, I understand that the youth is bombarded by technology on a daily basis. And I, like many other people, think of it as something that just happens with the changing of the times. But the good things that come with the explosion of technology and its use in our daily lives also downplays the dangers of the web and repercussions of its use.

For example, after going through the activities on the site. I found the activities on "privacy" on the web. I knew there were cookies that tracked where you've been on the web and what you've done. But I did not realize how much information was gathered about me and my searches on the web just by the use of cookies. And through the activity I found that there is not just one type of cookie but there are so many different types of cookies which do so many things and utilize my data or information in various ways.

Not to mention, these cookies keep a record of my information and send it to companies to tell them what I supposedly like, dislike, want, and look for through a reading of the data from my use of the web. Had I known my information was being utilized to such an extent I would have thought twice before checking my personal banking information and using my credit cards to make purchases on the web. Personally, I had no idea the impact of the web on the privacy we or I should say I hold dearly.

Furthermore, having a two year old nephew who is constantly on my cell phone and on his IPad. I can see the use for such activities to be used in schools and by educators to inform children of the dangers of the web. Making these children, including my nephew literate about the web and its implications is the first step to him and others being safer and more intelligent about what they put on the web and how they use the web. Because it is important to learn that the web is a source from which a plethora of information can be derived and utilized. But to understand how they can protect and maintain their privacy and not become victims of big business and scams. Because just as easily as we can get information from the web it can collect information from us.

And Mozilla's web literacy site develops activities such as the privacy activity among others which help make people literate about the web. In this electronic age, literacy of our resources, especially one as great and perilous as the web is a definite, whether inside or outside of the classroom. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves and the youth. And Mozilla's web literacy allows us to do just without having to be educators but individuals that care about the online identity of our family members, for me, my nephew.   

Omar Martinez Blog #2/Mass Collaboration

     Personally, I found Rheingold's idea of "mass collaboration" to be interesting and true. We as people tend to do a lot more together and to accomplish things by cooperating than we are able to do alone. If we focus on a certain topic, communicate, collaborate, and coordinate as a group, we are able to process  much more. Especially, because we live in the digital age. The use of technology allows people not only to cooperate but to do so without having to be right next to each other or even in the same place or country. We can utilize the online community(s) to expand our knowledge, understanding, build new ideas, and expand on ideas or problems which are currently hard to solve.

     Additionally, because we can use mass collaboration and "have gained access to digital tools that enable us to share what we know and aggregate small contributions into large knowledge repositories, a new level of collective intelligence is possible" (Levy et al 160.) Hence, Levy adds that since we have the world wide web, and places such as twitter, wiki, blogs, and online communities within the web. We are able unlike before to give small tidbits of our own knowledge to large pools of people or spaces on the world wide web. Within these spaces, people other than ourselves are able to make their own contributions. Thus adding so much more information and creating a source of intelligence which would not have been possible without the cooperation, and collaboration between numerous amounts of people through the medium of their computers and the world wide web.

 

     Furthermore, this idea of mass collaboration and a collective intelligence not only allows access to greater sources of knowledge. But allows people to construct a sense of trust among one another and others. For mass collaboration to succeed, it is important for people to "know who to trust and not to trust" (Dunbar et al 149.) We have to build trust in order to have successful cooperation and to build the collective intelligence. If we as people do not trust or confide in those with who we wish to build knowledge. Then no constructive communication, collaboration, and organized development of information can be done.

 

     Thus, the idea of mass collaboration is an extremely important and useful one. Especially, if it occurs in this electronic day and age. With technology running rampant all over our lives and having the youth ingrained with technology since their little. For example, giving children an IPad and/or laptop. They are already learning to use technology but are working on making their own YouTube channels, twitter accounts, and blogs. Already they are building upon and working on mass collaboration. It relies on us to teach ourselves and the youth how to utilize cooperation, and collaboration to build upon their knowledge and add to the collective intelligence in a positive manner. But mass collaboration permits us to as a species grow and resolve issues that we could not have resolved alone.

 

 

Omar Martinez Mass Media Studies First Blog

     During last weeks class. We discussed the beginnings of mass media and how much it has grown from its original state to its current state. The change has been extreme and at an alarmingly fast-pace. Technology has grown from a tool to get work done faster and more efficiently to a tool which is utilized in multiple facets of society today.

     Not only is technology used for work today but has become widespread in the use of mass media. Today, children all the way to adults use mass media in their everyday lives and recognize little, if at all, the impact that mass media has had in their lives. For example, mass media has a way of stealing our attention and allowing us to dawdle in the digital world doing things that are less than productive.

     This outgrowth of mass media from its meager beginnings and its use by coders and software engineers has become a tool for the transmission of information at light speed for mixed images, sayings, games, sounds, and much more. Pulling us further and further away from the topics which should concern us and drive much of our attention to spending time checking social media sites such as Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Blogs.

     Not to mention, that mass media has allowed children or young adults to grow up technology driven and consumed by its use to keep in touch with friends, colleagues, and all kinds of social media that draws their attention further from the reality which concerns them. These kids and young adults have become so accustomed to having this mass media and technology at their side that they can barely function without it. They have even become convinced that they are versatile in many areas because they can do other things at the same time they use technology.

     But we discussed this such issue in class. These particular youths are not really being versatile, but going from one task to another or task-switching. They are simply placing their attention away from one thing onto another thing. They are not in reality doing two tasks simultaneously. But this is yet another example of how mass media has affected the youth of today. Mass media has made it more difficult for the youth to comprehend the fact that their attention is driven away from one task and lost in the cell phone, tablet, laptop, and or iPod.

     Furthermore, the expansion of mass media and technology has led to the creation of online identities. These media have given people the ability to utilize technology to hide themselves in the mass media world. People no longer have to identity themselves or present themselves as they really are in life. This frightens me because it has had terrible consequences, especially with the youth who are infused with technology and the use of mass media since childhood. Mass media has given the youth the ability to speak, and make assumptions about other youths on mass media without the fear of consequences; leading to cyberbullying. The bullying of children and or adults online by a person(s) with digital identities. What makes it worse is the fact that cyberbullying is difficult to prove and to identify the person and or persons doing the cyberbullying. And with the development and advancement of mass media it is being made harder to control.

     Therefore, yes, mass media has grown by bounds and leaps with time. But mass media has also created an advanced world in which people can be more efficient workers and productive members of a technological society as well as unproductive and dangerous members of said society. With the ever developing area of mass media come and have come great rewards but we have also attained risks. Only time will tell if the risks are worth the rewards.