Twitter is Power

I remember seeing a post on Facebook with a message along the lines of, "Whoever calls themselves a social media expert is a liar." I mean, who could blame this person? The idea of people who pride themselves in their expertise in social networking sites seems ludicrous. The idea of people who completely understand the vast and ever-changing systems of social networks is even more ridiculous. More importantly, what better example of a modern-day career is there besides "social media experts?" I mean, what would Don Draper think of social media experts? What would Gandhi have done if he had a Twitter?

"An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind. @AllOfIndia #Peace #Truth"

I will shamelessly admit that I have applied to countless companies for positions as a "social media intern, "social media guru," etc. Not because I consider myself as anything close to an expert at social networking nor do I aspire to be the world's greatest social media expert. But it is an internship that I'm highly interested in because I'm interested in pursuing a career in public relations and/or advertising. It's also happens to be a very common job currently on the rise. Because whether or not you believe in a "social media expert," the bottom line is: companies need to be on social networking sites and SOMEONE has to be in charge of it. But why?



Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Youtube and other social networking sites are all FREE. Why pay $80,000 dollars for a 30 second commercial when you can market your brand through Youtube for free? Companies that rack up hundreds of thousands of followers can send out upcoming sales information and new products with a click of a button. Social networking sites also provide fast and direct communication with customers. And in Taco Bell's case, being sassy = viral attention.

At the end of the day, you might not believe in social media experts and how they earn their livings, but you can't deny that they play a major role in making the business world go round. Social media is power.

Technology in High School Education

Death of the author? That is mere understatement of the effect of technology on writing, education, and many other social values. For starters, I don't mean to brag, but I consider myself to be a perfect example of a technologically-dependent person ESPECIALLY when it comes to education. Take my life for instance...

• When I found out that students could use laptops during class in college, my knees were weak from joy. I COULD FINALLY USE CTRL F ON MY NOTES. I could google obscure words and topics that I didn't understand during class. I could go on Facebook! But when I walked into class on the first day and had that one professor who forbade the use of laptops, I felt naturally inclined to add ten years to what I estimated her age to be. "The professor looks thirty but doesn't allow laptops? She must be 40+ because she obviously still thinks its the 1980's." 
• Sometimes, I think I'm part of the transition into a new evolutionary epoch, because I question how humans have historically been able read from books for long periods of time. In addition to never being able to read a book without falling asleep, I can never find a comfortable position to sit so that I can read for more than eight minutes at a time. But when I'm using the computer, I can practically do the downward facing dog while stepping on hot pebbles and still type up a five page essay. 
• One time, I forgot my notebook at home, so I pulled out my phablet (phone + tablet) to take notes, and I probably looked like the most pretentious student in class. 

I think you get the point, because academic administrations have spent so much time prohibiting and banning the use of cell phones in high school to instill the idea that technology has a negative influence on education; and here I am--sitting in college--not playing games on my phone in class, but rather taking notes on it. Technology has played a huge role in college, and I think it has benefited my academic setting in many ways.

So I think it's time to expand to high schools.

In my high school, the deans turned rampant if they saw an unidentifiable dark square object that might resemble a phone. But when students were smoking outside, they simply turned a blind eye. My high school finally decided to create a computer lab in March of 2012, three months before I graduated. Before the founding of said computer lab, four hundred students had to share the ~12 2006-model DELL desktops spread throughout the school--most of which did not work. In addition to the new computers, my principal also invested in several SMARTBOARDs (picture below) which my teachers called DUMBBOARDs simply because they didn't know how to use them.

I should be thankful that my high school made such dramatic technological advancements at all, but that was only possible because of a grant it received. Most other high schools are still highly deficient and lacking in technology. At the same time, I'm not saying immersing technology into the roots of every academic setting is my version of utopia, because students are still going to text their friends during class and go on Facebook instead of studying. But technology is inevitable and crucial to social development, so why is education administration still demonizing technology and enforcing rules like we live in the stone age?

Digital Autoethnographies: Vlogging on Youtube

Since I was first introduced to autoethnographies, I always assumed that they were limited to written text, until I read, HERE COME THE NAVEL GAZERS: Definitions and Defenses for Auto/ethnography, where Hemmingson writes, "we will find (and do find) a/e being practiced on MySpace.com, livejournal.com, Facebook.com, and YouTube; that is, digital ethnography. For instance, we now see people using the vlog to engage in lifewriting, or lifevlogging and ethnoblogging." 

And after considerable thought, I reflected on the hours I spent procrastinating by watching Youtubers (people who post videos on Youtube) talk about their lives into a camera. I guess it was really a self-righteous moment to know that something I spend hours doing instead of homework has some academic value. Why is it so much more interesting (to me) to see people talk about their lives than to read about it?

Here's an example of a typical vlog I can relate to: 

(Please start from 1:40)

First of all, why do Youtubers post their vlogs (video blogs) on Youtube in the first place?

Sure, they might be satisfied with the fact that they entertain thousands with each video they post. But if you've watched the video, then you will have heard Jack say that his Youtube channel is his source of income and how he earns his living. Did you know that Youtubers can be paid $1-$3 per 1000 views they receive on their videos, if monetized? Youtube is essentially an easily accessible employer for those who enjoy film-making, editing, performing, entertaining, and/or talking about their lives into a camera...

How do Youtubers gain these views? Why do so many people watch these vlogs?

I can't speak for the other 970,252 views, but I watch Youtube vlogs because I like knowing that people face the problems that I face, and I like gaining different perspectives of how to overcome the different obstacles of life, especially if its presented through a humorous and 1080p HD medium. When I was a Senior in high school, I was considering taking a gap year because I had no idea what I wanted to study in college and I didn't even see the point of going straight into four years of school after twelve years of public school. Watching others talk about the same problems you face is comforting and supportive. Jack had the opportunity to take a gap year, travel around the world, and make videos of it. So when Youtubers take the initiative to take on big challenges and show it to the world through Youtube, it allows viewers to live vicariously through the vloggers. Moreover, the vlogs create a more personal experience for viewers, because of facial expressions, vocal tones, etc. 

Digital autoethnographies are not limited to vlogs...

While this blog post focuses more on vlogs, digital autoethnographies often come in the form of cinematographic skits or aesthetic short films. Being of Malaysian-Chinese descent, this one came to mind. This form of digital autoethnography allows amateur filmmakers to broadcast their work to the world, exercise their creativity, and still tell their stories.

Conclusion

If you're in the trend loop of mainstream Youtube videos, then you're probably familiar with famous Youtubers like JennaMarbles, KevJumba, DailyGrace, and MichellePhan.  These Youtubers and so many more post weekly/daily/monthly vlogs for a living and still have the privilege as entertainers to provide laughs or emotional connections to their viewers. They might not be writing stylistically, but they're still telling their stories, reflecting on their lives, and often times turning it into a metaphor for greater cultural/social concepts. 

Fan-fiction: Letting Your Old Television Shows Live On

I remember when the series finale of Avatar: The Last Airbender (A:TLA) was airing in 2008. I was one locked door away from the only cable television at my uncle's house. As my blood pressure steadily began to rise as the clock ticked closer to 8:00 P.M., my Facebook newsfeed was blowing up with anticipation for the finale. And after my grandma heroically arrived with the key and I got to watch the end of a legendary series, I couldn't help but feel a little empty. If you've ever watched a series finale of one of your favorite shows, then you're probably familiar with that feeling of a gaping hole in your heart. So when the spinoff of A:TLA, The Legend of Korra, was announced in 2010, the A:TLA fandom went into uproar. When spinoffs are revealed to be in the making, fans finally have something to fill the gap. A more recent example was the announcing of the spinoff of Boy Meets World. The spinoff, named Girl Meets World, will be based on the daughter of the two original characters, Cory and Topanga. But very, very few shows get their own sequels or spinoffs.

Source: payle.deviantart.com

I stumbled upon this image just yesterday, and the nostalgia hit me like a second Storm Nemo. For those of you who have never had the privilege of watching Disney Channel shows from the early 2000's, you should probably reevaluate your childhood this fan-made drawing is based on the hit show, The Proud Family.

In addition to the bull's-eye interpretation of the show's characters all grown up, the creator added short biographies for each of the main characters following their graduation from high school, which really suited their personalities from the show. For example, Zoey, who was always the geeky, sheltered "white girl," went off to major in Psychology and then work for a non-profit organization. And if the fact that Sticky and Dijonay finally ended up together didn't pull at your heartstrings, then I don't know what will. If you're interested in reading the full descriptions, click here. So, even though the show ended its run in 2005, this fan-fiction and the 35,000+ notes/hits on Tumblr show that the media we've grown up with never truly leave us. And fan-fiction feeds fans with unlimited possibilities, because they reflect viewers' imaginations, and because they transcend the boundaries of commercial television. Not to mention, they bring nostalgia and make us feel like the characters we watched on t.v are growing up with us.

In the new age of technology and mass media, fan-fiction has become a different angle of creative writing. Fans and writers are given the authorial freedom to manipulate the after-story of their favorite shows, novels, and movies. New romances can be formed and loose story-lines can be developed. The internet is a space for all to write and read for free. These fanfics will most likely never make it onto print, not only because of copyright, but also because of amateurism--they were made for fun. It's just to connect fans around the world. Writers are allowed to explore their imagination, and readers are able to live on with their favorite shows/movies/books even if for a brief moment. Essentially, when it comes to the internet, anyone can be a writer while drawing inspiration from things they love.

What do you think of fanfiction?