Regarding my media interests, it has to be how art, culture, free speech, and technology collide. It’s standing by and watching the wreck happen. Sometimes the changes within media occur in slow motion, and other times they’re lighting fast. As I sat in class today and listened to Dean Walker talk about the changing of mediums within media, I recalled a thought I often revisit. I was around when America Online mailed CDS that would allow you to access free hours on the internet; when it was Voice Stream (one of the few cellular companies available) before T-Mobile, the list could go on and on.
Before toting around the most primitive cellular device, I carried a pager. This technology phenomenon wasn’t just isolated to me; everyone my age had them. You had to have a quarter in those days to return a call—you had to develop codes with your friends with number combinations. It was a time before SMS and emails weren’t in your hand. It was also when cold mediums were the only outlet of investigation. You had to visit the library and be somewhat aware of the Dewey Decimal System. I am dating myself but reminiscing about how far media has matured. Devices are everchanging, and technology moves faster than humanly possibly (AI); it will be fascinating to watch where it all goes.
As I watched burgeoning platforms like MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter emerge, I engaged with social media more than I currently do. At the time, maybe it was a FOMO thing for me. Everyone seemed to be on them and didn’t realize what we now know about social media. Issues of privacy. People are now a commodity. Questions about social media, the trends within, and interacting more with social platforms are some of the questions I may have.
