I’m am probably a more active participant in the transmedia landscape than I know, but I still feel that I am really wrapping my head around what that landscape looks like. I am probably looking at it right now and yet I feel like I am having a hard time seeing it. I imagine there are so many ways to participate in it, but I don’t have a smart phone. I don’t have a twitter account. I do however glean interesting and exciting articles and websites from Facebook posts. This is how I develop new interests and gain knowledge, so obviously I am not living wholly outside of participatory media. Though I will never give up the paper copy of the New Yorker! Still, it will become more important to adapt and accept some greater interaction with the devices and sites I willfully choose to ignore. So while I take this program and this class as student who is interested in creating digital stories, I am also excited to take it so that it pushes me to embrace aspects of life that are quickly becoming ever-present and unavoidable for a storyteller that wants to evolve. I love watching and creating documentaries about rituals and traditions. Most often my favorites tend to be observational, but how do you translate an observational style documentary into participatory media?
I actually watched the “Interacting With Transmedia” google hangout chat this morning and they talk quite a bit about bringing documentary into participatory media! Hash-tags my friend, learn to love them. They can be a great tool to advertise your documentary or the social cause behind it, and get the information out there. I’m sure we’ll learn even more ways to steer ourselves in the proper digital direction in this class. Covering rituals and traditions sounds fascinating!
Lots of interesting thoughts Jarratt. I applaud you for not having a smartphone or a twitter account. I don’t have either. You can choose to be connected at your convenience or when it is necessary(like at work or school via computer). Why does everyone feel the need to be so connected all the time?
Don’t know if you travel via mass transit but it’s a crazy world of eyeballs glued to i”brain-suckers” – I mean iPhones out there. Don’t get me wrong, I have an iPhone, but the number of people staring at their screen instead of looking out the window is depressing. My passion for people watching will probably prevent me from ever taking a complete plunge into my mobile virtual world. Hold strong!
I too am trying to wrap my head around what a “transmedia landscape” actually means. In fact, I think it might be simpler than the google hangout chat lead me to believe (at least I hope). While I too find the value in Facebook, I’m not a Twitter user and probably won’t be until I see how it could enrich my life. But, Jarrett & Derek, no smartphone? I don’t need to be “connected” all the time, but I do love the ability to look up directions or movie times on the fly.
I know! I do need a smartphone for directions and movie times. Those are probably the most important things a smartphone can do. Ha! People at the gas station don’t seem to be as knowledgeable as they once were. As a bike rider I get asked for directions a lot from people. It’s kinda funny actually because we will both still be driving along having a conversation. Though I have to think so quickly that I can never tell if I am giving them the right information.
Though I do agree with Derek. I do want to limit my “connection.” I was just listening to a conversation yesterday about how our relationship to technology is changing our associations with different feelings. Once wen yr leg buzzed you thought it was just something that needed to be scratched and now when it buzzes you think that it’s your phone. It’s also making people a lot more OCD. Constant checking this and that. It feels like obvious information in a way and nothing necessarily new, but sometimes it does feel important to be reminded how these things are having big affects. The guy was saying that even very small breaks from phones/computers/tablets were helpful. That feels like obvious info too, but still I need to be told to do it. Ha!
I’ve wondered how my “smart” phone is impacting my memory. There have been studies but I don’t have them readily available for this post. I used to have dozens of phone numbers memorized, either used a paper map or looked up directions prior to my trip and remembered them, and actually made solid plans with people to meet up rather than texting locations and feeling like running late isn’t so bad because I can send a quick message excusing it. Think about it, how often do you or people you know show up late but send a polite “b there in 5” text? I think we should create mobile rotary phones that have maps, newspapers and a Polaroid camera attached.
I love the comment about iBrain-suckers! Hilarious! I can’t tell you how many times I am still amazed when I look around a room and see everyone staring down into a glowing abyss. I believe that is going to one thing in the future that will separate great storytellers and journalists from bad ones – simply the ability and conscious effort to really pay attention to what is happening around us, and to truly listen to people. Jarret, I feel like you and I are very similar in a lot of ways. I also don’t have an iPhone or twitter, and I only just recently signed up for Facebook. But I too am beginning to realize that all of these things are becoming more and more necessary, and as much as I’ve tried to avoid it, it is inevitable that I will have to eventually embrace it. So I am doing my best to view it in a positive way. I think the comment about how “smart” phones impact memory is really interesting too. I have thought a lot about how many numbers I used to remember when I was a kid, and now I barely remember my own number half the time. But I had never even really considered how our phones have impacted our interactions with other regarding things like plans. It is so true that now it is all too easy to send a quick text to someone if you’re running late. In some ways I love it because I am a super busy person so I feel it enables me to get more done. But I think it is definitely not without consequences.
Hey Jarratt! I Also love watching and making documentaries, but mostly investigative documentaries. The documentaries on rituals and traditions sound very interesting. Is there a Documentary that you made and viewable on Vimeo/Youtube?