The Abacus, 8-Track Tapes….and Agenda Setting?
The abacus, the slide rule, 8-track tapes, Betamax… and agenda setting? The four technologies listed above died out when newer technologies that could perform their tasks better and more efficiently were developed. As I noted in an earlier blog, some scholars have similarly argued that new technologies may make agenda setting irrelevant. You no longer do [...]
Not By Simulation Alone (Or: Mo’ VR, Mo’ Problems…Unless You Do It Right)
We’ve often seen that old familiar question: “Do media technologies make it better or worse?” It’s been examined by many, particularly in general terms such as at the societal level (such as Neil Postman’s famous lack of love for television and electronic entertainment) and at the individual level over a broad range of time (such [...]
Unbearable Lightness of Information as a Commodity: The Case of Greece
Author Zizi Papacharissi, PhD, is Professor and Head of Communication at the University of Illinois-Chicago. “Information wants to be free,” proclaimed Stewart Brand, to an audience of internet enthusiasts at the first ever Hacker’s Conference in 1984, and his later work The Media Lab: Inventing the Future at MIT. He then added: “Information also wants [...]
Sexting: Let’s Be Careful Out There!
When I was at “that age” when I first became interested in girls (late elementary, early junior high), the way to let a member of the opposite sex know that you liked her was you told your best friend who passed it to her best friend and then the process looped back until it reached [...]
MAPOR: An Old Dog Learns New Tricks
A guy comes into his office and sees his trusty golden retriever sitting over a deck of cards spread out over the table. The dog motions to his master to take a card. He takes the 4 of hearts, looks at it and places it back in the deck. The dog motions to the man [...]
Internet hitting mid-life crisis?
Some clear signs that you have reached middle age: Getting lucky means finding your car in the parking lot and happy hour is a nap. You little black book only contains names ending in M.D. You ears are hairier than your head and your back goes out more often than you do. On Sept.2 the [...]
AEJMC 09: This Year’s Model
Twice a year, New York Fashion Week–excuse me the MERCEDES-BENZ Fashion Week (when I think pretentious, overpriced clothes, Mercedes-Benz is always the first thought that leaps to mind)– previews what women will be wearing that season. By ”women” they mean women who are about 5’10’’, wear size 2 dresses, can spend lavishly on the latest [...]
Happy Bday Napster! Just Don’t Say Anything…
This summer celebrates the 10th anniversary of the birth of Napster. It is also the 20th anniversary of Say Anything, considered one of the top teen comedies of all time and one of the best- reviewed movies of that year. The movie stars one of my favorite actors, John Cusack, as Lloyd Dobler. I bring [...]