Throughout history, technology and media become increasingly more significant in our everyday lives. With its endless possibilities, technology has given so many people the opportunity to make a difference in the world. Two of the readings for this weeks blog post focus on and delineate how media making has not only been shaped by popular culture but has also affected popular culture as a whole. Furthermore, both readings reference specific cases in which technology and media making has impacted greater society.
In the first few paragraphs of Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century, Henry Jenkins writes of several individuals who have not only used technology and media in novel ways but have also used it to make a difference. One individual Jenkins writes about is Heather Lawver. Lawver is an early teen who created a computer program, through a fictional online world, that has helped young kids better their reading and writing skills and has been adopted by many school teachers across the globe. Other children that Jenkins mentions who have influenced society through technology and media are Blake Ross and Josh Meeter. Blake Ross, as a teenager had developed one of the most widely used Internet browsers that is still used today called Firefox. Similarly, Josh Meeter who, before even graduating high school, created a clay animation for Awards showdown that was hosted on Stephen Speilbergs website; Josh today has even begun to work on making his very own film. All of these kids and their use of media, as Jenkins tries to display, have made contributions to our culture and our world. Jenkins proposes that:
In the first few paragraphs of Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century, Henry Jenkins writes of several individuals who have not only used technology and media in novel ways but have also used it to make a difference. One individual Jenkins writes about is Heather Lawver. Lawver is an early teen who created a computer program, through a fictional online world, that has helped young kids better their reading and writing skills and has been adopted by many school teachers across the globe. Other children that Jenkins mentions who have influenced society through technology and media are Blake Ross and Josh Meeter. Blake Ross, as a teenager had developed one of the most widely used Internet browsers that is still used today called Firefox. Similarly, Josh Meeter who, before even graduating high school, created a clay animation for Awards showdown that was hosted on Stephen Speilbergs website; Josh today has even begun to work on making his very own film. All of these kids and their use of media, as Jenkins tries to display, have made contributions to our culture and our world. Jenkins proposes that:
“Lawver, Ross, and Meeter are the future politicians, activists, educators, writers, entrepreneurs, and media makers. The skills they acquired–learning how to campaign and govern; how to read, write, edit, and defend civil liberties; how to program computers and run a business; how to make a movie and get it distributed-are the kinds of skills we might hope our best schools would teach.”
Further elaborating on this idea that media influences society, Jenkins points out that through technology a type of “Participatory Culture,” has developed and flourished, especially amongst today’s youth. This culture is defined as one that encourages creativity, innovation and exploration through the media and has proven to impact our society in so many ways. Jenkins claims that:
"Media systems consist of communication technologies and the social, cultural, legal, political, and economic institutions, practices, and protocols that shape and surround them. [Therefore] participation is a property of culture. Participatory culture is emerging as the culture absorbs and responds to the explosion of new media technologies…[and] our goals [as a society] should be to encourage youth to develop the skills, knowledge, ethical frameworks, and self-confidence needed to be full participants in contemporary culture."
Similarly, in the chapter “Cesar Chavez, the UFW and Star wars” in the book Race After the Internet, Curtis Marez talks about how George Lucas created films that greatly impacted and reflected the cultural chaos going on in California during the 1940s until the 1970s. As Cesar Chavez protested the dangers of pesticides used on fruits as well as the unfair treatment of labor unions by large farming industries, Lucas created movies and films that told stories about the hardships faced by people, that closely resembled Chavez and other activists. Through media and film making, Lucas was able to educate the rest of the world about the horrifying events going on in California. Not only did the success of Lucas’ films educate people but they also paved the way for Lucas’ efforts in building the School of Cinematic Arts at USC, dedicated to Cesar Chavez. This program will help open many doors and opportunities for students to create media in ways that,have impacted our society and culture just as Lucas had done.
Unequivocally, both Jenkins and Marez manifest the ways in which media and technology has and will to continue to, pave the way for kids to influence the world with innovation and creativity.
Unequivocally, both Jenkins and Marez manifest the ways in which media and technology has and will to continue to, pave the way for kids to influence the world with innovation and creativity.