Week 11

This week's readings focus on our growing dependence (obsession even) on social media services such as Facebook, twitter, and mobile phones. Although noise in a physical sense may have decrease over the years, according to Crawford (2010), the new "noise" of the 21st century is net-worked conversation.

The article implies that the growing use of social media is a negative thing which creates unnecessary "noise" in people's lives, I can't really agree. If people want to maintain social networks through technological mediums, they have the option to be able to do so. There is nothing stopping anybody from switching off their phone or forcing people to check their news feeds on Facebook (or even having a Facebook).

Bibliography:
Crawford, K., 2010, ‘Noise, Now: Listening to Networks’ in Meanjin Quarterly, Vol. 69, No. 2, pp. 64-69

Week 10

This week's readings touched on the way in which sites such as Facebook and Myspace help people to identify with themselves, sometimes even identifying themselves as somebody else. Myspace and Facebook are not only social networking sites, they are sites where people can present the kind of character or persona they would like to be, and the way they would like to be perceived. Particularly relevant to myspace, people create fan pages where they can roleplay their favourite celebrities or TV characters.

Creating different personas and roleplaying celebrities over social networking sites is often harmless. However, in some cases (as seen in the documentary 'Talhotblond' and 'Catfish'), the result can be heartbreak or even a tragic death.

Bibliography:
Booth, Paul(2008) 'Rereading Fandom: MySpace Character Personas and Narrative Identification',
Critical Studies in Media Communication, 25: 5, 514 — 536

Week 9

Society and inturn, the media, tends to 'other' people who don't fit into the norm and follow the behaviour and beliefs of the majority. In this week's reading, heteronormativity and compulsory heterosexuality were discussed, in particular, how lesbians have been and are viewed in society.

The article implies that lesbians are frowned upon and seen in a negative light moreso in society than homosexual men. I don't think that is the case really. To some extent, lesbians may be objectified more than homosexual men but it's not really fair to say that they have it harder. Both homosexual men and women may face the same sort of issues when coming out and whilst both are becoming more acceptable, neither one or the other have it easier. Views regarding homosexuality have definitely have evolved from years ago, however, the legalisation of homosexual marriage will definitely help "normalise" homosexuality.

Bibliography:
Rich, A., 1993, ‘Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence’ in The Gay and Lesbian Studies Reader, Routledge, New York, pp.227-254