Technology has changed the way that we interact with each other

Media is also expanding the boundaries of our social circles; how we perceive and interact with each other; even TV is becoming interactive, bridging the gap between our entertainment and our own lives

Is it a good or bad thing? Are technology and media simply a distraction to keep the lower classes complacent to the inequities of society

Brief viewpoints: Functionalists – would focus on the what

social purposes technology and media serve Conflict perspective – would be interested in

the manifest functions of media and technology and their role in social dysfunction

Interactionist – would seek to understand the difference between the real lives we lead and the reality depicted on “reality” television shows

Technology – the application of science to address the problems of everyday life (Figure 9.2) While walkmans, laser disks and old

computers seem archaic today, the “I” industry of products may look just as archaic in 25 or 30 years.

Technology is not a product of the modern era Fire and stone tools Calculators and computers Computers and cell phones

All aspects of our lives are influenced by technology Example: the introduction of machines in

agriculture led to less need for manual labor, led to less rural jobs, led to the urbanization of society, led to lower birthrates due to the lack of need for large families

Example: DNA testing in the criminal justice system

Like any other improvement in human society, not everyone has equal access Technology can create change that can often

lead to even greater inequalities The gap grows wider faster This stratification has led to a new focus on

ensuring better access for all 2 forms of technological stratification

Differential class/race/geographical-based access to technology in the form of the digital divide

Knowledge gap – ongoing and increasing gap in information for those who have less access to technology

Students in well-funded schools receive more exposure to technology than students in poorly funded schools

More exposure = more proficiency = more marketable in an increasingly technology-based job market

Society is then divided into those with technological knowledge and those without

Becoming hard to address the gap in e-readiness – the ability to sort through, interpret and process knowledge

The digital divide continues to grow even as social science researchers have tried to bring attention to it

Personal computer usage went from 300,000 in 1991 to more than 10,000,000 by 1996.

Part of the issue is due to where infrastructure upgrades have occurred; example, high-speed internet access that went largely to affluent urban and suburban areas, leaving out huge groups of people

By the end of the 20th century, technology became a big part of the school experience for the communities that could afford it

Poorer communities has little to no technology while more affluent families had personal computers at home and wired classrooms in their schools

Spring Cove School District: Digital School District, Classrooms for the Future and 1 to 1 Initiative

By the late 2000s, prices for low end computers dropped and it looked like the digital divide was resolved

There’s a suggestion of a new divide; minorities (Latinos and African America) are using phones to connect to the internet

Hard to create resumes or fill out applications on a phone May show that access to specific kinds of technology are

becoming more prevalent

Research tends to find that: The majority of the digital divide for black

Americans can be explained through socioeconomic status and geographic location

For Latinos, ethnicity alone seems to be what limits technological use

Women feel less confident in their internet skills and less access to the internet at work and home

Global digital divide results from economic and sociopolitical characteristics of countries

Planned Obsolescence – business practice of planning for a product to be obsolete or unusable from the time it is created Batteries costing more than the component they

are designed for Built just long enough to last until the next

production model or technology comes out A natural extension of new and emerging

technologies No rip-proof stockings Lack of support of alternative fuel development Windows’ release of continual OS and lack of support

for prior generations Upward compatibility only

Technology and media are interwoven and are rarely separated Media – refers to all print, digital and

electronic means of communication Technology has influenced how and where

information is shared From phone and letter writing to tweeting and

sharing on facebook; when discussing how societies engage with technology, we must take media into account and vice-versa

Technology creates media; without technology, media doesn’t exist (and is more than just media we’re exposed to.

It’s very hard to divide technology into categories; so the US Patent Office categories will suffice: Utility patent– an invention or discovery of any

new and useful process, product or machine; or for significant improvement to existing technologies

Design patent – new and original design for a manufactured product (usually in architecture and industrial design)

Plant patent – discovery of new plant types that can be asexually reproduced

There is also the idea of the evolutionary model of technological change – a breakthrough in one form of technology leads to a number of variations Magnetic reel to reel data storage to the floppy disks (8”

to 5 ¼” to 3 ½”) to Zip drives to flash drives. Simplistic and relatively unsophisticated to improved

second and 3rd generation technologies

Print Newspaper Can be found in early Rome, written on

boards and carried around With the printing press, mass production,

storage (archiving) and efficiency Helped lead to the Renaissance and the Age

of Enlightenment Sensationalism, tabloids and censorship was

prevalent

The telegraph spread news faster (mid 1880s)

By the early 20th century, people like William Randolph Hearst redefined the world of print media and gained enormous power

Could dictate policy, incite the public, ruin careers Print media also helped the dissemination of

countercultural and revolutionary materials Lenin and communism The counterculture of the 1960s Underground newspapers

When TV was invented and became widespread, newspaper circulation and readership dropped considerably

This shift has had profound effects on societies Provided broad-based reporting and a semblance

of balance With TV news, the audience can now choose

specifically what it wants to hear and what it wants to avoid (Fox vs. MSNBC vs. CNN vs. NBC/CBS/ABS news)

Television and Radio Both shaped people’s lives in much the same way Information and entertainment could be enjoyed at

home with the immediacy and community that newspapers couldn't offer

People can remember the radio announcement that Pearl Harbor was bombed or saw Walter Cronkite on the TV announcing John Kennedy had been shot and when he died

Newspapers would have had to run a special edition and run specific EXTRA papers

Allows for the sharing of moments in real time Shaped the “water cooler” moments where people heard

on radio or saw on TV entertainment and then met to discuss it

Into the 1970’s and early 1980’s, the US was dominated by 3 networks: ABC, CBS and NBC

They competed for ratings and advertising dollars They also controlled what people watched

Public TV stations offered an alternative Education, non-profit to sensationalistic news Sesame Street and Mister Rogers

PBS, BBC and CBC came into the fold as well as Al Jazeera, broadcasting to the masses and around the world; offering a global perspective

Stat: Late 1990’s, 98% of all homes had at least 1 TV and watched daily, 2 ½ to 5 hours of TV

Has a profound and powerful socializing effect: providing reference groups, reinforcing social norms, values and beliefs

Begging the question as well with researchers of the impact of TV on growth, development, increased violence, responsibility issues, desensitization of society

Film Prior to the 1930’s, silent and black and white

films 1930’s, films take off due to color and sound

being integrated Many times unified society; bringing audiences to

tears, laughter, horror, and scaring them together

Act as time capsules or cultural touchstones for society

Illustrate societies dreams, fears and expectations; sometimes for a specific time period

We also mark milestones in our own lives with film

New Media New media encompasses all interactive

forms of information exchange Tends to level the playing field of who is/can

construct it: creating, publishing, distributing and accessing information and providing alternative forums to groups unable to access traditional political forums (Arab Spring)

Leaves indelible technological footprints and a digital life No guarantee of the accuracy of information

provided (conspiracy theory and false information Hard to ensure accuracy from sources for stories

in some cases

Violence in video games and movies geared toward children and teens (as well as political messages, sexual innuendo, language, behavior, morality, etc)

While the violence is similar to Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner, the graphics and actions have escalated and increased

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) put ratings on movies in the 1960s

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) put ratings on music starting in 1985

The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ERSB) started putting ratings on video games in 1994

The ratings system deals with violence, language, nudity, sexual issues, etc.

Children play often involves games of aggression: cowboys and Indians, cops and robbers, army, etc

Is there a link between violent video games and violent behavior

There was determined to be casual linkages between violent video games and aggression based upon 40+ years of research

Children who had just played a violent video game demonstrated an immediate increase in hostile or aggressive thoughts, an increase in aggressive emotions and physiological arousal that increased the chances of acting out aggressive behavior (also see Bobo the Clown)

Questions: age of participants, mental acumen, total number of gamers vs. those that perpetrated violence, family life, moral and social development

Companies use advertising to sell to us but the methods and ways that they are reaching us consumers are changing We receive the same message in a variety of

ways: billboards, TV, radio, print, online ads, emails, sponsorships and spokesmen

The remote control allows us to ignore TV ads without leaving our seats, using the cable/satellite box to record shows and skip ads; this causes conventional advertising to change and wane

Ad revenue in newspapers has dropped significantly

One way that companies are now reaching out to other audiences is through hiring college students on campus to be their endorsing agents.

Popular students: athletes, the Greeks and musicians

10,000 or so students as of 2011

Mini-unit on advertising Types Creating commercials Reaching audiences Product examples

While there is a variety of media at hand, the mainstream news and entertainment is increasingly homogenized Different news outlets tell the same stories with

the same sources, with slight variations As this is happening, there is also the opposite

occurring in the newer media streams People customize their news experience by minimizing

the chances of getting information that they don’t believe fits in their world view

Republicans wouldn’t use news sites that show Democrats in a favorable light and vice-versa.

Go with all entertainment or sports news without the news

Technology and now media have always driven globalization Core economic concepts were changed by

personal computing and high speed internet Access to these technological shifts have allowed

core-nation corporations to recruit workers to call centers in other countries

The US will have to pay attention to how it prepares its workers of the 21st century for this dynamic

Media globalization – worldwide integration of media through the cross-cultural exchange of ideas

Technological globalization – cross-cultural development and exchange of technology

Technology and now media have always driven globalization Core economic concepts were changed by

personal computing and high speed internet Access to these technological shifts have allowed

core-nation corporations to recruit workers to call centers in other countries

The US will have to pay attention to how it prepares its workers of the 21st century for this dynamic

Media globalization – worldwide integration of media through the cross-cultural exchange of ideas

Technological globalization – cross-cultural development and exchange of technology

Multinational corporations are the primary vehicle of media globalization and they control global mass-media content and distribution There are fewer independent news sources

while there are larger and larger conglomerated

In the US, there are approx: 15000 newspapers, 2600 book publishers and TV stations, 6000 magazines and 10000 radio outlets

From 50 corporations owning the bulk of mass-media outlets in 1983 to 6 large companies today owning the majority

Technology offers a window into the news of the world

Offers real-time updates: tweets, posts on Facebook, streaming video and blogging

Political ideology and cultural colonialism can occur with technological growth

Countries, corporations, non-profits, groups bringing technology (internet, fiber optic/high-speed lines) into underdeveloped countries usually have an agenda in their gifts

Passing on that country's cultural and societal assumptions and norms to those nations; also biases and expectations

Censoring and information withholding

What should be filtered and censored? Internet gambling and pornography vs. researching information and staying in touch with friends

Allowing one while restricting others Who decides? In the US, the courts decide, globally it’s a

question yet to be answered China has a tight reign on the internet,

suppressing and censoring information Do we restrict dissenting views and voices, leaked

information, whistle-blower information and facts?

Growth of technology does not equal growth of spread of technology In peripheral and semi-peripheral countries,

few people have the skills and training to access the new technology and in turn, use it

Clustered in urban areas Ex. The ability to purify water with new

technologies but the areas that need it can’t access it, afford to purchase it or the technological comfort level to introduce it

In America, we are looking to teach students to be 21st Century/Digital learners

Technological globalization is impacted by technological diffusion – the spread of technology across borders Technological progress and economic growth

are linked The rise in technological progress has helped

improve the situation of those living in absolute poverty

Innovations in farming and market vending Advances in things like mobile phones lead to

competition, low prices and improvements like mobile banking and information sharing

Focuses on how media and technology contribute to the smooth functioning of society The ability to find information on the internet TV’s entertainment value How advertising and product placement

contribute to social norms Almost every home has a TV and

250,000,000,000 hours watched by Americans each year Tv is a great way for companies to reach

potential consumers

Meets the demographics of the area Use sophisticated data gathered by networks

and cable companies (as well as other resources: internet, cell phones and surveys) to target their audiences

Commercial advertising also uses other things to reach their consumers:

Movie theaters Billboards Public transportation Sides of buildings Schools and athletic fields

Entertainment Function Manifest function of media is the entertainment

value Technology provides new and exciting ways to

entertain one’s self: online gaming, Facebook, chatting with friends

Social Norm Function Media also serves to socialize us, pass on

norms, values and beliefs What is good and desirable, how we speak, how we

should behave, how we should react in situations Provide us with cultural touchstones or key events

Debate exists concerning the extent and impact of media socialization

Some studies show that violent content leads to some desensitization and is correlated with aggressive thoughts

Also, children exposed to media violence led to an increase in physical and relational aggression

There is also a study that showed (over 4 decades) that there is no definitive link between viewing violence and committing criminal violence

Life-Changing Function A recent study showed that the rise in obesity

rate is correlated with the decrease in physical activity caused by an increase in use of some forms of technology (latent function)

It’s a near impossibility to disconnect from technology in today’s age

Leads to an expectation of constant convenient access to information and people

Narcotizing dysfunction – people who are too overwhelmed with media input to really care about the issue; their involvement becomes defined by awareness instead of by action concerning the issue at hand

Focuses on the creation and reproduction of inequality; social processes that tend to disrupt society rather than contribute to its smooth operation Major focus is the differential access to media

and technology – the digital divide Who controls the media How the media promoted the norms of upper-

middle-class white Americans while minimizing the presence of the low class (people of color)

Control of Media and Technology Powerful individuals and social institutions

have a great deal of influence and control over which forms of technology are released, when they are released, where they are released and what kind of media is available for consumption

Gatekeeping – the sorting process by which thousands of possible messages are shaped into mass media-appropriate form and reduced to a manageable amount

People in charge of media decide and control what the public is exposed to; the heart of media’s power

Traditional vs. Hegemonic media Hegemonic media is where a culturally diverse

society can be dominated by one race, gender or class through the manipulation of the media by imposing its worldview as a societal norm

New media renders the gatekeepers role less of a factor by information distribution

Political Area Some conflict theorists believe that American

media generates an unbalanced political arena Those with the most money can buy the most

media exposure, run smear campaigns and maximize their visual presence

What does this say about the non-rich and politics?

Technological Social Control and Digital Surveillance Has a journal, Surveillance and Society, dedicated to

it Panoptic surveillance – a form of constant

monitoring in which observation posts are decentralized and the observed is never communicated with directly

Recent NSA data snooping and surveillance CIA.FBI surveillance in the past CCTV cameras throughout Britain and becoming more

common in the US Cameras capture our every move, our cell phones can be

tracked, we can be followed on the internet and police forces are using updated facial recognition software

Feminist Perspective Women tend to be portrayed in a particular set

of parameters and in a uniform way that society deems to be attractive

TV shows, movies, advertising campaigns and online gaming sites

Thin, white or light-skinned, beautiful and young These portrayals are crucial in creating and

reinforcing stereotypes The “heroin chic” look of the mid 1990s

There is also a gender gap in technology related fields

May be a result of the stereotypes Men are the keepers of technological knowledge

Believe that press coverage only strengthens the stereotypes by:

Subordinating women Giving airtime to looks over skills Disparaging women who defy accepted norms

Cyberfeminism – the application to, and promotion of, feminism online

Describes the work of feminists interested in theorizing, critiquing and exploiting the internet, cyberspace and new media technologies

Attempts to create a freedom from gender and sex differences in the social construct

Symbolic Interactionist Perspective Technology itself may act as a symbol for many

The car you drive, computer you own or peripherals that you use

Serve as a symbol of wealth and status Neo-Luddites – people who see technology as

symbolizing coldness and alienation of modern life

Technophiles – people who view technology as a symbol for the potential for a brighter future

The ideological middle ground sees both sides, technology symbolizing status and failure

Social Construct of Reality The media creates and spreads symbols that

become the basis for our shared understanding of society

This is an ongoing process in which people subjectively create and understand reality

For some groups, the people they see on TV become their primary group, they grow closest to them

For some groups, media becomes a reference group, one that influences them and who they compare themselves to, that they judge successes and failures on

There are some forms of media discourse that allow for the perception or appearance of competing constructions of reality

Advertisers find new and creative ways to sell us products that we don’t need and don’t want without their prompting while in other places (Freecycle), they offer a commercial-free way of requesting and trading items that would be discarded otherwise

There are also blogs and sites that chronicle people’s lives living “off the grid” (which is an oxymoron) or without participating in our commercial economy

Social Networking and Social Construction While we think we are reading objective

observations on websites, Facebook, Twitter, etc; the reality is that we may be buying into another form of advertising

The corporations, businesses and advertisers are playing a huge role in many “personal” reviews of products

Facebook, which started out as a social networking site, it’s become a huge business, selling goods and services (gaming revenue, ad revenue, selling information)

The company is now worth between $125 and $150 billion dollars

Friend-ing or liking specific pages only offers up more consumerism and advertising

Leading to spam email and junk mail Direct marketing Selling of customer lists Can increase brand loyalty Newer ways of spending money

Game updates Coupons