Rewrite #1
Original post: https://ellacorcoranidm2021.blogspot.com/2021/10/digital-media.html
This week for our video task, we watched 3 videos about media literacy.
The first two videos were short info-graphic videos about media literacy and why it’s important. The first video, by MediaSmarts, explained that while digital media is more interactive, it’s also a lot easier to fake what you post. This is a really important point, as there’s been many times where fake posts went viral worldwide for their believability. An example of this would be the “Eagle Snatches Baby” video. The video was originally a college project made by three Animation and Design students in Montreal, however the mix of the shaky cinematography and the realistic eagle model was enough to fool so many people that the video garnered over 46 million views on youtube. It’s easy to think you can’t be fooled by internet hoaxes, but it’s even easier to create a convincing fake.
Media literacy is vital, especially online. According to Statista, in 2019 there were 1.7 billion households with a television worldwide, while in January 2021, there were 4.66 billion active internet users! This means that online content is far more accessible and is accessed more compared to regulated television. The need to differentiate between true and false information online is more important than ever.
The second video, by the University of Derby, talked about the importance of media literacy and the different levels people can have in it. As it’s said in the video, a certain amount of media literacy is needed to turn on a computer, while you’d need a little bit more media literacy to apply to a job online. It’s an interesting video on the different levels of digital literacy, and the ways we can develop our literacy to help us online.
The third video was a TED talk by Dr. Doug Belshaw. In the video, he talks about media literacy through the use of memes. His main example is the meme “Success kid,” in which a child holds his fist up with a triumphant expression on his face. The image was edited and manipulated to contain relatable or amusing captions. Belshaw introduces the audience to his “eight essential elements of digital literacies,” noting that the “Success kid” meme falls under the elements of cultural, creative and communicative. Another example of these elements could be on a video game review on youtube. That would come under the elements “critical” and “constructive.” Belshaw makes it a point to note that context is a common element in memes, both old and new. Memes from the time when “Success kid” was popular were often based on fake personalities for the animals used in the images for that particular meme, for example “paranoid parrot” or “socially awkward penguin.” While internet memes have evolved greatly over the last decade, context still plays a huge part in their execution.
A prominent modern example of this would be the “Among us everywhere” meme. The meme originated with the 2018 game “Among Us,” an indie video game that gained popularity in 2020. Memes started being made about the slang used in the game, such as “[blank] is sus,” and the eventual break down of the game’s title, often being referred to as “Amogus.” The meme spiraled even more out of control when people began recognizing the simple design of the spacemen characters used in the game in real life items. Common items were bins, dogs and even toes. The relation to “Among us” isn’t mentioned within the image or it’s post, completely relying on the viewer to understand the context behind the meme in order to find it funny. Memes like this have always been a staple of internet humour and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon.
Large brands and corporations are also using memes as a form of advertising. An example of this would be Spotify's meme-inspired ad campaign. This also links into Arby's twitter account, which posts pictures of their food next to paper-craft versions of popular anime characters. While these aren't memes, they take recognizable characters from a specific community and use those characters to cater to that audience. I think memes and pop culture will continue to stay prominent in marketing and advertising as long as the internet and social media exist.
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| A bowl labeled "Media Literacy" holding sweets with various labels including "source," "reverse image" and "wayback [machine]" Photo by tiday on Pixabay |
Reference list:
“Digital media are networked” by MediaSmarts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-HXiObDDnA
“Digital Literacy and why it matters” by University of Derby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2k3C-iB88w
“The essential elements of digital literacies: Doug Belshaw” by TEDx talks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8yQPoTcZ78
“Golden eagle snatched kid” by MrNuclearCat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE0Q904gtMI
“Eagle snatches kid” video makers admit hoax” by NPR: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/12/19/167610327/eagle-snatches-kid-video-the-debunking-begins?t=1633548735346
“Among Us everywhere: things that look like Among Us crewmates” by ScreenRant: https://screenrant.com/among-us-everywhere-meme-look-like-crewmates-impostors/
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