What do families want?

Group projects are up and running!  Well, almost...first, we must pass the test of social relevance and interest.

Allie, Audrey, Cami, and I are focusing on our digital world through the lens of families who want to better understand it and keep their families happy and safe in spite of it. We would like to study, review, and present examples of families who have not only been happy and safe in spite of digital culture, but have become more unified because of it!

How would we measure our success in discussing these issues, though, without knowing what it is families are concerned about and interested in?

We have started a working model of a survey we would like to administer online in order to more narrowly focus our research. Here is what we've come up with so far:

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Thank you for taking this brief, confidential survey.

As a part of our BYU Digital Culture class, a small group of us are especially interested in assessing and helping to meet the needs of families as they learn to understand and use new media and other digital resources.

If you would like to have access to the concerns we address (specific to the family) over the course of the semester as well as the digital resources we review for safety, utility, and potential to do good, there will be a place at the end of the survey to include your email address, if you would like to.

          Demographic Info:

• Gender (male/female)
• Age
• 12 and under
• 13-17
• 18-30
• 30-45
• 45-60
• 60+
• Are you a parent? (yes/no)
• Are you a grandparent? (yes/no)

Box-checking Survey Questions:

• What digital media devices does your family use?
• Cell phones
• Type (ex. basic cell phone, phone w/ data plan, etc.)
• Computer
• Type (ex. laptop, desktop, tablet)
• TV
• Video games
• Type (computer, handheld device, game system, etc.)
• Music players
• Type (ex. ipod, mp3 player, etc.)  
• Do you use any of the above digital media devices to help manage your family’s:
• finances
• communication
• texting
• video chatting
• talking on the phone
• email, social media, etc.
• family history
• recipes
• scrapbooking
• to-do lists 
• family goals
• calendar
• music
• Other (list)

Open-Ended Survey Questions:

• What are your concerns about digital media’s impact on your family?
• What digital media would you like to learn more about?
• For Parents: What I wish my kids understood about digital media use
• For Kids/Teens: What I wish my parents understood about digital media use

          Optional:

• Yes, I would like to have access to the concerns addressed (specific to the family) by your project team over the course of the semester as well as the digital resources you review that can strengthen families. Email address:

Weekend in Review

Friday 
The Avatar viewing at the Burton's house was the perfect way to start off the weekend! We enjoyed wonderful conversation and laughter, ate the most scrumptious tortellini dish (courtesy of Mrs. Karen Burton), chowed down on award-winning milk AND semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies (specialty of Mrs. Allie Crafton), and were entranced by the awesome movie! I had seen it before a couple of years ago, but enjoyed it even more this time around! Maybe it was the big screen and loud speakers - perhaps it was the delicious food that had lulled me into ultimate contentment on the couch - but whatever it was, I was absolutely captivated by the world of Pandora and by the beautifully complex issues the movie presents to students of digital culture (as well as meaning-seeking viewers everywhere). After the movie, we discussed the connections that we made and concluded that Avatar is rich with insights about what it means to closely relate to others and what it means to be "embodied" by a physical body and with our "machines."

 

image from here

Saturday
I spent much of the day at the Provo temple baptistry where we volunteer weekly. I certainly didn't have to worry about being distracted by media there - though I did use the scanner and computer for recording finished family and temple names :). I had left my phone at home, and when I got home, found I didn't need to touch it - no texts, no calls (indicative of my popularity? whatev). I didn't use my phone at all that day, though that wasn't even a part of the diet I prescribed myself to. My media diet consisted of a fast from Facebook and blogs, my own personal "time suckers." Both are wonderful tools that I find myself gravitating to every time my browser is open. I took a several-month break from Facebook to cure my self-diagnosed addiction two years ago (which helped me a TON), but lately I've noticed that I check for updates waaay too often and have worried that I'm back in time-wasting mode these days. During my "diet," I noticed myself actually aching to open tabs for Facebook and Blogger. I used my computer for other useful purposes, but felt super annoyed at not being able to check for updates. But I didn't give in. My conclusion is that I need to set actual limits on the time I spend there. For the rest of this week, I'm tempering the full-out fast and limiting myself to thirty minutes on Facebook/day (keeping track in my planner). 

image from here

 
Sunday 
Tech moment(s) of the day: how about a live broadcast from inside the Brigham City temple celestial room?! Incredible what we can experience from afar. I'm starting to get pumped for General Conference...

Family Project Update
I won't make this blog post much longer than it already is. But know that a (hopefully) important resource for families is in the works!!! I'll post more info by Thursday.

Digital Sweet Home

Passion, Purpose, Project.

That's what I've been looking for.

Unfortunately, I think I've been tackling these out of order. Lately I've been thinking project, project, project and I think I've lost sight of what I care about. I think that's why I've been stumped and frustrated.

What is it about digital culture that I am passionate about?

The ability it gives us to create, experience, and share BEAUTIFUL and MEANINGFUL things. That is one way digital culture has changed my life- it has exposed me to media that moves me. Such as this:

and this

.

And as I mentioned in a post a couple weeks ago, I find great purpose in using digital tools to strengthen family connections. I think I have been trying to look beyond this corner of digital culture because I feel that is so simple, and perhaps not too original compared to themes others have been exploring. But I think I need to stick with what I am most interested in, provided I am convinced that others care about it, too.

What resources and tools available in our digital culture can help strengthen the family?

I think most parents are already well-aware of many of the dangers that this culture can pose. The negatives are discussed all the time (becoming addicted to anything online, stranger danger, family interactions interrupted with digital interactions, etc.). But what if we created a presentation (via prezi, e-pamphlet, video, etc.) that illustrated all of the good opportunities that digital culture brings to families specifically? I think that kind of resource could be effective for those who are convinced that the digital world is largely negative and may not be able to contribute much to family life (with the exception of family history/genealogy sites;)). I have seen social proof of this in interactions with some of my own family members and I imagine the sentiment is shared by many others, especially withinin the more mature generations.

I have done some research about what is already out there that might be similar to what I'm thinking about creating or might help me as I start my curation creation:

• SimpleMom has compiled a good list of practical tools for home life in this article. 
• I started messing with one of the free sites Google lets you create, a template specifically designed to become a hub for families. The (now-empty) site I created is here- "Digital Sweet Home."
• There are tons of sites devoted to helping you compile your own personal history. I am really interested in how these work, as I am helping my grandpa to write his history right now. I wasn't planning on using any special software in the actual writing process, but maybe I should look into it.
• Along the same vein of family record-keeping, digital scrap booking allows families to e-publish or print their pictures and stories from scratch, with ready-made templates, or straight from their blogs. 
• I touched on this a few weeks ago...but webcams allow family members to see and talk to each other from worlds away through programs like oovoo, skype, and Google hangout...for free! 
• I briefly mentioned family history above, and I might put it in a category all of its own, but this is a booming, competitive market that tons of families are taking advantage of. youwho is a new site whose launch is being highly anticipated. I happen to know one of the creators of the site and can't wait to see if/how it changes the world of digifamilyhistory! And since we're talking about family history, it was fun seeing my own ancestral tree in colorful fan form. Just sign into your lds account and voila! Genealogy Fan Chart

What would be really cool is if I/we could create an original resource of our own for the family to use. But I'd need a killer idea and some mad programming skills to make that happen. For now, I'll stick to the gathering/curating stage. Then I'll figure out the format to present it in. Of course, this is only an idea! Does anyone think it's worthwhile? (I sure hope so...I am getting excited about this!)

Using Commodities to Understand Commodities

I've been trying to better understand in what ways people can be "commodified" in digital culture. I've been thinking about this issue in relation to the novel I'm studying, but I needed other voices to back me up- other voices to validate that this issue is interesting and relevant. So I used my own Facebook friends as commodities, hoping to get some input from them to help me with my work. Last week, I reached out to my largest personally-connected network, hoping I'd get some responses. I expected more, but appreciated the thoughtful input of those who chimed in.

  

I also took J.J.'s and Dr. Burton's advice (via G+) and read about what "experts," such as Michel Foucault, had to say on the subject.  Foucault's conception of power in "Truth and Power" is that "extensive social networks" transmit power in the form of production in all directions. This production power produces and enhances "goods" that need not be physical goods; the goods he discusses include knowledge, health, wealth, and social cohesion. Ultimately, Foucault concludes that "Power [the power to produce any of the above 'goods'] traverses and produces things; it induces pleasure, forms knowledge, and produces discourse." I have a lot more reading and interacting to do, but I feel like I'm starting to get a better handle on what it means to be a commodity and how that affects what we do online.

Humans Commodified

Image from here

An idea has sprouted up from this garden. 

An idea called "The Commodification of Human Beings." 

How are people commodified in our world, the digital world? 

How are people commodified in Vonnegut's world, the world of Billy Pilgrim? 

Let's get to the bottom of these questions by first exploring some others. 

What is a commodity? 

An exchangeable unit that can be used to satisfy wants or needs. 

What is a human being? 

A person; an individual; a body and soul. 

How can something be commodified?

It is put into a clear category. It is made more readily exchanged. It is compartmentalized, dismembered from unrelated groups. It enters a marketplace (of ideas, of products, of politics). 

Now, how might someone be commodified online? 

The different aspects of their personality, talents, and attributes are compartmentalized and publicized. 

     ?Is this necessarily a bad thing? 

          -No: They can make money and friends from their self-commodities. They can discover and explore and expand their personality and talents and attributes. 

          -Yes: Others make money off of said commodities with no compensation to commodity-supplier.  Personal well-being/dignity may be disregarded, seen as inconsequential. 

(Obviously I need to explore this more. Remember, it's just a sprout!) 

How are people commodified in Slaughterhouse-Five? 

-Children used as soldiers in the Children's Crusade (11th century), cited in the prologue

-POW's dignity is stripped from them and they are seen as mere workhorses 

-Pilgrim's wife is just a body/machine that produces a future cadet (their son) 

-Jesus Christ is viewed by the Tralfamadorians as an example humans use to justify treating people poorly

-Montana Wildhack (porn star). Self-explanatory 

Why does all this matter (at least in the book)? 

Turning people into commodities can disregard the meaning and purpose of being human beings. It can disregard feelings and well-being. It can make us apathetic to others' plights and focused on our own gratification. 

"Slaughterhouse-Five": Initial Reflections

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (image from here)

When I first took a look at this book, I thought it pretty strange. First off, the book has two titles- the one described above as well as an alternative title, The Children's Crusade (Vonnegut promised a woman that he'd name a book of his after that title). The title page also includes a lengthy, bizarre, and part-fictitious self-description of the author. The back cover alerted me to massacres, aliens abductions, poignant profundity, and tragic humor. As I flipped through the pages, I saw random allusions to historical figures, seemingly apathetic descriptions of violence, and plenty of profanity. What was I getting myself into? 

Well, I made it through. This book has made me think, and I am still thinking. 

Vonnegut's writing style is so interesting. The prologue is supposedly written in his own authorial identity, but the rest of the book is seen through the eyes of Billy Pilgrim, an (speculatively fictitious) acquaintance of Vonnegut's. Both men were POW's in Dresden during WWII. Dresden was bombed by the U.S., wiping out the entire city of 130,000 (more deaths than from the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki). Vonnegut begins by explaining the complexities of writing an "anti-war" book, including someone's comment that that was like trying to write an "anti-iceberg" book; there's no use; it's inevitable. Throughout the novel, Billy Pilgrim's wartime experiences are written about with an air of apathy. But it's not clear-cut apathy. Readers can safely assume that the apathy is satirical; that suffering DOES matter and human life IS of value. But the authorial voice remains curiously aloof on the subject, offering the reader hints about the ultimate "moral" of the book, but nothing too definitive (at least in my reading of the novel).

Here are just a few issues/themes presented in the book, with potential digital culture connections in {brackets}.

• It is unclear just how autobiographical this book is, since it is written from the perspective of a fictional character who has some shared experiences with the author. {The flexibility and many possibilities of self-representation online. Blogging personalities as true-to-life, simply catering-to-readers, or straight-up contrived. Separating fact from fiction/hoax/misrepresentation in online, democratic journalism.}
• The protagonist, Billy Pilgrim, time travels frequently in this book - about every 2-3 pages or so. He moves backwards and forwards, forwards and backwards through time. And according to the Tralfamadorians (Billy's alien friends), he is inhabiting all of these moments in time at once, since individual moments in time do not exist. {The infinite mobility of hypertext. The ability for Internet users to have multiple tabs open at once, to be interacting with several people at the same time via video chatting, email, text messaging, etc.}
•  It could be argued that Vonnegut is utilizing a number of genres in his book - autobiography, historical fiction, and science fiction, to name a few. He weaves into his plot a number of seemingly unrelated characters and concepts, bringing in soldiers and aliens and movie stars and optometrists and Jesus. {Mixed/multi-media. Collaboration between very different Internet users with common interests. The Internet as a unifier of peoples and cultures. The complexity of individuals trying to represent their complete selves online. The compartmentalization of aspects of our lives- including a virtual vs. "real" life- as problematic.}

Does any of this look promising?

Collaboration: The 17th Century and Now

Get this, readers. Somehow, all three of my English classes are taking my mind on the same ride through the issues of individual authorship and collaborative production. Can I tell you about it?

 

In my British literature (1603-1660) class we are learning all about how the KJV of the Bible was translated. The author of the book we are reading discusses the unique nature of its production in comparison to placing the highest value on individual genius. He writes this facetiously: "Joint committees know nothing of genius. They do not produce works of art. It is surely lonely martyrs who struggle for unacknowledged truths...Isn't the beautiful, we now think, to be identified with what is original, the previously unsaid, the unique vision of the individual mind? How can a joint enterprise of this sort produce anything valuable?" (Nicolson, God's Secretaries, p.69).

 

Well, let me tell you: joint enterprises CAN produce something valuable, and we are seeing processes like that right before our eyes in our digital culture. Just as the six subcommittees of the KJV translation committee couldn't produce such a volume individually (think of the languages that individual would need to know! think of the education, and the relatively unbiased religiosity necessary), the wealth of knowledge to be found on the Internet exceeds the amount a solitary expert could ever tell you. Here's my review for the non-fiction book I perused for our digital culture class:

 

(link here)

 

So what's my take away from all of this? Why does it matter that networking is so good and going at it (research) alone can be so limiting?

 

I've expressed fears that I won't keep learning at the same rate once I've graduated from college. I think at the root of my worries is that I'm picturing a "me" so very alone in the learning process - without direction, without filters, without purpose. But the great news is that there is a whole WORLDWIDE NETWORK available at my fingertips for collaboration! I don't need to be an expert about everything because that would be impossible. Instead, I can learn about whatever I'd like to, whenever I'd like to, and I can become an "expert" on the topics I choose.  

 

I think the KJV Translators would be pleased that their collaborative approach to knowledge is more alive than ever today. The concept of ever-revising publications might cause them to raise their eyebrows, but hey- welcome to the 21st century.

 



THIS is when I adore technology...

...when I can see and talk to every member of my immediate family, even when we are all thousands of miles apart! Spread out from Provo to Salt Lake to North Carolina to New Jersey to Pennsylvania? Not a problem, at least not in this brave new digital world.

So THIS is digital bliss.

We used a free trial of Skype Premium for this conversation. I'm working on getting everyone in my family to download Oovoo for our next online reunion. Our family is new to this group-video-chat thing, but I'd say our first conversation went quite well [the highlight was seeing my 5-day-old niece, with a close second being my dad messing around with all the silly faces/bodies Windows video lets you adopt as you're talking. That continued through the whole conversation - even though it scared my nephew].

What is my passion in the culture of all things digital? I'm not positive I've found it yet. But I think it might be exploring the best and most secure ways to simply "stay in touch" with loved ones. In order to do that, I need to first find some of these resources, then try them out, then judge whether or not they're of value to me. I'll head in that direction, see what I find, and see if my interest continues to grow. I'm kind of a "family is everything" type of girl, so I think this family-friendly digital avenue might be just what I've been looking for.