Brian's Third Blog Post

Interactivity

Here is an interesting article on Interactive Media: How Interactive Media Can Scramble Your Brain

This article strays off the path of what we've discussed in class. It talks about the negative results of interactive media, specifically with smart phones. While interactivity is a good thing, too much exposure to media can be bad. The article talks about multitasking, and how it is making us less capable of focused and personal interactions. The article mentions college students and their media use. That's us! The average college student accesses three media sources simultaneously. This greatly impedes the ability to pay attention. Since I've had a smart phone, I'm going to be honest Abe, and say it's definitely been a distraction in the classroom. It's almost like we're emotionally attached to our phones.

This article relates to internet communication, because we have the internet in our pockets. Phones are now our primary source for internet activity. Interactivity on phones can be measured by successful and popular apps. The more ratings and downloads an app has, the more likely you are to get it. Web design has a lot to do with how successful an app is. Once again, media interactivity can be seen in a positive light. Just be careful to avoid clutter, and multitasking too much.

Brian's Second Blog Post

Information and Networks

1. Out of the network laws we discussed in class, I'd say I agree most with Reed's Law. The law states that the utility of large networks, particularly social networks, can scale exponentially with the size of the network. So, the larger the network, the more likelihood for growth. Social media is based on reach, and eventually connections made. In modern society, you are considered a popular person if you're capable of making a lot of connections. With technology advancing as rapidly as it does, we are seeing the creation of bigger and better networks. Reed's Law makes sense because network potential increases as connections through social mediums increase. An example of Reed's Law would be the mass expansion of social media sites, and how prominent they have become. Heck, even our parents are on Facebook now.

2. Five years from now I think people will get their information primarily through social media and the internet. The reason I say this is because print has been less important since we have computers and smart phones now. Not only is print fizzling out, but even television is starting to fade. Most people use the internet for television now (not illegal streams of course). Why pay for cable when you have the same access to shows and live events online? People will want information on social media and the internet simply because it's quick and efficient. When I think of information, I think of news. I admit that social media is where I see news headlines, but don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that. I think we are shifting to a culture that relies more on quickness and accessibility, rather than large amounts of information at a time, such as in a book. But who knows? A lot of people still prefer old school methods of obtaining information.