Mui Hong Yin 20031979, Blog Post 2

Mui Hong Yin 20031979, Blog Post 2

Under the technology is advancing in days, social media is the necessary for people, people use the social media rather than talk directly with each other. That is not common that people use it because the celebrity always use that to update their status or just sharing. According to the essay , Twitter has been very famous for the celebrity to talk with their fans as a platform, that is very convenient for the fans that they can talk with their idols. Also, some of the celebrities through this platform to establish their image, like they are nice to fans. Besides they can update their status but also play the live and talk with friends. Moreover that is a marketing chance for the company to upload their newest products for selling.

This might be the most convenient and effectiveness way for the celebrity to react with the public. Just like the elected president Donald Trump, he would like to react the rumor from the media and also he reacted to Obama about Obama’s criticism on him, this is an obvious example that the celebrity not only react to someone but also to the public, that’s why convenient and effectiveness.

That is no doubt that the celebrity is enjoying Twitter and also the social media to share their status. This is not especially for the celebrity, indeed people are following this trend too. Our friend like sharing their status even they just having lunch, birthday , studying, this is the new and one of the most common way for people to express their feeling to their friends.

In fact, I like to post my newly status just like I got the award in the basketball race, playing ocean park with friends . One of the memorable status is that my supporting basketball NBA team got the championship last year, and I post their team photo and hashtag their team’s name, one of their players liked my photo and that make me crazy, I think this is why people likely to follow their idols or even the sports team and brand, Just like the celebrity is noted to you.

Reference:

Marwick, A. & boyd, d. (2011). To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 17(2), 139–158.

Kam Pui Man , SID: 10550242, Blog Post 2.

Marwick, A. & boyd, d. (2011). To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 17(2), 139–158.

             In the article “To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter”, authors Alice Marwick and Danah Boyd (2011) argues how famous people make use of the trending social media platform Twitter nowadays. They shows that new media form allows celebrity practitioners to create a space for interaction between themselves and their followers. However, the celebrity practice complicates the movement of the fans and celebrity as it involves public recognition, intimacy, authenticity and sincerity. Marwick and Boyd analyses three examples which are Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus and Perez Hilton in order to examine how celebrities use their Twitter account. The analysis presents the relationship between the audiences and celebrity culture.

             Marwick and Boyd’s examples shows that the celebrity account create a sense of false intimacy with the fans. Miley Cyrus let the audiences experiencing the first-hand conversation by chatting with other teen celebrities publicly. but according to the research, most of the celebrities accounts are maintained by the agency who are trying to provide a “performed persona” for the fans. It is doubt to believe the authenticity and sincerity of these relationship. It is unfair to the fans who are trying to interact with their beloved celebrities. The celebrity account are mainly used to maintain celebrity status and sometimes help boosting their business. 

             I find the author’s argument important and highly relevant in the social media world as many fans do not recognise the power differentials intrinsic between their relationship with the celebrity. For example, Justin Bieber is one of the most Twitter followers accounts. He called his fandom “Beliebers” and it become a powerful supporting on his careers since he make use of the interaction with fans to establish a loving and caring characteristic towards his fans. I found an article which proves that Justin Bieber Twitter account successfully builds a bridge to connect with fans by making use of multimedia platform such as picture, video and conversation. According to the article “What Happens When Justin Bieber Tweets at a Belieber?”, the “Beliebers” turns crazy while get a response from the Justin Bieber account regardless of the authenticity of the account administration. Still, they get extremely excited without challenging the sincerity of the responses.

             It is important for the fans to acknowledge the illusion on how the entertainment industry run their business by taking advantage of the social media platform.My question is that, "Why most of the people involve into the false of relationships with the celebrities? Do they aware of their kind of behaviour are practising celebrity?" 

CHAN Yan Zhi Angie, SID: 20031966, Blog Post 2.

The author examines the rise of a “generational ethos” (Watkins, 2009, p.106) in the media and entertainment industry in which active participation as produsers replace passive consumerism as the preferred code of conduct. In effect, interactivity and the option of customising experiences is highly valued among consumers of media content. In particular, social gaming was highlighted as an example and the author cites statistical evidence and his in-depth interviews with several gamers to illustrate this change in preferences. In fantasy virtual realms, the option of customisation allows consumers to explore different worlds, role-play and recreate their social identities and self-identity in the form of avatars. Despite so, gamers do experience authentic attachment to their virtual friends, and sometimes may prioritise such relationships over friends offline. The author expresses concern over the value of building relationships and “social capital” (Watkins, 2009, p.129) in the virtual realm and the possible consequences as virtual interactions become increasingly and seamlessly integrated into our daily experiences. On a more positive note, he argues in conclusion that this young generation of digital natives are in fact less concerned with the latest technology but instead value relationships of friendship and trust that they build over the course of their online interactions much more.

I would agree that participatory culture and social encounters are undoubtedly taking center stage of our consumption of media and entertainment content. They appeal to us because they offer experiences that are social, interactive and provide space for our imaginations, such that was previously unavailable in relatively passive media forms. While the integration of offline and online experiences has its merits, there is good reason to critically consider the value of our virtual interactions in relation to the health of our society in general as the author has mentioned. As exponential advancements in technology continue to refine immersive digital experiences, what kind of sociological culture would it entail in a broader perspective? For example, the expansion of the use of virtual reality and augmented reality technology continues to fuel this trend of social participation in gaming and media content in general. In view that this trend is going to grow, how can we strike a balance between the positive and negative effects to curb the adverse effects of undesirable media participation?

word count: 382 words

References:

Ablanchard. (2015, August 31). Consumers as Producers: How Games and Video Converge to Drive Growth. Retrieved from: https://connect.limelight.com/blogs/limelight/2015/08/31/consumers-as-producers-how-games-and-video-converge-to-drive-growth 

Lee, N. (2016, December 16). Gear VR gets social with Oculus Rooms and Parties. Engadget. Retrieved from: https://www.engadget.com/2016/12/16/oculus-rooms-parties-launch-gear-vr/ 

Watkins, S. C. (2009). We Play: The Allure of Social Games, Synthetic Worlds, and Second Lives. The Young and the Digital: What the Migration to Social-Network Sites, Games, and Anytime, Anywhere Media Means for Our Future (pp. 103 - 131). Boston: Beacon Press.

Choy Ka Wai, SID: 10615548, Blog Post 2

Gaming Experience Can Make a Real Friend?

Blog Post 2 (by Choy Ka Wai 10615548)

Video games are more and more popular nowadays. Some people even said that there are both playing games and designing games provide new opportunities for participation in social life. But it is real? It is also important for us to think of the reason why the game market is going to be stronger and stronger.

In Watkins' article "The young and the digital (We play: the allure of social games, synthetic worlds, and second lives)", he mentioned an interesting idea of "missing young men story". This idea explained the situation of young people are more likely to play computer games rather than watch television. Young men are "immigrated" from television to games. Why?

First, games have more interaction between the media and the players. According to Watkins' article, interviewee said that television was simply too boring and quite passive in their point of view. When people watching television, they mostly just sit here and watch. But playing video games are different that player need to play that means they are doing something. They are participated in the media.

Second, the interaction between players would be the main reason that made the "missing young men story" happened. It is also what Watkins' article explained about the culture of gaming. Actually, "Games" itself is not interesting. The interaction between players would be the element and catalyst to make "Games" become attractive. Games function as a social connector that helping young men to make friends through using their gaming experience. Video games can be the topic to talk about when young people meeting their new friends and it can be an activity for them to join and play together. Games as the social glue to give people to have a fun way to grow closer to each other.

However, only have the gaming experience is not enough to make a real friend. Playing games together or sharing the gaming experience may only be the starting point for meeting a new friend. People need to share more about their life and experience more together to make their relationship closer. Without the communication, but only playing games together. That person cannot be your real friend, he or she would only be your partner in the games world. Do you think that only playing video games can make a real friend?(385 words)

Reference

Watkins, S. C. (2009). We Play: The Allure of Social Games, Synthetic Worlds, and Second Lives. The Young and the Digital: What the Migration to Social-Network Sites, Games, and Anytime, Anywhere Media Means for Our Future. Boston: Beacon Press.

To Know More:

Top 4 Games to Make Friends

Tang Hoi Ching, SID: 20031964, Blog post 2

Student name: Tang Hoi Ching

SID: 20031964

Blog post 2   (332 words)

Marwick, A. & boyd, d. (2011). To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 17(2), 139–158.

Nowadays, social media is changing the celebrity culture, by means of the way that people relate to celebrity image and how celebrities are produced. The Internet has had a major impact towards celebrity culture. In the past, the fans only can know the information form newspaper. But now, the celebrities will use the social media platforms such as, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, to share their happy moments or they tweet daily to develop and maintain an audience. Also, this is the good way to communicate with their fans. Because through the social media platforms, it can directly or immediately to speak to their fans.


On the other hands, social media platforms also are the very important way for fans. When the Internet began to appear, fans only can know their idols’ status at the official fan site. However, when the social media platforms developed more and more vigorous, fans can always update their favorite celebrity’s status. No matter what the celebrities and fans are not live in the same country, they also can communicate by the social media platforms. Let me use the K-pop to be the example, everyone knows that K-pop is from Korea, some Korean pop singers or artists will create the account to share the status for the fans around the world. For example, Super Junior’s Siwon Choi whose followers of his Twitter account is the top one in Korea, he always tweets the post in the Twitter to share his happy moments. Sometimes, he will use the social media platforms to take care his fans, and when he needs to travel to other countries, he will say in the social media platform. Therefore, the social media platforms are the important way to the fans who are non-local, that they can get the information from the celebrities. 

In conclusion, the rise of social media can let the celebrities to have a chance to connect with their fans. Also, it can help the celebrities to attract more fans by the social media platforms.