Representing ourselves: Identity in the online age - MM article & Factsheet

1) Read the article and summarise each section in one sentence, starting with the section 'Who are you?'

Who are you

When studying the media it soon becomes apparent that the representation of cultural values, the construction of role models and the way the media informs us about lifestyle have an influence on who we want to be seen as, who we actually are and who we want to be.

I think therefore I am
Our identity would be based around aspects of our lives that are constructed from the outside of ourselves: class, gender, religion and predetermined roles that were part of the accident of the family we were born into.

From citizen to consumer
Successful advertisers identify how people feel about themselves and use this to sell them what they should want to have.

The rise of the individual 
The idea of individualism lead to people defining themselves as individuals and wanting to express their uniqueness.

Branding and Lifestyle
Advertisers will purposely sell personality so that consumers will feel like the product is made specifically for their own style leading to association with brands

Who will we be
Chandler distinguished that when constructing a personal home page it can be perceived as shaping not only the materials but also your identity 

2) List five brands you are happy to be associated with and explain how they reflect your sense of identity.

Nike

I picked Nike because it is the brand I wear most of the time. It shows how I like to keep up to date with the latest fashion. Nike is a very diverse company who are very accepting therefore I choose to support them.

Samsung 

I've owned many Samsung products throughout the years as they make great products that are at fair prices unlike Apple who like to overprice all of their products. 

PlayStation

I have a strong passion for gaming as it has always been an interest for me growing up.

Instagram

I use Instagram a lot as I use it to communicate with friends and follow things I am interested in like anime and gaming.

Crunchyroll

I use Crunchyroll to keep up to date on my favourite anime as they offer high quality and are essentially the Netflix alternative for anime fans like myself.

3) Do you agree with the view that modern media is all about 'style over substance'? What does this expression mean?

I believe modern media is all about style as audiences like to copy the influencers they see online as they find it trendy or just want to fit in making style a very important aspect to modern day media.

4) Explain Baudrillard's theory of 'media saturation' in one paragraph. You may need to research it online to find out more.

He says that reality and media have become blurred. People get what they experience as real knowledge regarding real life from media even though it is actually just information from a fake reality as audiences in todays society live their lives through media.

5) Is your presence on social media an accurate reflection of who you are? Have you ever added or removed a picture from a social media site purely because of what it says about the type of person you are?

I don't believe social media doesn't reflect who you are in reality as many people live a fake persona like some influencers on social media who do it for their fans or other reasons. Who you are on social media shouldn't be taken as seriously as some people do as it never really is an accurate representation of who you really are, you can't get to know somebody online as well as you would when face to face in the real world. The only times I have deleted posts online is because I just didn't like them that much as they were pretty old pictures. 

6) What is your opinion on 'data mining'? Are you happy for companies to sell you products based on your social media presence and online search terms? Is this an invasion of privacy?

Data mining is just that companies are making it easier for you to come across products you'll like which benefits you and them. However it can be seen s invading privacy by some people as companies are peering into what you search which should be private information.
Media Magazine cartoon

Now read the cartoon in MM62 (p36) that summarises David Gauntlett’s theories of identity. Write five bullet points summarising what you have learned from the cartoon.

-Gauntlett argues that audiences actively process the messages put out by the media.
-Gauntlett suggests media shapes our identity and experiences
-Gauntlett argues that mass media texts offer us a diverse range of representations
-Gauntlett suggests that identity is seen as more fluid and transformable than it ever was.

Representation & Identity: Factsheet blog task

Finally, use our brilliant Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) to find Media Factsheet #72 on Collective Identity. Save it to USB or email it to yourself so you have access to the reading for homework. Read the whole of Factsheet and answer the following questions to complete our introductory work on collective identity:

1) What is collective identity? Write your own definition in as close to 50 words as possible.

Collective identity is when a group of people share a set of values and traditions and a view of the world around them. This could suggest that the majority of the population believe in democracy and freedom of the press.

2) Complete the task on the factsheet (page 1) - write a list of as many things as you can that represent Britain. What do they have in common? Have you represented the whole of Britain or just one aspect/viewpoint?

Tea

English breakfast
James bond
The Queen
Fish and Chips
Pubs
Doctor Who
Great British bake off

3) How does James May's Top Toys offer a nostalgic representation of Britain?

The programme dwells upon and explores aspects of British history: the history of the race track, the history of Scalextric and wider British issues like the decline of manufacturing jobs in Northern Britain and a sense of regret that these toys are now manufactured abroad. The presenter, James May who is 48 years old which attracts an older demographic of people. James May examines toys like Airfix, Meccano, Plasticine, Lego, Scalextric and Hornby which are all toys of his youth and are that of the targeted demographic of 30+ males.

4) How has new technology changed collective identity?

Technology has enabled people to actively engage with the content of the culture surrounding them and then use it as resources for their own cultural productions. With the creation of YouTube means the traditional passive audience can now write original stories or songs about what they view, make art or costumes that are based on the films they watch and edit videos or develop film parodies or do podcasts. 

5) What phrase does David Gauntlett (2008) use to describe this new focus on identity?

 Gauntlett calls it interpretive community.

6) What does Gauntlett suggest about creativity and identity?

Gauntlett makes an attempt to rethink audience audience studies in the context of media users as producers as well as consumers of media material, he also argues that there is a shift from a 'sit back and be told culture' to a making and doing culture and that making use of creativity in both the internet and everyday creative activities will play a role in changing how a collective identity is created.

7) How does the Shaun of the Dead Facebook group provide an example of Henry Jenkins' theory of interpretive communities online?-
This group was created in support of the fact that he learnt a new word from the film. The key aspect of this Facebook group is the fact that the collective identity created is one which has zero nation barriers to the understanding of the cultural identity created. The creation of this group conforms to the following repeated view from Henry Jenkins which is, 'fan genres grew out of openings or excesses within the text that were built on and stretched, and that it was not as if fans and texts were autonomous from each another, fans created their own, new texts, but elements within the originated text defined, to some degree, what they could do'.