Media Theory: Social networks

were facebook and other social networking sites created as a response to  society's needs or as a changer of the society's current social norms?

A lot of people might argue that social networks were created as a reaction to social changes and a response to people's needs. But can people really need something they didn’t even know exist? Nearly half a century ago, Raymond Williams said that a new technology "'emerges' from technical study and experiment. It then changes the society or the sector it has 'emerged'. 'We' adapt to it, because it is the new modern way." The Canadian communication theorist Marshal McLuhan also agreed that the media technologies are the tools used to 'shape' modern societies.  Thus all kinds of social networks were created as part of the process of evolution and consequently became a social norm. 

Few years back, the idea of sharing private information on the web was completely foreign to most people. Then the rising popularity of some social networks reflected the changing attitude of people towards sharing and communicating. "People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people." said Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of facebook; the world's largest social network

The Truth about Facebook

Experimental films i like (1)

"This was a found footage short exploring the concepts of death that I put together for my experimental film class at UT. I bought over a dozen 16mm films and edited them to accompany the narration of a suicide letter in order to create a short about life and death and the memories we will never forget. Music by Aphex Twin. Narrated by Daniel McNamara, my good ole' English chap."

My Last Life- Found Footage Experimental Film 

Quote of the day

"Maybe it's not too late to learn how to love and forget how to hate"
Frank Zappa

Photo of the day: despair

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rbeiruty/5042866542/in/photostream/

"The Dream"

She was laying there in the dark, staring at the shadows overhead. Its half past twelve and the night is dark as the moon hides behind the passing clouds. At that moment it seemed to her that she's been laying there since ever as she lost track of time and place.

Swiftly, without any introductions, she got out of bed and looked at her reflection in the mirror. It felt like she is gazing into the eyes of a complete stranger. The sound of the rain drops tapping her window woke her up from that state of mind.  
She heard the sound of a car stopping in the entrance of her house. It was him waiting for her outside. Her mind drifted back to the previous night when they agreed on eloping together. She tip toed her way out of the house.

Only the sound of the mighty thunderstorm broke the silence that fell upon them. Suddenly the lights of another car flashed into her eyes. Next thing she knew, the car was upside down on the edge of a deep cliff. She starts screaming and screaming… then she woke up!

As she lay there, it came to her like a tide flowing its fathom over her, it was all a dream

 

Photo of the day: Tangled

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rbeiruty/4986699265/