Coffee and Cultures

In this week’s lesson we discussed the concept of online audiences and when does an audience stop being an audience and start becoming a producer? This week’s reading was by Athique, A titled The dynamics and potentials of big data for audience research. Specifically, in this weeks lesson we discussed the concept of user-generated content, which can be defined as the following, “ User-generated content, alternatively known as user-created content, is any form of content, such as images, videos, text, and audio, that has been posted by users on online platforms such as social media and wikis.” (User-generated content, 2020). The key impact we can gain from this definition is the fact that user-generated content is in fact made by those who use a platform, for the said platform! In the lecture, we also discuss how with modern social media platforms the line between content producer, and content consumer is becoming ever more blurred, to where it may even be non-existent anymore. A fantastic platform for this evaluation is YouTube (as discussed in the lecture).

              Within the last few months, due to the forced lockdowns and quarantines, many had to spend an extended period of time within, streaming services’ popularity rose to become 58% of all internet access. The largest front runner in streaming video services in the last few years has most definitely been YouTube. YouTube has stemmed from individuals uploading their personal content for personal enjoyment or assisting others (DIY’s, How-to Videos, Art speed making, etc.). Yet, within the last ten years, the rise of the “YouTuber” has emerged. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a YouTuber as, “a person who creates and uploads videos on the YouTube online video sharing service” (Merriam-Webster, 2020). Individuals have been able to amass large followings on YouTube for uploading almost every single possible form of content. Though, the type I will specifically be looking at is the YouTube gaming community.

              For the last 10 years, gaming content on YouTube has absolutely skyrocketed in popularity, with established content creators in this YouTube subcategory being able to amass millions and millions of subscribers. These large content creators have established fully formed communities in which members of these communities socialize with one another both within YouTube itself, as well as outside on other social media platforms (they are most definitely considered a fandom). Some YouTubers in the gaming community have extremely large followings, bellow is some examples of three iconic YouTube gamers who have large followings:

1.      Sean Mcloughlin [Jacksepticeye] – 25 million subscribers

2.      Mark Fishbach [Markiplier] – 27 million subscribers

3.      Felix Kjellberg [Pewdiepie] – 108 million subscribers

For context purposes, note that the official population of the country of Canada 37 million people, meaning that Felix Kjellberg has a fan base that is almost three times larger than the population of Canada.

Unlike with traditional celebrities, the interaction between a YouTuber and their audience is far higher, to the point in which audiences largely influence and help in the creation of specific content for these channels. The most prime example of this, in the three individuals I mentioned above is a series featured on Sean Mcloughlin’s channel [Jacksepticeye], titled Meme Time. In this series, he browses through the designated subreddit form for his fandom and reacts to memes, content, and posts that have been made by fans of his. In this case, though the audience are the ones watching the content, they also are the ones who are creating key aspects of the content themselves. It is as we discussed in the lecture, the blurred line between where audiences blend into content creators themselves simply by doing what modern audiences do.  

Reference List

User-generated content. (2020, December 08). Retrieved December 08, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User-generated_content

In this week’s lecture and reading, we discussed the concept of fandom and audience subcultures. This week’s reading was by Pouls, S, and Gilpin, D titled Socially mediated Stranger Things: Audience cultures and full-season releases. In this week of class, we discussed the nature of fandom and audience subcultures. Before I delve too deep it is important to establish a clear definition of both fandom and subculture. Fandom, as defined by the Cambridge dictionary, can be defined as, “the state of being a fan of someone or something, especially a very enthusiastic one” (Cambridge Dictionary, 2020). While they define a subculture as, “the way of life, customs, and ideas of a particular group of people within a society that are different from the rest of that society” (Cambridge Dictionary, 2020). From these two definitions, you can almost state that a fandom is a form of subculture, as those who are enthusiastic fans fall into that specific and distinctly separate form of culture/society for whatever they may be fans of.

              In the lecture, the following is stated, “Media fans are members of subcultures in the sense that they adopt their own linguistic codes (specialized ways of talk, unique forms of greeting and address, and the use of codenames or titles, for example) and symbolic forms (including styles of dress) that delineate them from the rest of the population” (Sullivan). As well as, “Fans who outwardly and proudly claim their affiliation with their favorite popular culture texts, particularly when those media are generally considered to be ‘fluff’ or mindless distractions from reality, may be challenging the status quo through their acdvides”(Sullivan, p.196). From these two definitions, we can gain a better understanding of how fandom members and subcultures communicate differently than those members of main cultures. They have their own terms, phrases, slang, and lingo to describe people, places, things, and actions that exist within their fandom.

              This got me thinking, what are the most popular fandoms? How do they communicate? And where do they communicate? – In my search, I found that though fandoms exist across all forms of social media, one social media platform, in particular, stands out as an epicenter for fan-related content, Tumblr. As I post these blogs, I actually am using Tumblr and in my personal life I have had a Tumblr account for many years, so I fully understand the magnitude to which fandom content flows freely on Tumblr. If it exists, I guarantee there is fan content on Tumblr for it. Though with the vast quantity of fan content on Tumblr I was personally curious as to what fandoms and fans reigned supreme on the platform. In an article they state the top five fandoms as being:

1.      Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Video Game)

2.      WtFock (A Belgian teen drama)

3.      BTS (K-pop Group)

4.      Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Movie)

5.      Critical Role (Dungeons and Dragons Podcast)

From this list, I found a few things specifically the most interesting, I had absolutely no idea what WtFock was before I googled it, which made sense once I found out that it was not a show that had a predominate western following as it was an international show. I also found it interesting how animal crossing new horizons was at the top of the fandom list as it was a video game that was released at the peak of the first lockdown/quarantine phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people flocked to it as a way to socialize and escape reality when things got especially tough. I as someone who played the game quite extensively (and continue to play it) most definitely see how the fandom has developed its own terms and ways of communicating with one another that only other members of the fandom would understand. Examples of these include:

-        Can I catalogue that? (Asking someone if you can purchase an item from one of their shops to ensure that you fill up your catalogue of items in-game)

-        I have *insert name here* in boxes (Stating that you have an in-game character ready to move out on your island and can be given to another player of the game

-        Bells (The currency in the animal crossing franchise games)

These three examples are just an extremely brief look into the specific terminology of this specific fandom, and every single fandom has its own vast and extensive collection of terms and phrases that connect users to one another in an extensive and secretive way. Fandom’s themselves are like secret little clubs, where members themselves speak in a seemingly secret code that to outside viewers does not make any sort of sense, these members know exactly what each other mean. Fandoms are like the fun little communication clubs of the larger communication community.

Reference List:

Burt, K., Burt, K., Harrisson, J., Harrisson, J., Sokol, T., Sokol, T., . . . Cummins, C. (2020, December 07). Tumblr's Top Fandoms of 2020. Retrieved December 08, 2020, from https://www.denofgeek.com/culture/tumblrs-top-fandoms-of-2020/

Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Fandom. In Dictionary.Cambridge.org. dictionary. Retrieved December 4, 2020, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/fandom

In this week’s lecture and reading, we discussed the concept of media rituals and how mass audience events differ from individual viewings. This week’s reading was by Kim, K, Cheong, Y and Kim, H titled the influences of sports viewing conditions on enjoyment from watching televised sports: An analysis of the FIFA World Cup audiences in a theater vs. home. Within their article and throughout our lecture we discussed how media rituals are largely impacted by the location and nature of the audience viewing the media. In their article, Kim, Cheong, and Kim state the following regards to audience viewership, content, and audiences, “while the attractiveness of the game is the content-driven factor, with both influencing the suspenseful experience of sports media consumption, the fundamental driver of audience demand for sports viewing” (Kim, Cheong, & Kim, 2016).

This quotation really helped to introduce me to  the concept of media rituals and how consumption and audience feel change depending on the context in which content is viewed. Another important aspect we discussed throughout lecture and was mentioned throughout the article for this week was the concept of media rituals. A media ritual can be defined as, “The theory is based upon Carey's 'ritual view of communication' in which he asserts that "news reading, and writing, is a ritual act and moreover a dramatic one".[1] This 'ritual' view of communication is in contrast to his 'transmission' view of communication.” (Media Ritual, 2019). The concept of media rituals is sort of a direct contrast and opposition to the stereotypical transmission model of communication. Which looks at communication in a basic and objective way. A message is encoded by a producer, it is sent to audience members, in which they decode the message. Consuming media in a transmission model is done strategically and solely when the media needs to be consumed. The ritual form of media and media consumption looks at consuming media and meaning in media on an individual basis. How and why people consume specific media in certain ways is a huge aspect of understanding ritual media. In their article, Kim, Cheong, and Kim looked specifically at how consuming sports games in a home alone environment vs. a theatre setting. This study made me think of a fairly recent potential example of mass media ritual consumption, The Olympics.

It would only make sense that the Olympics would qualify as a media ritual much like the sporting events studied in the article, we read this week, as they are both sporting events. The viewing of the Olympics as a worldwide ritual event in the sense that the vast majority of individuals who view the Olympic events as well as opening/closing ceremonies typically do so in a social setting. Watching one’s country compete in extremely popular events (a notable one here in Canada being Hockey), is more of a social event than a traditional media consumption for personal benefit. I distinctly remember, in elementary school during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, our entire school piled into the gym to watch the Team Canada vs. Team USA men’s final hockey game for the gold medal. I remember that the entire room being completely silent until a goal was made by either team, resulting in either cheers or gasps of disbelief. The moment when Team Canada scored the winning goal, the entire gym erupted in cries of excitement and celebration. In that exact instance, they way that the audience reacted and celebrated was solely connected to the fact that we watched the event in a larger social setting, if we had all watched the game alone I can guarantee that the reactions and emotions the audience would have felt would have been widely different and more reserved.

Reference List

Kim, K., Cheong, Y., & Kim, H. (2016). The Influences of Sports Viewing Conditions on Enjoyment from Watching Televised Sports: An Analysis of the FIFA World Cup Audiences in Theater vs. Home. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 60(3), 389-409. doi:10.1080/08838151.2016.1203320

In this week’s lecture and readings, we discussed the nature of encoding and decoding mass media messages. In many of my previous communications classes, we have discussed Stewart Hall’s discussions on encoding, decoding, and message meanings. In the lecture we see that Hall states that once a mass media producer has encoded a specific, it is transported to the vast sea of consumers to be hopefully decoded to reveal their intended message. In class, we learn that mass media messages can be broken down and decoded by audience members to result in three different and distinct meanings. These meanings are dominant, negotiated, and, oppositional.

1.      Dominant decoded meaning – The dominant encoded/decoded meaning is when audience members/viewers/listeners decode the same meaning behind mass media as what the producers of the content have encoded. Ideally, mass media producers want audiences to have a dominant response to their media content/messages as it means that viewers completely agree with them and therefore are more likely than others to listen to them and continuously consume that media.

2.      Negotiated decoded meaning – The negotiated encoded/decoded meaning is when audience members/viewers/listeners decode the meaning in a message either partially “correct” or entirely correct but the audiences disagree with what they are saying. This tends to be the most common form of audience decoding, as most people don’t entirely agree with everything a media producer tells them.

3.      Oppositional decoded meaning – The oppositional encoded/decoded meaning is when audience members/viewers/listeners decode the meaning in messages are either decoded completely incorrectly, or the audience member completely disagrees with the entirety of the producer’s message.

Though it is not hard to find individual cases where each of these decoded meanings is evident, finding one mass-produced message that was able to effortlessly produce all three of these reactions from audiences was relatively difficult. Though when I finally found one, it fit so flawlessly that I had to use it as my example of audience studies in the real world, and specifically one I have seen and been a part of within my life. This is facial coverings/mask regulations and laws in the Niagara region as a result of the current pandemic.

In the current state of the world, COVID-19 regulations and suggestions are developing and changing faster than many can adjust. As of these blogs postdate, the harsh reality of COVID-19 fully seemed to set in about nine months since in-person education was suspended at Brock University. The largest and most controversial change of the current pandemic was the implementation of public face mask-wearing. In the Niagara Region, the implementation of mandatory public facial coverings took place on July 31st, this was only supposed to last until the end of September. Though as all of us know, the pandemic has not taken the large upswing we were all hoping for, and once the end of September came around, the Niagara Region has extended the facial covering mandate has been extended indefinitely. Messages in mass news media about facial coverings have resulted in members of the public expressing all three decoded meanings.

1.      Those who are entirely and undoubtedly for safety, that wear masks whenever they are not alone or in the comfort of their own homes. They wear/wore masks in public spaces that were even not required to by law (before Oct 22nd common areas in apartments were not required mask areas such as elevators).

2.      Those who follow mask regulations as they know that they are law but question why specific places/locations require masks (such as workplaces because they can technically social distance) as well as other aspects of facial covering regulations.

3.      Those who are actively against masks and facial coverings as they believe that they cause more harm than good. These people refuse to wear coverings and find it unlawful/ against their rights to be denied services/access to locations for choosing what to do with their bodies.

Example: The creation of the “Activist” group Hugs Over Masks – (Note: THIS IS NOT ACTIVISM, this is endangering the lives of many) - https://hugsovermasks.ca/

Though I must express that in the conversation of publicly mandated mask wearing, I personally fall within the dominant decoded meaning. I have been employed forthe entire duration of the pandemic, and I work in the restaurant industry. When I have to go to a public place, I wear my mask from the moment I leave my vehicle to the moment I get back insides. As someone who is exposed to hundreds of people in my job on a daily basis, the least one can do as a form of respect to those of us who still come to work and provide an essential service is to do their part to keep me and themselves safe. I personally believe that even if we later found out masks were ineffective, the fact that we took the action to attempt to protect ourselves and others is enough to justify always wear my mask and socially distancing when possible.

Reference List:

LaFleche, G., & Sawchuk, B. (2020, July 24). Niagara regional council passes mandatory mask bylaw. Retrieved December 08, 2020, from https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news/niagara-region/2020/07/23/niagara-regional-passes-mandatory-mask-bylaw.html

LaFleche, G. (2020, September 11). Fact checking Niagara anti-mask protest claims. Retrieved December 08, 2020, from https://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/news/niagara-region/analysis/2020/09/11/fact-checking-niagara-anti-mask-protest-claims.html

https://www.ontario.ca/page/face-coverings-and-face-masks

During this week’s lecture and readings, we discussed the concept of gratification theory. In our reading by Mirjana Pantic titled Gratifications of digital media: What motivates users to consume live blogs. One specific piece of information from this week’s lecture that I found extremely interesting was a quotation from Sullivan in regards to audiences, “the shift from questions of widespread media influence to those regarding the utility of the media for individual viewers heralded an early shift toward a uses-oriented view of audience experience”(Sullivan). We then move on in the lecture to discuss how we use media to fulfil our needs. Upon a quick google search of the words “Media and Needs” I found countless images that showcased the traditional Maslow hierarchy of needs that either incorporated media (specifically social media) within the pre-existing levels of the pyramid [figure #1], or showcased how social media itself has become a part of each of those levels as we move into a modern digital and social way of life [figure #2].

Figure #1

Figure #2

So, what do social media, our needs, and gratification have to do with anything? Well, formally speaking uses and gratification theory is a theory that “The Uses and Gratification theory discusses the effects of the media on people. It explains how people use the media for their own needs and get satisfied when their needs are fulfilled. In other words, it can be said that the theory argues what people do with media rather than what media does to people.” (in Mass Communication, 2018). As this definition so clearly states, uses and gratification theory looks specifically at what people do with media and how they use it to fulfill their needs as opposed to what media does to its audiences. Another key aspect of uses and gratification theory is the concept that though media can and does frequently try to market itself/reach as massive as an audience as possible, why individual audience members choose to consume said media and what they do with it will be almost entirely unique to them. Before I delve too deep into the real world, practical audience example that I have chosen to discuss I must give credit to another student in this course.

When scrolling through the COVID-19 audience forum postings for this class looking for one that was of even remote interest to me (as unfortunately but inevitably with a class as large as this) many of the postings began to repeat the same ideas, concepts, and opinions. I came across a post looking at one’s TV consumption habits and how the way this student consumes television series (in her case I believe she was discussing the Bachelor) directly conflicts with the fundamental concept of uses and gratification theory. So, thank you to Falynn for starting a discussion that inspired me to critically think and conduct my own research!

In her post, Falynn discusses how, despite the fact that she no longer gains gratification or satisfaction from watching the bachelor, she feels a moral obligation to do so. Though I personally do not feel the need to continue to watch a show or movie that I have lost interest in, this did make me realize that I do not seek out media that would perhaps bring me satisfaction and gratification. I know that venturing out of my comfort zone and watching/consuming new media content would more likely than not bring me great happiness and satisfaction and meet my needs from social media/content, yet, I feel compelled not to. This led me to a deep dive for answers on the internet, how do people consume television/media content in the current pandemic? Why do people re-watch content instead of seeking out new experiences?

In an article by CTV news they state that “According to the report, video streaming is now responsible for 58 percent of all internet traffic Sandvine monitors, while social networking (11 percent) has displaced general web browsing (eight percent) as the second-most-popular online activity.” (Flanagan, 2020). It should come as no surprise to anyone that streaming services rose exponentially over the last few months. This was primarily due to the widespread lockdowns and quarantines the vast majority of westerners had to partake in. I have most definitely increased my personal consumption of streaming media content, yet because I watch Netflix more does not mean that I am watching a more diverse selection of content. I have my comfort media, which specifically for me, on Netflix is the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I have watched all three movies enough time to speak alongside the actors at any given part, word-for-word. This made me wonder, why do people like myself consume the same content over and over?

In an article by Men’s Health I found my explanation, “It’s likely a comfort thing—you get reassurance out of the predictability you see on screen. Watching the same movie reaffirms that there is order in the world, “Our primitive brains are hardwired to keep us safe, so the unknown future can cause anxiety. Knowing a film’s outcome creates a sense of safety and therefore comfort on a primal level.” (Health, 2019). After finding this answer, I suppose it makes a fair bit of sense. As in a time of extreme uncertainty and anxiety, returning to content that feels familiar and stable would make complete sense. Overall, though I think that users may choose to consume content on the basis of what it will do for them, I think a lot of audience consumption and viewership stems from a deeper and more instinctual need rather than simply whether something is pleasing or not.

Reference List:

In Mass Communication, P. (2018, December 11). Uses and gratification theory. Retrieved December 07, 2020, from https://www.communicationtheory.org/uses-and-gratification-theory/

Covid-19 has had an inevitable impact on the television and movie industry. Due to the fact that the vast majority of the western population was under quarantine/self-isolation from early March until this very day, though specifically in Ontario we are still under a form of lock-down and quarantine. With the nature of quarantine, individuals have been spending extended periods of time in self-isolation and the comfort of their own homes, looking for things to do to keep pre-occupied. It should come as no surprise that many people turned to television and streaming services to fill their time with movies and Television shows. In this week’s lecture, we discussed the concept of media ratings and target marketing. In this discussion, we posed a series of five key questions relating to audiences, media ratings, target markets, and audiences as institutionalized constructions. The question that stuck out to me the most was question three – What if ratings and marketing have turned us into data? In the subsequent slides, we looked at the fact that as marketing efforts and media ratings have risen so has the need to understand consumers and “collect” them as data. Sullivan states, “This corporate desire to penetrate the home made it necessary to develop sophisticated measurement practices to try to understand, quantify, and monitor the behaviors of the audience” (Sullivan). Corporations aim to better understand their audiences in a bid to create more effective products and marketing to ensure future business success.

              So really, why do businesses care about our reviews and ratings for their products? Buzzard claims this is because, [Ratings] “were really but an extension of this system of audits to provide feedback and greater control of the selling process” [Such audits allowed] “manufacturers to decide on products to be produced, to select saleable package sizes and types, to price products advantageously, to use more effective channels of distribution, to avoid overproduction, to determine advertising budgets, and To reduce business recession by tying production to consumer sales.” (Buzzard, 2015, p. 511-512). To simplify this down, when a company knows exactly how their audience feels about a specific product (both positive and negative) they can capitalize on their ability to swap out those negative aspects and enhance the positive ones. So, what does this all have to do with Covid-19 and television/streaming habits? Easy, the more people who watch television and stream content the more people there are to provide feedback and ratings on said content. You would think that any time a series or product is able to gain large amounts of viewership and overall high ratings, they would have the tools to understand and produce products to their target markets’ needs, yet that is not always the case. A prime example and the audience experience example I will be discussing is the creation of the live-action Avatar the Last Airbender movie (also known by the acronym ATLA).

              In 2005 Nickelodeon launch the cartoon television series Avatar the Last Airbender, which successfully ran till 2008 having three seasons. The show was well-received having a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes for all three of its seasons. After the shows end media producers aided with the high praise reviews a stellar rating set out to make a follow-up product to the series – a live-action movie. By all accounts this movie should have been a phenomenal hit. The creators had access to all this wonderful information provided by the series ecstatic fans. The movie was released in 2010 and was directed and co-produced by M. Night Shyamalan (who has directed movies such as The Sixth Senses – 1999 and Unbreakable -2000), the movie had the foundations to be something truly fantastic. Upon the movies release though fans were extremely disappointed. The movie garner’s horrible reviews compared to its carton TV predecessor the Avatar the Last Air Bender movie has a whopping score of 5% (out of 100%) on Rotten Tomatoes and is regarded as one of the worst movies from the 2010s. In recent months the Avatar the Last Airbender cartoon has made its way onto Netflix and rose to be one the most-watched television shows on the platform. Due to the increased level in which individuals began to watch streaming services and television due to COVID-19, it should come as no surprise that those who were brand new to the series would mistakably be excited upon finding out that Netflix also hosts a live-action movie of there new favourite series, unaware at the monstrosity the movie is. As more individuals watched both the television series and movie it only further cemented their drastic media rating differences. The differences between the acclaimed television series and disgraced movie are a vividly clear example of how despite having all of the necessary media tools and data relating to a specific audience, companies and producers are still able to wildly misinterpret said information and create something for their audience that misses the mark completely.

REFERENCE LIST:

Barasch, A., Nussbaum, E., & Jackson, L. (n.d.). The Stunning Second Life of "Avatar: The Last Airbender". Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-stunning-second-life-of-avatar-the-last-airbender

Sonde, K. (2020, August 07). How 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' became one of the summer's most popular shows - 15 years after its debut. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/how-avatar-the-last-airbender-became-one-of-the-summers-most-popular-shows--15-years-after-its-debut/2020/08/06/e368e740-d803-11ea-aff6-220dd3a14741_story.html

List of films considered the worst. (2020, October 25). Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_considered_the_worst

Buzzard, K. S. (2015). The Rise of Market Information Regimes and the Historical Development of Audience Ratings. Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 35(3), 511-517. doi:10.1080/01439685.2015.1052219

In this week’s lesson, we discussed the concept of shared experiences and how they can contribute to an increase in interactivity in online media. This week’s reading was by Rachel Kornfielda and Catalina L. Toma, titled “When do Online Audiences Amplify Benefits of Self-Disclosure? The Role of Shared Experience and Anticipated Interactivity”. This paper discusses a study conducted to measure the level of self-disclosure a user may provide on an online platform regarding the audience’s ability to interact with them and share a similar experience. Kornfielda states the following regarding shared experiences, “Scholars have proposed that a primary appeal of online disclosure is the potential to reach others who share an understanding of one’s own challenges, as commonly occurs in online support forums… Furthermore, online disclosure venues may allow bi-directional communication, or interactivity, such that audiences can provide feedback or otherwise interact with posts.” (Kornfielda, 278). Reading this quote reminded me of a specific social media platform in which users frequently share personal experiences and stories for the purpose of interactions or an acknowledgement of shared interest, this platform is Reddit.  

              Reddit is a unique social media platform in the way it operates. On the large scale, all users on Reddit are posting photos, stories, recipes, etc. onto Reddit. Yet, Reddit itself is made up of over 1.2 million subreddits, these subreddits are smaller pages on Reddit itself that are focused on specific topics, genre’s, support pages, places to ask questions, places to post photos, etc. If you can imagine it there is probably a subreddit already dedicated towards it. What makes Reddit a perfect example of user intractability and shared experiences are the subreddits themselves.

Firstly, thinking about the nature of intractability, subreddits, through Reddit’s primary functions do automatically come with a set level of intractability. Reddit users can upvote content that they believe contributes to the conversation and interests of the subreddit, while they can also downvote on the content they find off topic, and as negatively contributing to the subreddit. As well users have the ability to comment on posts made in subreddits, unlike a variety of other social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter) users are unable to disable comment on Reddit meaning that there is always a set level of interaction between Reddit users. What makes intractability so interesting on Reddit is the nature of subreddits themselves. On the subreddit I Took A Picture (ITAP), users post photographs that they took and title it with some context to where they took the photo. On ITAP an average post will have about five to thirty comments, 90% of the comments under posts are encouraging and positive comments relating to the quality of the photography. While on the subreddit Am I the Asshole (AITA), users post stories/scenarios in which they are a part of and ask whether their reactions constitute them as being an asshole or not. These posts have on average of 150 to upwards of 750 comments, where people determine whether or not the users were in the right (users use the ranking – NTA (Not the Asshole) and YTA (You’re the Asshole). The nature of AITA is a social and interactable as users are directly asking others to relate to and comment on their experiences, while on ITAP users are specifically posting their photos without requiring or requesting any additional comments.

Secondly, on the concept of shared experiences, there are many subreddit forms that are created with the aim to form an online support community. The most prominent example of online support of Reddit is the Anxiety subreddit. On this subreddit, posts are made both sharing stories, asking for support or advice, sharing progress in their battles with anxiety. This concept of shared experiences is crucial for the success of the anxiety disorders subreddits is the fact that people are willing to share their experiences with anxiety to hopefully help others with their own anxiety struggles and journeys. Reddit subreddits are the epitome of online intractability and shared experiences, the platform allows users to control the amount of interaction with other users and the level at which they want to share their experiences and everyday life. Reddit users have the capability to minimize or maximize their level of intractability and shared experiences to their own custom liking, which enables Reddit to function in a unique and distinct audience experience for its users.

(Below is a photograph of R/BrockU - The subreddit for Brock University) 

REFERENCE LIST:

R/Anxiety. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.reddit.com/r/Anxiety/

R/AmItheAsshole. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/

R/itookapicture. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.reddit.com/r/itookapicture/

In this week’s lecture and readings, we discussed the concept of parasocial interactions and relationships. This week’s reading was written by William J. Brown, titled, “Examining Four Processes of Audience Involvement with Media Personae: Transportation, Parasocial Interaction, Identification, and Worship”. It is first important to note the difference between parasocial interactions (PSI) and parasocial relationships (PSR). Parasocial interactions are defined in Browns paper as “They described PSI as imaginary interaction between a television viewer and a television personality, which over time may develop into a self-defined one-way relationship called a parasocial relationship” (Brown, 262), while he defines parasocial relationships as, “ a parasocial relationship (PSR) as a pseudo-relationship that results from a false sense of intimacy created during media consumption” (Brown, 263). In his paper, Brown discusses parasocial interactions and relationships in the context of traditional media (television shows, radio shows, films, etc.). I will be looking at the concept of parasocial interactions to parasocial relationships in a more modern, social media context.

This lecture was not my first exposure to the concept of parasocial interactions and relationships, in a previous communications class, we discussed the creation of the parasocial interaction between media consumers and the lives of Megan Markel and Prince Harry. With my previous understanding of parasocial interactions and new understanding as to how parasocial interactions can lead to the creation of parasocial relationships, I could easily reflect upon my interactions with social media members and how I have subconsciously been participating in parasocial interactions and relationships for years.

Over the last few years, I have greatly drifted away from watching conventional television and film and have begun watching most video content on YouTube. Specifically, most of the content I watch is video game/let’s play content. Aside from the change in platform, fundamentally YouTube functions under the technical affordances that traditional television content does. Instead of watching a show produced by a large corporation (such as ABC, Adult Swim, or CBC) in most cases, you are instead watching content produced by individuals (they still may be organizations or teams of people on a channel but they are not owned or produced by specific large media companies). In my reflection on my usage of YouTube, I could see how I have been a part of parasocial interactions, and relationships with the YouTubers that I watch and idolize. Primarily I looked at the Irish video game YouTuber Jacksepticeye, who I watch almost on a daily basis. My consumption of his gaming content is largely one-sided, by which I mean he uploads content and I through YouTubes limited features can interact with the content (and by extension Jacksepticeye himself), these features include the ability to like, dislike, share and comment on specific uploads. By developing a ritual of watching his content on a daily basis I have created a parasocial interaction, wherein I feel as though I have a connection and obligation to watch and support him, even though Jacksepticeye himself has no involvement in these interactions besides his standard video uploads.

So how do these parasocial interactions evolve into parasocial relationships? When simply interacting in a one-sided way with a celebrity or media personality extends into the realm of exerting genuine emotional energy, interests, and time into maintaining or participating in a one-sided relationship. I can admit that I have been an active participant in parasocial relationships before. I have purchased products from celebrities, supported their content creation, participated in charity events, and had emotional investments in their personal lives and achievements. Yet, I find the concept of parasocial interactions and relationships to have a clear connection to the concept of fandom. Fandom is a subcollection of individuals who share an interest in a common subject. Fandom interests can be broadly focused, such as having an interest in an entire game series, genre (e.g. horror film fanatics), or style/fashion (e.g. Lolita fashion), or can be extremely specific in their interests: interest in specific characters from television and movies, celebrities, or aspects of a game (character species, art style, locations, etc.). As I make these blog posts on Tumblr, I see countless examples of parasocial interactions and relationships interwoven with the nature of fan and fandom. There is a blog for just about everything and everyone on Tumblr and many of these users without even knowing are actively participating in PSI and PSR daily.

REFERENCE LIST:

Brown, W. J. (2015). Examining Four Processes of Audience Involvement With Media Personae: Transportation, Parasocial Interaction, Identification, and Worship. Communication Theory, 25(3), 259-283. doi:10.1111/comt.12053

In this week’s lecture and readings, we discussed the nature of audiences and power. Specifically looking at the reading by Sonia Livingstone, “Giving People a Voice: On the Critical Role of an Interview in the History of Audience Research”. Throughout the lecture, we discussed, what gives an audience power? – based on Livingstone’s audiences are in power when they are interviewed. Now it is foolish to think in such a modern-day and age that every brand and business with an audience can sit down and have a one-on-one interview with its audience members. Instead, Livingstone suggests that we have moved into a more modern frame of interviews, yet it is still crucial to our understanding of the audience’s power, nonetheless. In her paper, Livingstone notes the following about her audience studies students and their ability to distinguish implied and actual audiences [in relation to more modern and digital audiences], “Curiously, it remains easy to presume that one knows what other people think or feel.” (Livingstone, 569). This line stuck out the most for me from the entire reading because I realized just how true it really was. As a communications student I don’t often do extensive, elaborate research on subjects and audiences (at least not extensive based upon the research I have read by professionals in this field). I have most definitely filled in the gaps in my research with broad sweeping assumptions about audiences and consumer bases, and yet, unless I actively went out and talked to audience members myself, my claims would (and are) no more than just broad sweeping assumptions.

              When I pondered Livingstone’s article, I was reminded of an article I read relating to the success of Nintendo’s console, the Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo Switch launched on March 3rd, 2017 as Nintendo’s newest console. The Switch was branded as the most versatile gaming console on the market, because, as its name implied it was able to switch between being a hand-held, on the go console like the Nintendo 3DS, but could also be placed into an HDMI connected dock and played on a television much like a Nintendo Wii. This ability to switch back and forth between television and hand-held made the Switch a revolutionary console. As of right now (October 24th, 2020) the Nintendo Switch has sold 61 million units, making it the 12th best selling video game console of all time. As the large nerd and lover of video games I am, I bought a Nintendo Switch only days after they launched, what is significant about that? If you went out and bought a Nintendo Switch today, we would own very different devices. But if they are both the Nintendo Switch, why are they different you may ask? Audience power.

              After the launch of the Nintendo Switch in 2017, users realized that there were a few “flaws” in their Nintendo Switches. Users (including myself) noticed that the battery life on their Nintendo Switched was not nearly as long as they thought it was going to be (for context Nintendo’s previous hand-held console, the Nintendo 3DS, could last three to five hours while playing a 3D game, and five to eight hours for a 2D game). While launch day Nintendo Switches only lasted at most six and a half hours. As well, launch day Nintendo Switch was prone to what is called Joy-con drift. Joy-con’s are Nintendo Switches detachable controllers, Switches released on launch day were prone to experiencing an uncontrollable drifting motion which resulted in the system believe the user was moving the controller in either the far right or far left direction endlessly.

              So, what did Nintendo do about this? They asked their users what they thought of their Nintendo Switches, specifically on Twitter. Twitter users who bought Nintendo Switches expressed their concerns and disappointments in replies to Nintendo, and for months users responded to Nintendo’s tweets expressing their thoughts and opinions on the Nintendo Switch. After two years of communication and allowing audiences to inform them of what needed to be improved, Nintendo subtly relaunched an updated (Version 2/V2) Nintendo Switch. This new Switch had a battery life of up to nine hours as opposed to the six and a half of the previous. As well it had the dreaded Joy-con drift resolved. The entire recreation of a console in a difficult process, and yet when Nintendo launched their Nintendo Switch, they opened the floor up to their audience in the most modern interview like way possible. They posed them the question on a collaborative forum (Twitter) and said, “Tell us what you think of this product” and took all the feedback they received from their users to create a better product for them! If that is not a wicked cool example of the power audiences have to invoke change when they are given the chance by large corporations and researchers to speak how they feel about a product, experience, television show, movie, music, etc. then I truly don’t know what is.

REFERENCE LIST:

IR Information : Sales Data - Dedicated Video Game Sales Units. (2020). Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/hard_soft/index.html

Livingstone, S. (2010). Giving People a Voice: On the Critical Role of the Interview in the History of Audience Research. Communication, Culture & Critique, 3(4), 566-571. doi:10.1111/j.1753-9137.2010.01086.x

Oxford, N. (2019, December 11). How Long Does the Nintendo 3DS Battery Usually Last? Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://www.lifewire.com/nintendo-3ds-battery-life-1126265