Weyman – Media

Media changes the user in several different ways. In today’s times, Facebook and twitter are so tied in with society that almost every single person has an account. Not only that, but almost everyone has a direct method to access their accounts, whether it be smart phone, laptop or tablet. From personal experience, I know that I almost always have Facebook open on my computer at home. I also receive notifications on my smart phone, which puts a “real time” effect on it. This is what Shirky was talking about when the idea of media becoming part of us was mentioned. Media offers people a way to communicate without having the delay of things like meeting up, mail delay, etc. Some people even rely on media as a sort of backbone to a life that they always wanted. This can be seen in games like World of Warcraft and Sims, where the character is totally customizable and can be set to even look like the real player. A big question that I have, is how would people who are friends on media interact in real life? If there are two people who are friends online based on what is seen, then would they be able to interact in real life? Shirky talks about this by bringing up the idea that media is becoming a common thing to all people, so common in fact, that I believe one day we will be so tied in to media, that it will be a basis for our lives.