HW Creativity

As I have previously mentioned in multiple blog posts, new media do not have limits regarding what they allow people to do. They are a representation of the developing modern world by showing how media and technologies have transformed over time. Social networking, YouTube and virtual worlds have provided people with platforms that they never had before, and this has many consequences. One of these consequences is that it encourages people to think in ways that they otherwise would not, and this in turn fosters creativity.

These platforms allow and encourage creativity by making all aspects easier. They allow instant communication, which is the root of creating anything--especially good for brainstorming. They also allow for quick changes to be made. For instance, editing a piece of written work is a lot easier on a computer when compared to a typewriter. On a similar note, when making videos and music, making changes or going back to one version of the piece of work can be done on the spot. Therefore, the way new media makes things more accessible and quick, is what truly fosters creativity.

One common example are viral videos. These videos get very popular almost overnight, create a buzz and become a topic everyone talks about. One of the examples in Professor Weisel's lecture notes is a video that explains how to make videos go viral, and it was interesting to see that I have, at some point, seen almost every single one of the viral videos presented. This is especially shocking because I come from Jerusalem, which means that these videos have gone international. The creativity that new media brings is translatable intro different cultures, because a lot of the time the creative piece is the result of a collaboration between different people, across different cultures, which is a clear result of new media itself!

This, as most things do, also has negative consequences. The law is sometimes not well enforced online, and other times it does not even exist. This leads to problems such as copyright issues. One good example of this is reported by The New York Times in an article called Disney Tolerates a Rap Parody of Its Critters. But Why? According to the article, a rap group has made a parody involving mashups of Disney cartoons. This is an issue because they did it without permission. Some might consider this to be piracy, but it seems like Disney is tolerating it. Mostly because the videos include different pieces of the shows put together, and the big corporations have bigger piracy issues to worry about. I can't but wonder that perhaps they see it as a way to promote and advertise the shows.

Although it has led to problems such as this one, new media has given people the opportunity to create and be heard, and once again, let's focus on the positive!

Thanks for reading,
See you soon!

Nanar