Working With Photoshop

Friends:

This was a relatively plain picture of 2 close friends I personally know, sharing a corn cob. The colours of the picture were changed and enriched via "Image" and "Adjustments" in Photoshop. The "Brightness/Contrast" were altered as well as the "Hue/Saturation" to transform this originally dull photo into one that conveys the theme of friendship more effectively, of friends-turned-sisters on a summer days filled with memories of participating in activities as simple as sharing good food.



Communication:

This was a picture of a mother sharing a special moment with her newborn baby at the hospital. Despite no exchange of words occurring between the two, a connection between them is undeniable. And perhaps, herein lies the core of all communication- that communication at its highest level needs no words or even body language, a facial expression or emotion expressed through the eyes may speak more than a long email. To create this effect, the "Lens Flare" filter was placed between the mother and her baby to emphasise their wordless communication, their faces in particular are also brighter than the other parts of the photo. This was made possible through adjusting "Lighting Effects" in the "Filters" pull down menu.




News-worthy:

With new communication technology, the citizen journalist phenomenon is increasing at a rapid rate. An example of this technology is the mobile phone camera that allows users to take photos anywhere anytime. A group of people as seen in the photo have their attention fixated on something big, perhaps a politician's speech or a car accident. The advent of mobile phone photography has allowed the masses, encapsulated by the 2 holding up their camera phones, to capture news-worthy events such as in the photo without the presence of a professional. These photos can then be placed on blogs to provide first hand accounts of events. This was done similarly for events such as 9/11 in New York and the Indian Ocean Tsunami back in 2004. The effects was created by first cropping the two people with camera phones out and adding a filter effect on to them. The photo was then made black and white which was done through "Image" and "Adjustments" and then changing the "Hue/Saturation." The separate layers of the camera phone holders were then put back into the original photo.



Australian:

This was a photo of a friend on Australia day doing some pretty Australian things. He is standing on the beach, drinking an Australian beer with the Australian flag waving behind and being wrapped by the green and gold Kangaroo's flag himself. All I had to do for this photo to create my desired effect was add an "Artistic," "Dry Brush" filter and making a few little alterations with the filter itself such as the brush size. I think that now rather than only being a photo, it looks more like a painting to be put in a time capsule that provides a snapshot of what's "Australian" in our day and age. A good Aussie beer, our history, our rich natural landscape and our sporting culture are just some the things represented in this photo.



Popular:

This a a beautiful photo of the popular tourist location, Ayers Rock. From history as we know it, Ayers Rock has always been there, evolving from being an important place to the Aborigines to somewhat of an Australian icon today, yet Ayers Rock itself has barely changed! Rather, it is our perceptions and discoveries over time that have altered what is considered popular and when in our culture. Something that is truly great such as the sun or Ayers rock as depicted in this photo is however, timeless. Again with this photo, the "Hue/Saturation" was changed to give the original image an almost magical feel to it. Rather than having a front on perspective of Ayers Rock, having the landmark on the side gives it a rather majestic sense of it I think. To enhance this, the right side of the photo where the Rock sits was dimmed slightly through adjusting the "Brightness/Contrast" of that part of the photo. To accentuate the sunlight hitting the beautiful Australian landscape surrounding Ayers Rock, the lighting was altered slightly in between the horizon and the ground again through "Lighting Effects" under the "Filters" menu.


Games:


Chess has been a game played for centuries but yet still popular among many today. Games, from the dawn of time, have been used for fun and recreation. Characteristics of good games however, have not changed and include being easy to understand, challenging and fun. The classic game of chess to me encapsulates all these ideas and conveys strongly the idea of 'games.' This simple photo is equally timeless as the hand moving the pieces could be anyone from essentially any era of time after the early invention of the game. To create this effect, the photo was made black and white through changing the "Hue/Saturation" in Photoshop. Blurring effects was also applied to certain parts of the photo, such as the upper and lower portions, to increase focus on the hand and the pieces its moving. This has the similar effect as taking the photo with a wide aperture to increase the visual focus on a particular subject.

New Communication Technologies: A Critical Reflection

Prior to my first lecture of New Communication Technologies, I was unaware of how truly broad and abstract this subject can be. But through the course, I have started to realise that aside from the history of communication and media theory, how relevant all this truly is to our daily lives. We all use Microsoft Word and many of us have blogs. The very concept of blogs in fact, was something quite alien to me before our first tutorial. But through the course not only have I managed to establish one and update it quite regularly but my skills in what I consider to be everyday applications like Microsoft Word and Excel were honed through the tutorial tasks. Mail merging for example, was a completely new concept to me despite having used Word for years. Photoshop is another area I found very interesting we did in tutorials. Never again will I look at a picture in a magazine and digest it at face value, now that I know what is possible with the humble mouse and keyboard.

This being my first semester of university, I found that the essay and the processes of coming up with a topic and searching databases for information has laid a foundation for work similar in my other subjects. Moreover, my essay has taught me about the many possibilities of the internet but more importantly the many potential pitfalls such as excessive internet use and obesity that are associated with this medium. Exploiting the net for its informational, recreational and communication purposes I believe sits as a core value of this course anyway.

Media theory and the history of the internet and computer appeared boring to me at first, to be honest. It was only during the later part of the semester as I was studying for the exam that I realised how far we have come in technology and how significant some of those events are in shaping communication as we know it today. The telephone's point to point transmission (as opposed to radio's broadcast transmission) being a forerunner to today's internet for example, struck me as being almost revolutionary. In fact, it is largely due to this that news today is an interactive process rather than a centralised, concentrated, commercialised, and, ultimately closed avenue, as Habermas tells us. The notion of interactive news and citizen journalism was a topic that interested me so much, that I chose it was a topic to explore further in my Effective Writing Academic Essay.

Overall, I think the course was very interesting and worked well. This is partly because the tutorials through creating the blogs provided first hand experience in understanding the power of blogging and the web. Videos shown during the lectures were also interesting and provided insight to the concepts covered in the lectures. The tutorials however, could probably be improved by again reviewing what was covered in that week's lecture so that knowledge is constantly refreshed. This would ensure less 'cramming' closer to the exam and questions to be asked in a less intimidating circumstance. :)

Working with Microsoft Excel

For what it does, Microsoft Excel is a relatively easy software to use, although, I did encounter a few problems as I went through the exercises. This I think, is due to not using the application often enough (definitely not as often as Word) and so having a lack of practice. Entering and presenting data wasn't too difficult as I have done it before, except for the "gain" and "losses" part which is new to me. It is a very useful function nevertheless but I think I would need to practice more often and find out how to come up with a formula like the one in the exercise to know how to apply it to another situation. The graphs were pretty easy to do and there was no fiddling around surprisingly. I knew what the Macros were after reading the instructions but still had trouble putting it all together. This was mainly because I thought I knew what I was doing and tried to skip some of the steps. Unfortunately I didn't actually know what I was doing and had to go back several times to get it, i.e. it was confusing because I made it so. To be honest however, I would not know how to do all of this part again in another situation without looking at a similar set of instructions. It is a very useful function but I don't think I will be using it often in the near future. With practice though, I'm sure I will be able to master these uses of the application. I can see myself using Excel to calculate figures if I decide to own my own business and creating charts and graphs both for assignments and other personal use should the need arise.

Working With Microsoft Word

For most of the tutorial exercise, Microsoft Word was a breeze to use. Opening, typing and saving is second nature after years of doing it at school! Bold, italics and bullets weren't exactly too difficult either although it was good to have a go at putting in headers and footers, things I'm not used to putting in my own Word documents. The 'track changes' exercise was a new experience and could be put to good use by people who read and edit your drafts I think. It's also good if you want to look at your creative process in writing a piece but then there could be too many changes to track and make the page unreadable. I've always wondered how schools and companies send out the same letters with different details and how long it would take their staff to retype these details for each letter. Well now I know they don't, after doing the mail merge exercise. Mail merging is definitely one of the most useful things I've learnt this tutorial and I have a feeling I will be using this quite often. The sample text is also very relevant as I will most likely be typing a similar resume and handing it out to different potential employers in the near future. Overall, none of the exercises were too difficult and I did not encounter any problems, which I think is a feature of new technology- as technology advances it also becomes easier to use and less confusing.

Working With Photos

Friends:

With the advent of blogging, individuals can post what is significant to them as a part of the rising trend of using interactive new media in contrast to old fashioned broadcast media. This photo is significant to me because they are my friends. As a 'citizen journalist,' this photo is not only viewed by me and my friends but can be potentially seen by anyone on the net. This is significant because it brings freedom of expression and cross border communication to a new level.

Taken with: Casio 7mp camera but later scaled down and copied

High-tech:

This is a photo of Tokyo city taken at night. Even so, the buildings that fill the city are lit up and the streets are bustling with activity as if it's daytime. This would not be possible without electricty and computer technology that have taken us thus far. High tech may mean the latest gadget or fastest computer to an individual but collectively as a society, its influence cannot be underestimated. Here in Tokyo city, technology has affected the physical landscape of the and subsequently the high tech lifestyle of its people.

Taken with: Fujifilm 6mp camera

News:

This is a simple photo of a bunch of newspapers on a table. This is news at its most basic mass media form- print. Even though we have access to global news channels and the internet which both can provide the latest information, the humble newspaper must not be forgotten for its loyal delivering of news for the decades preceding the information age. In a broader context, it stands as a symbol to how far we have come in the broadcasting of news.

Taken with: Online

Summer:

Summer symbolises fun in the sun and has further connotations of youth and play, which is captured in the photo below. The three children depicted are running on the beach in the water on a sunny day. The pristine water and blue skies look inviting even to us as onlookers of the photograph.

Taken with: Fujifilm 6mp camera


Unconventional:

Most bikes are ridden outdoors and have seats... unless they are still at the store. This photo shows a bunch of kids with bikes that have no seats at an indoor location, speaks for itself really.

Taken with: Online





University Life:

Uni life is about chilling with friends and meeting new people both on and off campus. The main focus of the photo is of three students of different races lying on the campus courtyard on a nice day, symbolic of university life all over the world. Another group in the background is doing the same.

Taken with: Online

Essay Research

Database Articles:

Katz, J. E. & Rice, R. E. (2002). Social Consequences of Internet Use: Access, Involvement and Interaction The MIT Press Massachusetts. Key Points:

- The internet overcomes barriers in the human quest for knowledge and companionship, the world is smaller so to speak, because geographical, political and cultural differences no longer hinder communication

- Increases social capital of society as a whole and individuals often benefit from this

- But internet use can also lead to psychological problems such as people using the web to regulate mood and escape reality

Amichai-Hamburger, Y. & Furnham, A. (2007) ‘The Positive Net.’ Computers in Human Behaviour 23: 1033-1045. Key Points:

- The web can be used to help socially inhibited and shy people

- Although online communication is vastly different to face-to-face contact, increased communication between individuals is likely to bring about psychological benefits

- The user can choose to be anonymous and thus allowing him/her to assume another identity and step out of their usual social norms should they so wish

- The internet also allows intercultural communication where participants maintain equal status, diamond necklaces and missing teeth for example, can be ignored in the online world

Finkelhor, D. Mitchell, K. J. & Wolak, J. (2000). ‘Online Victimisation: A report on the nation’s youth.’ National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children 1(1): 1-60. Key points:

- An overwhelming proportion of youth were sexually solicited, came into contact with unwanted sexual material or were threatened or harassed online in a study conducted

- In the majority of these cases, solicitation never took place and pornography encountered was brushed off but the rising number of these occurrences is a cause of social concern for all

- This is accentuated by the notion that the internet is one of the primary places where kids learn and play today

- The internet should thus be a medium that children can use without being bombarded by offensive, obscene or dangerous content

How this task has helped me formulate my essay topic:

I have always been intrigued about the social impacts of rising internet use on a global scale. On the one hand, the internet, with its wealth of information and communication possibilities, is almost a necessity at home, in schools and at the workplace. Simultaneously however, concerns have been raised about youth violence caused by video games, obesity due to a sedentary lifestyle, sexual predation of youth online, net safety and the effect on health and relationships as a result of excessive internet use. This however, is a very broad concept or rather very broad concepts! By looking through the library catalogue and simply browsing through the extensive range of journal articles and research available at the various databases, I've been able to hone in more specifically on what topic I want to cover in such a short space (1000 words). The task allowed me to look at each one of the above factors in more detail and choose which ones I think are relevant to include in my essay. The summary of the three articles above are examples of this I have gathered today. Furthermore, by reading what different academics and the like have to say about these topics, I have gained a clearer understanding of what I think about the concepts themselves and subsequently how I want to angle this essay.

The Internet as a double edged sword: An evaluation of the social impacts associated with contemporary internet use

The internet is a revolutionary medium that has overcome many of the geographical, political and cultural barriers in the human quest for knowledge and companionship (Katz & Rice, 2002). Originally used for military communication and academic research (Young, 1999), the internet today has become synonymous with convenient access to news, entertainment, reviews, ticket booking, banking, shopping, trading stocks and a plethora of other online activities (Magid, 2003). More importantly however, the internet is a complex social fabric in which interactions between individuals and groups on a global basis are intricately weaved. Extensive research on one hand has shown the net to increase the social capital of society as a whole and improve the social well being of individuals as a result of this interaction (Katz & Rice, 2002). For many, new friends, people of similar interests or even a future spouse are only a click away (Katz & Rice, 2002). Inevitably, with this dynamic form of communication technology, social concerns such as “privacy, security, pornography, free speech, digital divide, internet crime, virtual community, and intellectual property rights” begin to surface (Yan, 2005, p. 387). Equally extensive research on the flip side of the coin has also shown online social interaction being unsafe for children in some instances as well as excessive internet use damaging both the health and relationships of those involved (Young, 1999; Finkelhor, Mitchell & Wolak, 2000). The following essay attempts to discuss a few of these issues, by examining and reviewing current academic literature on the topic, in order to better understand the social impacts of internet use.

To start off, Wellman, Haase, Witte and Hampton (2001) suggest that online interaction is a transition of social networking from public venues to private homes. Activities such as chatting, blogging, exchanging emails and participating in online newsgroups and discussions for example, still provide the friendship, information, goods and services and sense of belongingness inherent in face-to-face interaction (Wellman et al., 2001). Thus, a new mixture of offline and online relationships is forming as studies reveal human links on cyberspace continue in the real world (Wellman et al., 2001). Fear of the internet threatening face-to-face communication is contradicted by Wellman et al. (2001) when he cites one of the first mass online surveys conducted by National Geographic. The majority of participants revealed that internet communication did not diminish their face-to-face or telephone contact. Rather, the internet can be viewed as a supplement to the daily life of the contemporary individual- an extension of offline activity as it provides an additional, cheaper and more accessible form of communication (Wellman et al., 2001). This is especially so over long physical distances (Wellman et al., 2001). In addition, with the normalisation of the internet, widespread participation in many online activities helps to increase the social capital of society as a whole (Katz & Rice 2002). Participating in voluntary and political organisations on the internet for example not only helps to achieve this but creates scenarios for people to bond and achieve through joint effort (Wellman et al., 2001).

The social benefits of internet interaction is further highlighted by the research of Amichai-Hamburger and Furnham (2007, p. 1034) who demonstrate the web as being a mechanism to help socially inhibited people. Although internet and electronic communication differ largely from face-to-face relationships, recurrent and open contact between individuals on the net can still bring about real benefits psychologically (Amichai-Hamburger & Furnham, 2007, p. 1035). For introverts and those with less social skills, internet interaction “helps in the acquisition, practice and improvement” of these skills (Amichai-Hamburger & Furnham, 2007, p. 1035). The anonymous nature of the internet can help these people to experiment outside of their social norms and shyness whilst still maintaining full control of the interaction (Amichai-Hamburger & Furnham, 2007, p. 1036). Users can take their time replying, choose not to reply or amend their replies before they send it (Amichai-Hamburger & Furnham, 2007, p. 1036). Moreover, equal status between individuals is also maintained online. Missing teeth, diamond necklaces and other status symbols for example, have little use in cyberspace (Amichai-Hamburger & Furnham, 2007, p. 1039). As such, in a broader context, not only do the socially inhibited benefit from online interaction but rich opportunities are provided for intercultural communication as a result of the anonymity, control of interaction and equal status maintained on the net.

In contrast, equally overwhelming research has also shown the use of the internet to have detrimental effects to both health and relationships. Studies have shown certain people to have problems with excessive time spent on the net and/or problems with certain online activities such as gambling and pornography (Yellowlees & Marks, 2007, p. 1447). Yellowlees and Marks (2007, p. 1448) show these people to have trouble with time management when it comes to internet use and are irritated and experience mood swings when not online. In some cases, jobs and relationships are even placed on the line for more time to on the net (Yellowlees & Marks, 2007, p. 1448). Wellman et al. (2001) implies that internet communication is inferior to real face-to-face contact as complex relationships, with intangible complications such as emotions, are hard to foster in this medium. With internet use growing at an almost exponential rate, social problems such as this as well as other psychological problems like using the web to escape reality and regulate mood for example, are concerns for the internet generation (Katz & Rice, 2002; Yellowlees & Marks, 2007, p. 1449). Young’s (1999) research shows that excessive internet use often results in sleep patterns being disrupted and obesity often results due to the sedentary nature of internet activity. Relationships between spouses, children and friends are also shown by Young (1999) to be affected in more extreme cases. This is because the various duties and obligations of a person are neglected in pursuit of online activities (Young, 1999). On a more basic level, time spent sitting in front of the computer equates to time not being spent with close ones (Young 1999). In the context of the school and workplace, internet misuse such as chatting and online gaming is a serious issue facing managers and teachers as productivity and learning are undermined (Young 1999).

Internet safety is another serious social issue that must not be ignored in this discussion. Finkelhor, Mitchell and Wolak (2000, p.1) studied 1500 youth and their use of the internet and found an overwhelming proportion were sexually solicited, came into contact with unwanted sexual material or were threatened and harassed. Aggressive sexual solicitation included requests to meet, calling on the phone, posting regular mail, money or presents (Finkelhor, Mitchell & Wolak, 2000, p. 10). Although solicitation never occurred in real life in the majority of cases and encounters with unwanted pornography were usually brushed off, the rising numbers of these incidences are a cause of social concern for all involved (Finkelhor, Mitchell & Wolak, 2000, p. 45-46). This is especially the case when the internet is now one of the primary places where children of today learn and play (Finkelhor, Mitchell & Wolak, 2000, p. 9). Finkelhor, Mitchell and Wolak (2000) subsequently, assert the notion that children have the right to use the internet without being bombarded by offensive, dangerous and obscene content.

In conclusion, the internet is a “hybrid of a complex technical system and a complex social system” that like many other forms of communication technology, is a double edged sword that has the potential for both positive and negative use (Yan, 2005, 387). On the one hand, the net has the power to disseminate information in an unprecedented manner and provide a strong social network that benefits both the collective society and the individual. Excessive, problematic use causing health and relationship problems and exposure to harassment and unwanted material to children however, are issues that need to be confronted and resolved in order to maximise the benefits of internet communication.

References

Amichai-Hamburger, Y. & Furnham, A. (2007) ‘The Positive Net.’ Computers in Human Behaviour 23: 1033-1045

Finkelhor, D. Mitchell, K. J. & Wolak, J. (2000). ‘Online Victimisation: A report on the nation’s youth.’ National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children 1(1): 1-60

Katz, J. E. & Rice, R. E. (2002). Social Consequences of Internet Use: Access, Involvement and Interaction The MIT Press Massachusetts

Magid, L.J. (2003). ‘Child Safety on the Information Highway.’ Text Available: http://www.safekids.com/child_safety.htm (accessed 4 May 2007)

Wellman, B., Haase, A. Q., Witte, J. & Hampton, K. (2001). ‘Does the Internet Increase, Decrease or Supplement Social Capital?’ University of Toronto Centre for Urban and Community Studies Research Bulletin 1(6): 1-5

Yan, Z. (2005). ‘Age differences in children's understanding of the complexity of the Internet.’ Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 26(4): 385-396

Yellowlees, P.M. & Marks, S. (2007). ‘Problematic Internet use or Internet addiction?’ Computers in Human Behaviour 23(3): 1447-1453

Young, K.S. (1999). ‘Internet Addiction: Symptoms, Evaluation and Treatment.’ Innovations in Clinical Practice 17: 1-17