Howard Gardner, 2007, ‘Minds Viewed Globally: A Personal Introduction’ in Five Minds For the Future, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, ch.1.

It seems that each week these readings delve deeper into the bigger questions in life – this week had an overarching question of where is our society, and planet headed in the foreseeable future?

Psychologist, Gardner this week drew on a scientific perspective to introduce us to “The Five Minds” or the “Five Dramatis Personae” as he put it. He suggested that a person with these five different minds could deal with what is expected, but also what cannot be anticipated. They are applying what is required of everyone to live in a future that functions and co-operates.

The five minds mentioned are as follows:

1: The Disciplined Mind – a mode of cognition, with the skills to perfect any sort of specialization

2: The Synthesizing mind – the ability to not only take in and understand information, but also evaluate its meaning.

3: The Creating Mind – the constant ability to think of new ideas, and conjure new ways of thinking.

4: The Respectful Mind – an understanding of people’s differences, which is essential for productivity.

5: The Ethical Mind – putting others needs before your own is necessary in order to improve the way you, and other people work.

These five minds span both the cognitive spectrum and the human enterprise, also focusing on the policy of things rather than the psychology behind them.

Gardner then continues to connect his theory to some interesting points about our future. He believes that the current education system is preparing students primarily for the world of the past, rather than focusing on the possible world of the future. I can understand this – we are taught subjects like history, science and psychology – not that it is at all irrelevant – but they are more the reasons for why things are the way they are, or what has already happened. I think Gardner is suggesting we need to learn more about what might happen in the future. To support this, he also suggested that science can never tell you what to do in class or at work – what you do and how you operate among others has to come from your own value system. In order to do this you must be respectful (or otherwise you are toxic in the workplace), and you must have a number of disciplines in order to meet demands and succeed.

Judy Wajcman, 2015, ‘Finding Time in a Digital Age’ in Pressed for Time: The Acceleration of Life in Digital Capitalism, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, ch.7.

The concept of living in an “acceleration society” is the focus of this weeks reading. We supposedly live in a Frankenstein style society where we have “lost control over the machines to which we gave birth”, meaning that technology doesn’t produce leisure and downtime but instead creates a faster pace lifestlyle. We as society make sense of the world, with the machines of our making.

An interesting point that resonated with me this week was that a counterproductive way to free up time is to have a “digital detox”. There seems to be so much talk about doing these detoxes by going a day without technology or putting your phone on silent for the day but really, in this day and age, it only creates more pressure and stress on the person once that “detox” is over. It is so easy to fall behind on the world and the constant demands of other people online, even in just 24 hours. Personally I feel so disconnected when I don’t have reception, or I’m at work and can’t check my phone – even if it’s just for a few hours.

Touching on the idea of work, this reading discusses that we live in a “capitalist economy” that “gives employers to dictate hours and terms of work” – which becomes relevant when discussing if the most straightforward way to alleviate stress is to simply cut down hours of work. I don’t see how this could possibly work, given the demands of consumers, especially for people like myself in retail who really are an asset in terms of the company’s success. I really liked the quote that was used too, which summarises a typical 9-5 job/life very well – “they work too much, eat too quickly, socialise too little, drive and sit in traffic for too many hours, don’t get enough sleep and feel harried too much of the time”.

We live in a self-service economy – checkouts at supermarkets, petrol stations, and even the new McDonalds create your own burger stations. This is because we have become so focused on immediacy and getting a personalised touch on our service. This is why companies such as Apple – who offer services that the average person couldn’t understand (such as an iPhone repair) seek to emulate this self service idea in order to make us feel like we’re getting it done ourselves, if the Apple employee is only helping us.

Cal Newport, 2012, ‘The Clarity of the Craftsman’ in So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work, NY Business Plus, ch.4.

I just read this weeks reading and I kind of like I’ve been part of a motivational speaker workshop. For so long I’ve seen the quote “be so good they can’t ignore you” in framed prints, Instagram photos and Twitter biographies but I’ve never really known where it came from or exactly what it meant. There’s the obvious side to the quote which says to be so outstanding at what you do that everyone notices it, but the more important idea which was raised in this weeks reading suggests that we should “stop focusing on the little details” and “focus instead on becoming better” just like Jordan did.

This links to the overall theme of this weeks reading which was The Craftsman Mindset that focuses on “what you can offer the world” versus The Passion Mindset which is “what the world can offer you”. It is suggested that focusing on what the world can offer you will lead to a lot of self-doubt, such as questioning who are you?, is what you’re doing you?, are you doing what you love?. The craftsman mindset offers a sense of clarity that the passion mindset cannot. Personally, I have always encountered a lot of self-doubt in what I do – because I’m so quick to look at the work of other people and professionals, and have enormously high standards set for myself. This at times can be the best thing, but I have always been told I need to trust my instincts more because that often is the idea that is most “me”. I’m all about going against the grain and not doing what everyone else is doing, but I’m not the best at actually doing that. I think this reading has encouraged me to trust myself more and use the craftsman mindset to work hard on what I am passionate about.

Ramon Lobato and Julian Thomas, 2015, ‘Work’ in The Informal Media Economy, Polity Press, Cambridge UK, ch.3.

I feel like the average person would have a glamourized perception of what a media related job entails, however there is a general diversification of what we understand work in the creative industry to be versus what the work actually is. In this weeks reading, Thomas and Lobato gave a realistic description of the nature of work, suggesting that media workers, especially freelancers are often exploited if it benefits the company in some way or can add to the freelancers resume. It was said that the majority of workers within the media industry are not “stars” – they are the workers toiling in “anonymous enterprises” and live off erratic incomes such as occasional freelance work. This instability and unpredictability is a major deterrent for people looking to work a standard 9-5 job however like myself and many people my age in particular, we preger the choice to work in a “less routine way” and enjoy a fluid boundary between work and leisure. However there is a definite difference between infrequent work and underpaid work which is essentially a company setting a price far too low for the hours of work involved. The reading mentioned the companies “Elance” and “Odesk” who were offering $50-$70 for a complete summary of a novel requiring 20-30 hours of work, meaning the person was getting as low as $1.60 an hour. Personally that horrifies me, knowing things like that exist out in the world, but workers are so desperate for money that they are willing to do it.

EntrepreneursTribe 2013). Blogging, Brand Design & Social Media Tips | Fashion Blogger Lady Melbourne.

Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z16_5kG1x4 [Accessed 3 Aug. 2016].

In this interview with Phoebe Montague, owner of popular Melbourne blog “Lady Melbourne” the interviewer discusses with Montague her secret ingredients for creating an authentic online persona. She states how important it is to understand the blogosphere to engage people on a personal level. It is important connection to establish between the influencer and their audience. Montague therefore decided it was in her best interest to work alone so that she “could travel with [her] blog”. Montague was self-taught in programs such as Final Cut Pro and the basics of blog HTML Coding. This lead her to the production of her blog layout, which she states that any layout must always be very clear, with the links to other socials made obvious because “you can’t avoid other forms of social media”. She further adds to this statement by saying that your blog should reflect your personality, but allow a broad audience. Outside of her career, Montague states how working as a blogger/influencer allows her to work at home and make up her own hours. She says she has been enabled to take on a variety of opportunities because the people around her have been supportive of this career that doesn’t run to a standard 9-5 schedule. Lastly, she says how important it is for herself, and everyone else entering the blogging industry to “believe in what you are doing”.

 

Nalty, K, Scott D.M, 2010, Beyond Viral, vol.1 pp.131-144

Chapter 9 of Beyond Viral explores a grey area of stardom and fame which is marketing via webstars. It focuses on how brands partner with webstars to create entertaining promotion, which is a more credible source than a hard-sell TV or radio advertisement. By definition in this book, a webstar is considered a person who “has an authentic and regular connection with a growing audience, and has as many as 100k – 1 million subscribers”. These are the people that brands seek out to endorse products in an authentic and transparent way. For example, sponsored Youtube videos may include a webstar talking about their favourite makeup products in less detail, then featuring a Revlon mascara which has sponsored the video. Sometimes these sponsorships go unnoticed and are “often as entertaining as regular videos”. Then comes the legality of it all. If a video is sponsored, the webstar is legally required to mention the brand and also that the content is an “ad” or “Sponsored” somewhere in the title or video thumbnail before a person has even clicked onto it. I believe this is a grey area because some webstars can be seen to be a “sell out” because they receive money from their sponsored mentions. Alternatively, this reading explores the concept that “branded storytelling” is fair game, and creators should be allowed to endorse products to produce income.

 

Carah N, Shaul M, 2016, Brands and Instagram: Point, tap, swipe, glance Vol.4(1), pp.69-84

This article explores the social media platform of Instagram as a method of branding and advertising for companies. Instagram is so unique because of its multifaceted engagement that can take the form of likes and comments, but also pauses on particular images, hash tags and individual profiles. It has a sophisticated home feed, but also the explore feed algorithm that is personalized according to the individual and their interests. The explore tab curates content similar to what has previously been clicked on. A predominant mode of branding is the positive interactions between brands and mini communities being formed based on similar interests. This exists in the form of comments, likes and re-grams where brands and individuals promote. This is essential to the success of a brand as “each interaction with an image generates data that makes the image available in wider flows of content on the platform”. Basically, one like could make an image known to the whole of Instagram. This article also looks at “cultural intermediaries” that is essentially, in this case, the communication and interaction between accounts and people. Supposing someone wanted to be noticed wearing a necklace from a particular brand and wanted the brand to –re-gram – they would post a photo of them wearing the necklace in a similar to the style and vibe of the brand’s Instagram account.

 

Crosson, A, 2016 “Grow Your Brand With a Culture of Content Creators” Available at: http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/grow-brand-culture-content-creators-01594556#IKcpoTYYKdKZdIbh.97 [Accessed August 3, 2016]

 This online article begins with a really good quote which states “If people like you, they will listen to you. If they trust you, they will do business with you”. This forms the idea that for companies to invest in you, you must be likeable. As defined in the article, a content creator is traditionally something like a copywriter or graphic designer – but nowadays it is more inclusive to professions like Youtuber or Blogger. One of the challenges faced by brands is creating awareness and credibility around products, therefore employing content creators is ideal for cross promotion. A key idea raised is that “content that influences isn’t selling a product. It is selling an ideal”. Take Kylie Jenner for example – the most influential teenage girl on the internet (at the moment). They are frequently shown on Instagram wearing and endorsing what is called a “waist trainer” – a corset that assists in shaping a woman’s figure. Girls aren’t really buying the product – they’re buying the figure of Kylie Jenner. To summarise, this article answers the question of “what can content creators do for my brand?” the answer is simple – a creator generates authenticity, brand awareness and engagement with the brand.

 

Reading: CHRIS LEDERER AND MEGAN BROWNLOW – A World of Differences

http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/global-entertainment-media-outlook/assets/2016/a-world-of-differences.pdf

E&M, otherwise known as entertainment and media is the central focus of this weeks reading. In an insightful report by Brownlow and Lederer, I took away some key ideas surrounding “consumption”.

According to this reading the youth of today are consuming more media than older people and are more open to digital spending. This makes sense considering products like iPhones, Netflix and so forth have a youthful, and very modern approach to all their advertising. This was mentioned in the reading where it stated advertisers are moving away from “the big idea” and towards Facebook and Google where their main differentiator is their algorithm. This is a beneficial method of advertising for companies so that they can see just who is clicking what and personalise that experience for each individual. An example of this would be looking at ASOS online at “blue handbags” and afterwards, all your ads on Facebook are for other websites with “blue handbags”. It is mutually beneficial. Another aspect of consumption is the type of program or product being purchased, viewed or listened to by both the young and old. According to the reading, Netflix has stated that “locally produced content is its future” meaning that they are aiming to promote Netflix original content such as the new series “Stranger Things” aimed at teenagers and young adults. The preference for local and original content is also evident in the older generation. The idea of localisation and generating “home grown” content is of particular importance to a mature, English speaking country such as Australia. Locally produced shows such as “Neighbours” and “Home & Away” has for so long taken preference in homes all around Australia.

This is one of the families from the TV show Gogglebox Australia. As an avid watcher of the show i’ve always noticed the divide in interests between the daughters (left) and the parents (right). Most would say it’s a pretty pointless show but I believe it’s an interesting social experiment in regards to who is interested in what.

Reading: Klaus Schwag – The Fourth Industrial Revolution

“We are at the point where the desire for purposeful engagement is becoming a major issue. This is particularly the case for the younger generation who often feel that corporate jobs constrain their ability to find meaning and purpose in life” 

What resonated with me most throughout this weeks reading was the nature of work and income, that our generation, the youth of The Fourth Industrial Revolution, are encountering and constantly inventing. As the reading implies from the quote above, life is no longer about finishing school and sticking at the career path you choose. There is an abundance of opportunity for us, particularly with our media-savvy brains to use a magnitude of assets in almost any career we wish.

New York Times columnist Farad Manjoo draws upon the idea that “we may end up with a future in which a fraction of the workforce will do a portfolio of things to generate an income – you could be an Uber driver, an Instacart shopper, an airbnb host and a Taskrabbit“. These are all careers that stem the futuristic idea that someone or something else can complete this task for us. It’s the cliche vision of the future in many futuristic films – robots, machines and so forth cooking, cleaning and running our lives. I wouldn’t say we have the technology capable of that yet, however the idea we can have someone else drive us somewhere, or someone else assemble our Ikea furniture for us all at the click of a button on our iPhones, leads me to believe we’re heading towards some kind of “service at your fingertips” future. That being said I don’t think it’s a bad thing if it is a form of income for someone.

For me, the idea that I might be working in a career next year for something media related that hasn’t even been invented yet is so exciting. Technology is constantly changing and evolving and our ability to adapt and obsess over new things like a popular app or new iPhone never cease to amaze me.

Above: A still from the film “Wall-E” set 800+ years in the future. A dystopian vision of what life might be like for humans in the future BUT also a subtle swipe at how machines are making us lazy thus obese. A bit extreme in comparison to what this reading was implying however, you never really know what the future holds beyond our lifetime.