To notice or to not notice

Media by its very definition requires people to notice it; if not, it becomes more-or-less redundant. It is, however, something that passes us by, perhaps because its not targeted to us or maybe its lost amongst the plethora of things we try an absorb daily. Social Media is something that has become synonymous with the Y and Z generations; however, our cognisance still seems limited as we scroll mindlessly through feeds. I personally use social media as a platform to communicate with friends and family and to try to stay abreast of new music and, rather shamefully, the lives of celebrities, but even now as I talk of such things I cannot recall a significant post or conversation I’ve had in recent times. So much for noticing. Our ‘lectorial task’ of active noticing was an odd yet insightful one, I had never considered noticing as something we must actively engage in, always assuming it was an integrated part of our cognitive make-up. Yet, as I glanced up at the buildings on Swanston Street, I saw things I’d vaguely recognised before but never, for a lack of better word, noticed. One billboard in particular caught my attention (see below): a sunglasses advertisement that bared some resemblance to the ‘eye’s of Dr. T.J Eckleburg’ in the ‘Valley of Ashes’ from F Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby. Intentionally or not, the strange similarity prompted some ideas about media, much like the Eckleburg spectacles, Media has become omnipresent in our daily lives.

some things I…Noticed

The ‘Eyes of Eckleburg’

Fashion n’ Logos

Graffiti, street art

News – similar to London Underground symbol