Due to the Labour Day Public Holiday, my Networked Media learning took place online for week two. I found this method of learning to actually be quite fitting as we looked into learning about what a ‘network’ is. This meant that I learnt about the foundations of the internet, whilst being on the internet myself. This made me realise that because I’ve become so accustomed to using the internet, I forgot how it all started. But at mention of the world wide web and images of old school computers, I felt my knowledge return to me.

I soon realised that a lot of my pre-existing knowledge and thoughts were being turned on their heads. What I found to be interesting from the lecture was the notion that the internet and the web are two different things. At first I was a bit confused but when the comparison to the trail track was used, it made a lot of sense. So, after realising that the web runs on the internet and that the internet is therefore the overarching system, I could then go on to wonder where new media platforms such as Instagram sit in all of this.

Lister et al (2009, p.164) argue that ‘the potential for the development of networked new media has been influenced by commercial interests.’ I find this argument to be very true to the nature in which Instagram functions. That media and the internet is no longer being used to connect people, but is now being used as a way to make money. This is where my knowledge of Instagram “influencers” ties in with understanding the changing media landscape. In turn, I’d like to make mention of the college bribery controversy surrounding Olivia Jade as her social media status aligns with what I have learnt this week.

The prevalence of user-generated content means that not only do we observe media, we also make it ourselves. I think that this increases the ability a person has to relate to an “influencer.” In turn, companies can capitalize on this as ‘a high quality, engaged audience of a few hundred thousand can now earn as much revenue as much larger audiences in the mass media era’ (Lister et al, p. 169). This is where sponsored content enters into the network. That someone who uploads to Instagram or YouTube can connect with brands that will target their viewers; resulting in sales for the business and an income for the “influencer.” Therefore, in this social media era, connections are important. Connections can mean a fast track ticket to stardom or it can lead to someone’s downfall. Being able to comment and share content means that unfavourable information can reach numerous people in an instant, leading to loss of influence and ultimately, a loss of income. This can be seen in the case of Olivia Jade.

Olivia Jade’s mum repotedly paid $500,000 (US) for her two daughters to attend USC. This unfair treatment has consequently upset her fans and so,

(The Daily Telegraph 2019)

What I take from this is that with so many people being active internet users, the web is extremely dense in connections. Information can be spread so quickly that it is often hard to control. In this scenario, it can be hard to say what will happen to Olivia’s career as it is dependent on her audience. On the surface Instagram is a platform to share images and videos but underneath it is highly calculated. Overall, week two has left me curious to learn more about how the platforms at hand are being used to communicate more than just photos and videos.

References:

Jade, O 2019, Instagram, 18 January, <https://www.instagram.com/p/BswRQDbn7_D/>.

Lister, M, Dovey, J, Giddings, S, Grant, I & Kelly, K 2009, New Media: A Critical Introduction. Routledge, 2009, pp. 163- 232.

Skanlan, R 2019, ‘Lori Loughlin’s daughters drop out of USC after admissions scandal’, The Daily Telegraph, 15 March, viewed 16 March 2019, <https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/sephora-ends-partnership-with-lori-loughlins-daughter-olivia-jade-amid-college-admissions-scandal/news-story/99e6e15d97b05f4eb5681e4b7f5d729d?from=htc_rss>.