‘I saw what you wrote about me’ – The blogosphere in relation to Employment and today's global digital age

Work blogging is a matter throughout today’s 21^st century digital age that is becoming increasingly more associated with employees of organizations who are wishing to express their views and opinions relating to their workplace, whilst at the same time wishing to vent frustrations and cynicisms that relate to their corporate culture throughout the workplace.

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr have made it easily accessible for employees to publish posts which relate to their employment, due to their ease and common use by a large majority of individuals.  These forums provide employees with an opportunity to vent any frustrations or anger that they may have towards their workplace or corporate culture, as well as providing employees with a ‘voice’ that they feel they may not have had whilst cooperating in the workplace environment, and at the same time, allowing them the opportunity to vent their frustrations, without having to worry about any consequences which may have resulted from lashing out at their employers and fellow co-workers in person.  

                                                          Image source: cartoonwork.com

In addition to this argument, Richards J, and Kosmala K (2013), have stated that ‘Blogging platforms have become forums for employees to either individually or collectively vent frustration at the corporate culture’. I believe that this is a valid statement, as the Internet, specifically these blogging platforms and forums, are an innovative way to discuss and/or vent any issues or frustrations, and being a digital structure, has made it easier and more accessible for employees to vent whenever they feel the need.

However, at the same time, it is imperative that employees take caution when publishing any content that may attach negative affiliations to an organization. When content is posted on the blogosphere, it is accessible for virtually anybody to read and review, and fellow employees and employers are more regularly discovering these forums which discuss and/or bad mouth their workplace on a public website, resulting in numerous consequences such as suspensions, written warnings, and in some cases, termination of employment. 

An example of a recent case which has involved the use of ‘bad-mouthing’ a workplace via the use of social media platforms is the employees of British entertainment company, ‘HMV’. This included several disgruntled HMV employees briefly taking over the company’s official Twitter account in order to express their frustration and disappointment in relation to being fired by the company earlier that day. The angry employees took to the company’s Twitter account to vent their rage whilst tweeting live from the HMV headquarters, managing to post seven subversive messages before the company was able to regain control over the account, subsequently then deleting the posts. This case represents the idea that employee cynicism and anger can offer employees a sense of control and power over their own workplace, and at the same time providing distance from their corporate culture initiatives in order to make use of these blogging platforms. Richards J & Kosmala K (2013), have reflected this notion, by stating that; ‘even the most loyal employees are capable of being cynical and making cynical comments about their employing organization.’

                                                                Image source: The Guardian

Richard’s and Kosmala’s statement also relates to my own personal experience in relation to workplace blogging and the blogosphere, one example including a former supervisor of mine being terminated from the organization due to comments made via Facebook about my boss’s children and his and his wife’s parenting skills. As I, and a majority of my fellow employees were ‘friends’ with our supervisor on Facebook, her status update was soon reported to my boss, resulting in her immediate termination of employment, and a new social media policy being input into our workplace. A social media policy sets out the standards that an organization expects from its employees when they are using social media. (Gordon, A, 2013). Generally, a social media policy provides guidelines to what the organization considers acceptable behaviour and outlines what employees should and should not do when using these sites in relation to their employment. As well as this, it also sets out the possible consequences should an employee breach this policy. In terms of my personal experience, our social media policy that was put into place outlined the rules and regulations whilst using social media sites in regards to the organization, and no further incidents have since occurred in relation to employee negativity online.

Waddington, S (2012), has stated that ‘it is important to note that many organizations now have social media guidelines in place. They basically outline how to engage with social media on behalf of an organization, and more importantly to aid employees in understanding the boundaries when engaging with social media.’ In relation to this statement, I believe that all organizations should have some form of a social media policy implemented, as it discourages the use of social media in order to bad mouth and discuss the workplace in a negative manner, which could then lead to a decrease in customers as well as giving the organization a bad name, as word of mouth is of vital importance in the reputation of a business throughout today’s society. As well as this, a policy reminds employees of their duty of honesty and loyalty to their employer, as well as their commitment and obligation to act only in the organization’s best interests.

                                                                       An example of a social media policy – Image source: symplur.com

Another reason that social media policies are more frequently being implemented into workplaces is due to the fact that many more organizations are now actively encouraging their employees to join business social networking sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter in order to promote their company and generate new business, whilst at the same time, wanting feedback from their own employees. However, along with the benefits of allowing employees to promote the organization via social media, there also comes a number of risks, as companies have very limited control over what is said about them as well as their products over the Internet, and the potential audience for any negative comments is huge. There have been a number of reports of instances where displeased employees have criticized their employer and workplace in online forums or social media websites, which as a result has raised the possibility of damaging the company’s brand and reputation. A prime example of this is the case of the HMV employees, and their attack on the organization via the company’s official Twitter account.

The following screen shots are taken from Facebook pages which are created purely for the sole purpose of venting or badmouthing employee's experiences with both customers and their workplaces. These posts are both a perfect example of how the blogosphere allows employees the opportunity to 'vent' out their frustration via social media forums. These posts also reflect the idea that the blogosphere within workplaces is in fact a global issue, as these pages allow the opportunity for employees to virtually ‘join’ a community which enables them to network with others from various locations in order to converse with one another and compare similar situations that they each may have experienced.

                                                                  Image source: Facebook

                                                                Image source: Facebook

My own personal experience also strongly relates to being considered a global issue, as mine took place in Australia, whilst relating very strongly to that of the HMV case which took place in England, as social media was used throughout both circumstances in order to vent frustrations via online blogging platforms, and had the potential to damage either of the organization’s professional reputations, regardless of it being intentional or not. This demonstrates that both of these situations are becoming far more pervasive and frequent, and are developing around the world as the Internet becomes an increasingly dominant part of our lives.

In conclusion, the phenomenon of work blogging or the employment related blogosphere ultimately gives employees an ‘unofficial’ outlet which allows them to vent any frustrations and express their views and opinions, whilst at the same time giving them the control to network and converse with others who may have experienced a similar situation. This, in turn allows for it to be recognized as a ‘global issue’ as these blogging platforms allow for employees to connect with others from around the globe in order to discuss and compare similar situations that they each may have experienced. However, as the Internet is an online platform which is available for virtually anyone to access, including employers and fellow employees, it is essential that employees take caution when considering publishing any content that may damage an organization’s reputation or attach any negative affiliations to the company.

Sources:

Gordon, A (2013) ‘Social media policy – the importance within business’ Winning Work, Gordon BDM (online resource)

Jones, S (2013) ‘HMV workers take over official Twitter feed to vent fury over sacking’ The Guardian, (online resource)

Richards, J and Kosmala, K (2013); ‘In the end you can only slag people off for so long: employee cynicism through work blogging’ New Technology, Work and Employment, vol. 28, no. 1 pp. 68-77

Waddington, S, 2012 ‘Share this: The social media handbook for PR professionals’, John Wiley & Sons, West Sussex

Hollywoodisation vs Asianisation

Throughout today’s society, we are living in a technology driven modern era, where human culture is often being dominated by a significant amount of art and media movements, regardless of whether we notice it or not. An example of a movement that has contributed significantly to our technology driven era is the ever-growing television and film industry. Specifically, the Hollywood film industry in particular has always had a dominant presence in the production worldwide films.

It is often argued that Hollywood plays an extremely significant role in the development of global uniformity, by instilling the Western values and ways of life into other cultured films. Klein (2004), made comments regarding Hollywood’s fascination with Asian cinema, stating that this is ‘seen evidently throughout a number of great Hollywood films, with actors such as Jackie Chan and Jet Li appearing regularly in Hollywood martial arts films that are all influenced by Asian cinema and its creators.’ Klein also states that the Hollywoodisation of Jackie Chan is ‘undeniable’ as he has been ‘squeezed, patted, nipped and tucked in order to fit into a different culture history’ (2004, pg. 365)

In terms of the statement that Klein has made in regards to this, I feel that Jackie Chan would appear differently within his own cultural framework, as he has been under the influence of Hollywood cinema for the most part of his filmmaking career. 

                                                                 Image source: aintitcool.com

‘Asianisation’ is defined by Klein (2004) as the ‘transnationalisation of the Hollywood film industry’. In stating this, Klein is arguing that Hollywood films are clearly defined in their own stereotypical representation of the Asian genre and culture. The concept of Hollywoodisation, on the other hand, is one that greatly intrigues me. Every country in the world is full of filmmakers, and a film culture, yet one industry has managed to take control of the entire world’s film industry. The film industry today is dominated by Hollywood’s ideas, values, culture and humour.

Sources:

Klein, Christina 2004, ‘Martial arts and globalisation of US and Asian film industries’, Comparative America Studies, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 360-384.

The Specular Economy: Celebrities online

Throughout today’s digital technology driven society, we are now living in what is known as a ‘specular economy’. This specular economy has risen due to the technology that outlines the constant need to interact via social media – especially when it comes to interacting with and keeping tabs on celebrities via social media.  According to Marshall (2010), celebrities use social media in order to show how the ‘famous’ really live, and to allow their fans to have an insight into their life. ‘ Celebrities are now sharing their lives publicly online throughout social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and it is out there for virtually anyone to see.

Adding to the use of social media in order to keep their fans up to date with their lives, celebrities are now also utilizing social media in order to present themselves in a certain way that they feel will benefit their public appearance, whilst at the same time creating an online public version of themselves. According to Marshall (2010), this ‘tactic’ is referred to as ‘presentational media’. This specular model of how others perceive us encourages society to consume the celebrity culture that is constantly being ‘fed’ to them, whilst at the same time articulates a certain way of thinking about the individual self in the public world – as I know I am constantly worrying about how others are perceiving my online self through Facebook, it only makes sense that celebrities too are extremely careful with how they present themselves online, given that they are often well known throughout society, it is important for them to uphold a certain image of themselves when posting online.

In my personal experience, I have also found that celebrity Twitter accounts and online gossip pages have always been something that I actively participate in. As much as I hate to admit it, ‘following’ celebrities on Twitter often provides me with a distraction from the everyday stresses of work and uni life. I tend to follow celebrities with a comedic aspect to them, or celebrities who are involved in television shows or bands that I am interested in. A celebrity Twitter account who constantly keeps me amused is Aaron Paul, who (seen below) is constantly updating his account with a variety of comedic posts. This again reflects the notion that we as a society consume ourselves with the online personas of celebrities.  

                                                                Image source: Twitter.com 

Sources:

Marshall, P D (2010); ‘The promotion and presentation of the self: celebrity as marker of presentational media’, Celebrity Studies, vol. 1, no. 1

Marshall, P D (2010), ‘The Specular Economy’, Society, vol. 47, no. 6, pp. 489 – 502

Marshall, P D (2013) ‘Persona studies: Mapping the proliferation of the Public Self, Journalism, June 4. Online Edition

Participatory media culture: Connecting via Instagram

According to Raessens, (2005), participatory media is any form of media, which is a precise alternative for interactivity to characterize not only computer games but also the media culture that has formed around them. He cleverly notes the view that participatory media is not a new concept, and is also not a concept that centers around just computer games. He states that ‘radio, film and television, for example, each have their own versions of this concept.’ (Raessens, J, 2005). In stating this, Raessens is implying that participatory media culture varies with each form of media, and does not relate strictly to only computer games.  

In regards to this week’s topic, the non-game participatory media culture that I chose to demonstrate is my use of Instagram, particularly linked with Raessens’ element of connectivity. In regards to connectivity, Raessens (2005) observes that connectivity allows the ‘ability to exchange ideas and knowledge amongst each other via the Internet (pg 374). Reading this encouraged me to consider the topic of Instagram, and how I use Instagram on a daily basis in order to connect to those who are connected with me via this application.

                                                                  Image source: www.emtel.com

Instagram is a mobile application that encourages the use of photo and video sharing throughout users. It allows a user to take a picture and edit it using the variety of filters that the application has available, before instantly sharing it on the Instagram network. As well as sharing it on the Instagram network, this application encourages the images to be shared on other social networks also, including Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Foursquare. This demonstrates the idea of connectivity as outlined by Raessens (2005), as the opportunity to connect and share with others is exactly what Instagram offers, and is what all users participate in when they are connecting via the Instagram application.

Instagram is something that I use regularly every day. It allows for me to connect with practically anybody in the world who has the Instagram application and uses it on a regular basis also. I interact with other users by liking and commenting on their content, following various other people and creating and using hashtags on my photo in order for other people to connect with my content.

                                                                 Image source: www.zdnet.com

Sources:

Raessens, J (2005) ‘Computer games as a participatory media culture’ Handbook of Computer Game Studies, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass, pp. 373-388

Employment & the Blogosphere

With the increasing use of the Internet and its ever-increasing pervasiveness throughout our everyday lives, blogging in relation to the workplace is an issue that is certainly arising throughout society.  Work blogging is a matter that is increasingly becoming more commonly associated with employees of organizations that wish to express their views and opinions, and even vent frustrations and cynicisms that relate to their corporate culture throughout the workplace.

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr have made it easily accessible for employees to publish posts which relate to their employment, due to their ease and common use by a large majority of individuals.  These forums provide employees with an opportunity to vent any frustrations or anger that they may have towards their workplace or corporate culture, as well as providing employees with a ‘voice’ that they feel they may not have had whilst cooperating in the workplace environment, and at the same time  is allowing them the opportunity to vent their frustrations without having to worry about any consequences which may have resulted from lashing out at their employers in person.  In addition to this argument, Richards J, and Kosmala K (2013), have stated that ‘Blogging platforms have become forums for employees to either individually or collectively vent frustration at the corporate culture’. I believe that this is a valid statement, as the Internet, specifically these blogging platforms and forums, are an innovative way to discuss and/or vent any issues or frustrations, and being a digital structure, has made it easier and more accessible for employees to vent whenever they feel the need.

However, at the same time, it is imperative that employees take caution when publishing any content that may attach negative affiliations to an organization. When content is posted on the blogosphere, it is put on display for anybody to read, and it is becoming more and more common that fellow employees and employers are now discovering these forums which discuss and/or bad mouth their workplace on a public website, resulting in consequences such as suspensions, written warnings, and in some cases, termination of employment. 

I have had my fair share of personal experiences in terms of employment and the blogosphere, one example including a former supervisor of mine being terminated from the organization due to comments made via Facebook about my boss’s children and him and his wife’s parenting skills. As I, and a majority of my fellow employees were ‘friends’ with our supervisor on Facebook, her status update was soon reported to my boss, resulting in her immediate termination of employment, and a new social media policy being input into our workplace. Waddington, S (2012), has stated that ‘it is important to note that many organizations now have social media guidelines in place. They basically outline how to engage with social media on behalf of an organization, and more importantly to aid employees in understanding the boundaries when engaging with social media.’ In relation to this, I believe that all organizations should have some form of a social media policy implemented, as it discourages the use of social media in order to bad mouth and discuss the workplace in a negative manner, which could then lead to a decrease in customers as well as giving the organization a bad name, as word of mouth is of vital importance in the reputation of a business throughout today’s society. 

The following screengrabs are taken from Facebook pages which are created for the sole purpose of venting or badmouthing employee's experiences with both customers and their workplaces. These posts are both a perfect example of how the blogosphere allows employees the opportunity to 'vent' out their frustration via social media forums.

Sources:

Richards, J and Kosmala, K (2013); ‘In the end you can only slag people off for so long: employee cynicism through work blogging’ New Technology, Work and Employment, vol. 28, no. 1 pp. 68-77

Waddington, S, 2012 ‘Share this: The social media handbook for PR professionals’, John Wiley & Sons, West Sussex

You are a prosumer, I am a prosumer, we are all prosumers

Throughout today’s society, the act of both producing and consuming is based on what a successful society embodies. After reading the Ritzer & Jurgunsen article, (2010), I feel as though their foremost contention relates to the idea that producing and consuming are both equally as imperative in their role of successful capitalism. According to Ritzer & Jurgunsen, (2010, pp. 17), prosumption ‘involves both production and consumption rather than focusing on either one or the other. It is maintained that earlier forms of capitalism were themselves characterized by prosumption’. In stating this, Ritzer & Jurgunsen are arguing that prosumption has transformed the way in which capitalism functions, meaning that average citizens now possess a greater deal of power in society, especially in terms of user-generated content.

The emergence of web 2.0 distinguishes an increase in user-generated content, which contributes to a growing culture of ‘prosumption’ online. Social media, throughout today’s technological society, has developed into an integral element of our social order, and thanks to online platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, this form of new media has allowed for individuals to generate an ‘online identity’ by which they construct themselves in order for themselves to be constructed by others. Social media platforms have capitalized owing to the rise of a prosumer culture, as their success would be inexistent if it weren’t due to the ongoing production and consumption of user-generated content and identities. In terms of my own personal experience, I would argue that my contributions to online media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have added to the ongoing success of these respective websites. I am frequently updating my online profile on Facebook and uploading photos to Instagram, all of which are a factor in producing my online identity. We are currently living in a world which is dominated by free services, and due to this, the ongoing success of social media platforms and websites now rely profoundly on user participation and contribution.

Image source: Social Media Frontiers

Another norm which has come into view with the emergence of a prosumer culture is the idea of the ‘duty of the citizen’ (Ritzer, 2005, pg.16). Tapscott & Williams (2006 – cited in Ritzer & Jurgunsen), have expanded on this idea by noting that prosumers are ‘part of a new wave of acceleration where businesses put consumers to work.’ This is exemplified in the ideas of major food chains to cut costs by putting the consumer to work; in expecting the customer to collect their own food, go to the register to place their own order, and clear their own rubbish from their table. Other examples of industries that are introducing the ‘self serve’ module are supermarket chains such as Woolworths and Coles, in terms of their self-scan grocery checkouts, and self-print photography outlets such as Kmart and Officeworks. In my personal opinion, I feel that these ‘self-serve’ checkouts are a relevant case in point example of the dominating prosumer culture, and how our already technology driven world is expanding. These recent innovations have changed the way that we the consumer, or ‘prosumer’ conduct our weekly shopping or dining rituals, and has resulted in a considerably high number of job losses, as their positions have seemingly been made redundant.

                                                              Image source: Open revolt

Sources:

Ritzer, George & Jurgenson, Nathan, (2010); ‘Production, Consumption, Prosumption: The nature of capitalism in the age of the digital ‘prosumer’, Journal of Consumer Culture, Sage Publications vol. 10 no. 1, pp. 13 – 36 (accessed on 25^th August, 2013) 

Are we all pirates?

Throughout today’s new age digital society, the current buzz circulating from within the Internet world relates to the rising popularity of ‘mashups’ and ‘remixes’ in the music industry. According to O’Brien & Fitzgerald (2006), ‘we now inhibit a ‘remix culture’, a culture that is dominated by amateur creators who are no longer willing to be merely passive receptors of content, instead demanding the right to mashup and remix material and take on the role of producers.’ In other words, it has become a common practice throughout the music industry to take on the role of producing a piece of work by embedding songs from other producers into their work and claiming it as their own, this practice is referred to producing a 'mashup' or 'remix'. 

Video source: Youtube "Remixes of 2013"

           

Due to this ever-growing and expanding ‘remix culture’, the world of intellectual property law has become extremely relevant and of high importance to musicians, DJs and producers who sample the material of other artists. Copyright violation can include actions such as the illegal copying and/or distribution of a song, playing or remixing a song without having first gained the required permission, or simply failing to give the appropriate credit to the possessor of a song. A common form of copyright violation takes place in the process of ‘music sampling’, which also encompasses a vast variety of legal ramifications. According to Erickson (2011), music sampling is ‘the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song.’ Music sampling is utilised throughout a diverse range of genres in order to enhance the sound and variety of instruments used, which results in the song reaching an array of audiences, each carrying a variety of music style preferences. I know that in my personal experience with remixes and mashups, there has always been a style or a genre that music remixes cover which reaches out to a majority of people, including myself and my friends who share in a vast array of diverse genres. 

  

A popular example of a copyright infringement case which includes the practice of music sampling involves British band ‘The Verve’ featuring the orchestral version of the Rolling Stone’s song, ‘The Last Time’, in the introduction of one of their most famous songs ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’. Originally, The Verve negotiated a license to include a sample from their orchestral version, however, The Rolling Stones successfully argued that The Verve had in fact, used ‘too much’ of the sample, and the songs were now far too similar. The matter was eventually settled, with the royalties and the copyright of the song going towards The Rolling Stones. In my personal opinion, there is a way that other artists can sample songs without having to violate copyright laws. I believe that because The Verve were originally given permission to use a sample from The Rolling Stones, they should have had the consent to do whatever they pleased with the sample in order to enhance the quality of their song.

                                                Video source: Youtube, "The Verve vs. The Rolling Stones"

Another issue relating to copyright violation is the illegal downloading and file sharing of media content. According to Martin, Moore & Salter (2010),’the sharing of music files has been the focus of a massive struggle between representatives of major record companies and artists in the music industry’. This relates to actions ranging from either downloading or streaming media content, to remixing or sampling music without first gaining the required permission. The dominance of illegally downloading and streaming media content has stemmed from the development of the Internet and the desire to obtain files fast and free. In my personal opinion, I believe that file sharing and illegally downloading media content has had an enormous effect on the media industry in terms of profit, and artists having unfinished demos of their songs ‘leaked’ before their official release date. This form of copyright violation needs to be controlled in an extremely more effectively manner than it has been.

References

O’Brien, Damien and Fitzgerald, Brian (2006), Mashups, remixes and copyright law,

Internet Law Bulletin 9 (2) pp. 17-19 (retrieved 20^th August 2013)

Erickson, Andy, 2011; “The ethical aspects of sampling digital music” Hudson Project, pp.2-4 (retrieved 20^th August 2013)

Martin, B, Moore, C and Salter, C 2010, "Sharing music files: tactics of a challenge to the industry" First Monday vol 15, no. 12 (retrieved 20th August 2013)

Film culture and the domination of Hollywood

Throughout today’s society, we are living in a technology driven modern era where human culture, regardless of whether we are noticing it or not, is being influenced and dominated by a significant amount of art and media movements. These movements are contributing to the way that we as a global entity think, feel, interact and respond.

Marshall McLuhan refers to the “Global Village” and defines it as ‘members of nations being connected by communication.’ An example of a movement which has contributed to the formation of a global village is the ever-growing TV and film industry, due to the diversity and range of films that are being created and broadcasted all around the world, meaning that different cultures can come together and blend over a common interest. The Hollywood film industry in particular has always had a dominant presence in the worldwide film industry, and this has then resulted in cultures outside of the Western lifestyle perceiving American culture in a particular way. In fact, it is often argued that Hollywood plays an extremely significant role in the development of ‘global uniformity’ by instilling the Western values and ways of life into different cultures around the world. This can include; fashion, food, music, and even the way that people are now communicating. According to Hatchen & Scotton, (2002), “Many critics have described the process of globalisation as both trendy and controversial; they see the world as subjugated by American or Western ideals, demonstrated through pop-culture and the dominance of Hollywood productions” In stating this, Hatchen & Scotton are arguing that the dominance of Hollywood throughout the entertainment industry has resulted in the film industry being 'conquered' by the presence of Hollywood, and that these mediums are allowing America the power to 'push' audiences towards absorbing the prescribed content presented to them devoid of question. 

                                                                   Image source: Viewpoint online

Due to globalization, this process has allowed for Hollywood productions to be viewed in a variety of different countries around the world, however, this in turn also allows for the promotion of American supremacy throughout other cultures, which is widely accepted by a majority of these cultures. De Zoysa & Newman, (2002) have stated that; “Film and television are an integral part of American ‘soft power’, effortlessly extolling values attributable to the American way of life, including its downside.” I know that personally, the way that I think and perceive the world has undoubtedly been influenced by the production of Hollywood films, as they are produced and set around the ideologies and beliefs of American culture. I watch films, and react to them in ways that the framing of that film has encouraged me to, whether it be a romance film, a comedy, or even a thriller. Films set out the ideas and values that people should be considering whilst watching them, and a large majority of the time these ideas are based on American western culture so that we succumb to adapting to and upholding American perspectives.

Sources
De Zoysa & Newman; 2002; “Globalization, soft power and the challenge of Hollywood”. Otto Contemporary Politics, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 185-202

Hatchen, WA & Scotton, JF 2002, “News communication for a new global system” The world news prism: global media in an era of terrorism, 6^th edition, lowa State Press, Ames, pp. 3-14

Rantanen, T 2005, 'Theorizing Media Globalization', The media and globalization, Sage, London, pp 1-18

Global Flows and Scapes

According to Thompson (1995), Globalization ‘refers to the growing interconnectedness of different parts of the world, a process which gives rise to complex forms of interaction and interdependency.’ This definition provides a solid overview of the process of globalization, and asserts that owing to globalization, the world is now growing in its forms of interactions and communications with other countries, which allows for the development of new technologies and the sharing of different beliefs and practices throughout the world.

For my first blogging task, I have decided to interview my mother Karen, who is 55 years old. Being a bookkeeper all her life, and having been in the workforce since her early 20s, she has experienced the information flows of globalization first hand. She explained to me that she feels that new technologies in this day and age are developing at an extremely rapid pace and that she sometimes finds it difficult to keep up.

When asking her how these information flows have affected her life, in particular her work and social life, she explained how when she was younger and in her early 20s, as she is a part of the Baby Boomer generation, being a bookkeeper involved using a typewriter and a calculator, and also a lot of handwriting. These days, it is made much easier for her due to the continuing development of computers and various programs such as QuickBooks, MYOB, and Excel. She also pointed out that whilst a lot of her work and communication through work was done on the phone, a majority of it is also now completed via the use of email.

My mother also explained how information flows in this generation have developed from her generation in terms of social media use, in particular, websites such as Facebook and Twitter. She explains that she appreciates the introduction of the Internet and these social media sites as they have allowed for her to keep in contact with her family, and other friends that she may not see as often. 

Sources:

Rantanen, T 2005, "Theorizing Media Globalization', The media and globalization, Sage, Longon pp. 1-18

Introduction

Hey everyone! I'm Lauren and welcome to my weekly blog for ALC215, I will be blogging about all things globalization related. I am currently in my second year at Deakin University studying Media and Communications, and I one day hope to work in the marketing/advertising sector.
I'm new to blogging so go easy on me.
Enjoy!