ICMP Essay
As part of this module, I must write a 2000 word essay on one of the questions below. This accounts to 30% of my mark for this module. As part of this, I must write a 500 word essay plan for the 7th of November, 2023.
DEADLINE: 1pm, 9th January, 2024
1. Photography purports to represent truth and reality. When does it not support these? Illustrate with three examples.
2. According to Lev Manovich, “we are in the middle of a new media revolution – the shift of all culture to computer-mediated forms of production, distribution and communication”. Discuss some key implications of digital technologies for media production and consumption.
3. According to Henry Jenkins, “the entertainment industry... has integrated notions of audience engagement and fan participation more deeply into its logics and practices”. To what extent do social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter enhance participation in the entertainment industry?
4. For Bartmanski and Woodward, the continued relevance of the vinyl record as an “auratic cultural icon... sums up an important aspect of late modernity – the search for authenticity and meaning through the heavily mediated, digitalised and commodified world” (2015: 19).With reference to the continued relevance of one analogue format, platform or medium, discuss the meaning of authenticity in the age of digital reproduction.
5. Benjamin bemoaned the loss of the aura as art became widely reproduced. What of the work of art in the era of digital reproduction? Discuss using Benjamin’s ideas applied to the current situation.
6. Jean Baudrillard argues that the image “bears no relation to any reality whatever: it is its own pure simulacrum”. With reference to specific examples, consider the role of simulation in contemporary media practice.
7. Ideology is referred to as ‘a way that we represent the world to ourselves’, discuss. Choose three examples of ideological representation.
8. According to Ritzer and Jurgensen, users of Web 2.0 and new media “are the producers, but the profit... still belongs to corporations”. Discuss this view with reference to debates about the role of prosumption in contemporary capitalism.
9. How has postmodernism changed our relationship with the truth of photography? Use three examples.
10. Lev Manovich in Language of New Media describes a theory of Cultural Interfaces in terms of how interfaces of new media objects are shaped by three cultural traditions: print, cinema and human-computer interface. Discuss, and provide three examples.
Final Essay
According to Lev Manovich, “we are in the middle of
a new media revolution- the shift of all culture to computer-mediated forms of
production, distribution and communication.” Discuss some key implications of
digital technologies for media production and consumption.
In the 21st century, it is certainly apparent that media has shaped the way we view the world and how content is created has changed in recent years. Manovich suggests that ‘cinema [has become] a slave to the computer’ (2001, p. 25) which has forced our culture onto the web in ways unforeseen, causing a significant shift in our culture. While it can be said that much of our culture is both dictated and created through the likes of social media and the internet as a whole, is it true to assume that all of our culture is mediated through digital technologies and what is the result of this?
In the 21st century, it is certainly apparent that media has shaped the way we view the world and how content is created has changed in recent years. Manovich suggests that ‘cinema [has become] a slave to the computer’ (2001, p. 25) which has forced our culture onto the web in ways unforeseen, causing a significant shift in our culture. While it can be said that much of our culture is both dictated and created through the likes of social media and the internet as a whole, is it true to assume that all of our culture is mediated through digital technologies and what is the result of this?
The
widespread use of the camera has had a large impact on creativity and media
outlet on a wide scale. Its easy accessibility through the use of mobile phones
means that decent photographs can be taken by anyone. A degree or education in
media is no longer needed to produce content, ‘the reader is constantly ready
to become a writer’ (Benjamin, 1936, p. 23). Despite smartphone cameras being
widely different to DSLR and other professional cameras, one study from Safia
S. Fatimi at Colombia University concluded that ‘there is little difference
between the two’ (2021, p. 103). The cameras in our pockets are the most
powerful they’ve been, rivalling even the most advanced DSLR cameras. This has
allowed the population to take stunning photos anywhere and everywhere; some of
which are used to monetise themselves and generate money for the average
person. Their lives are then posted on the internet for all to see, somewhat
creating a sort of ‘mini culture’ and fanbase around them. ‘The private and
individual are translated into the public and become regulated’ (Manovich,
2001, p. 60) causing the widespread use of technologies not only by the public
but by corporations to increase their own monetary goals. Camera hardware
companies such as Canon and Nikon struggle to enter the market of the average
person who prefers to use their mobile phone. Apple and Samsung, on the other
hand, are two of the largest companies in the USA and Western world,
distributing high end smartphones for the population on a massive scale.
![]()
![]()
(2024) Cat on DSLR (2024) Cat on iPhone 13
Although the lighting in the DSLR is much better, the iPhone image still holds up to be a good image and of good quality.
However, it is perhaps social media companies who benefit the most from these technologies as they are able to regulate what consumers see and do online. Among the basic boundaries like preventing hate speech, companies use advertising to grab the attention of users which has been shown to cause upset in the past. The Cambridge Analytica data breach scandal caused many Facebook users to have their data stolen by the UK government in order to push political views onto the population. This kind of political agenda manipulation has been seen before: on posters from World War II promoting the Nazi Party in Germany for example. But posters are not pushed in front of your face on a screen several times a day and people’s private information, such as political leaning, is not evaluated and used against them. Large companies who can afford to have adverts on channels such as YouTube are more likely to be seen and used by consumers. In this case, smaller companies struggle against massive corporations for recognition and, therefore, sales. However, it can be said with the rise of social media and TikTok in particular, some algorithms allow for small businesses to gain a following and grow by making their own content for free on their phone. Small businesses and even some larger ones may be inclined to make social media accounts using only their mobile phones rather than investing in larger cameras since they are so powerful now.
Social media can come with some caveats, however, of which relate to lies and deception. With the rise of physical technologies, came software which can be used to manipulate images and code. ‘A new media object can be described formally (mathematically)’ (Manovich, 2001, p. 27) and therefore can be manipulated by software to become something new. As opposed to old technologies and art such as paintings and film photography, digital photographs, video and drawings can be manipulated in photoshop, premier pro and procreate. These applications may be quite expensive to most people but there are a large number of free applications which can be used to change the colour of an image, the grain of an image or add effects. ‘The relation to what we see and what we know is never settled’ (Berger, 1972, p. 7) so we can never truly know whether an image is raw or as seen by the photographer at the time of taking it. Even the most minor of changes can make an image appear a certain way; on social media, for example, models, celebrities and general users often use filters to take away insecurities and blemishes. We are not used to seeing own faces: through a screen, we are distorted a certain way and we distort images ourselves to seem more beautiful. Perhaps, this changes our view of ourselves in a mirror. More and more young people are using social media and are seeing models who have had plastic surgery, are using very expensive makeup and are often also using a filter. They are exposed to the standard of beauty constantly and so must keep up with the trend or lie about their looks. It can be argued that manipulating a picture of oneself only slightly is not in essence lying about your looks (even the camera on your smartphone changes your appearance a little) but it can cause harm to your own self-esteem and others to view you in a particular way. For instance, if a young adolescent uses filters and makeup to look older, sadly, oftentimes an older adult man my contact this person.
![]()
![]()
(2024) Cat no Editing (2024)Cat Edited Using Photoshop
Here is an example of how an image may be edited. The picture on the left is unedited from my iPhone 13 and on the right I have cropped the image as well as changed the saturation, brightness and exposure, yet, despite this, the image still appears authentic or ‘real’.
This can also go the other way with the use of AI. Artificial intelligence has become a topic of discussion in recent years for its many uses and possibilities. AI is being used to generate images, text, code and has many other useful applications for humans. One question that is debated is whether AI art can be considered original since it is taking images from across the web and manipulating them to generate something new. At first glance, an AI image may seem fairly normal to the naked eye but after some time, cracks start to show and you may notice a few extra fingers for example. Whilst this technology is revolutionary and intriguing, it has many problems. One of these problems relates to the earlier incidence with the adolescent: the man here may have used AI to create an image or even a whole account for a young girl. Cases are currently being investigated relating to paedophiles who use fake accounts and lie about their whole appearance and name to meet children. AI is being used dangerously here, which is why there is a lot of discourse surrounding it. It is no longer possible to distinguish whether an account on Instagram is real, calling into question the validity of AI.
AI is everywhere, however, and is being used all around the world for a multitude of different tasks. In terms of media production, AI is being used to write stories, make images and to generally help out companies who either don’t want to hire professionals or can’t afford to do so. While this can really help some small companies, it can also damage the lives of creatives and workers wanting these jobs. There is a lot of discourse around this topic since AI is creating jobs such as coders by its very existence but is preventing opportunities for those wanting to go into the field.
![]()
(2024), Realistic Photo of London, using LimeWire
With the rise of AI and social media, images and media have been thrust into a plethora of different places. ‘Because of the camera, the painting now travels to the spectator rather than the spectator to the painting’ (Berger, 1972, p. 20) which changes the meaning of the image in relation to its surroundings. The Mona Lisa at the Louvre, for example, has an ‘aura’ (coined by Walter Benjamin) different to that of an image of the Mona Lisa on your smartphone. Some would argue that to see the painting in person is a much more fulfilling experience than seeing it on your phone. This principle can be applied to photographic images which can been seen in the palm of your hand or on a large billboard in the centre of London. While the advertising, perhaps, is the same, the feeling may be different depending on the setting. Walter Benjamin mentions that ‘ “Getting closer to things” […] is every bit as passionate a concern of today’s masses as their tendency to surmount the uniqueness of each circumstance by seeing it in reproduction’ (1936, p. 15) suggesting that we value the short amount of time it takes to see an image on a screen rather than going to see it in person. The handheld mobile phone allows us to ‘get closer’ to the image we want to see whenever and wherever we are, ‘its unique existence [is] in the place where it is at that moment’ (Benjamin, 1936, p. 5). This can cause problems as, for example, a political image may be shown during a protest causing people to think a certain way about the agenda being shown. Images such as the Afghan Girl have lost their meaning since it was the context of this photograph which was part of its importance.
![]()
McCurry, S (1984) Afghan Girl, Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sharbat_Gula.jpg (Accessed: 04.01.24)
The reproducibility of photographs and media could cause an oversaturation of images. The rise in advertising on social media as well as television and billboards, has caused the public to be constantly searching for products. Consumerism is a big part of our lives today and digital technologies have, perhaps, added to it the most. The ease for companies to print posters, post on social media and advertise on mobile phones may have oversaturated the market for consumers: these are the people who both make the product and buy the product, an everlasting cycle. More money is being put into AI and social media advertising but predominantly large companies to make advertisements that will appeal to certain groups of people. Much like the Cambridge Analytica data breach scandal, corporations use statistics of audiences from social media to personalise adverts. When opening a new social media account, you are often asked whether you would like personalised adverts; when turned on, data on where you shop and who you follow is read by the social media’s algorithm to gain an idea of what you might like to see. This algorithm is an AI that pushes certain adverts which may pique your interest. Unlike television adverts which are aimed at a large group of people, personalised adverts on social media are for ‘your eyes only’ meaning it is more likely you will buy that product. Publicity makes products desirable so if you do not buy a product, you may feel as though you are missing out. John Berger states that ‘those who lack the power to spend money become literally faceless’ (1972, p. 143) suggesting that having more money makes you happy, furthering the capitalist regime through publicity. Yet, we can still click off the advert or avert our eyes; we find it annoying that it is there yet we carry on: ‘we are static; they are dynamic- until the newspaper is thrown way, the television programme continues or the poster is posted’ (Berger, 1972, p. 130). We cannot get away from advertising and it seems to have become part of our culture.
In conclusion, both physical technologies and software have become massive parts of our culture and society. The ‘liquidation of the value of tradition in the cultural heritage’ (Benjamin, 1936, p. 8) has greatly increased since the use of new media and both old and new stories are being shared constantly: traditional stories, people’s lives and even advertising. While there are many problems to overcome with the use of AI and social media, the future of technology seems to be moving towards the metaverse and total online personas. With this, we need to continue the discussion around digital technologies and their implications for the general public and vulnerable people in particular. As our culture revolves more and more around the gadgets in our pockets, we must continue to consider the implications.
References:
Benjamin, W (1936) The Work of Art in the age of Mechanical Reproduction [book], London: Penguin Books Ltd
Berger, J (1972) Ways of Seeing [book], London: Penguin Books Ltd
Fatimi, S.S. (2021) An Analysis of Smartphone Camera and Digital Camera Images Captured by Adolescents Ages Five to Seventeen, Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of education in Teachers College, Colombia University, Available at: https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/d8-0nxw-9833/download(Accessed: 04.01.24)
Manovich, L (2001) The Language of New Media [book], Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(2024) Cat on DSLR (2024) Cat on iPhone 13
Although the lighting in the DSLR is much better, the iPhone image still holds up to be a good image and of good quality.
However, it is perhaps social media companies who benefit the most from these technologies as they are able to regulate what consumers see and do online. Among the basic boundaries like preventing hate speech, companies use advertising to grab the attention of users which has been shown to cause upset in the past. The Cambridge Analytica data breach scandal caused many Facebook users to have their data stolen by the UK government in order to push political views onto the population. This kind of political agenda manipulation has been seen before: on posters from World War II promoting the Nazi Party in Germany for example. But posters are not pushed in front of your face on a screen several times a day and people’s private information, such as political leaning, is not evaluated and used against them. Large companies who can afford to have adverts on channels such as YouTube are more likely to be seen and used by consumers. In this case, smaller companies struggle against massive corporations for recognition and, therefore, sales. However, it can be said with the rise of social media and TikTok in particular, some algorithms allow for small businesses to gain a following and grow by making their own content for free on their phone. Small businesses and even some larger ones may be inclined to make social media accounts using only their mobile phones rather than investing in larger cameras since they are so powerful now.
Social media can come with some caveats, however, of which relate to lies and deception. With the rise of physical technologies, came software which can be used to manipulate images and code. ‘A new media object can be described formally (mathematically)’ (Manovich, 2001, p. 27) and therefore can be manipulated by software to become something new. As opposed to old technologies and art such as paintings and film photography, digital photographs, video and drawings can be manipulated in photoshop, premier pro and procreate. These applications may be quite expensive to most people but there are a large number of free applications which can be used to change the colour of an image, the grain of an image or add effects. ‘The relation to what we see and what we know is never settled’ (Berger, 1972, p. 7) so we can never truly know whether an image is raw or as seen by the photographer at the time of taking it. Even the most minor of changes can make an image appear a certain way; on social media, for example, models, celebrities and general users often use filters to take away insecurities and blemishes. We are not used to seeing own faces: through a screen, we are distorted a certain way and we distort images ourselves to seem more beautiful. Perhaps, this changes our view of ourselves in a mirror. More and more young people are using social media and are seeing models who have had plastic surgery, are using very expensive makeup and are often also using a filter. They are exposed to the standard of beauty constantly and so must keep up with the trend or lie about their looks. It can be argued that manipulating a picture of oneself only slightly is not in essence lying about your looks (even the camera on your smartphone changes your appearance a little) but it can cause harm to your own self-esteem and others to view you in a particular way. For instance, if a young adolescent uses filters and makeup to look older, sadly, oftentimes an older adult man my contact this person.
(2024) Cat no Editing (2024)Cat Edited Using Photoshop
Here is an example of how an image may be edited. The picture on the left is unedited from my iPhone 13 and on the right I have cropped the image as well as changed the saturation, brightness and exposure, yet, despite this, the image still appears authentic or ‘real’.
This can also go the other way with the use of AI. Artificial intelligence has become a topic of discussion in recent years for its many uses and possibilities. AI is being used to generate images, text, code and has many other useful applications for humans. One question that is debated is whether AI art can be considered original since it is taking images from across the web and manipulating them to generate something new. At first glance, an AI image may seem fairly normal to the naked eye but after some time, cracks start to show and you may notice a few extra fingers for example. Whilst this technology is revolutionary and intriguing, it has many problems. One of these problems relates to the earlier incidence with the adolescent: the man here may have used AI to create an image or even a whole account for a young girl. Cases are currently being investigated relating to paedophiles who use fake accounts and lie about their whole appearance and name to meet children. AI is being used dangerously here, which is why there is a lot of discourse surrounding it. It is no longer possible to distinguish whether an account on Instagram is real, calling into question the validity of AI.
AI is everywhere, however, and is being used all around the world for a multitude of different tasks. In terms of media production, AI is being used to write stories, make images and to generally help out companies who either don’t want to hire professionals or can’t afford to do so. While this can really help some small companies, it can also damage the lives of creatives and workers wanting these jobs. There is a lot of discourse around this topic since AI is creating jobs such as coders by its very existence but is preventing opportunities for those wanting to go into the field.
(2024), Realistic Photo of London, using LimeWire
With the rise of AI and social media, images and media have been thrust into a plethora of different places. ‘Because of the camera, the painting now travels to the spectator rather than the spectator to the painting’ (Berger, 1972, p. 20) which changes the meaning of the image in relation to its surroundings. The Mona Lisa at the Louvre, for example, has an ‘aura’ (coined by Walter Benjamin) different to that of an image of the Mona Lisa on your smartphone. Some would argue that to see the painting in person is a much more fulfilling experience than seeing it on your phone. This principle can be applied to photographic images which can been seen in the palm of your hand or on a large billboard in the centre of London. While the advertising, perhaps, is the same, the feeling may be different depending on the setting. Walter Benjamin mentions that ‘ “Getting closer to things” […] is every bit as passionate a concern of today’s masses as their tendency to surmount the uniqueness of each circumstance by seeing it in reproduction’ (1936, p. 15) suggesting that we value the short amount of time it takes to see an image on a screen rather than going to see it in person. The handheld mobile phone allows us to ‘get closer’ to the image we want to see whenever and wherever we are, ‘its unique existence [is] in the place where it is at that moment’ (Benjamin, 1936, p. 5). This can cause problems as, for example, a political image may be shown during a protest causing people to think a certain way about the agenda being shown. Images such as the Afghan Girl have lost their meaning since it was the context of this photograph which was part of its importance.
McCurry, S (1984) Afghan Girl, Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sharbat_Gula.jpg (Accessed: 04.01.24)
The reproducibility of photographs and media could cause an oversaturation of images. The rise in advertising on social media as well as television and billboards, has caused the public to be constantly searching for products. Consumerism is a big part of our lives today and digital technologies have, perhaps, added to it the most. The ease for companies to print posters, post on social media and advertise on mobile phones may have oversaturated the market for consumers: these are the people who both make the product and buy the product, an everlasting cycle. More money is being put into AI and social media advertising but predominantly large companies to make advertisements that will appeal to certain groups of people. Much like the Cambridge Analytica data breach scandal, corporations use statistics of audiences from social media to personalise adverts. When opening a new social media account, you are often asked whether you would like personalised adverts; when turned on, data on where you shop and who you follow is read by the social media’s algorithm to gain an idea of what you might like to see. This algorithm is an AI that pushes certain adverts which may pique your interest. Unlike television adverts which are aimed at a large group of people, personalised adverts on social media are for ‘your eyes only’ meaning it is more likely you will buy that product. Publicity makes products desirable so if you do not buy a product, you may feel as though you are missing out. John Berger states that ‘those who lack the power to spend money become literally faceless’ (1972, p. 143) suggesting that having more money makes you happy, furthering the capitalist regime through publicity. Yet, we can still click off the advert or avert our eyes; we find it annoying that it is there yet we carry on: ‘we are static; they are dynamic- until the newspaper is thrown way, the television programme continues or the poster is posted’ (Berger, 1972, p. 130). We cannot get away from advertising and it seems to have become part of our culture.
In conclusion, both physical technologies and software have become massive parts of our culture and society. The ‘liquidation of the value of tradition in the cultural heritage’ (Benjamin, 1936, p. 8) has greatly increased since the use of new media and both old and new stories are being shared constantly: traditional stories, people’s lives and even advertising. While there are many problems to overcome with the use of AI and social media, the future of technology seems to be moving towards the metaverse and total online personas. With this, we need to continue the discussion around digital technologies and their implications for the general public and vulnerable people in particular. As our culture revolves more and more around the gadgets in our pockets, we must continue to consider the implications.
References:
Benjamin, W (1936) The Work of Art in the age of Mechanical Reproduction [book], London: Penguin Books Ltd
Berger, J (1972) Ways of Seeing [book], London: Penguin Books Ltd
Fatimi, S.S. (2021) An Analysis of Smartphone Camera and Digital Camera Images Captured by Adolescents Ages Five to Seventeen, Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of education in Teachers College, Colombia University, Available at: https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/d8-0nxw-9833/download(Accessed: 04.01.24)
Manovich, L (2001) The Language of New Media [book], Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology