Mormon Media Studies Symposium

Today for work I sat through three hours of presentations at the Mormon Media Studies Symposium. I had a blast video taping, taking notes, tweeting, and making a few Facebook posts. I would like to encourage the class to participate. Here are a few screen shots from twitter and Facebook:

It was fascinating to sit through these presentations to learn about what LDS members are doing today to share the gospel through media. I learned about Mormons in Jerusalem, LDS public affairs in Europe, Visual Framing of the election on religious websites, the LDS bloggernacle, and specific research about LDS public affairs and media in Italy. These are all things that will be beneficial to our presentation in encoraging LDS parents to use digital media as a positive interactive tool in their lives. I will try to make another post about what I learned later. For now, I have to write a paper for another class.

Webinar Presentation

So tonight was our presentation in a webinar. I think it was very helpful and we finally figured out the organization of our presenation. Unfortunately a lot of my material is going to be different in our actual presentation since we changed around the organization of our outline. But, I will be fixing this all tomorrow morning before class.

This is the outline of my presentation. It is not very concise, but I need to work on releasing early and releasing more often...so here is more of my brainstorming. My slides in the presentation hopefully made this information more clear, but still I needed to cut out a lot.

Change:

-Nothing is as constant as change.

-In this class we began to discuss how change is inevitable in the digital age that we live in.

-Especially now in our fast paced digital age, change comes so quickly. New trends, inventions, businesses, digital tools come and go faster than ever before. It is hard to get used to these changes as they come more quickly each year.

Day by day, minute by minute, second by second we went from where we were to where we are now. The lives of all of us, of course, go through similar alterations and changes. The difference between the changes in my life and the changes in yours is only in the details. Time never stands still; it must steadily march on, and with the marching come the changes.
This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now. 

I began getting interested in this idea of change and opportunity when I came across this quote in a book I was reading for another class:

As David Eggers says we

have an opportunity to do everything better —to carry on those traditions that made sense and to jettison those that didn't —which is something every parent has the chance to do, of course, to show up one's own parents, do everything better, to upwardly evolve from them...

This got me thinking about the digital culture and how digital media has changed our culture drastically from the generations before us. The way we parent now is drastically different than the way they parented only ten to twenty years ago. Concerns about the digital age and the rapidity of digital culture are scary, new, and provide unlimited opportunity. Some rules from before still apply, and should be applied, while new rules and new opportunities should also be integrated.

Now it may seem crazy to have a bunch of college kids come and talk to you about the greatness of using digital media to help with family connectivity and parenting. But we are trying to bridge the gap in generations and teach how to use digital media to help families.

With Web 2.0 the internet is an interactive space. A place of opportunity. We want you to realize that there is more to digital media than just the negative act of consumption. In our class this semester we have discussed the c’s of digital culture.

They are:

To Create
To Consume
And To Connect

This is a summary of a lot of my past blog posts. I now will incorporate this text (while making it more concise) into a presentation of how different families deal with change. Each family is different and I will share more personal anecdotes about a variety of different families and how they use digital media to connect.

Finding Joy on the Web

In preparing for our group's upcoming webinars I have decided to start brainstorming over what I will share in our presentation. Due to midterms I have been neglecting my blog and I hope that this post will be the beginning of a long line of blogs on this topic. Our group plans to have all our material ready and then have a practice webinar with each other, present to a family or two and then eventually give a fireside to a family ward. We outlined our topics in our last iteration:

CONNECTION: Audrey

Forming the connection and how to use media to spread good rather than evil. This includes sharing things with friends and family.
-Share examples from a teen perspective and from a big sister perspective.
-Building the establishment of trust and openness
-Presenting challenges to give to their teens

CHANGE: Cami

Dealing with change and the rush of digital culture.
-Closing the technological gap between generations
-Set regulations and still be open to change
-Ensign article Keeping Safe and Balanced in a Google-YouTube-Twitter- Facebook- iEverything World

BALANCE: Jake

-Discuss his “conversion”
-Also cover how to decide consumption of digital media using expert advice, personal experience,
and Church resources. (Not just making that decision based on fear or one facet.)
-Examples of balance/ importance of “unplugging” sometimes
-President Eyring’s talk

DIGITAL LITERACY: Allie

-The “how-to” of resources for the family, including LDS apps

YOUR FAMILY: Rebecca

-What does all of this mean for your family? Every family is different
-Snapshots/examples of how different families have found connection, growth in change, balance, and digital literacy in different ways
-Cater this information to your family through prayer, family counsel, FHE, etc.

As I was going over these ideas this morning I had the thought that maybe we should switch up the order of our presentations. Not that I really want to go first, and I know that as we build our material we will easily be able to transition and fit everything in together to make sense. But I thought that maybe we should have a few opening lines about why we chose to focus on the family and connectivity and then go into the more broad idea of the change, development and positivity of digital culture (stating that the digital age calls for more than just consumption, but also creating and connecting). Then focus on the power of connectivity through the digital age, give warnings about keeping a balance, then the how to, and then applying it to individual families. But this is all just a thought, let me know what you think.

Just a few more brief ideas on what I will focus in in my section:

-Change is inevitable. Our digital age changes more quickly than anything has in the past.
-Quote from Finding Joy In the Journey by President Monson:

I begin by mentioning one of the most inevitable aspects of our lives here upon the earth, and that is change. At one time or another we’ve all heard some form of the familiar adage: “Nothing is as constant as change.”
Throughout our lives, we must deal with change. Some changes are welcome; some are not. There are changes in our lives which are sudden, such as the unexpected passing of a loved one, an unforeseen illness, the loss of a possession we treasure. But most of the changes take place subtly and slowly.

-Another quote (from the same talk):

Day by day, minute by minute, second by second we went from where we were to where we are now. The lives of all of us, of course, go through similar alterations and changes. The difference between the changes in my life and the changes in yours is only in the details. Time never stands still; it must steadily march on, and with the marching come the changes.
This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now.

-Apply this to the use of the internet—the internet makes our lives change more quickly, it can be stressful and we can easily get caught up in the negativity associated with the internet and digital culture—but we must remember that the internet can also be used for good.
-Mention Web 2.0?
-Digital culture doesn't have to be just a time-waster—provides a positive space to consume, create, and connect. The internet is not only a place for consumption. You can use it for many great things. We would like to help you embrace the change and embrace your families through digital culture. Change brings opportunity.

Continually Adapting

The world is always changing. Now that we have access to the digital world, things change even faster. New trends, inventions, businesses, digital tools come and go faster than ever before. It is hard to get used to these changes as they come more quickly each year. As the race to be better designed, faster, and more popular quickens, companies continue to produce, produce, and produce. I think a new iPhone comes out every year. We have to become more adaptable.

But this isn't new. We are used to change. New car models come out each year and we are used to this. We get older and experience new things at each crossroad in our life. We experience new things every day. Our existence is always changing so that we can grow. So that we can improve ourselves. With this quickly changing society, we have the chance to improve ourselves at a faster rate. But it is also important that we keep principles and regulate our changes.

In Jan Pinborough's article Keeping Safe and Balanced in a Google-YouTube-Twitter-Facebook-iEverything World in the February 2012 Ensign she acknowledges the fast pace of our digital world. She explains that while there are apps for everything, there is still a way to stay grounded while using all the new effects of digital culture.

And, like a nuclear reaction that can power whole cities—and level them—they [digital technologies] have vast powers for good and ill.
They can keep us in touch with loved ones far away—and isolate us from those in our own homes.
They can save us time in paying bills and reading the news—and consume it in answering e-mails and posting status updates.
They can help us study and share the gospel—and cause us to idle away our time and drive away the Spirit.
They can mobilize us to serve others—and keep us self-absorbed, focused on an unending stream of meaningless minutiae.
They can educate, energize, elevate, and inspire us—and they can distract, enervate, addict, and destroy us.
Around the Church, members are using digital technologies in innovative ways. They show Mormon Message videos in family home evening, reach out to ward members via social networks and text messaging, and work on family history via the Internet.

Through acknowledging the power of our digital technologies and keeping ourselves grounded with a few of her suggested rules, we can really empower ourselves through the use of digital media. I plan to outline a lot of her suggestions in our discussions with families in our webinars and fireside. Setting principles of safety and regulating use can help the family to use digital media in a positive way. Maybe the best way to set rules of safety would be to go through her article as a family in Family Home Evening and outline and highlight the rules that will be kept as a family.

Love+

My friend shared this article (Google+ Goes Looking For Love) with me. This fascinating article explains that instead of going for a billion users, Google is looking to "harness [the] emotion" of its users through creating quality attachments. While many people still do not use Google+, those that do are very attached to it and even passionate about it.

Google explains that they want to spark passion in the people that they reach; they want to change the lives of the people who use their product. Google's senior vice president, Vic Gundotra, states:

If we step back and look at the core problems humanity faces, people just aren’t connected to their passions. But if you can somehow connect a 16-year-old to their passion, get them deeply engaged and excited--that’s how you solve something like poverty,” Gundotra says. “One of the things people love about Google is that we’ve made the impossible an ordinary part of people’s lives.

This article is fun because I feel that it highlights the interconnectivity that we have been discussing in class. It discusses how a yoga instructor teaches yoga through google hangouts, and how presidential candidates have conducted google hangouts to connect with people. The web provides a place for people to connect. It provides an extra more available space for people to connect with their passions. Google is trying to make the impossible a part of people's everyday lives. While this is a very clever marketing scheme for google to use (harnessed emotion lasts much longer than passing fads) it is very endearing. I want to use an internet system that I can trust. I like the ideas of family, passions, and interconnectivity that are displayed in their advertisements and press releases. I like the cleanliness of the posts and images that come up in my Google+ stream. Way to go Google+—I can already see an emotional bond forming.

Evaluation at Midterm

The Googlization of Everything

Admittedly I skimmed this book and didn't look into it much after the first skim. Although, skimming through this book helped me to realize that many people are still nervous about new ideas and wary of new ways of doing things. Yesterday, I attended the Crandall Printing Museum for one of my editing classes. (This place is awesome, you should all go! It gives some insight into the beginnings of the digital media age—starting way back with Johannes Gutenberg and the invention of a moveable type printing press.) Anyway, one of the historians explained that Gutenberg was very careful to not change anything too drastically by the invention of his printing press. He copied the Latin letters exactly as they were hand-written in the first bible he printed. People don't like change back then, and even though our society is more accepting of change now, people still get nervous when big changes happen. The author of this book seemed to be worried that Google will eventually take over everything. He worries that our searches will be limited, that maybe Google will have control over all of the information we look at or place on the internet. I don't think we have to worry about this. Although we operate in a different way in the digital age, we don't have to worry about the actual Googlization of the digital age.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

In my novel (not actually a work of fiction, but definitely a novel) I read about David Eggers and his reaction to a huge traumatic change in his life—the loss of a mother and father to cancer within months of each other. Although we don't want to think of the digital age as a traumatic change in a negative way, digital culture has changed life dramatically and continues to do so at a much faster rate than we plan for. I read once that a traumatic event can be described as an event that does not fit into any known frame of reference. Eggers never could have foreseen or even imagined what would happen to him when his parents died. He never thought he would be raising his younger brother. He never thought he would lose both of his parents so quickly. He chose to see himself as the new model and at first he tries to do everything different than his parents did. He soon realizes that many of the things he does after their death, are the same things his parents would have done. He realizes that he has to combine some of the old rules/habits with some new rules/inventions to get through his situation. Now that we are in a digital age we need to apply some of the old rules to the new system while still allowing space to explore and enjoy the newness of the system.

Self Directed Learning

I am enjoying applying these ideas to my group project and also struggling with them myself. While I'm looking for ways to improve family connectivity through the fluidity of the internet and other digital devices, I'm struggling to post blogs that are fast, quick, and still in the process of forming. I like to develop my ideas before I publish them. But I think it is important to understand the new format of Web 2.0 and understand that this new more fluid system can be beneficial. As google chrome advertisements say "the web is what you make of it." It is ok to throw out some ideas in social networks or on a blog, and have people comment on them to give quick feedback. I'm excited to see how a webinar works and excited to brainstorm and work over the web to grow and learn together. And just as communities can be brought together in digital culture, families can be brought together using digital media. In my personal efforts to look for useful information for my group I have searched all over the web, talked to people on and off of the internet, and have done some personal reading. I've learned so much and found so much. Outside of class it has been fun to work on the internet and see how people interact with my 'official' facebook posts for the Museum of Art and the College of Fine Arts and Communications. The internet is a vast expanse and although much of it is unfamiliar territory, I know I can benefit from it. I'm excited to see where the internet and digital culture goes next.

Others Influence

Wow, I'm impressed with the hard work of the other students in the class. Their enthusiasm gets me excited to work on my own projects and search deeper in my own topics (further proving that the idea of interactivity that comes from Web 2.0 helps creativity). I have learned a lot from watching the google+ stream and from talking about the other group projects in class. I've learned that crowd sourcing can be difficult, but also extremely useful. I also have found that as we continue to connect in this way it becomes more natural. The sharing of videos, images, and articles is easy. Instead of explaining something I saw on television the night before, I can simply send a clip of the show from Youtube. This speeds up the learning process and helps me more easily connect with group members and even those that we are trying to get social proof from. In class, I have loved learning about the Church's influence and use of digital media. I'm excited to participate in the digital future of the Church. And those are just a few thoughts that I have about digital culture.

Church Magazines

So my task for this Thursday was to look up our topic in all of the past articles of the church magazines. I found a lot of information! Which we all expected. This topic has already been heavily researched and talked about in the church magazines. This last February all of the magazines really focused on the ways we can positively use digital media to help our society. There were lists in each magazine about how families can improve internet use and make it effective in multiple ways. A lot of the articles I did find were talking about the dangers of the internet and the restrictions that should be used. Since our focus is more on the connectivity that comes from using the internet as a family, I tried to stay away from those. 

There are obviously many more articles, but these are the most current and relevant articles I found:

Keeping Safe and Balanced in a Google-YouTube-Twitter-Facebook-iEverything World

            Jan Pinborough ~ February 2012 Ensign

Screening Your Screen Time

            February 2012 New Era

Choose the Right Media

            April 2012 Friend

Things as They Really Are

            David A. Bednar ~ June 2010 Liahona

Three Goals to Guide You

            Thomas S. Monson ~ November 2007 Liahona

A Matter of a Few Degrees

            Dieter F. Uchtdorf ~ May 2008 Liahona

Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet

  M. Russell Ballard ~ July 2008 Ensign

These will all be very useful resources for our webinar!