E-Portfolio

 Artifact 8
Friday, April 1


Artifact 9
Thursday, April 7


Artifact 10
Friday, April 15

Artifact 10: Internet Distraction, Movie-Going and Addiction

I picked the article, "Out There in the Dark, All Alone" by Manohla Dargis.  The article talks about the radical change in how Americans "go to the movies".  A statistic in the article states that 90 million Americans went to the movies each week in 1948.  This number is much higher than the 23 million who currently go to the movies each week.  Why?  Well the author says that because of the new ways we can access movies, it's no longer neccessary to run out and see a movie more than once.  Back in the 40's, people had to see a move they liked twice because they would probably not ever see the movie again after the theater stopped playing it.  Now we have ways to access any movie, at any time, through technology.  For intstance, people can now watch movies not only on their tvs, but on their computers, ipods, cell phones, etc,. 

To define some terms used in the article:

• on-demand era - the current time period in which people can instantly access movies and other media using the internet and other technologies.
• modernity - not oldness, newness or novelty
• cinema - from the Greek word kinema which means motion and emotion

In my view, it is totally understandable why people don't go to the movies in such large numbers anymore.  I mean think about it: you go to the movie theater and spend 10 dollars or more for a ticket. You then spend an additional 15 or so dollars on the overpriced snacks offered there. After this, you go into the theater to find a seat, but if you don't get their early there will only be the crappy seats left, the ones that nobody wants.  Also when going to the movies, one risks being seated next to someone who is A. talking through the movie, B. making a bunch of noise with their snacks, or C. fights you for the armrest.  Of course there are many more scenarios that could negatively affect your movie going experience, but these should do for now.

So why do all of that to see a movie when we have a plethora of other options for movie viewing?  There are so many ways that we can access movies now, that sometimes it doesnt make a whole lot of sense to actually go to the movies.  It makes sense to watch movies in the comfort of your own home, not only because it is comfortable, but because we have the ability to see a movie more than once, very cheaply.  So I definitely understand why the numbers of movie-goers have gone down.  It wouldn't make a whole lot of sense if they didn't.

Artifact 9: Sharing

I had not idea that museums were using the internet to such a great magnitude.  I really think that it's interesting because no one thinks of an art museum as being all that technological.  Some of the technological ideas that they are including in the museum exhibits and on the museum's website were really cool, not only because it's technological, but because it's amazing that we can do these things.  Not too long ago, the art museum was just a place that you go to in order to see art.  Now, there is so much more to it.  Facebook pages, and online involvment are important for keeping the museum interesting and keeping people coming.  Do we really think that people would be interested in going to the art museum now if there wasn't a technological component to it?  I liked when the author said that the museums are trying not to get caught up in fads, because this shows me that they don't see the technological movement as a fad.  They are trying to permanently transform the museum experience to something that captures the attention of this generation.  I would definitely be interested in some of these things if they were offered at the St. Louis Art Museum.  Who knows? Maybe they will catch on to this trend soon!

Artifact 8: "Social Networking & Gaming for Health"

It's amazing how much of a difference technology is making in every aspect of our lives!  Now we have healthcare information readily available online which I think is just fantastic.  I have gone online many times to seek information about an  illness or some other health issue.  This really helped me know what was going on with me and often times gave me remedies to fix it myself without going to the doctor.  However, if I did end up having to go to the doctor, the availability of this information online really helped me know: A. what to tell my doctor about the illness, and B. what I think it could be.  Doctors aren't miracle workers!  So I am so glad to have the ability to participate in my own healthcare and be aware of what's going on in my body. 

The part of this video that I found very interesting and surprising was when they talked about the video games that kids play in which characters in the game are combatting cancer cells.  The statistics of how much better these children were in their treatment was amazing.  It's amazing what wonders our minds can do for us when put into the right mindset.  This was a totally new concept to me, but I think it's great.  Hopefully all children with cancer will have access to this game or one like it to help them to understand their illness, and to get their mind around the idea of fighting it.