portfolio

profilexiaoxiliuuu
CMA4.doc

Social media has tremendous influence in our lives but the most critical role of media and media enterprises is that they have altered the way the audience perceive themselves. Media enterprises and markers now focus on how, where and when people use the internet. The matter of the fact is that internet browsing has changed the position, subjectivity and identity perception of a person. This very aspect is identified by Ted Talk of Eli Pariser in which he used the term “filter bubble” to depict the fact that search engines, news websites and other social apps offer information or search results according to demands of their audiences (Pariser, 2009). It is a business and marketing technique of media enterprises. They use consumer choice as the tool to grab consumers. In reality, it is not good because it narrowing our vision and interaction with the internet information. So, what is available and we see is not the whole information. This strategy damages democracy. The same question has arisen in the documentary, “Generation Like” that despite having link and interaction of different brands, news agencies, celebrities, and movies, we are not in the position to assert that youth has autonomy over the internet (PBS. Org, 2014). These young adults are a tool which media enterprises are using to gain success in the market. Again the documentary “The Persuaders” in which the creator highlights marketing techniques used by media agencies to develop and influence the public opinion in a specific matter (PBS.Org, 2014). In reality, when we log in to a website, we provide our background information related to gender, race, profession and personal traits. Consequently, the web administrators control the material which consumers can approach (My Shadow.Org, 2018). For example, in my case, I have observed that being an adult I have little access to conflicting political issues. I have observed this fact when I used PC of my father. The search results were different. Thus, in reality I do not have access to all available information. This situation is described by Napoli and Philip, (2011) who use two terms consumer autonomy and media fragmentation. Media fragmentation denotes the extent to which media content is delivered to various audiences with respect to their age, gender, race and other media markers. On the other hand, audience autonomy reflects that how audience control media content and consequently, influences media environment. Audience response over the internet is tremendous due to their instant response to TV shows. Thus, the audience has the power to influence the availability of media content. Consumer behavior is a visible and measurable phenomenon which changes media environment. I agree with the writer that this measurability of consumer behavior opens new ways to study media and its role in one’s life. Here, we have an example of information fragmentation by Noble, (2013) in which the researcher intended to explore the fact that how Google search engine categorizes race and gender with respect to Black Women and their presentation in Google search. The writer concludes that search results camouflaged by political and pressure groups. Therefore, the audience does not know that they, in reality, have no access to neutral and unbiased information regarding race and sex of Black Women. The writer concludes that explosion and control of information requires a thorough investigation that why Black girls are subjects of sale on the internet. Ironically, we can state that consumer choice and demand is an operating factor behind information flow and availability over the internet. The role consumer choice also considers as a critical element in the market according to Struken, Martia, Cartwright (2009). In this chapter, Advertisement, Consumer Culture and Desire, that initiative of consumer culture allows producers to introduce products which satisfy needs of consumers to a little extent. The result is that consumers starve for more products. This principle of consumerism and capitalism is aptly applicable in the media industry. References My Shadow.Org. (2018). Who's collecting our data? . Retrieved 05 02, 2018, from My Shadow.Org: https://myshadow.org/tracking-data-traces#trace-my-shadow Noble. (2016). Google search: hyper-visibility as a means of rendering back women and girls invisible . Invisible Culture: An Electronic Journal of Visual Culture. Pariser, E. (2009, 03). Beaware of Online Filter Bubbles . Retrieved from Ted.Com: https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles PBS. Org. (2014, 02 18). Generation Like, SEASON 32: EPISODE 7. Retrieved 05 02, 2018, from PBS. Org: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/generation-like/ PBS.Org. (2014, 11 09). The Presuaders SEASON 23: EPISODE 3. Retrieved 05 02, 2018, from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/showspersuaders/ Philip, N. &. (2011). The Transformation of Media Consumption. New York: Columbia University Press. Sturken, M. C. (2009). Advertisment, Consumer choice and desire. In M. C. Sturken, In Practice of looking: An investigation to visual culture. New York: Oxford Press.