Popular Cultures
#edcmooc
In Week 1, our assignments include watching some short films and reading some scholarly writing to get a useful theoretical perspective for understanding how utopic-dystopic visions inform our relationship to technology, so that we can get some ideas on how technologies have led to social, cultural or educational changes. The theme of utopias-dystopias is presented in the week 1 resources and it’s the core of discussion.
The film Inbox depicts a utopian account by using metaphoric items such as two red shopping bags that presents the “Inboxes” through which the two main characters communicate and eventually kindles romance between them. The film is very unique because it uses the tangible items such as two red shopping bags and yellow post-it notes to present the intangible digital forms of communication.
The animation film Bendito Machine III suggests that new technologies descending from the sky are inevitable and natural as they are coming from the holy spirit. The film’s characters have to accept what was falling on their heads, which can either improve their lives or cause destruction. So, it has both utopia-dystopia elements.
The animation film Thursday shows that a natural world and a technological world are interdependent. The bird in the film has the “agency” of causing technological disasters. The message of the film presents that technology is not the most powerful in the world, but technology can improve human lives.
The film New Media is definitely a dystopia story. It’s similar to “Bendito Machine III” in a way that technologies can ruin the world just like natural disasters can do, but it is different from “Bendito Machine III” in a way that it doesn’t show human’s worship of new technologies.
Professors Jeremy Knox, Sian Bayne, Hamish Macleod, Jen Ross, Christine Sinclair had a Google Hangout session on Friday, February 1st. at 17:00 GMT. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend the live session due to time conflict with my teaching schedule.
However, I enjoyed the recording of this session and found it very informative. I especially liked the explanation that the requirements for our final projects were intentionally vague to promote participants' creativity. Thanks for posting this recording to accommodate those who are in different time zones.
In Week 1, our assignments include watching some short films and reading some scholarly writing to get a useful theoretical perspective for understanding how utopic-dystopic visions inform our relationship to technology, so that we can get some ideas on how technologies have led to social, cultural or educational changes. The theme of utopias-dystopias is presented in the week 1 resources and it’s the core of discussion.
The film Inbox depicts a utopian account by using metaphoric items such as two red shopping bags that presents the “Inboxes” through which the two main characters communicate and eventually kindles romance between them. The film is very unique because it uses the tangible items such as two red shopping bags and yellow post-it notes to present the intangible digital forms of communication.
The animation film Bendito Machine III suggests that new technologies descending from the sky are inevitable and natural as they are coming from the holy spirit. The film’s characters have to accept what was falling on their heads, which can either improve their lives or cause destruction. So, it has both utopia-dystopia elements.
The animation film Thursday shows that a natural world and a technological world are interdependent. The bird in the film has the “agency” of causing technological disasters. The message of the film presents that technology is not the most powerful in the world, but technology can improve human lives.
The film New Media is definitely a dystopia story. It’s similar to “Bendito Machine III” in a way that technologies can ruin the world just like natural disasters can do, but it is different from “Bendito Machine III” in a way that it doesn’t show human’s worship of new technologies.
Professors Jeremy Knox, Sian Bayne, Hamish Macleod, Jen Ross, Christine Sinclair had a Google Hangout session on Friday, February 1st. at 17:00 GMT. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend the live session due to time conflict with my teaching schedule.
However, I enjoyed the recording of this session and found it very informative. I especially liked the explanation that the requirements for our final projects were intentionally vague to promote participants' creativity. Thanks for posting this recording to accommodate those who are in different time zones.