Living in a technological
age it is essential we identify how digital art and new media influence our
culture. From ads on television and on the street to devices found in mostly
all of our homes we are all utilizing these tools and absorbing information from
them whether we’re aware of it or not. We will forever have to confront “new
media” seeing how it is the contemporary element we are faced with as society
grows and evolves and I believe that the only way to be the user rather than
the device is to develop an intimate understanding of how we are targeted.
One of the largest
fields in the New Media profession, practically speaking, has to do with some
sort of three-dimensional animation and familiarity with coding (commonly used
to write the systems and programs within our favorite applications, including
games and other such services offered by our phones and computers). As we
advance with technology the limits of these options become near infinite, which
is a wonderful plus of pioneering in a digital age. However, with all these
shiny new toys comes the other end of the double-edged sword, company influence
on the consumer. Ads within the applications we so enjoy target us in an
attempt to spend money on various services. Some games and applications even
boast about being free but once downloaded in order to acquire full service
payment is required. The technologies used on our phones and computers can help
us though. There are many apps designed to organize and programs used to assist
other technologies, such as 3D printers and laser cutters.
One of the most
questionable things found when dealing with these technologies comes when
thinking about how we are monitored. Google uses programs to view what we
search and record the pages we visit, turning the information into the ads we
view on the side of future pages we decide to view. This could be viewed as an
invasion of our privacy or a helpful tool being used to aid our future
endeavors to purchase a product at a reasonable price.
The art side of
the digital technologies ushers us into an era where we can make sleek images
of a wide variety with virtually no legwork required. I’ve spent time in the
graphic design field and seeing how easy it is to manipulate images to create
effects someone with a brush couldn’t dream of putting on canvas. There are
some great artists out there bridging the gap though. A friend of mine and alum
of Penn State, Brian Alfred (http://paintchanger.com/) is one of the many who
plans his paintings out in Adobe Illustrator beforehand.
So technology and
evolution can take the forms of many things. It can be a monitoring service, a
way to sell things to a consumer, a way of entertainment in the palm of your
hand or a useful tool for creating art for the medium of your choice. One thing
is certain the field is growing and the possibilities are rapidly becoming
endless.
Hello John,
ReplyDeleteYour post describes a large number of technologies that the population has come to depend on for entertainment and practicalities. Users can be influenced by the advertisements or simply ignore them. Likewise, users can participate at the expense of their personal privacy or choose not to participate. But where I see the ultimate influence and dependency lies in all of this is with the service provider. Without the "connections" we have all come to depend on and have integrated into our daily living, we are hopelessly lost.