Personal Media / Public Good – NMI’s new mission.
“Biofuels. I work with biofuels. Natural alternatives to petroleum power.”
He looked really proud of himself. I should have never stood next to this guy.
“That’s great,” the congressman said shaking his hand. “We need to do everything we can to reduce dependence on foreign oil. Our energy problems have become the world’s problems.”
“And don’t forget global warming,” chimed in the congressman’s aide.
The whole point of this reception was to impress the legislative delegation with the important work we are doing at UGA. And my science geek colleague was doing a bang up job.
“So,” the congressman squinted at my stick-on nametag to read my name. “Scott. New Media is making web pages, right?”
Wow, just like that we want from saving the planet to teaching kids how to put pictures of their pets online.
“It started out as the web. But now it is a lot more. We are looking at brand new platforms that are enabling all new types of communication.”
“Like what?” the congressman asked.
Stand back Bio Boy, here was my opening to sound smart.
“Social networking tools are changing the way that young people live their lives. It’s huge.”
“Facebook,” the aide added.
“Hmm,” the congressman seemed to be getting interested.
“And cell phones,” I kept going. “The growth and potential for cell phones here in the U.S. and globally is incredible.”
“Cell phones, eh? Bob,” the congressman turned to his aide. “I want to see about getting an intern for our office from Dr. Shamp’s program.” I fought the temptation to rib Professor Hard Science standing next to me.
“Yes, sir,” Bob, aide said as he fished out a notepad.
“His students might be able to help me with something very important,” the congressman turned to me. “My cell phone keeps going off on the House floor and nobody in my office knows how to put it on vibrate. I know you will be able to help out, right Scott?”
And with that he and Bob the aide took off.
“And, Scott. I have a question, too.” It was Dr. Biofuel. “I can’t figure out how to put my daughter’s Tee Ball team picture on my Facebook page. Any ideas?”
Over 4 billion people across the globe pay to use a cell phone – that is over 60% of the planet’s population. There are almost 3 times as many cell phones as TVs. We couldn’t live without our cell phones, right? We consider them great ways to keep in touch with family or to order the pizza on the way home (so we can meet the driver hot at the door). But most of us see these devices as instruments of convenience, not tools contributing to the global betterment.
Over 350 million people actively use Facebook. That is more people than live in the U.S. But for the majority, Facebook is a diversion that allows us to rub our friends’ noses in the cool vacation we took or to connect with that hot gal/guy two rows down in Intro to New Media. Social media can’t lead to prosocial change, can it?
The relationships that people are forming with mobile phones and Facebook is unlike any media interaction than we have seen before. These are our personal media – our Facebook page knows all about us and is the way we connect to people like us or just people we like. We don’t “loan” our cell to anyone because now it isn’t just a way to phone home. It is where we store photos and contacts, text and email friends, listen to our own music, and watch the videos we want to watch wherever we are. For many of us, our mobile phone is where we live our lives. Unlike the dead tree newspaper that doesn’t change no matter whose doorstep it lands on or the big screen TV where I watch whatever the rest of the crowd watches, these new personal media respond to me, they change for me, they are an extension of me.
This intimate relationship gives personal media new power to affect us, to change us, to influence our behavior. More than just time killers, personal media has the power to make the world a better place. But we haven’t done enough to explore this new potential.
This semester in the New Media Institute, we are focusing on how pesonal media like social and mobile media can help us live healthier, better lives. We will be researching existing projects that have used these tools to address important health and wellness issues. And we will be building our own approach to how personal media can contribute to better public health.
On Saturday, May 1, here at UGA we will be showing off these projects at an event that we are calling “Personal Media / Public Good.” At this gathering we are going to discuss, debate, plan, and plot about ways to use personal media to make us better. Put it on your calendar now, we want you there. And you know you will be hearing more about this from me over the next few months.
He looked really proud of himself. I should have never stood next to this guy.
“That’s great,” the congressman said shaking his hand. “We need to do everything we can to reduce dependence on foreign oil. Our energy problems have become the world’s problems.”
“And don’t forget global warming,” chimed in the congressman’s aide.
The whole point of this reception was to impress the legislative delegation with the important work we are doing at UGA. And my science geek colleague was doing a bang up job.
“So,” the congressman squinted at my stick-on nametag to read my name. “Scott. New Media is making web pages, right?”
Wow, just like that we want from saving the planet to teaching kids how to put pictures of their pets online.
“It started out as the web. But now it is a lot more. We are looking at brand new platforms that are enabling all new types of communication.”
“Like what?” the congressman asked.
Stand back Bio Boy, here was my opening to sound smart.
“Social networking tools are changing the way that young people live their lives. It’s huge.”
“Facebook,” the aide added.
“Hmm,” the congressman seemed to be getting interested.
“And cell phones,” I kept going. “The growth and potential for cell phones here in the U.S. and globally is incredible.”
“Cell phones, eh? Bob,” the congressman turned to his aide. “I want to see about getting an intern for our office from Dr. Shamp’s program.” I fought the temptation to rib Professor Hard Science standing next to me.
“Yes, sir,” Bob, aide said as he fished out a notepad.
“His students might be able to help me with something very important,” the congressman turned to me. “My cell phone keeps going off on the House floor and nobody in my office knows how to put it on vibrate. I know you will be able to help out, right Scott?”
And with that he and Bob the aide took off.
“And, Scott. I have a question, too.” It was Dr. Biofuel. “I can’t figure out how to put my daughter’s Tee Ball team picture on my Facebook page. Any ideas?”
Over 4 billion people across the globe pay to use a cell phone – that is over 60% of the planet’s population. There are almost 3 times as many cell phones as TVs. We couldn’t live without our cell phones, right? We consider them great ways to keep in touch with family or to order the pizza on the way home (so we can meet the driver hot at the door). But most of us see these devices as instruments of convenience, not tools contributing to the global betterment.
Over 350 million people actively use Facebook. That is more people than live in the U.S. But for the majority, Facebook is a diversion that allows us to rub our friends’ noses in the cool vacation we took or to connect with that hot gal/guy two rows down in Intro to New Media. Social media can’t lead to prosocial change, can it?
The relationships that people are forming with mobile phones and Facebook is unlike any media interaction than we have seen before. These are our personal media – our Facebook page knows all about us and is the way we connect to people like us or just people we like. We don’t “loan” our cell to anyone because now it isn’t just a way to phone home. It is where we store photos and contacts, text and email friends, listen to our own music, and watch the videos we want to watch wherever we are. For many of us, our mobile phone is where we live our lives. Unlike the dead tree newspaper that doesn’t change no matter whose doorstep it lands on or the big screen TV where I watch whatever the rest of the crowd watches, these new personal media respond to me, they change for me, they are an extension of me.
This intimate relationship gives personal media new power to affect us, to change us, to influence our behavior. More than just time killers, personal media has the power to make the world a better place. But we haven’t done enough to explore this new potential.
This semester in the New Media Institute, we are focusing on how pesonal media like social and mobile media can help us live healthier, better lives. We will be researching existing projects that have used these tools to address important health and wellness issues. And we will be building our own approach to how personal media can contribute to better public health.
On Saturday, May 1, here at UGA we will be showing off these projects at an event that we are calling “Personal Media / Public Good.” At this gathering we are going to discuss, debate, plan, and plot about ways to use personal media to make us better. Put it on your calendar now, we want you there. And you know you will be hearing more about this from me over the next few months.
posted by Grady College /University of Georgia at
3:17 PM
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