Final Project

My video.

Author’s statement:

I started out with the idea of doing a Mashup of songs as a sort of personal challenge, and I eventually decided to include video to make a music video of sorts. As I planned out the project, I realized that while it’s like a music video in a way, it’s also similar to a vid in that it’s a compilation of video footage from multiple different sources that are all related based on content and, when placed together, form a theme.

It was more difficult than I imagined to find the kind of video footage I was looking for. Finding images and videos that would work for the message I was trying to convey probably took more time than anything else… which reminds me of the interview between Henry Jenkins and Alex Juhasz on Juhasz’s experience teaching a course solely on and about YouTube. She discusses the disorganization of the site and how difficult it is to navigate, as well as how unlikely it is that you will find the videos you are looking for simply by typing in key words and phrases. Her video goes into further detail about this problem as well as other personal issues she has with YouTube.

I began the project by mashing up two songs that I felt would go well together both because they have a similar beat/style and because the lyrics in each song work together in a back-and-forth, argumentative sort of way—which was perfect for the idea I had. After mashing up the two songs the way I wanted, I began cutting up the videos I’d collected from YouTube in such a way that together, with the music and song lyrics, they told a story.

The story or idea portrayed in the video is a simple one that we can probably all relate to on some level, or at least know someone who can. It is about couples whose relationships are being strained because of the boyfriends’ videogame addictions. The girlfriends are upset and some actually go as far as breaking the video game consoles because they’ve had enough and are tired of being ignored, etc. While it’s kind of funny and light-hearted in a sense, it’s actually a serious problem with a lot of youth these days (particularly guys). Videogame addictions are not uncommon and, like any addiction, they can take a toll on the players’ lives, affecting their relationships, their health/well-being, as well as their sense of reality… which reminds me of Jane McGonigal’s article on the distinction between games and ‘real life.’ She discusses how far some people will go in the process of turning every aspect of their lives into a game. Should there be a distinction between what we could consider a game and what is better left taken seriously? How important is it to keep the game realm separate from the realm of reality? Can this behavior of combing the two be detrimental? My video suggests that it can be and that gaming can be taken too far, especially when it comes to sharing your life with other people who may not share your passion for nonstop gaming. If you want to keep your girlfriend happy, then my video suggests you should learn how to put the controller down once in a while…

Analysis and Reflection

I found some things which I feel both relate to and differ slightly from my piece in various ways. The first is a video on videogame addictions, which addresses specifically how these addictions can affect relationships between couples (among other types). It mentions a web site called gamerwidows.com for couples whose relationships have been damaged by gaming addictions. The site has even saved some couples from divorce, including the founder, Sherry Myrow, and her husband. The video is similar to mine in the obvious sense of content but differs slightly in tone and in form. It is a serious, informative video whereas mine is more light-hearted and for the purpose of entertainment. It reads more like a documentary whereas mine reads more like a music video.

The second video that I feel relates to mine is the While I Was Away one that we watched in class. It is more similar in tone and context to mine, as it involves an angry girlfriend who reacts irrationally to her boyfriend’s actions regarding an electronic device that has come between them and caused problems for their relationship (his cell phone is turned off). It is a nice combination of funny and serious, and viewers can probably relate to the story in some way as they can to the story in my final piece. While the video isn’t about addiction or even videogames, it still addresses the impact that technology can have on lives and on relationships as far as communication goes. I think it complements my piece in painting a picture of how powerful electronics are in this day and age and how our lifestyles can be dramatically altered by something so novel and seemingly-innocent. It seems we have become dependent on what technology offers us and while it is intended to help us and make our lives easier, it can hurt us and make our lives more difficult and complex.

The third piece is an article by Danah Boyd describing her experience delivering a presentation at a Web2.0 conference and how the presence of certain technology created a significant disconnect between her and her audience. Her article strongly suggests that certain technologies can take away from personal interaction and create barriers that change how we interact with others, which is ultimately what my video suggests in its content. New digital networked media like Web2.0 as well as other types of technology such as videogames can end up taking the place of real human interaction in a sense, belittling the human. People can feel replaced, isolated and hurt as these technologies sometimes appear to hold more weight and importance than people themselves. They can distort reality and change our interactions, making us less in touch with ourselves and cause us to behave less respectfully than we would in the absence of such media. The personal story in this article and the story in my video share the same message, although their format differs.

I think my piece adds to the discussion of how technology impacts our daily lives as it shows the real life frustrations that so many people share who are close to someone with a videogame, computer or internet addiction. It illustrates how normal and innocent it can seem at first but how serious and damaging the consequences can be. It offers a new perspective that should be taken seriously–the girlfriend’s perspective. Personal relationships play a significant role in or lives as human beings and to replace them with an impersonal, fantasy-based relationship with technology can be unhealthy and harmful in many ways. It’s all about balance, really. A little aid of technology whether for entertainment or other uses can be beneficial, but there is a real problem with an excess in our lives. The question lies in knowing how much is too much and knowing when technology is causing more harm in your life than good.

Advertisement