The Big Number: 3 or more hours a day of social media use hurts youths’ mental health

On By niarobIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

It’s no secret that the amount of time we spend consuming media has increased dramatically and is still currently increasing. A recent study by JAMA Psychiatry revealed that children and teens who spend more than 3 hours using social media such as Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, loneliness and aggression than children who don’t. The survey was done nationally, on about 6,595 adolescents living in the United States.The finding wasn’t surprising, but thinking about the amount of children in this age range who definitely use these applications more than 3 hours a day this observation really puts things into perspective.

 Heavy social media use can lead to sleep problems and an increase the risk for cyberbullying, which has been tied to symptoms of depression, and result in unrealistic comparisons of yourself and your life to those of others seen on social media. Children who spend more than 6 hours a day on social media are 4 times more likely to suffer these problems.

Social media is proven to be detrimental to children and pre teens because they’re in a very fragile transitional period. Social media can be a very hostile, judgmental environment and it’s not for children of this age. Pediatrics suggest that parents have a media plan for their children so that they can monitor and control the amount of media their kids consume daily and what exactly they’re consuming. 

 

“Descript” Application Revolutionizing Podcasting: And Possibly The Spread Of Misinformation

On By William HauserIn Fake News, PodcastingLeave a comment
5d820a8cd66da6fb0adc4771_commenting   Descript Website

 

Whether an amateur or even professional podcaster, all these individuals are well aware of the painstaking process of editing that takes place behind the scenes. Specifically, the copious errors behind human speech patterns and the precise editing to correct these mistakes require large amounts of time/experience to fix.

“Load up the audio. Listen. Drag. Delete. Listen again. Restore the original audio. Hone. Delete again. Re-listen. It’s exhausting. And that’s just for the little things. There’s a better way” (Laforme, p.1).

Descript has become one of the most popular and innovative editing platforms specifically for the production of podcasts. This tool creates a text transcript of audio files and as users delete or rearrange the transcript, the same tool edits the audio file to match it exactly essentially eliminating a whole area of editing required to produce clean production. Formerly, the application required users to pay for every new production they would create, but recently the company has moved towards paid monthly subscriptions for unlimited edits/projects.

The application announced over the weekend that its new version update will add a number of new autonomous podcast editing tools, but most importantly  the software is also being integrated with Lyrebird, a “text-to-speech tool that the internet lost its mind over in 2017.” Podcast editors who use Descript will now have the ability to simply type text into the application and have a custom audio generated sound produced.

While this new integration with Lyrebird could prove to help editors drastically such as allowing them to fill in a missed word or two on their audio tracks, many are worried about this software that could allow users to “clone” someone else’s voice.

Misinformation has been a growing problem over the internet and news sources as the spread/access of information continues to grow increasingly more powerful every day. Podcasters using Descript have expressed significant amounts of concern towards this new update in fear that auto generated voicing could lead to editors cloning other individuals voices and releasing their productions online.

A great example of this potential danger could be unleashed in the upcoming Democratic candidate race. With leading candidates such as Biden topping the boards, this kind of auto voice generation could make it easy to clone the sound of his voice releasing false statements all over the internet. Though many can refute this concern by saying the voice generation was fake, a cloud of misinformation and productions could make it increasingly more difficult to differentiate between fact or fiction.

Descript claims to have recognized this potential threat in media and released an ethics statement on its new update saying “We are committed to modeling a responsible implementation of these technologies, unlocking the benefits of generative media while safeguarding against malicious use” (Descript).

Although still early in its development/innovation, auto voice generation software is growing increasingly more strong and clean, making it easy to mimic another entities voice. When combined with a growing media industry such as podcasting and presented with the motivation of saving time on editing, the spread of misinformation could hit the industry like a title wave. Accurate information and statements is a growing area of concern in today’s society and media experts believe applications like Descript although intending to do good, are potentially pushing this issue further.

Sources:

https://www.poynter.org/tech-tools/2019/this-tool-is-going-to-shape-the-future-of-podcasting-and-possibly-misinformation/

https://www.descript.com/

 

Spidey is Back in the MCU

On By Chris ColeIn Content Restriction, Media Covergence, Partnerships & CopyrightLeave a comment

On Friday, two media giants reached a peace deal that pleased fans around the world. Representatives from Sony and Disney reached a deal that allowed Spiderman, played by Tom Holland, to appear in a few more Marvel Universe movies. This is important to many fans because the Marvel Avengers movies have been doing great in box offices around the world. These movies are creating history by telling these comic stories with popular actors with great budgets. According to Forbes, Disney will put up 25% of the budget for the third Spider-Man movie in exchange for 25% of the profits received from the movie. Kevin Feige will join the team as a producer (alongside Sony’s Amy Pascal) for the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far from Home, a film which will be part of the MCU. The last Spiderman movie came out earlier this year entitled, Spiderman: Far From Home, has made $1.13 billion so far in 2019. This is a huge return on investment, given that the film was made on a $160 million budget. Considering that Spiderman has only really been actively involved in 2 Avengers movies, I think that it was a good idea for these companies to reach a deal. We have seen Spiderman/Marvel movies from Sony and they did a great job for the time; creating movies like X -Men (Hugh Jackmen, Halle Berry) and Spiderman 1-3 (Tobey Maguire). However, now that Disney has created a cinematic universe, revitalizing Marvel’s comic content into movies, the fans are ready to see the scope of all their favorite characters on the big screen. Hopefully, as more movies are made and as they continue to break records in the box office, the companies will realize that their partnership is not only what’s best for the fans, and the franchise but it is what’s best for their pockets.

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Levi’s Denim Jacket Goes “Smart”

On By tue65232In Google, TechnologyLeave a comment

As we all know, technology is constantly around us and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Levi and Google’s Jacquard platform has decided to work together and create a “smart’” denim jacket. The two companies will be working together to recreate Levi’s classic trucker jacket and the Sherpa trucker jacket. Although this is the second time that the two are working together, the technology is different this time because its small and nearly impossible to tell that the jacket is a smart jacket. The jackets will include a tag that goes into the cuff of the jackets and allows the jacket to pair with the phone. The cuff will be used very similar to how we use touchpad so you can leave your device in the pocket of the jacket. When an individual does different hand gestures, it control the different features of the jacket. Some features include: directions, ETA, traffic reporting, answer phone call, control your music, and receive notifications. Google’s Jacquard platform also worked with YSL on a “smart” backpack recently.

I found this extremely interesting because this isn’t something that we have seen before but its something that if the jacket becomes a hit then we will see more “smart” clothing. I feel that this technology is one of those products that we don’t realize we need until we have it.

Two Digital Media Brands Becoming One.

On By Janell M.In UncategorizedLeave a comment

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Source https://www.wsj.com/articles/vice-media-in-final-stages-of-talks-to-acquire-refinery29-11569947137

Vice Media is on it’s way toward becoming an even bigger brand. The multi-platform media company has decided to buy Refinery 29. Refinery 29 is another digital media platform that caters to young women, delivering a multitude of news from political to pop culture. The deal has not yet been finalized but many business experts strongly believe that this deal will go through, and could be very beneficial to the Vice Media brand.

Vice Media is concerned with building it’s “digital footprint” Though the platform is doing well on it’s own, with content like Vice News on HBO and its own channel with the company name they feel that there are still ways in which this brand can become bigger than what it is now. Vice Media has chosen to combine with Refinery 29 in order to take the brands majority-female audience, as well as it’s streaming content and licensing.

The other big reason why Vice Media wants to accommodate more digital platforms is because they are aware of their current competition. The digital company is force to compete with platforms like Facebook and Google. In order to be able to run in a race with these two powerful media giants they have to acquire as many similar companies as they possibly can. They also need to reach a larger audience domestically as well as internationally.

Though I didn’t see this coming I think that this merge could be great for the brand.

Twitch opening doors to more diverse content

On By William StroughIn Consumer behavior, Streaming, Technology, Video GameLeave a comment

Twitch.tv, a mostly video game streaming service, is opening up its platform for more than just gaming. The platform that saw over three months 2.7 billion hours of content being viewed by users is far and above the largest streaming platform right now for video games. At peak times more than a million people in just a single category but twitch is looking for how to create a more diverse platform than just gaming. 

At the annual twitch con, which is held in San Diego every year, it was announced that twitch would start creating more categories and avenues users can upload and explore other than gaming. Their new slogan “You’re already one of us.” exemplifies the new mindset of twitch that anyone even you can be apart of the community twitch has created. New talk-shows where users can share anything they want without having to play a game or using the platform to help inform people. This past year, the Great National Debate was released on twitch. Produced by the French government, they streamed for more than 10 hours of debates to reach the young audience of twitch in a way the audience would never find out about any other way. 

Twitch has even entered the sports market with partnerships with Major League Baseball and National Football League. Twitch users can stream the game hosted by streamers in their browser and have a direct chat with the broadcaster. Something non existent in sports broadcasting today. Users can ask questions, interact with each other, and interact with the broadcasters and creates a community while watching sports. This interactivity does not seem to be going anywhere with the advances in technology and could very well be the future of how we receive and interact with the content available to us.

New Scorsese Film to appear on Netflix

On By Joshua RussellIn Netflix1 Comment

'Everybody Knows' premiere and opening ceremony, 71st Cannes Film Festival, France - 08 May 2018

Image : https://www.indiewire.com/2018/05/martin-scorsese-the-irishman-300-scenes-1201962579/

Once again Netflix makes an attempt with the other studio giants in Hollywood. Legendary director Martin Scorsese latest film is set to premiere on the streaming service. This after Scorsese was initially rejected by his usually distributor, Paramount Pictures, due to them being unwilling to pay the large budget the film demanded. Netflix was acquired the film for an astounding $159 million dollars, showing not only how wealthy the streaming service has made them, but just how serious they are when it comes to producing their own content. Though this may appear risky for a streaming service, this one appears to be well calculated. The film, titled The Irishman, is a crime drama, a genre Scorsese has shown his talent with time and time again, most notably with the hit film Goodfellas. In addition to this it is set to star film giant like Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. Earlier screening was very positive, and there are whispers of Oscar nominations. The article discuses that this wouldn’t be the first time Netflix has produced Oscar worthy content, as it received several awards for the foreign film Roma. Netflix’s ambitions are clear with this movie. By being so bold, the company is stating that it’s movie should be considered film as much as much as those that appear on the big screen. Given the content of the film I admire this choice, as it may not be long before movie theaters no longer exist, and all content is streamed right to the television. If this is the case, I’m glad Netflix is taking the time to consider quality content.

Article : https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/09/irishman-new-york-film-festival/599122/

Amazon offers a way to delete Alexa recordings automatically

On By Patrick CabahugIn TechnologyLeave a comment
The article was written By JOSEPH PISANI September 26, 2019         
Users of Alexa can now have the option of deleting their recording automatically. Currently, users of the tech have to manually delete their recording. According to the article, users can be asked Alexa to automatically delete their message after three to eighteen months. However there is a catch, “But users need to specify that in the settings, as recordings are kept indefinitely by default. And there’s no automatic option for immediate deletion. Users would still need to do that manually.” It also states that users can “Amazon will also let users request deletions through an Alexa voice command. The use of human reviewers will continue.”
Excerpt from the article:

“Tech companies have been reviewing their practices in light of privacy concerns. There’s greater concern when humans are involved because of the potential for rogue employees or contractors to leak private details embedded in the voice commands.

When Facebook starts selling a new version of its Portal video-calling gadget next month, the company will resume using humans to review voice interactions with the device. Users will be able to decline, or opt out. People on existing devices will get a notification pointing them to the appropriate settings. New Portal users will get the option when setting up.

Human reviews involving Facebook’s Messenger app elsewhere remain suspended as Facebook re-examines the privacy implications.

Google is also restarting the practice of reviewing voice commands to improve its digital assistant, though it’s now making it clear human transcribers might listen to recordings. The company also said it will delete most recordings after a few months, and people can review their recordings and delete them manually at any time.

Apple, which suspended the practice with Siri, also plans to resume it this fall, but only after getting explicit permission. Apple would not say how it will seek permission.

As with Amazon, Microsoft didn’t suspend the use of human reviewers. In response to concerns, Microsoft added language in its frequently asked questions for Skype to say that using the translation service “may include transcription of audio recordings by Microsoft employees and vendors.”

 

I think this is a step in the right direction concerns the issue of privacy on these types of apps used by well-known companies.

“Disney is mining nostalgia to make Disney+ a success”.

On By marlaynebIn Consumer behavior, Media Covergence, Partnerships & Copyright, StreamingLeave a comment

Disney+ Showcase Presentation At D23 Expo Friday, August 23Article and Image: https://www.engadget.com/2019/09/25/disney-plus-nostalgia-play/

This article is written by Edgar Alvarez of Endgadget. The article discusses the content available on Disney’s new streaming service and how they’re gathering a very large following of people who would use their platform. Alvarez discusses how Disney is sealing the deal to make their platform a huge success and lock in the views. He says Disney is doing this by ensuring all of their content is available to watch. They struck a deal with Pixar and will have every Pixar movie on Disney+ along with every Marvel movie and Lucasfilm productions. Alvarez quotes, “Never [has so much of] our content been previously available, whether you’re nostalgic for your childhood favorites or simply need Baby Groot”. By November 12th, Disney+ will offer over 500 feature films and more than 7,000 show episodes. The other way Disney is attracting even more audiences by rebooting their old TV shows, they rebooted That’s So Raven and just released the promotional clips for their new show Lizzie McGuire, a reboot of their show by the same title from 2001.

I found this article interesting because Disney has a very interesting marketing scheme. They understand the power they have and how much they can produce and their expansive library. By rebooting these d-comm classic shows, they are appealing to millennial’s and gen-z’s. Along with having all their movies from the past and their classic Disney princess films. While reading this article I even found myself thinking, “that’s a really good deal”, because they have so much content that their competitors won’t. They are successfully using nostalgia to sell their new platform because baby boomers will appreciate their nostalgia for Steamboat Willie and other classics, while Gen X, Y, Millenial’s, and Gen Z will appreciate the 90s classic films and the shows they grew up with. They have successfully created a platform every age group will enjoy, which is mind-boggling. It brings up the concern about any competitors although. How will independent artists get found? Will every show and filmmaker have to go through Disney to get their content out to the masses? It’s really interesting to see how competitive these platforms are going to get to ensure they have the most viewers. It also brings a fear about how limited entertainment will get with this much consolidation.

I’ve talked about Disney+ on this blog before but hearing more and more about how Disney+ will be the only streaming service a person needs and that is their goal, is very interesting. Alvarez also mentioned about how Disney might run into huge problems because the sheer scale of their content library might overwhelm their site. I too am curious to see how Disney+ will change Disney and streaming services since if one is to compete with Disney+, they probably have to own their own channel/content conglomerate.

We Need a PBS for Social Media

On By niarobIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

This article was in the ‘opinion’ section of nytimes.com, but I thought it was interesting. All social media outlets have the same basic model: Create a product that maximizes attention and gets users hooked, then collect as much data from possible from then in order to sell it. The author of the article, Mark Coatney argues that social media is toxic to children, racial relations, and essentially society itself. The pressure to impose regulations and breaking up big companies.

Coatney suggests that the problem can’t be solved by current for-profit media outlets and that we need to create non profit outlet that aims to create a less toxic environment online. 50 years ago when Lydon B. Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act, which allowed a portion of funds in order to create public television and radio that would be “responsive to the interests of people”. Why can’t this be done for social media? After all, the definition of “media” has changed a lot in the last 50 years.

The non profit social media application would be explicitly non commercial among other things, and it would collect minimal data from the user.

“An account on a public media platform would be tied to a real-world, local identity, like a driver’s license or library card. Anonymity online has real benefits, and a user name doesn’t have to be your real name” (Coatney, 2019).

There are certainly downfalls to Coatley’s idea, but he makes a great point throughout the article. Despite the massive amount of people that have existing social media accounts on for profit platforms, people might be happier and feel less stress and anxiety on a pbs-like social media platform.