"Music as a technology of the self"

http://www.sciencedirect.com.proxy.library.nd.edu/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VC3-3YCMDW2-2&_user=489835&_coverDate=10%2F31%2F1999&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000022718&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=489835&md5=45d331ec887ff79d056fba9fa74f2ed7

Although this article talks mostly about music sounds, it does touch on lyrics and the influence that lyrics in music plays. Very interesting ideas are found in this article.

"The attribution of emotion and meaning to song lyrics"

http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/uploads/tx_researcherprofile/04-Polskie-Thompson_Russo.pdf

This article touches on the relationshiop between music and lyrics with three experiments that test emotional response, meaningfulness, and effects of repeated exposure. This article has really interesting theories and associations between the music and lyrics found in songs.

Self Expression and Lyrics/Poetry

So, after reading the article about the love songs of the Bedouin I began thinking about he role that lyrics and poetry have played in my life. As a hopeless romantic, I pride myself in being able to appreciate the words and emotion behind some of the worlds best poems while listening to some of the sappiest love songs ever written. Yes. I am one of those girls. An any case, I find it intriguing that these songs are used to release emotional tension and to satisfy the need to express emotions as well. Both the receiver and the sender are using the peice as a tool and supposedly both find satisfaction through it. Poetry is used in the same way. We write poems for people, find poems that express our emotion, or we recieve poems that help us understand the way someone else feels.

I think that the lyrics of a song make it so intriguing. A well-written song lasts forever and this can be attributed to the fact that its lyrics touch people deeply. We express ourselves and everyone knows that a good song can get you through a break-up, help you in a rebellion, help make a happy moment, or create a romantic situation. So, think about why that song is "your" song and why you listen to that one jam a hundred times a day.

Are you saying something that you really aren't saying?

The reading "The Decline and Fall of the Private Self" reminded me of a blog that I once discussed in a sociology class. We did a project on prostitution and the blog was an insight into the lifestyle. It is probably something that should be kept a secret in our society but it is interesting to see how willing and able this girl was in sharing her secret profession with the public on the internet.

http://collegecallgirl.blogspot.com/


In the same context, another website also breaks the barriers of personal information with the posting of people's most intimate secrets. This website is the popular http://postsecret.com.

My Log

Log- Sunday November 9, 2008

Texting:

Started at 11:19am

Sent 24 messages by midnight

Phone Calls:

Call: cousin
Started at 12:03am- Call Placed, Lasted 7:39
12:11am- lasted 2:22
12:13am-lasted 16.59
12:31am- lasted 9:23

Call:sister
Started at 12:40am- Call Placed, Lasted 4:28

Call: cousin 2
Started at 12:47-Call Placed, Lasted :05

Call: friend
Started at 12:48am- Call Placed, Lasted 11:16

Call: cousin 2
Started at 1:39am- Call Received, missed

Call: cousin 2
Started at 3:17pm-Call received, missed

Call: cousin 2
Started 3:32pm- Call placed, :01

Call: mom
Started 3:38pm- Call Placed, Lasted :57

Call: brother
Started 3:43pm- call placed, lasted :04

Call: cousin 2
Started 4:21pm- call received, lasted 4:27

Call: brother
Started 4:50pm- call received, lasted 2:29

Call: brother
Stared 4:53pm- call placed, lasted :51

Call: friend (home)
Started 4:28pm- call placed, lasted :09

Call: cab
Started 5:01pm- call placed, lasted :27

Call: cab
Started 5:02pm- call placed, lasted :09

Call: mom
Started 5:28pm- call received, lasted 1:13

Call: friend
Started 6:03pm- Call placed, lasted :46

Call: friend 2
Started 6:05pm- Call placed, lasted 1:18

Call: friend 3
Started 6:07pm- call placed, lasted :23

Call:friend 3
Started 6:13pm- call received, lasted 1:07

Call: friend (home)
Started 6:22pm- call placed, :02

Call: mom
Started 6:22pm- Call placed, lasted 2:51

Call: friend 3
Started 6:28pm- Call placed, lasted 0:17

Call: friend (home)
Started 7:24pm- call placed, lasted :30

Call: friend 4
Started 8:41pm- call received, lasted 1:09

Call: friend 4
Started 8:46pm- call received, lasted :14



Internet Use:

6:05pm-6:11pm-email
Received 4 emails
Sent- 1 email
6:13-6:28pm- news (CNN)
6:10-6:25- facebook
8:36pm-8:46pm – IM convo
8:44-9:11pm- IM convo
8:51pm-8:52- IM convo
9:15pm- IM convo (family)
9:46-11:28pm- IM convo
9:25-10:44pm youtube surfing, articles

Movie:
11:36pm: Under The Tuscan Sun

Tim'es Person of the Year: You

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1569514,00.html

During this past week's discussion about new media, I wanted to learn more about how media is influencing the world around us. We spoke of the negative aspects of media, like the promotion of loneliness and anti-social behavior. I understand how people can feel that way but I have always seen new media as a way to connect to more people. The people we see face to face is limited to our location, our resources, and our social skills but through the Internet we are able to travel the world, meet new people, and never have to change out of our pajamas.

Time magazine came out with an article two years ago this Christmas naming YOU as their coveted person of the year. I was very impressed with the optimistic perspective this article took in praising the world's use of the World Wide Web. We have innovated, created, and celebrated on the Internet whether it be through facebook, myspace, YouTube, google, wikipedia, or more. We have brought the world together and now we can share information in milliseconds about our lives, our interests, and our dislikes. We have taken advantage of New Media by shopping online, exploring new music on itunes, blogging about nonsense, and "befriending" people around the globe.

I am proud to be a user of the World's most powerful social tool and a member of the world's largest social experiment: the Internet.

"Always On" and my opinion...

In her final paragraph, Baron puts forth a lot of the suggested social concerns we should have about the impact of technology on our lives. Her last line states, "Such choices give us ultimate control over language in an online and mobile world." I completely agree with this statement and understand technology as a tool for life rather than a hindrance to living.

I never understood how much of a negative reputation technology had for some people until I read this book. For all these years I've felt in control of technology. I do admit to feeling naked when my cell phone isn't on my person or "dead to the world" if my battery has died but that is just because I value its use as a connection to others in my immediate world. Technology connects me to people. I feel that my networks have expanded and have maintained because of the advancements of technology. The phone only connects me, once I am connected I use good old fashioned human interaction skills to strengthen bonds and reaffirm relationships.

There was a sense of utter shock that the issue of talking to my parents so often in college could actually be called an "issue." Maybe in the old days coming home and telling stories brought people together but I feel keeping my family so update makes them even closer. They live with me, I have not left behind everything, and I am able to share what I want, when I want. There is still plenty to talk about once at home and there has never been a moment where we sat in awkward silence wishing I had held back the story of my first snow, or the phone call about the great paper I wrote, or my first football game. Being so far from home, I thank God for new technology because it aids my homesickness and allows me to stay informed when important things happen. I don't think anyone in my family misses the old days of waiting four months to talk and update ourselves on life. And I personally don't know that many people who send home regular updates regarding weekly happenings and accompanying photos via email.

Concerning facebook and its world domination, I understand that it forms meaningless connections with people (I'm not going to say friendships). I use it for entertainment, to pass time, and to stay in touch with people I don't see and probably won't be seeing for a very long time, if ever again. It has some function but is not primarily seen by the college majority as a serious friendship/dating place for all social interaction. It's really not that serious and it seems this book made it so much more serious than we take it, or at least how I take it.

We do control how much we want to be connected. Some people use Internet and cell phones because that's what they need and others don't because that's good for them as well. At the end of the day, we still interact with people as much as before and we use our technology to do so. We share YouTube videos, we compare cell phones, and we have a reason to ask for a number (so we can text them about meeting up sometime) and all this keeps us in control of technology. Who knows what the future has in store but I know that being connected isn't always a bad thing. Like she said, anything in life used in moderation is good for you. There are those who don't know how to control themselves that develop unhealthy lifestyles.

Project Topic>>>Emoticons and IM Status

Emoticons and IM Status: Fashionable, Functional or Just Fun?

With Instant Messaging, Myspace, and Facebook having features that encourage the use of emoticons and status, I am interested in finding out why most people use them. To be clear, the status is an area where one can leave their current whereabouts for condition for others to read. So, are they merely for fashion (i.e. is it cool to do it?), is it functional to really express your current state, or is it just for fun? I also am interested in finding out if there is a variance between genders in how often one changes their status or what kind of status one uses. This can also go for the use of emoticons between genders.

To include an enthrographic component I would study the status of my friends on facebook, myspace, and Insant messenger to see what they write and how functional/fun/fashionable they may be. I also might interview a few people and ask them about their use of emoticons and status on these various social networking devices. Texting may also be included in emoticon usage. When I say functional I mean that they are using it to seriously convey their current emotional or physical state. Fun would be including videos or random things like jokes. Fashionable might be anything that is used often, like cliché quotes or things that seem done along with a majority.

The status option and use of emoticons definitely fits into our class because it shows the expression of emotion and physical state in a disconnected way. This is one method of communicating personality with, what I feel is interaction, that is not physical. Why would people want other people to know what they were doing, thinking, or feeling? Is it our way of connecting further to others via online social networks?

Gender Issues and IM ---Naomi Baron
http://jls.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/23/4/397


Kinetic Typography-based Instant Messaging---Bodine and Pignol
http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=765891.766067&type=series

Information Revelation and Privacy in Online Social Networks---Acquisti and Gross

http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/~acquisti/papers/privacy-facebook-gross-acquisti.pdf