During the first ten minutes of class, write and edit your summary memo on chapter nine, “Social Media and Storytelling” from Miller’s Digital Storytelling. After you have had a chance to post your memo into the comments of this blog entry, we will discuss the chapter and look at some examples.
4 thoughts on “Beginning of Class Writing: Miller, Chapter 9, Social Media and Storytelling”
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To: Professor Ellis
From: Pamela Drake
Subject: Digital Storytelling – Summary of Chapter 9
Social Media and Storytelling
Date: March 9, 2016
Chapter nine of Digital Storytelling by Carolyn Handler Miller describes that the appeal that social media has to many users. Miller explains that there many people have become dependent on social media and cannot see their existence without it. Having that amount of power has played a major role in politics, social events, and the world of storytelling.
Whether these stories are real or fictional, Miller says that the personas actually thrive and are amplified by the media they are presented through. Not only subjected to humans, Miller says that animals are often the focus of these new avenues. Social media has also given opportunity for characters of the past to be personified with a digital identity that defies reasoning. Whether they are real or fictional, social media has breathed back life into them.
Miller makes a distinction between relying on social media and telling a story through the use of social media. Often, storytellers will use several different modalities to tell a story and this is important because each method engages differently with different audiences and can simultaneously exist parallel to each other. As a result, the stories can take on a different perspective and become a participatory collaboration event taking place in real-time and through space.
While humor, Miller warns, has played a part in propelling the use of social media in some good ways, it is also used irresponsibly with harmful consequences. Miller concludes by further warning storytellers that social media should be used judiciously, keeping to the true nature of the characters, and using the best methods of adaptation.
TO: Professor Ellis
FROM: Samantha
Date: 3/9
Subject: CH9
Social media and storytelling has been the most relevant chapter to me thus far. I think mostly because social media is something we use and are familiar with both in and out of the classroom. The first thing I thought of when I saw the title was our very first project on twitter and how we had to craft a story for that medium and its affordances. Which also relates to the previous audience chapter because on each of these mediums is a particular type of audience with an intended purpose on the app. We as a society are slowing being programmed to incorporate these social media apps into our daily lives, companies encourage us to contact them on social media, they promote goods there. We find news and places to dine on these apps, its on large interconnected space and as the chapter notes the time we spend on them is increasing with an average of 16 minutes per hour online. Where this incorporates into digital storytelling is interesting because she talks about character’s on social media and how these fictional people, human or cartoon, can have their own online identities. This made me think of the popular MTV show “Awkward” and how the character on the show Sadie (played by Molly Tarlov) has a twitter handle solely as Sadie, and then her own as Molly. This is interesting because its the same person, same individual in the avatar but the profiles are vastly different. On Sadie’s page she takes on the persona of a fictional character, someone we see on TV but doesn’t exist in real life yet people identify and interact with her as both. In addition to fiction, non-fiction finds its place on social media as well. I find this most often with companies sharing data and research or direction on how to do something. Having both genres in one place makes the appeal to the user more grand. If I can get multiple forms of interactive information in one app i’m more inclined to use it.
To: Professor Ellis
From: Jodieann Stephenson
Subject: Digital Storytelling – Summary of Chapter 9 Social Media and Storytelling
Date: March 9, 2016
In chapter 9 of Miller’s book, she merges the ideas of social media and storytelling. Social media or online communities have become the new norm. Today, many individuals use social media platforms to communicate to friends, family and businesses around the world. Many brands are spending millions of dollars to craft unique brand personas for their intended audiences. There are many major affordance to social media platforms because of its accessibility and its a “free” platform. And now we are in a age and time that we can publish many short and long form stories via social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram just to name a name a few. Through this platform it allows users a chance to create live characters which can ultimately create unique stories structures.
This chapter introduced me to the BBS system which I had never heard of before. To think back to a time without the instantaneous abilities of social media and technologies seems almost impossible. The emergence of Geosites to now full-blown websites such as WordPress or similar sites shows how much technology changes in a matter of years. The affordability of technology is one that I will always look at as a dichotomy. The affordance that new technologies offers are both good and bad. Humans will continuously struggle between the challenges and rewards that the technology allows.
To: Professor Ellis
From: Mariah Rajah
Re: Chapter 9 Summary
Date: 3/9/16
Miller’s Chapter 9 was a look into the usage of social media and the way by which it effects storytelling. As we all know social media allows for instant connection, real time updates, and constant availability. Social media has according to Miller, brought the same affordances in a way to Digital Storytelling. Social media impacts digital storytelling in such a way that fictional characters can come alive in more ways than possible. In the example of “Mad Men”, Miller describes how a regular woman was able to give more of a meaning to a fictional character. This goes onto showcase how social media allows for the extension of a story. As in this example, the character was brought to life from another ‘actor’. This performance allows for a second life of the character which brings a new look or take on an already established character. Lastly, this chapter opens the knowledge pathway in which Miller explains to the audience that social media can change a story and the way it can be experienced.