What is communication?
Communication in its most finite state is the sharing of information between two parties through avenues such as discourse. When speaking of mass communication, this “discourse” is broadened to include a wider scope of people. Communication has expanded due to the advancement of technology, or more specifically, the Internet. Through this expansion, the term “cyber communication”, has appeared, within outlets such as email, blogs, media websites, and online newspapers. Though one might argue the advancement of this technology has positively influenced communication, it has also severely isolated the “mass”. When communication was at its most basic form, people spread information through one on one discourse, and this information, though passing slowly, would reach others through word of mouth. Then, the audience was expanded, as technology grew in locations that allowed for it; developing countries. Though this allowed for a mass communication to be born, it increasingly isolated those who had virtually no access to these same resources creating an ever expanding gap between the “haves” and “have- nots”, as it were.
What is the Aura/CyberAura?
What is the Culture Industry/CyberIndustry?
When describing “aura”, one can infer its relationship is dependent upon its audience. This is just to say that an aura is created through a group of people who are witness to it. Naturally, an aura can be experienced through sensory perception, and is attributed to a “feeling” one gets when its presence, which is usually brought upon through art. This can be any art form, such as a painting or a musical performance. In the past, this experience with aura was achievable because of a physical presence, or being literally in front of a painting, or an audience member at a musical performance. But as time passed and technology advanced, the need to have a physical presence with an art form, was no longer necessary. People were able to see a painting through the Internet, and able to purchase it at stores. The importance of time, or the here and now, as well as, the gathering of people, became seemingly obsolete. In other words, the framework of the “early aura” was reorganized, in the form of the cyber aura. The argument for the cyber aura is that our generation has adapted to this technological change, and therefore is able to still marvel at a painting from a picture of it, as well as appreciate a musical performance while watching on sites like YouTube. In the end, cyber aura can be defined as the feeling a person gets while witnessing such art forms, though through different mediums, such as the Internet or mass-produced art.
In any industry, the motivation is singularly monetary gain, which in society, equaled power within the framework of the industry itself. As technology increased however, the cyber world was created, and monetary gain didn’t necessarily mean power anymore. In this new cyber world, value began being placed upon the ability to spread information, and this quickly became the driving force, thus creating a cyber industry. The new framework of this cyber industry was through authority, reputation, and attention in the cyber world. The ability to entertain one’s audience also plays part in this power struggle. In Adorno’s “The Culture Industry, Enlightenment as Mass Deception,” he states, “Nevertheless, the culture industry remains the entertainment business. Its control of consumers is mediated by entertainment.” Therefore, cyber industry can be defined as an endeavor to spread information efficiently, and creatively, to ultimately entertain a mass audience in order to gain power in the framework of the cyber world.
Adorno, Theodore. "The Culture Industry, Enlightenment as Mass Deception." Dialectic of Enlgihtenment. (1987): 108. Print.
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