Web 2.0

 It is rather amazing how far the internet has come in the last thirty years. When I was first learning how to use a computer as a young elementary student I was in the “computer lab” being told how to place my fingers on the keyboard much like learning to play the piano. I played word games to strengthen my typing speed or later using AIM chat to talk to my friends. Today I type on my touch screen smart phone with only a couple digits and FaceTime with friends. I can also remember a time when using the Apple Maps or Google Maps on your smart device was new and how very basic the GPS design functioned where as now I get so much more out of my Google Maps — even restaurant reviews! The connectivity of such applications and interactive websites that direct things like our online shopping habits is incredible. Humans are constantly communicating, but so are the devices we use in constant connection in some way or another. 

The experience of Web 2.0 is a reality for those of us that are fortunate to own smart devices, therefore it is an easy resource to take for granted. Users can understand the benefits of all that Web 2.0 has to offer, but it also needs to be made affordable for all. Luckily there are affordable cell phone plans emerging with companies such as Mint Mobile and Visible. The more people that benefit from Web 2.0 the more widely educated we can all become in American society!  

Copyrights & Fair Use

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                   Images above are from Wikipedia Commons 

In Elizabethan England literature had yet to be recognized as a true profession. There were writers of course, that if lucky, were financially supported by courtly or wealthy patrons. Though, it was more a time of circulating manuscripts rather than published works. Once a manuscript was sold to a Stationer (as they were called) that publisher owned the complete rights to reproduce the work. This could be a limited right to a few years, or not. There was no real benefit to publish one's work because the author had no copyrights or royalties from book sales, and instead was shared privately. It was a time to safeguard creative works so that no one would steal it. 

Today, there are copyright laws that have been put into place to protect creators' content. We have come a long way from the wild west of Elizabethan publishing. These laws are to protect intellectual property of such creations of music, art, literature, drama, software, designs and more! We must ask permission to use a creator's content that is under copyright. There is a possibility that some content is under Fair Use and can be used conditionally under the specified guidelines. There are works under the Public Domain that are not copyrighted and we can use this content freely. There are penalties for what they call copyright infringement if someone uses content illegally. 

Some of us can remember a time when music stealing by download was a thing, such as Napster who was unauthorized to distribute musical content. Now, we have Spotify that uses the same concept, but is not free, and the musical artists have to agree to terms of use. A few months ago Nike filed a lawsuit with pop-rapper Lil Nas X collaborator MSCHF for distributing altered satanic shoes that they did not agree to a collaboration. They repurposed a certain supply of Nike Airmax sneakers to fit his branding identity with his recent album, and sold them to fans. The case has since been settled, but it was how Lil Nas X responded to the accusations that makes we wonder if younger generations even care about protecting creative content. It would have certainly been easy enough for Lil Nas X's team to reach a collaboration deal with Nike to properly distribute his fan fare. These rules were put in place for the rights of the artist, and I hope we can teach the younger generations to not to take them for granted. 

If you want to read that lawsuit article: Nike sues the maker of Lil Nas X 'Satan Shoes' for trademark infringement 

Digital Literacy

         When we advocate for digital literacy, we are really attempting to give people the tools for discernment. When we look at the society that we keep, and subsequently extended to the wider world around us, it is a question of what kind of filter do we absorb information. Digital literacy is more of a norm in our modern world more than ever before therefore it should be introduced in children's early development. This will help guide them through the noise as they mature into the workers of the future. With the spread of the internet, having such a broad reach, comes great responsibility with such a force of global connection. A great educational source on this topic for teachers and parents can be found on Common Sense Media. It gives direction on how to instruct different age brackets: Preschoolers, Little Kids, Tweens, and Teens. So, that by the time they get to college digital literacy is nothing new, and they are more prepared as young adults. 

        When I think about digital literacy, I am drawn most to media because it visually stimulates a narrative that immediately makes it easier for audiences to digest. I consider for example, as a movie lover I am all for a robust period piece realizing that writers of the screenplay, directors, or producers will take creative liberties in the telling of a historical event. They must do it to create drama, to build tension into the climax, and some people watch these films believing everything in it was true. We have to remember that dramatic (or whatever genre) movies are an expression of feelings and ideas being explored and not a documentary. This sometimes translates to our news stories as well to guide a certain public opinion and we have to be vigilant so that we do not get swept up. To have that type of discernment we have to consider propaganda how it is being used and for what purpose. Then we can think critically for ourselves about what information is being circulated accepting what is sound logic or if it is not we do not allow it to guide our judgment. There are some decently dated movies that I have watched that I believe give a good representation of media literacy. Broadcast News and Network that focus on televised news. The Truman Show illustrates the possible effects of reality television. The Player showcases the commercialization of Hollywood, and its agenda. 

"Network" (1976)

"Broadcast News" (1987)

"The Player" (1992)

"The Truman Show" (1998)