Explore the ways in which interpersonal conflict is presented, explored, and addressed in popular podcasts like Judge John Hodgman (Maximum Fun) and Conversations with People Who Hate Me (Nightvale Presents). These are shows which address emotional, yet relatively minor disputes in a public, drama-free environment. What is it about podcasts like these that breeds frank honesty and polite empathy at the same time?
Do we know our friends or a version of them? We have the ability to connect with anyone at the end of our fingertips. Are we really connecting? Has social media given isolation an environment for community spirit? Are all social media platforms beneficial and if not what are the benefits and troublesome tendencies?
I know people who have met their best friends through a type of social media and completely had their lives changed by the relationship. I've connected with amazing and not to great people on multiple platforms and there's so many different views that I could see being looked at in this article. We live in a world where many of us 'live' online. I think all types of social medias would have benefits and negative points. Making new friends, business inquiries, cat fishing and bullying are a few I'd focus on. – TorriPaige7 years ago
Many people are skeptical about the "realness" of online relationships, but there's emerging evidence that those relationships can be more honest than face-to-face relationships. There's an interesting discussion at http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/05/31/1222447110?with-ds=yes: Marital satisfaction and break-ups differ across on-line and off-line meeting venues
John T. Cacioppo, Stephanie Cacioppo, Gian C. Gonzaga, Elizabeth L. Ogburn and Tyler J. VanderWeele
PNAS June 3, 2013. 201222447 From the abstract: "Results [from a survey using a nationally representative sample of 19,131 respondents who married between 2005 and 2012] indicate that more than one-third of marriages in America now begin on-line [that was back in 2013, so it's likely even higher now]. In addition, marriages that began on-line, when compared with those that began through traditional off-line venues, were slightly less likely to result in a marital break-up (separation or divorce) and were associated with slightly higher marital satisfaction among those respondents who remained married." – JamesBKelley7 years ago
There is definitely a dark side to online interactions, including trolling and doxing, but my thoughts keep returning to the positive.
It's worth doing an internet search for: online dating and marriage
There's a lot of information, including a number of studies from 2017, about the benefits of online beginnings of marriage: lower divorce rates, higher levels of satisfaction, greater opportunities to find spouses outside of traditional and limited social circles (e.g. increased opportunities for interracial and/or same-sex marriages and partnerships). – JamesBKelley7 years ago
Like personal interactions it depends on the person and the community of people they surround themselves in. – haileysolessmith7 years ago
We have friends whom we know personally, and probably have added them on our social media channels. However, people we add only because they have friends of our friends, now those are people we only know a certain version of them either through their profiles or chit chatting about them with others. In terms of connecting; we do connect with our close friends on an emotional and interpersonal level when we comment or post on each others' social media updates, or share photos of each other. What is posted can definitely cause any emotion in an individual, groups of individuals, and worldwide. However, if we are in the same room physically, and are browsing through social media feeds, THAT is when we are not connecting at all whatsoever. – Yvonne7 years ago
For the past few years, the phrase 'going viral' has been shown, to a increasingly greater extent, to shape what we might see and hear in the media – for better, or worse. Snapchat stories, vines, Youtube videos, memes, etc. gain attention and become news, earning their 'stars' perhaps longer than five minutes of fame, and instead spawning television appearances, or merchandise, for example.
How much is this a sign of the ongoing pace of what we consume as media on the internet, and how much of it can be controlled? Does this have any good, or detrimental effects (e.g. using examples, is there anything very good, or very bad, that has happened from a particular video/article/picture, going viral?)?
This is definitely a current, relevant topic that can be widely explored. Some good aspects would be viral causes that help a charitable organization or raise awareness of a certain issue, the 2014 ice bucket challenge to raise ALS awareness and funds for The ALS Association, for example. A downside that is slightly less specific is how the pressure to 'go viral' effects the quality of content that people and content creators churn out. As a writer who has looked into freelance opportunities, there is no shortage of online publications that demand writers who are able to produce 'attention-grabbing' articles with vague titles to pique the curiosity of bored internet users. The actually quality of the writing is secondary to the amount of clicks an article can attract. Sites are clogged with slideshow articles with clickbaity titles to bump up ad revenue. More of a comment on the decent of online writing content and journalism I suppose, but a topic that could be relevant while exploring the 'going viral' aspect of modern online culture. – Analot7 years ago
Look at parody fiction, and discuss at what point it stops being "Parody" and becomes "Art", can these coexist? Is parody automatically art?
Suggestion: Hillywood Productions; YouTube
That's a really interesting topic! Parody can parasitic in some ways; it often doesn't have a life of its own, doesn't age well, etc. Maybe to become "Art" it has to be able to stand on its own, divorced from the very thing it's parodying? – JamesBKelley7 years ago
Spoilers for the end of Critical Role – Vox Machina.
Is the success of Critical Role purely due to the story of the PCs in the world created by the DM, or as I would suggest, is part of the attraction getting a glimpse into the relationships of a group of charismatic individuals?
By no means am I suggesting that watching these individuals play D&D for 4 hours a week provides any real insight into the reality of their lives. However, I do think there are glimpses into the people behind the characters that at times is as entertaining as the show itself.
The best example I can think of is the final fight of the first campaign between the PCs and Vecna. The game story was awesome, but as some commentators have pointed out, watching the visceral reaction of Sam Riegel when he chose to stop the BBEG instead of his friend was just as, if not more, engrossing.
Abridged series – a style of parody in which a preexisting show is summarized by new actors dubbing over the original show's animation – have become increasingly popular, and as they have done so have evolved from simple comedy sketches to works that can be as focused on drama and complex characters. The writer should investigate a number of popular Abridged Series, comparing and contrasting them with their source material and noting any differences in tone, characterization, or storytelling style.
Sharing viral videos of heroic acts seems to be a double-edged sword. On one side are those who argue that sharing videos of heroic acts encourages others to do the same, and reminds our world that “good deeds” and “good doers” still exist. On the other side are those who argue that publicly sharing heroic acts is not in fact heroic, and that it is done for attention. Some critics even claim that some of these heroic acts are staged.
Analyze our culture’s attitude toward heroic acts. Consider the arguments on both sides, and the truth and facts behind these arguments. Also consider the celebrity-ism behind viral videos. Individual such as Antoine Dodson (“Hide yo kids/hide yo wife”) and Kai, the hatchet-wielding hitchhiker, not only became well-known for their interesting personalities and rather funny news interviews, but because of the “remixes” that their videos inspired. What can be said about our culture turning heroic acts into laughable, light-hearted memes?
Last, consider the way technology affects these heroic acts and the attitudes of people on both sides of the argument. For example, prior to the social media and viral video revolution, heroic acts were often shared through mediums such as newspaper and word-of-mouth. How has our culture’s attitude changed in this regard?
Analyse why the adolescents of our generation are so desperate to reach viral fame, and the impact this is having on the online world, and on their future. Discuss the rise of social media platforms, such as Youtube, Instagram and Musically, and the influence viral stars from these platforms have on our youth.
Ok, this could get interesting. Social media has the potential to promote narcissism but here's my question: is it the chicken or the egg? Does social media merely activate genes already planted in someone's DNA, therefore only effecting people who are genetically predisposed to narcissism, or can it have an effect on any average teen? – ReidaBookman8 years ago
Being a kid in the early 2000s who was into video games and film, I wanted more than anything to be a famous YouTuber like iJustine or Mitchell Davis. I was a shy kid, but I loved performing. I reckon seeking viral fame has something to do with sharing a bit of yourself from the comfort of your bedroom. Something extraordinary about social media is that it allows 'celebrities' to have an intimate relationship with their fans. There has never been anything like that before, and it helps these people feel connected to others. So one possible argument could be that adolescents just want to be loved, but now they have the resources be loved on a larger scale by millions of strangers on the Internet. – Shannon Kelly8 years ago
This would make a very interesting article! A side note could also enter the dangers of viral fame; identity theft and bullying...
Could have many different avenues!! Goodluck! – AbbyMay7 years ago
An interesting topic, indeed. Consider looking into phenomena such as the Cinnamon Challenge and Choking Game, which have dangerous and even fatal elements. You could compare/contrast with things like the Ice Bucket Challenge, which was tied to helping raise awareness of ALS. – Stephanie M.7 years ago
This is a very interesting and important topic. An article could also look at the view on "internet fame" versus "traditional fame" and how this perception affects these people. – L.J.7 years ago
