Response 3, AnnieH

The first project I wanted to review was the Jennicam. I thought her idea to create a sociological and artistic project surrounding her everyday life was brilliant at the time. It really launched not only reality TV, but the concept of the media being controlled by the people. She knew that what every human wants and needs is to feel connection. She took the experience of college, which can be isolating and lonely, and documented it. She was not preforming, she was simply living her life on camera. When interviewed, she talked about an email a college student sent her where he thanked her for making the project. He told her that he was feeling bad for being home on a Friday night, and when he looked at the Jennicam he saw her folding laundry. That moment made him feel connected and less alone.

There is a flip side to the issue of being filmed, however. We watched a film in class where a man had a hidden camera and went into stores asking employees about the security cameras. They said that they didn’t mind being filmed, but when it was revealed that he was filming them they were angry. I think this gives us a picture of how our society blindly trusts corporations filming us, but we distrust individuals around us. We trust anonymity rather than people we actually interact with. We don’t see the people behind the security camera, and I think if we did we would probably be just as disturbed as having an actual person standing in front of us with a camera.

The other resource I found interesting was The Cyborg in Us All. This is even more invasive than being filmed constantly, as it involves altering a part of the physical body through technology. The example given in the reading that I found most interesting was the man with epilepsy who had a microchip implanted in his brain. Scientists did an experiment where they connected the chip to a computer and allowed the man to play a video game with only his mind. While I can see how this technology could easily be abused and taken too far, I think there is so much potential good that could come from this as well. Many people with disabilities are unable to communicate. If we could implant a microchip in their brain that would help them to be understood, it would be life changing for them. I could also see microchips in the brain help with motor control for people who are paralyzed. Using technology, doctors could bypass the physical limitations of the brain and body, and give people higher qualities of life. I am excited to see where this technology goes in my lifetime.