pop culture
Technology is part and parcel of the Pop Culture conversation; explore the relationship between the internet and culture and how technology influences how we read, watch, listen and communiate.
No Longer Laughing
I wonder if I am taking things too seriously in life. I will admit to you all that I write for multiple pages online, and that one of those pages had this image on its remaining screen when I went to see what I could add this week. Peliplat was a web site devoted to media, meaning television, movies, anime, videogames, and the like. Many of the contributors seemed to come from the west coast, meaning Vancouver and California (certain articles were all in Spanish). It also ran challenges, but these were far less lucrative in the last years (they gave out something called Light Points for a particularly good piece of writing). And I was a regular contributor this past year…until I noticed something odd.
By Kendall Defoe 7 days ago in 01
The Artistry Behind Akuma DollZ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hFkFruR1YU The Artistry Behind Akuma DollZ Blueprints of Virtual Flesh I am deeply fascinated by Akuma DollZ, a virtual idol group that has forced me to rethink the boundaries between human creativity and automation. Presented as an artistic "project" rather than a traditional band, it originates from Sugrblade (Sugrblade Rec), an independent studio project whose real-world creator operates anonymously. Visually and musically, I love it; the sound is a catchy, crushing blend of dark aesthetics and heavy metal, and the video presentation is stunning. While it is easy to worry about the rise of generative technology, Akuma DollZ is explicitly presented as art. Viewed through that lens, could this be the next evolutionary development in performance art?
By Alyson Smith about a month ago in 01
Will A Two Hour Social Media Limit Actually Work?
This week Meta settled for $18 billion with an agreement that the company would make significant changes to its platforms to protect underage users. Some of these changes involve a nighttime block between 12:00 AM and 6:00 AM, schooltime blocks, no display of "likes" on posts made by minors. One of the more major ones is a two hour time limit for users under 18.
By caitodoesstuff2 months ago in 01
"Algospeak" Will Eliminate the Youth
On TikTok you may encounter words such as yt, le$bian, or going camping - not knowing why they have become so apparent. These words have been carefully crafted by users to avoid their videos being taken down by algorithmic censorship utilized by TikTok and other platforms. The common words - used in videos or in hashtags - are frequently flagged by algorithms resulting in content being silenced. Users talking about race may use yt instead of white, LGBTQ+ creators have a long list of words to supplement real identities, and AFAB and female creators utilize this “algospeak” to discuss massive issues such as abortion as the more common words are targeted by algorithms.
By caitodoesstuff2 months ago in 01
Social Media is All the Same
I’m sure you’ve all recognized this trend in recent years. Maybe we can blame the fall of Musically and the subsequent rise of TikTok. People became hooked on short-form content. Though, really that goes back all the way to Vine with seven second videos blowing up.
By caitodoesstuff3 months ago in 01
AI and the Future of Human Adaptation: How Artificial Intelligence Is Reshaping the Way We Live, Work, and Thrive
Yet AI's greatest impact may not be the automation of individual tasks. Its most significant contribution could be changing how humanity adapts to an increasingly complex and fast-moving world.
By Siamak Callimi3 months ago in 01
Back To The Numbers
Introduction This is prompted by the tumbling of reads since the Vocal upgrade, which is still causing a lot of issues, but I am one of the lucky ones because I can still publish, but am unable to request a withdrawal (although I am not depending on the coffee money from Vocal).
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 3 months ago in 01
Meta Glasses and the Glamorization of Surveillance
Call me old fashioned, but I rather liked it when my every movement wasn’t being documented. Maybe that’s a little extreme. After all, I grew when the Internet was hitting it big. By the time I was born people were already shoving cameras in others’ faces 24/7. The dawn of the influencer was just upon us, and it would only be a matter of time before recording strangers was considered typical.
By caitodoesstuff4 months ago in 01
Has Social Media Made Us Less Interesting?
Spend enough time around people and a strange pattern begins to emerge. Conversations that once wandered through unexpected territory now seem to circle the same handful of topics. Somebody brings up a viral video. Someone else mentions a celebrity controversy. Another person references a trending debate that dominated feeds for three days before disappearing into the digital void. The details change from week to week, yet the experience remains remarkably consistent. Millions of people are consuming the same content at roughly the same time, reacting to it in similar ways, and carrying those reactions into their everyday conversations.
By Tim Carmichael4 months ago in 01
Why I'm Worried About AI
I've written before about my concerns with AI. Very, very extensively. I've mentioned the environmental impact, and the economic one. I've raised concerns about inherent bias and false information due to unselective scraping of the internet. The Internet, after all, is a place where anonymity loosens tongues and shields prejudice. If training data isn't filtered for accuracy and bias isn't monitored for, who knows the extent of untruths that can be trained in?
By Natasja Rose4 months ago in 01
