MCDM-COM 546- slides for discussion leader assignment - Spring 2011

1. The Age of Egocasting
by Christine Rosen
The New Atlantic - Fall 2004/Winter 2005
http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/the-age-of-egocasting
“Egocasting, the thoroughly personalized and extremely
narrow pursuit of one’s own taste.”

2. “These
technologies
encourage not
the cultivation of
taste, but the
numbing
repetition of
fetish .”

3. “We are
turning into a
nation of
instant but
uninformed
critics.”

4. “Sampling is the
opposite of
savoring.”

5. Democratization
of mediums
spurs creativity
with them.

6. Discussion questions
✤ Do you agree that technologies such as TiVo and iPods that
enable self selection of content have a shielding effect from
culture and ideas? Why or Why not?
✤ Do you purposely seek out content that is unfamiliar to you
when choosing music, TV, or other content? Why or why
not?
✤ Do you think that more traditional forms of media expose
us to more or less variety of content? What are some
examples?

7. Credits
Presentation by Louise Maxwell
CC-share and share alike, non-commercial use
louisemaxwell@gmail.com
Photos:
✤ Remote controls: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobbyzero/262974025/
✤ TiVo cartoon: http://ceoworld.biz/ceo/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/tivo.jpg
✤ iPod figure: http://www.flickr.com/photos/combinedmedia/3067499170/
✤ Girl with the pearl earbuds: http://mentalhygiene.com/images/girl_with_pearl_earbuds.jpg