Relief Through Digital Media

In this video we investigate on the idea of acceptance through digital media and specifically how we “routinely look to media and technology to bridge the interpersonal void” (Bugeja). The video is depressing but I want to look at the role of digital media in the video in a positive way.

As the title of the video suggests, Alice is experiencing a downtime. While she’s exhausted, she still goes on Twitter to “bridge her interpersonal void”. Why Twitter instead of directly talking to people? In my opinion, Twitter and other social media provide an easier way to keep connected to the world. You can be in any condition while browsing Twitter and you don’t always have to be in your best self. It becomes especially convenient when you are tired but want to feel accompanied. I am often in this condition when I am too tired to talk to anyone but I don’t want to feel all left out. Browsing social media sites makes me feel that I am still part of the outside world. This is not possible before technologies has been so advanced, so people had to make a choice between being comfortable and being connected, but now we can gain advantage of both.

In the video we can see that Alice’s phone is the thing that she keeps the closest with: when she finally gets rid of her burden (the backpack) and sits on the bed, when she lays down and staring at nowhere, she holds her phone in her hand; when she recovers some energy from the daze, she choose to browse Twitter on her phone; when she finally falls asleep, her phone is still in her hand. The phone as a digital media is inseparable from her at any time because it serves as more than an entertainment machine but also a connection to other people when she’s alone.

May