Looking back on the learning journey of this course, my understanding of new media has undergone a transformation from tool use to cultural criticism. Modules 1 and 2 laid a theoretical foundation for me and guided me to think about what is new about "new media". The concept of transliteracy impressed me in particular, and it prompted me to re-examine my ability to switch and express between different media. I began to realize that traditional "reading and writing skills" are no longer enough, and today's media literacy emphasizes cross-platform information processing, creation, and dissemination capabilities. When completing the "Digital Literacy Snapshot" video assignment, I not only reviewed my online journey from QQ, and Weibo to TikTok but also began to understand how these platforms shaped my digital identity. I deeply noticed that Short videos seemed to be slowly eroding my brain, causing my ability to receive media information to become less sensitive, my attention began to decline, and I began to be unable to read long articles. This self-reflection process made me realize that the process of using and upgrading different platforms is also a process of breaking down and reorganizing my digital identity.
Entering modules 3 to 5, my critical awareness was further enhanced. When exploring the differences between AI writing and traditional human narratives, I began to understand that technology is not a neutral tool, but a system that carries specific values and power logic. AI-generated texts seem efficient, but they may reproduce and deepen existing biases. For example, AI writing systems often generate by imitating a large amount of existing texts, which may unconsciously perpetuate racial stereotypes, gender biases, and culturally dominant narratives. In the "AI Selfie" assignment, I tried to use different systems to generate my own portraits and analyze them in combination with theoretical knowledge about selfies. This process made me think: AI selfies are not only a way to express "who I am", but also a presentation of technical language systems and cultural gaze.
What inspired me the most was the discussion of Technobiophilia in Module 7. I had never come across this concept before. This new concept made me rethink the relationship between technology and nature. Although digital technology is often seen as a product that is separated from nature, I realized that many online platforms and interface designs are actually trying to evoke people's emotional connection with nature. For example, people's mobile phone wallpapers are likely to be about nature. Integrating nature into the digital environment not only provides psychological comfort but also reflects our desire for natural connection in our highly technological lives.
Overall, this course not only improved my media literacy in the digital age but also prompted me to understand how technology is intertwined with identity, power, and culture in a more critical and objective way. At the same time, I learned a lot of theoretical knowledge that allows me to have a relatively clear framework for concepts that I cannot be expressed in daily life.
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