Part C: Critical Reflection
As I progressed through INF533, I thought I had a fair understanding of what constitutes digital literature, as I wrote about it in my initial blog post on the subject and my discussion on digital literature environments in my personal context (TL and Eng T). I discussed methods of evaluating digital literature to determine quality and use in an educational context. Even as I used this knowledge to evaluate three examples of digital literature for use in an educational context, it is clear that I still had much to learn. I was still confused about some of the terms and concepts and their use in academic literature surrounding digital literature environments. I created my own personal glossary of terms in an attempt to consolidate my understanding. However, after completing my assessment and reviewing my three digital literature artefacts and receiving marking feedback, it was apparent that while I had chosen three different formats; audio, mobile and computer, my literature artefacts were all games (T. Croft, personal communication, September 13, 2021).
An interesting phenomenon brought on by the advent of digital media is the concept of “context collapse: an infinite number of contexts collapsing upon one another into that single moment of recording” (Wesch, 2009, p. 23). Whilst transmedia texts boast the unique affordance of worldwide broadcastability, this can also be to the detriment of the creator as the digital artefacts become contextually flattened both temporally and spatially. This then blurs the lines between past and present and the original context within which the artefact was shared. (Brandtzaeg & Lüders, 2018). This has drastic implications for both the user and audience of the storytelling artefact as self-identity is an ever-evolving concept, not a static construct. Therefore, if we utilise the benefit of digital storytelling and its ‘transformative influences on our worlds of meaning and social relations’ we are also subjecting ourselves to judgement both now and in the future. This is an important reflection for me to make as I consider that whilst the benefits of digital literature are many, there are also disadvantages to consider. Whilst the same could be said about print texts, with history showing how authors of times past have had their works and values scrutinized, the level of scrutiny of the internet is magnified as more users have access, in real time and news spreads quickly. The public are no longer passive consumers of content; rather, they now have unprecedented access to dialogue with authors and creators. This is particularly pertinent to me as I have put my theoretical learning into practice with the creation of my own digital literature project, ‘Telling Queer stories: a life of many colours”.
Another aspect I have considered more deeply due to the content in this unit is the notion of authorship, fair-use, and copyright. Whilst I am no lawyer and the laws of copyright are far too complex for me to understand, I understand the necessity of upholding copyright and respecting authorship. I believe that the average internet user, particularly younger generations do seek to uphold authorship and fair-use standards. Many social media sites such as YouTube require fair-use rights to publish videos and I have seen a rise in comments across sites like Instagram and TikTok requesting posters to credit original authors of content. Crediting original authors does become tricky as the very nature of transmedia artefacts means that they often blur lines between genres, utilising many modes of communication. It can therefore be difficult, sometimes impossible, to identify the true origin of an idea. Nevertheless, there has been a worldwide boom in the use of consumer subscription software. This shows that users are happy to pay to rent licences rather than obtain these items through less legal means.
In summary, the cliché saying is true: the more I learn, the less I feel I know. I have learned the value of digital storytelling and the world of opportunity opened through digital literature. However, with any new power available to us, for digital storytelling is powerful, comes the responsibility and care that must be taken to utilise it effectively.
References
Brandtzaeg, P. B. & Lüders, M. (2018). Time collapse in social media: Extending the context collapse. Social Media + Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305118763349
Wesch, M. (2009). YouTube and you: Experiences of self-awareness in the context of the collapse of the recording webcam. Explorations in Media Ecology, 8, 19–34. https://krex.k-state.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/2097/6302/WeschEME2009.pdf