MaceM

In 2020, Minecraft transcended the gaming sphere and became a medium through which to read banned journalism. A project started by Reporters Without Borders, the library holds work by censored journalists all across the world, with some of their most dangerous writings embedded and available to read right there in the game.

In a world that grows more and more fond of censorship and bookburning, how are video games (minecraft in particular as a recent example), and other media being used to subvert the attempted erasure of political commentary? What opportunities do video games open up which circumvent censorship in ways that didn't exist before? What does this subversion look like in a digital landscape? Feel free to take some of these questions and run with them!

As the 2000's and 2010's generations continue to use the internet, giving new meanings to old memes and creating new trends, mainstream media also continues its quest to keep up and riff off our ever-changing, interconnected world. As things stand, most mainstream movies and tv shows for example, haven't been able to catch on to new trends fast enough for them to be relevant, and if they have, it seems that they're several years behind. What I'm wondering is, what would happen if/when mainstream media catches up and starts employing more people who have been chronically on the internet since they were young? Would we lose the kind of subversive, critical thinking that exists in the gap between what is mainstream and the (more or less) free range content we see every day on social media? If we start to see the heavily ironic jokes we see on tiktok (for example) in mainstream media today, does it change their meaning, and is the medium really still the message?

"Top 10" type videos and articles on the internet are so prolific right now it's like they fill up any negative space available on the net. Examine why that is and how this type of arguably cheap content has become so popular. Is it because of the platforms they inhabit? i.e, "the medium is the message," or is it simply because of the mindset of the generation? Interested to hear your thoughts!

While still being a plot-focused show, Sense 8 offers an interesting look into what it means to connect on a deep level with another human, sharing sometimes violent or pleasureable experiences in equal measure. Examine the different relationships in the show and what they say about our experience of love and closeness, or alternatively, the lack of those qualities. What is the show trying to get at by telling the stories of these deeply interconnected people?

What is the effect of social media stalking, chatting, and posting on budding modern-day romances? Is there a difference between chatting over text or sending a snap to a potential partner? Examine how anxiety and mistrust flourish under the social media spotlight and how our methods of romantic communication have changed over the years from verbal contact to the sharing of images. Also perhaps consider the kinds of images shared and the effect they have on our psyche.