Before the Digital Media lecture, I felt the term was very daunting. I immediately jumped to images of very complex equipment that I would have no hope of using. I also felt that it was going to be a very rigid subject that was strictly technological. However, after the lecture, I became increasingly excited and optimistic for the course. For starters, my preconceived notion of it being a solely technical course vanished after Laurie Petrou asserted the class of her love of art and disdain for math (we share some common ground). Upon learning about the artistic elements of the course, I was excited to learn that I can use a myriad of mediums in the course that may be a little more primitive than Photoshop (i.e. collage, paint, charcoal, etc). It made me feel that even if I struggle a little with the extremely technical aspects of the course, I can still succeed and contribute in a meaningful way, creatively.
I think this course is imperative to take as a first year course because it introduces an RTA student to technology they will be using in a relaxed, intimate manner. I have a feeling students will be able to feel more comfortable very quickly in the lab environment, which may help us acclimate to professional settings (such as internships). I know for myself that if I learn skills in an area I’m not too familiar with, it will build my confidence not only for this course, but for my others, in turn helping me pursue more challenges in my four years at Ryerson.
Finally, I feel Marshall McLuhan was correct in his theory that “the medium is the message.” This concept heavily comes into play in today’s society with the advent of social networking websites. As it has been stated by Laurie Petrou and by others in my classes, we as a society don’t seem to care what messages we’re being fed by Facebook, Twitter, etc. We just want them and we want them instantly. Although maybe as a society we should be listening about social injustices in the third world…well…Kanye West just apologized via Twitter and at the moment, that seems much more important. Yes, McLuhan was right.
