Posthumans on YouTube
0
조회
0
다운로드
0
인용
0
참고문헌
키워드
초록
YouTube, the most successful video platform to date, is an important source for identifying public opinions, fantasies, and feelings about transhumanism. Looking at YouTube can show us how its many users think about human enhancement and possible posthuman futures; and that may help us to better understand the democratic viability or even legitimacy of political decisions concerning enhancement technologies. Moreover, YouTube not only is an indicator of collective imaginations but has an important influence on them as well. Because it allows for uploading user-generated content and participating in recommendations, comments and discussions, it can be seen as a cultural forum of exchange or as a battlefield where different opinions collide and intermesh. This paper tries to give a first, provisional survey of YouTube’s discourses about transhumanism, human enhancement, and posthuman futures. The analysis proceeds in three steps: After some general considerations concerning transhumanism and representations of posthumans in popular culture, it turns to the specifics of YouTube as a new media form. On that basis, four kinds of discourses concerning transhumanism are distinguished and illustrated by brief examples of typical videos and comments: non-fictional discourses (1) about emerging technologies in human therapy and enhancement, as well as (2) about the transhumanist movement, (3) fictional discourses about posthuman futures, and (4) reflective, meta-fictional discourses about mass media representations of posthumanity. The analysis of those discourses shows highly divergent tendencies of evaluating human enhancement. Taken together, those evaluations suggest that a majority of YouTube users take a skeptical stance towards enhancement technologies in general, while they may be more ready to accept concrete technologies with demonstrable benefits. Moreover, the discourses show that collective imaginations of human nature and posthumanity are changing: the human species is more and more seen not as something fixed and stable but as something transformable and ephemeral.
Abstract
YouTube, the most successful video platform to date, is an important source for identifying public opinions, fantasies, and feelings about transhumanism. Looking at YouTube can show us how its many users think about human enhancement and possible posthuman futures; and that may help us to better understand the democratic viability or even legitimacy of political decisions concerning enhancement technologies. Moreover, YouTube not only is an indicator of collective imaginations but has an important influence on them as well. Because it allows for uploading user-generated content and participating in recommendations, comments and discussions, it can be seen as a cultural forum of exchange or as a battlefield where different opinions collide and intermesh. This paper tries to give a first, provisional survey of YouTube’s discourses about transhumanism, human enhancement, and posthuman futures. The analysis proceeds in three steps: After some general considerations concerning transhumanism and representations of posthumans in popular culture, it turns to the specifics of YouTube as a new media form. On that basis, four kinds of discourses concerning transhumanism are distinguished and illustrated by brief examples of typical videos and comments: non-fictional discourses (1) about emerging technologies in human therapy and enhancement, as well as (2) about the transhumanist movement, (3) fictional discourses about posthuman futures, and (4) reflective, meta-fictional discourses about mass media representations of posthumanity. The analysis of those discourses shows highly divergent tendencies of evaluating human enhancement. Taken together, those evaluations suggest that a majority of YouTube users take a skeptical stance towards enhancement technologies in general, while they may be more ready to accept concrete technologies with demonstrable benefits. Moreover, the discourses show that collective imaginations of human nature and posthumanity are changing: the human species is more and more seen not as something fixed and stable but as something transformable and ephemeral.
참고문헌 (35)
- Steven Spielberg, "AI–Artificial Intelligence", Amblin Entertainment, 2001
- Appel, Markus, "Fictional Narratives Cultivate Just World Beliefs", Journal of Communication, 58, pp.62~83 (2008)
- "Introduction to Transhumanism" (2003)[URL]
- Burgess, Jean, "YouTube: Online Video and Participatory Culture" (2009), Polity Press
- Dinello, Daniel, "Technophobia: Science Fiction Visions of Posthuman Technology" (2005), University of Texas Press
- "Transhumanism" (2004)[URL]
- Andrew Niccol, "Gattaca", Jersey Films and Columbia Pictures, ~ (1997)
- Mamoru Oshii, "Ghost in the Shell", Shochiku and Manga Entertainment, ~ (1995)
- Habermas, Jürgen, (2001), Suhrkamp
- Hayles, Katherine N., "How We Became Posthuman: Virtual Bodies in Cybernetics, Literature and Informatics" (1999), University of Chicago Press
- "Transhumanist FAQ" (2012)[URL]
- Kavoori, Anandam, "YouTube: The Critical Viewers Guide" (2011), P. Lang
- Kurzweil, Ray, "The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology" (2005), Viking Press
- Snickars, Pelle, "The YouTube Reader" (2009), National Library of Sweden
- Specht, Melanie, "Broadcast Your Ad! Werbung auf den Videoportalen YouTube, Clipfish und MyVideo" (2010), Nomos
- Vincenzo Natali, "Splice", Dark Castle Entertainment, Copperheart Entertainment, Gaumont, Warner Bros., Optimum Releasing and Madman Entertainment, ~ (2009)
- Strangelove, Michael, "Watching YouTube: Extraordinary Videos by Ordinary People" (2010), University of Toronto Press
- Van Dijck, José, "Imagenation: Popular Images of Genetics" (1998), New York University Press
- Welker, Martin, "Die Online-Inhaltsanalyse. Forschungsobjekt Internet" (2010), von Halem
- "Statistics" (2012)[URL]
- "Transhumanism: How Far Would You Go?" (2008)[URL]
- "The Key of Awesome!: SEXY CYBORG!” BARELY POLITICAL" (2009)[URL]
- "Ray Kurzweil: After Singularity, We’ll All Be Robots. Big Think: Big Think’s channel" (2011)[URL]
- "“~Even Androids Get the Electric Blues~.” Shining in Many Ways...: degreesofshining’s channel" (2011)[URL]
- "“THE MUSIC INDUSTRY EXPOSED” (Playlist). Farhan Khan: Farhan Khan’s channel" (2012)[URL]
- "H+ The Digital Series: HplusDigitalSeries’s channel" (2011)[URL]
- "Infinite Waters (Diving Deep): Kemetprince1’s channel" (2008)[URL]
- "“Bad Romance.” Lady Gaga Official YouTube Channel:Ladygagaofficial’s channel" (2012)[URL]
- "Insane Robot Dance" (2005)[URL]
- "“29 years old and hearing myself for the 1st time!” sloanchurman's channel: sloanchurman’s channel" (2011)[URL]
- "“Cyberpunk v1.0.” Teh1337Fist: Teh1337Fist’s channel" (2007)[URL]
- "“The Transhumanist Cult That Runs Our Planet -Alex Jones Tv Sunday Edition 1/3.” Alex's Official Channel:TheAlexJonesChannel’s channel" (2011)[URL]
- "“Raytheon Sarcos Exoskeleton.” wired: wired’s channel" (2008)[URL]
- "“Clearing up a few misconceptions...” Zinnia Jones, Queen of Atheism: ZJemptv’s channel" (2011)[URL]
- "“Why I Am a Transhumanist” Zinnia Jones, Queen of Atheism: ZJemptv’s channel" (2009)[URL]