I was disturbed this weekend by some people's ignorance of blogs and other new media. During an orientation meeting for an environmental action group, the audience of 20 college students was asked to write letters to the editor about global warming. I was confused as to why we were focusing so much time and energy on an old form of communication that is being phased out.
After this activity, we were lectured by one of the directors of campaign. He mentioned the Chevy Tahoe commercial remixes that were featured on Rocketboom. Excited, I asked him if he watched Rocketboom regularly, and he responded: "What's Rocketboom?" After further discussion with him and other members of his staff, all of whom were in their mid to late 20's, I was thoroughly disheartened by the state of their campaign.
This tunnel vision on the part of my contemporaries worries me because these people are the ones who want to change the world. I'm saddened that they don't have the proper tools to effect change.
Christine Caro @ Tue, 04/25/2006 - 11:29pm
It is a bit ridiuclous that the speaker would not recognize Rocketboom after actually mentioning it in his speech. He should definitely be aware of what he is talking about. But at the same time, I wouldn't have known about Rocketboom myself had I not taken this class. It is getting more and more popular as well as getting more coverage, but at the same time, I'm sure that a lot of people just don't know that vlogs even exist.
That being said, it is important that people realize what is out there, especially those who "want to change the world." But I don't think you can throw away writing letters just yet; it might be a little old fashioned but it seems to send a more dedicated message than emails. It takes a minute or two to jot out an email, but writing a letter, buying a stamp and then mailing it out show a little bit more effort and could therefore be a little more effective.