I chose to look at the keyword Gaze with my story map. I specifically looked at the concept of the male gaze as a frame of references for not only understanding the concept of gaze as a whole, but as a point of references for understanding several types of “gazes”. I did this by specifically examining several types of media such as film and musics videos to see how gaze was demonstrated in these pieces. I then concluded by explaining the importance of using gaze to understanding the media we consume and how left unexamined the power of the gaze in our media can become internalized.

StoryMap – https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5c5fd24d980b451dbad2d55f45223ec5

I chose to focus my ArcGIS Storymap on the keyword “data”. I chose this keyword because of how relevant I believe it is for society in the 21st century. I first discuss what data actually is. I then go over the role of data and how it has been collected throughout history. I compared this to how data is collected today and how this method of collection can be better and worse in some ways. I also go over how data is depicted in media. Some media tends to show the benefits of modern data while others warn of the potential threats that come with it. At the end, I talk about how data is relevant on a smaller, personal level through social media and how data plays a role in the consumption of social media. Overall, I conclude that it is more important now than ever to become educated on what data is and how it affects our lives.

Link: Storymap

I created a story map on the keyword “Fan.” Although “Fan” was not a keyword we directly went over in class, I think that the topic of a “Fan” is incredibly interesting and intriguing. I primarily discussed what a fan is by giving examples of problematic fans that have been seen and discussed online. Additionally, I discussed the business aspect of “Fan” and how social media corporations shifted the definition due to engagement and capital. Lastly, I discussed some specificities of what a “fan” can be characterized as, as well as some other problematic traits that a fan has. Ultimately, what I concluded was that fans and their subject will continue to exist as social media continues to boost and promote them. Additionally, I concluded that the “Fan”, in its core, will continue to exist regardless of its impact or extent of harm.

Link to my story map:

https://arcg.is/0aSDXv

I chose fan as my keywords. I introduced how people change their understanding of fan and the origin of this word. I explain fandom and concert to show how fans as nodes connect each other online and offline. Then I show how fans related to technology through virtual idols and online concerts. Fan is a really controversial word. Many people have a bias toward this subculture. They think it is childish and vulgar. What I want to show is that this is not just a simple group. It is a subculture of community that is powerful. It is more complex than many people think about it. They have their own production line for them to make revenue and own rules to manage their commonality on different social media. Being a fan of something or someone can become a source of power for people to learn and expose to many new things. Also, this word is interesting since it can relate to many keywords we learn from class like assemblage, technology, gaze, and so on. Hope my map can provide a new lens to see this subculture.

Link to my story map: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/ebfcf4335a284185ab4a32bbde03c5f3

I chose to explore the keyword gender for my ArcGIS story map. My story map begins by defining gender and the different types of gender stereotypes. I then introduce gendered marketing and the physical differences of products marketed to men and women. My story map transitions to the Pink Tax and I delve into definitions, examples (self-care products, toys, dry cleaning), statistics, and significance. At first, I was planning to do my project just on gendered marketing, but once I started doing research, I found so many interesting articles about the Pink Tax. I had never realized the extent to which companies upcharge products marketed to women, so discovering all of the different examples and statistics was quite enraging. My story map concludes with ways to avoid paying the Pink Tax. 

Link to my story map: https://arcg.is/0LveTT

I chose the keyword “gaze” for my Storymap. By re-reading the “gaze” reading I was able to connect this keyword to different forms of media. I focused on the “male gaze” and the “female gaze” and analyzed them through films and newer forms of technology such as social media and video games. The films Transformers and The Wolf on Wall Street are two representations of the male gaze. Little Women, Lady Bird, and Oceans 8 are three films that I discussed which portray the female gaze. The male and female gazes are both very complex, meaning they consist of many elements in order to appeal to the audience each gaze is intended for. In the end, I explained how the female gaze is gaining ground in our society today. This is extremely beneficial because the more positive representations of women shown throughout the media, the more people will start to understand the complexity of a woman and the power a woman can have.    

Link to Storymap: https://arcg.is/jC1Hu

For my story map, I focused on the keyword gaze. I chose this keyword because I found it very interesting. It deals with much more than the cinematography gaze. The keyword Gaze can be further broken down into different perspectives and stereotypes. I first discuss the history of the gaze and media through Laura Mulvey’s “Narrative and Visual Pleasure”. This sort of gaze was then shifted from film to television, advertising and other sectors for purposes of profit maximization. I looked at how female creators in Hollywood are working together to create movies that repel the popularized male gaze in Hollywood.

Below is a link to my story maps:

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a11631354aae45399df7b057ae6f80c5

For my StoryMap I chose to focus on the keyword identity. After reading the keyword, conducting my own research, and using prior knowledge from my own experiences, I analyzed a few different facets of the word. I first broke this keyword down into two parts: visible and invisible identity. One is made up of character traits that are visible to the outside world and the other is the traits that are present below the surface. This then got me thinking about social media and how with a platform, such as Instagram, one can choose which identity factors to publish and which to hide. Relating identity to social media, I chose two popular influencers to use as examples of how social media allows one to craft their own identity and how social media effects our own identity. Instagram is often a place where people can hand craft their identity to make it look like their life is perfect, so I dived into that topic. There have been negative and positive impacts of social media which I also talk about towards the end of my StoryMap.

Link to my StoryMap: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/95e065a1bc28440090c09d8e8f3f9f97

Link to my StoryMap: