This is the point in my life at which the internet became something more than merely a homework helper or a time waster. After joining Tumblr, the internet became a place that was intertwined with my life.
Around this time I also became a much more active YouTube viewer, particularly watching vloggers. Though their YouTube videos weren't necessarily creative content, most of the vloggers I watched created other things in their "real life" - like YouTuber and bestselling author John Green, for example. YouTube became a place where I could interact with people who I admired, and who were doing Cool Creative Things that I could consume.
Add in some Twitter action, and the internet was a place that was really important to me.
So two years later... I'm in an English class, and we're utilizing the internet in ways I really enjoy. But there's some negative connotations floating around, and they irk me every time I hear them mentioned. There's vague mentions, not necessarily from any one person, of writing on the internet isn't as valuable as writing in print, or the rise of the amateur is bad because look at these annoying people who aren't even good poets, or how dare they put their writing on the internet when it sucks, etc. You get the point - people view work on the internet condescendingly, often with the attitude that it is less meaningful or important than published writing. Well, I just couldn't let that stand. I had already discussed internet works in a few posts, including topics like spoken word, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, and the rise of the amateur.
I wanted to write a paper that would defend internet work as valuable while also noting the importance of it in the simple fact that it is more accessible, especially to people who might not take an interest in literary pursuits when not on the internet (i.e. people who aren't going to pick up a volume of poetry in their spare time, but who will read it if it shows up on their Tumblr feed).
I think I did a pretty good job, and because I used the projects and creators I follow as my case studies, I was passionate about my topic.
Here's the full finished paper, for anyone who wants to read it.
New Media’s Literary Expansion: Everyday Accessible
Why do we read? Why do we
watch drama performances? Why do we memorize poetry? Why do we consume any form
of literature? On the one hand, we do it for entertainment. A comedy that
brings us laughter, poetry that helps us relax, a happy ending that helps us to
feel hopeful – it is easy to understand why we pursue literature that brings
about positive emotions. But what about the other side of literature – the works
that lay bare the less joyful aspects of life? It is a bit more difficult to
understand why we choose to partake in literature that reminds us of the less
than perfect events and endings that exist, so why do we still do so? What do
we gain from literature, regardless of the positive or negative emotions that
it can evoke from us? The answer is quite simple for anyone who values
literature in their life – it allows us to see from the perspective of others,
to understand complicated situations in ways that our own personally limited
worldview might not provide, to gain greater empathy for others, and by the
combination of all of these things, to become better people. If this result can
be brought about by the consumption of literary works, then should we really
look down at works that are made available by the internet? Fanfiction? We
scoff. Poetry in YouTube videos? Sounds questionable. An amateur posting their
own work? It must not be of high enough quality if it is not printed on paper.
But the truth is that this condescending attitude toward literature in new
media is unhelpful to both the creators and consumers of such content. Here is
the important part: new media has allowed literature to grow and remain active in
many people’s lives, and whether or not the literature made available is of
higher or lower quality is inconsequential, as absorbing literature at all is
beneficial to the consumers of it. The rise of literary content presented through
new media makes it more accessible to people who might otherwise turn away from
it.
Since the internet’s
inception, it has been providing new platforms with which to share everything
in one’s life. The way people interact with their friends, family, and mere
acquaintances has been affected by the world wide web, so it is not surprising
that the way in which people create and share content is changing as well. From
vloggers to poets to actors, the internet has provided a forum for creative
growth and expansion. Naturally, a huge part of this is literary in nature.
Viewing three differing aspects of creative work, new media has allowed for
growth in the way creators present content, and in the way society views and
consumes said content, and this growth is inherently beneficial in keeping
literature an active part of people’s lives. This new media allows for the
creation of new genres and subgenres, new formats, and new levels of
experience.
One way new media has
expanded is in the rise of the amateur on new media platforms that allow
creators to publish their own work. This has allowed for the creation of new
genres like “fanfiction,” and has given bloggers, poets, and novelists new ways
to present their work to a relatively large audience without the struggle of
getting it in print. Does this mean that a vast amount of the work one
encounters on the internet will be of novice quality? Undoubtedly. But does
that mean it is inherently negative? No. If one views literature as a means of
becoming engaged in the lives of others, experiencing greater empathy for those
around them, and growing into a generally better citizen of the world, then any
exposure to even awful, unrefined, amateur literature proves beneficial for the
consumer of it. If people, especially the rising generation, are suffering from
a lack of literature in their lives, then the expansion of literary pursuits on
internet forums serves an extremely valuable purpose by bringing it closer to their
everyday lives and making it more accessible.
One example of the rise
of the amateur can be seen in Tyler Knott Gregson, a poet made famous by the
popular blogging site Tumblr, on which he publishes typewriter poems and daily haikus
on love. While Gregson is an amateur in the dictionary definition of the word
(writing isn’t his day job) his work certainly merits the literary respect that
many published poets receive. Better still, this amateur has what many
published writers still seek – a large and engaged audience. Gregson’s
followers “reblog” his work and his daily poetry posts often easily reach
thousands of “likes” and “reblogs.” Do we look condescendingly at Gregson, as
he pursues what he loves and has succeeded in finding supporters of it? Some
people might, but looking from a broader perspective we can see that Gregson success
does not only benefit himself – thanks to the unique blogging platform of
Tumblr, his work reaches thousands of people who might not otherwise be exposed
to poetry regularly. This means that the rise of this amateur is helping keep
people engaged in literature, which is the valuable pursuit we are concerned with.
New media likewise allows
older content to be recreated in new ways, as seen in The Lizzie Bennet
Diaries, a modern day adaptation of Pride
and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, in which the story is presented in vlog
format on YouTube. The production provides audiences with a new way to connect with
a classic story, and teaches the same lessons as the original novel, along with
a few new lessons of its own. The audience consists of people who had never
read Pride and Prejudice and those
who have read it too many times to count. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries was the
first of its kind, creating an entirely new subgenre that has yet to be named.
Not only is it a modern adaptation, it is also a fictional story conveyed on a
medium that was not created with fiction in mind. So do we look condescendingly
on this new subgenre of drama? Do we insist that this production is only
ruining the classic that is Pride and
Prejudice? Some might, but from a broader perspective one can see that The
Lizzie Bennet Diaries actually served to make many audience members more
engaged in the already classic story. It taught new lessons, had new focuses,
and ultimately presented literature in a way that made it accessible in the
everyday lives of its viewers.
While new media has also
allowed for genres to expand and subgenres to be created, it also allows
literature to be elevated to new levels of experience. This is most seen in the
expansion of performance poetry, which the growth of has been enabled by online
video sites like YouTube. Performance poetry heightens the level of immersion
of the listener by drawing them into the poem and allowing them to view the
full emotion of the poet performing their work. The act of watching a poet can
feel much more participatory than simply reading their words on a page, which
allows an entrance for people who might otherwise feel put off by poetry. Performance
poetry has also allowed for even more growth within itself, including poems
performed by more than one person. The expansion of traditional poetic genres
built by new media is beneficial in its access level for consumers. For many,
genres like performance poetry bring literature to those who would otherwise
not be willing consumers of it. The ability to simply share a link with our
friends makes spreading work that a person loves extremely easy, giving people
more ways to connect with each other. And if one considers the way poetry,
especially performance poetry, allows people to gain insight into the lives of
others, then it is easy to see how consuming this particular brand of literature
can help people become more engaged and empathetic towards those around them. Do
we look condescendingly at the idea that a poem in a YouTube video could be
worth our time? Some might, but those who take the time to gain a broader
perspective know that even amateurs who step onstage can bring something
valuable to the table. Not only is performance poetry now widely accessible
thanks to the internet, it is always widely accessible thanks to its own style
and platform. A teenager might think of poetry as “overly dramatic words with
senseless and pretentious spacing and indenting,” until they watch a video of a
poet that makes their eyes water or causes goosebumps to rise on their neck. Reading
fifteenth century sonnets and looking for rhyme scheme does not hold appeal for
a vast majority, but listening to a person on stage rant about any aspect of their
life has the ability to pull a person into their world and keep them there for a
minute.
New media has brought
about the expansion and growth of literature in both expected and unexpected
ways. While some people may look at this growth with condescension, it should
actually be valued and praised. The growth of literary pursuits through new
media are beneficial to everyone because they have made literature of every
quality accessible to those utilizing new media, which is a number that will
only grow as the years pass.
Works Cited:
Harmon,
William. A Handbook to Literature. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall, 2006. 440. Print.
August,
John. "Johnaugust.com." Web log post. Johnaugustcom
RSS. N.p., 1 Mar. 2006. Web. 18 June 2013.
Rubenstein,
Grace. "Kids Feel the Power of Poetry in Performance." Edutopia. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2013.
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