The Medium is Not the Message (II)

I think I lost faith in America as I studied Chinese media. A common Chinese perspective is this: “We know about the media control in our country. It’s an organized, thought-out, and purposeful control that we can’t do much about. But in America, you all deny that control exists in any form, and you are blind to it, whatever it may be. Which is the scarier scenario?”

Obviously not knowing it’s there.

(Right?)

I’m not going to call out American media as being controlled by certain forces. It’s not really about media itself, but about how media affects and influences society and vice versa. It’s a cause-and-effect cycle that can’t end, except badly.

It’s not about the media, but about the message. (What is "the media," anyway?) It’s about the attitude that Americans have toward the rest of the world. How did we get like this?

My intent here is not to make a judgment, but to present thoughts and questions. What are your thoughts and questions?

The Medium is Not the Message (I)

One aspect of my life that changed since being in China is media consumption. Media reflects the society from which it comes, and in China the media is understandably different from that of western countries. I got used to that.

I don't have a TV, and I don't watch movies. I also don't listen to music. The only time I have internet at home is when my neighbors are kind (wink!). It may seem like I’m withdrawing from society, but I think the opposite has happened. I'm more aware of what's happening in the global community and less focused on my several hundred Facebook friends and their lives.

It's about the way you use media, right? So instead of limiting myself by always being online or inundating my mind with popular American culture, I think I'm freeing myself to learn about other things and to see the world from a different perspective.

What's the point? There are two things going on here. The first is that in China, I lived without these media as they existed in that country. And it wasn’t a big deal. Chinese TV was way too dramatic, and they spoke too fast, referencing historical and cultural references that I knew nothing about. My main internet usage was an online Chinese dictionary that I love.

The second aspect is that I was not only living without these Chinese media, I was also not using these English/American media. I didn’t have access to them, and even Facebook was usually blocked online. When I came back to the U.S., I wasn’t able to seamlessly jump back into the world of entertainment media, let alone all the conversations about the latest movies and music and TV shows. It was way too much work to go back and find out what I had missed, especially when I've never been all that into entertainment media, anyway.

And now I'm going to go read some Marshall McLuhan.

On Google and China

I read this article on the aftermath of the Google situation in China, and I found the reporting odd. The first half of the article is about a party that Chinese Google employees held, complete with cocktails and the Beijing elite. The second half starts with an interview with the host of the party - who does not work for Google anymore and says that the party had nothing to do with the company.

And, the most important part of the article, in my opinion, was buried at the end:

"You [Americans] don't appreciate the people who are here in China ... life is harder here. Life is different, and people in the States don't see that. They don't appreciate that," Tian [a former Google China employee] said. "They see their so-called principles are getting bent and they don't like that."

Americans' views on tolerance and acceptance are extremely skewed. It is okay to be intolerant of religion (because religious people are intolerant), but it is unacceptable to be intolerant of certain illicit activities (because that's judging others). We should be completely accepting and open of other cultures, but not if, like Tian said, our "principles" are being compromised.

America should leave China alone. We don't know what is best for their country. We don't even know what is best for our country.



By the way, the Chinese word for "tolerance" basically means "to have no choice but to stand something."

Earthquake Part III

When I turn on the television or listen to the radio, everything is about the earthquake. All around Lanzhou there are signs, billboards, posters, banners, etc. all having to do with Si Chuan.

There are pictures of bodies. There is video of small children screaming for their mothers. There are pictures of children's drawings saying "I miss my family" underneath. And of course, there are pictures and video of the destroyed buildings.

It's almost like propaganda, and I can't figure it out. Who is behind it all? Why are they inciting fear? Who is benefiting from this?

All of the Chinese people here at the university are scared. They sleep by the hundreds in tents on the field of the stadium, the only place relatively safe if buildings were to fall.

The people say that "the earthquake is moving closer to Lanzhou" and that "the aftershocks are coming sometime tonight," etc.

They won't listen to reason, and every day the panic seems to grow.

Last week there were three days of mourning. It was eerie. China is always loud and busy and crazy and fun. For three days it was quiet and scary.

I wonder if people will resume their normal lives any time soon. What if they're afraid of another earthquake all summer? I can't imagine living in fear like they are.

No Distractions

My life in China is simple. I like it. There is a pattern and pace to each day and each week.

I brought my laptop and I have the option of having the internet in my room. I have decided to do without it. I can get online at an internet café down the street when I want. I enjoy not having the distractions of instant messenger, Facebook, email, and just generally being online.

I do wish that I could be more connected to family and friends back home. But this way, I'm not missing out on anything in China. I spend more time writing about my experiences here and I'm not distracted when I study (or should I say, I actually study!).

I'm even to the point where I dread getting online each week- it's almost like a chore.

I also don't listen to music as often as I did in the states, either. I must admit, I miss working at a radio station and being around friends who are so into music. I have nothing new to listen to (except my roommate's Kazakh hip hop and rap). But as with the internet issue, I'm better off without the distraction.