Response to Essay 1

Our first essay is over whether or not we agree with Mitchell Stephens’ assessment of the future of internet video. In his book The Rise of the Image, the Fall of the Word Stephens asserts that in the future internet video will provide us with a greater perspective of the world. We have been asked to agree or disagree with this assertion and provide specific examples to back up our claim.
I agree with Mitchell Stephens’ claim that internet video will provide greater perspectives on the world. I think that because of the rise of Web 2.0 it is inevitable for greater representation to come about simply because of the ease in which a person can upload video to sites like YouTube. As these sites become even more popular and accessible around the world the greater variety video that will be posted will definitely broaden our global perspectives.
Another reason for this perspective broadening stems from the inherent superiority of images and therefore video in conveying emotions in simple fashion. Even though written accounts of events are very good at describing things, seeing a video of an event can show things that would have gone unnoticed in a written account. For example, when we read an author’s account of something he believes in we get the idea that he is trying to convey, but do we see the look on his face when he is talking about something he believes in. The answer is no. The truth is that sometimes video can have the effect of revealing things about something that the written word cannot.
This fact seems clear when we consider just what exactly images and words are. Images are usually representations of something else. In the case of a photograph or a video, they are exact replicates of something that is or has been real. But they can also be representations of abstract ideas or things that are not real at all. In the case of words, they are merely characters that represent another form of code, the language. Therefore it becomes more clear as to why images, and therefore video, can be more truthful and elemental representations of an event.
Of course, one could argue that the future of internet video is bleak as well for any number of reasons. Maybe the corporate conglomerates who will undoubtedly come to control the industry will limit the uploading process. Maybe the sites will become so saturated with ads and distracting features that the sites will merely lose popularity. The truth is that only time will tell.