Saturday, February 23, 2008

Culture of Digital Age

As an audience, the recent high profiling coverage of the stolen digital photos and subsequently sex scandal involving Hong Kong celebrity by the media has been “entertaining” but yet educating. Hundreds of lurid and explicit photos have since been circulated through the internet and published by daily newspapers, viewed by household across society of all generation, and over the continents.

Every corner can feel the impact in faceted way, from censorship verse censorship-free; virtual persona (public image) verse privacy verse social responsibility; digital ownership and authenticity; to (my favorite) the culture shock of the digital age.

We have seen that the victims (celebrity) have tried to duck from the bad publicity but later come out for damage control, the entertainment group has inadequate understanding to face the issue, the regulatory authorities too have inadequate understanding and legality to deal with the issue and public scrutiny, the public and ethical groups have voiced out as victim, and how the Net-Gen reflects from all these.