Global Digital Postmodernity

A video documentation of the planning and execution of one of the most successful and famous flash mobs in history. The group Improv Everywhere, known for their flash mob stunts, rose to fame with this "mission"- having all the participants go into Grand Central Station in New York City and freeze for several minutes, then resume regular life without a blink. Using elements of performance art and postmodern theatre, as well as an extensive use of various technologies to pull it all off, this playful stunt is a prime example of the postmodern flash mob phenomenon.

Here, on Lady Gaga's official youtube channel, can be found all of her official music videos, as well as live performances, interviews, behind the scenes videos, and video messages from Gaga to her fans. A single viewing of any one of her music videos, and you will know you're watching something beyond that of your typical pop star. With her blending of performance art, intense theatrics, technology, wild fashion, futuristic elements, playfulness, fluid sexuality and sexual orientation, and with her rise as a pop culture phenomenon, Lady Gaga, as evidenced in her youtube videos, has become all things postmodern.

This website provides 9 main techniques/elements used and found in postmodern pieces of theatre, as well as providing a brief history of the movement. However, it also warns that postmodern theatre tends to reject labels of genre and style, so that none of the techniques may be present in a particular play and it could still be considered a postmodern piece. The unifying postmodern thread, instead, is that they are tools to make audiences raise questions and reflect on their own lives and experiences. Along with providing these definitions, the site also offers some examples of landmark postmodern pieces, such as Sam Shepard's "Buried Child" and Onzo Production's "Fuerza Bruta", and provides links to learn more about them.

This website was created by students at the University of Alabama. It has basic definitions of the concept, examples, criticisms and comparisons with modernity. The chart that compares postmodernity and modernity is very lucid. Extensive bibliography.

For sometime, it has been accepted that biology and the study of life has lost significance and touch with particular aspects of life. This article suggests that this is not the case. If one was to study the work of several "cyberscience" scientists, one finds that technology is in fact is able to open entire new avenues of study in relation to biology. A few examples are the study of God as well as sex, specifically as a substitution for God. These two subjects have created much tension in the scientific as well as theological communities. This article looks at the biological results of these issues. Although the issues studied may be controversial, the scientific and technological advancements that made them possible cannot be. In a Post Modern era, we take things as common as biology, and use our ever-progressing modes of technology to study concepts that were once thought to be completely unrelated to the sciences.

Sexting has become a culture phenomenon, but what is it exactly? This website describes it as sending pictures or photographs of explicit nature electronically. They have surfaced as a result of the advancement in technology in communication. The article reports that sexting appeared as early as 2005. Cases of sexting have been reported in several countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Many legal cases have been filed in the United States, where child pornography charges have been brought up. Depending on the nature of the "sext," charges can constitute a fine, or a misdemeanor. According to the article, sexting has also appeared in popular culture, such as the television drama program Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

David Harvey claims that the concept of the time-space compression is "likely the root of the post modern condition." The time-space compression is basically what it sounds like. With the advancement of technology, time and space are no longer feats for people. We can communicate with anyone around the globe and the communication can be instantaneous. While at one point in time we had to send letters, and then eventually phone calls, we can now do things such as "skyping," and other modes of communication that simulate a lack of time lapse and special distance. This website also talks about the megalopolis, or large, continuous metropolitan city, which is a "product of the phenomenon of universalization." Paul Ricoeur comments that while "this may be an advancement, it may also be destructive."

When Post Modernity is connected with pheonomenons such as sexting, it gives the whole concept a very negative connotation. Post Modernity is often thought of as the opposite of modernity, but it really is not that extreme. Post Modernity creates an emphasis on the gray middle ground. This website gives insight to where the negative slant against Post Modernity comes from. The very beginning of the article stands out with the proclamation, "Post Modernity is the denial of any standards." Students are also described as being "apathetic," "skeptical," "board," and "lacking idealism." This website has a very slanted view, however, it will provide insight for those who may not understand why sexting and Post Modernity receive such a bad reputation.

The evolution of technology affects all aspects of life. What some people fail to realize is how it has affected the sexual nature of society. What the advancement of the personal computer, and its prevalence in homes, the availability of porn began to change sex significantly. This article discusses not only Cyberporn, but how components of Post Modern society has been a significant component in its frequency. It also looks into new sexual trends such as male masochism, and delves into possible explanations for the cultural phenomenon. With a new sexual phenomenon known as "sexting," becoming more popular, it is important to look at other sexual trends that have been connected to technology and Post Modernity in the past.

It is important to note postmodernity is impacting all aspects of culture, especially the arts. This YouTube video is a clip from an episode of a Canadian television show titled Slings and Arrows. In this segment, the acting teacher is taking a new approach with his students while rehearsing a scene from Romeo and Juliet. The female student is asked to do unconventional things, like read for Romeo and not face Juliet. She is rather unwilling to try what her director asks of her. She, like many, are stuck in the cultural norms and perhaps consumed with modern ideals. She likes the structure of old methods. Switching genders is an example of the exploration of form and content. The scene is still the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, but the form has changed as the actors switch roles. The director of this television show seems to be making a statement. We need to embrace changes in form, ultimately embracing postmodernity.

This website involves a group of categories of how post modernism has influenced the arts, from architecture to literature and music and even political science. It shows that post modernism is not just a made up word but rather a style which is to be perfected, even if it means being imperfect as some things are. The website even discusses how post modernity is affecting language, where "the changing relationship between diction and discourse" is influenced by what is considered post modern. Then it discusses art and how its aims to upset and recreate the fundamentals of what makes something art. This is a general principle of post modernity because in most cases anything that is considered post modern goes against the grain of what is considered within the set standards of its category and this website does an excellent job of describing the characteristics it breaks down.

Dan Ackerman Greenberg is co-founder of the Commotion Group, a company that has found great success by promoting online videos in an effort to make them go "viral." Today, more and more people are seeking fame and recognition through online communities like YouTube. Dan Ackerman Greenberg provides a series of steps and advice to follow when creating and promoting a video. This online posting is very postmodern, because it exemplifies the breakdown of hierarchy. One used to rely on a publicist or agent to promote oneself. Now, anyone can do it themselves. The fact that a promotion company is offering advice to the masses on how to succeed alone own is particularly postmodern.

It used to be that only a select number of people could achieve celebrity status. Typically those involved in film, athletics, and politics were the only people to reach such heights. Dr. Jean M. Twenge and Dr. W. Keith Campbell explore the depths and consequences of self-admiration. They argue that becoming a celebrity is now an "equal opportunity dream," especially due to the development of the Web. Narcissism is natural and the wealth of technologies at our disposal make it so simple for anyone to achieve fame. This is a postmodern cause and effect. The increase of media and web technologies made available to the masses break down hierarchies. Fame is no longer just for the privileged few.

This book by Frederick Levy explores the phenomenon that YouTube has become in our world. He addresses YouTube's history, as well as the direction in which the viral video craze is headed. One section of particular interest is titled, "Culture Shock." Levy presents an interesting idea of community through the Web. The thing that makes the YouTube revolution so post-modern is the fact that a sense of community develops through the internet. People around the world can interact and connect with one another with virtually no face-to-face contact. This trend breaks down social norms and cultural expectations previously placed on a community.