Reviews

The relationship between Tweeters and Television: My response to research addressing this correlation.

Dr Yvette Wohn, P.h.D and Eun-Kyung Na research explored the relationship between television and tweeting.. Their hypothesis believes that Twitter users engage with people of similar interests, including in television in the hope that their thoughts will with synchronous with each other– they analysed the frequency and content of “tweets” during two television programmes – one of Obama’s Nobel Prize Speech, and one of episode of “So You Think You can Dance”.

The context of the study was based in the evolution of television viewing in America. Television is described as a “cultural forum” but one that never offered any real interactivity, but can be explored by social motivations, and by looking at the Uses and Gratifications research (Palm green and Rayburn 1979; Rubin, 1983). Social networks have changed this, allowing people to engage and connect with one and other “without being physically connected” (Harboe, 2009) creating a “Psuedo-communal viewing experience”.

Marling stated that television has had a profound influence on our daily influences since the 1950’s (1996) and during World War II shaped the middle-class suburbian ideal (Spigel, 1992). Studies in the 1940’s and 1950’s in America showed many people believed television would revive the family model by keeping people at home, fixing marriages etc (Bogart, 1956).

In contrast, research over the last twenty years or so have focused on the negative affect that television has on our cognition and disengagement from reality, according to Gerbner et al 1986, Signorelli et al, 1995; Newhagen and Reeves, 1992. With Hoynes (1994) citing the term “illusion of contact”.

In the Uses and Gratifications theory, it is noted that people use media for, among others things, inclusion and entertainment. Television offers both, but limits the interaction. Any

The use of Twitter during television interests me as it is often something I engage in – I often hash tag television shows or characters, and quote things that I agree with, or that interest me. I don’t often engage in trending conversations, for example, Comic Relief – although I watch it and read Twitter at the same time, I would be unlikely to live tweet, perhaps but a status like “I love Comic Relief, such an amazing campaign!” before the event, followed by the ending “Between David Walliams and Simon Cowell, this year was brilliant! Well done, £75 million #ComicRelief”. That being said I will use RT’s to express agreement during large televised events.

I don’t usually send messages to others during these events, I tend to put attention-seeking or opinion tweets out, according to the coding systems used by Wohn and Na. They felt Twitter was a great venue to view how people express their uses and gratifications if their television viewing behaviour. They analysed tweets made before, during and after “Obama’s Nobel Prize Speech” and an episode of “So You Think You Can Dance?” recording the frequency of tweets in a given time period, whether the tweets fell into their categories of “Attention-Seeking”, “Opinion”, “Emotional” or “Informative”, and they noted where the message was sent from, and the amount of inbound messages versus outbound.

The Obama speech analysis lasted 18 minutes, and 1,307 tweets were looked at – they found that the content was mostly of an emotional and opinionated stance, with subjective views, and outbound in tone, referring to the event and Obama.

The episode of “So You Think You Can Dance” was analysed at 4 minutes over 64 minutes. The tweets had subjective, emotional content and were more likely to be inbound, referring to the user, not the programme.

They also noted that in the Obama analysis 29% of tweets came from a mobile device, while 39% in “So You Think You Can Dance”. They suggested that this may be due to more people have time to tweet on weekends, or that the series has a younger demographic. Personally, 99% of my tweets for the last two years have been from a mobile device, Twitter differs from Facebook in the expectation of immediacy and real-time commentary.

They concluded that tweets peaked at times of emotion or suspense in the two programmes respectively, these tweets then took an emotional stance – they felt tweeting about television and using hashtags, rt’s and @replies did adhere to the Uses and Gratifications framework, and that their categories were observable and replicable.

They finally noted that political events tend to have more impact on Twitter after the event, with discussions continuing. Entertainment shows that are perhaps weekly have active, or trending topics reign on Twitter last during the transmission.

I agree with their conclusions, having observed similar myself with many examples of entertainment shows dominating Twitter during airtime, while shows such as BBC Question Time tweets occur before and after dominately.

 

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Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 is, to so many of us, the end of an era! After 10 years and 8 films, Harry, Ron and Hermione (as well as the rest of the Wizarding world) enter into the final battle to defeat “He Who Must Not Be Named.”

Harry Potter writer J.K Rowling.

Now, as so many others did, I watched all 7 films BEFORE going to see the final which translates to around 17 and a half hours of viewing to relive the magic and excitement we all felt aged 8 or 9 at the Worldwide Phenomenon Harry Potter became. Throughout the week that it took me to re-watch all 7 films I re-visited moments that I had long-forgotten. The House ghosts; Nearly Headless Nick to name a firm favourite, the flying car and the Womping Willow, Gilderoy Lockhart (That’s right, I’d completely forgotten him!) The Mandrake Roots, Pollyjuice potion, Bertie bot’s every flavour beans and not to mention all the spells – Expelliarmus, Reducto, Finite incantartum etc etc. It was truly a strange experience to watch the earlier films so many years on. I understood far more and enjoyed them all over again – until it happened. I am Martyn David, and I solemnly swear that I am HOOKED (all over again!)

“Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2” marks the end of the film franchise which has broken all records. The eight films have had a combined budget of over £1.1 billion but, without counting Part 2, have grossed over £6.3 billion back! Meaning, the films have grossed more than the 6 Star Wars’ Films and ??? put together. Read it and weep Twitards!

Now, this may shock all of you to a state of being petrified (see what I did there) but I have never read the Harry Potter Books – In fact, I have read exactly 2 lines “Harry’s scar had not pained him for 19 years. All was well.” So I knew it was all going to be fine, but I didn’t need to read the book to know that. No author would spend 7 books building a character up just to kill him *SPOILER ALERT (my condolences however to the Weasley’s – I’m thoroughly upset that Fred died.) So, the films were everything to me, I hadn’t a clue what would happen, so when I say “I waited 10 YEARS for Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2” I MEAN IT!

Part one and Part two together had a budget of £250 million (the largest) and I’ve got to say that although any Potter fan will tell you the first 3 (In my case 4) films are the best, this last one is amazing. *SPOILER ALERT Hogwarts is completely ripped apart, which Emma Watson called “Strangely satisfying?”  on the BBC special “Behind the Magic” which is definitely worth watching. The body count is mounting and Harry, Ron and Hermoine still have 4 Horcruxes to find and destroy. They steal a dragon from Gringott’s Bank, Harry harasses a ghost, Ron and Hermoine re-enter the Chamber of Secrets, it’s incredible what they get away with!

Although one or two, or five things bothered me about this film it was an amazing end, and I don’t see what else they could have possibly done to say goodbye to it. It has been a milestone in every year for the last decade. I would always have the new DVD or go to see the new Harry Potter in the cinema, as my birthday is July 31st – the same as Harry Potter’s and J.K Rowling’s Birthdays. Say cheese!

I’ll quickly list what bugs me *SPOILER ALERT

1)    Harry didn’t fix the mirror.
2)    I wanted Voldermort to blow up, but no. He starts to flake and float away
3)    Harry’s “Death” where he sees Dumbledore – SO CORNY!
4)    Snape’s memory which tied up pretty much every loose end in the entire franchise! Thanks for explaining, but what a cop-out!
5)    Ron’s sudden care for the power of the Elder wand and the completely numb lack of emotion at the end of the biggest battle EVER! That goes for everyone, when Harry walks in, it doesn’t explain what happens to the Death-eaters, Hagrid is the only one that hugs him and NO-ONE congratulates him. He got a bigger applause when he first rode a broom and found Nevill’s Remembral!
6)    The Malfoy’s walk away, scott-free!

Now I’ve vented .. Mischief Managed!

Here’s what I loved *SPOILER ALRT

1)    Julie Walters (Mrs Weasley) “Not my daughter you BITCH!” Bellatrix had a better death than Voldermort if you ask me.
2)    The Ron and Hermoine kiss – it made me smile.
3)    Professor McGonigal – she really is amazing in this film, from protecting Harry to her comedy “His name is VOLDERMORT!” and “I’ve always wanted to use that spell.” which by the way, BEST. SPELL. EVER!
4)    Albus Severus Potter “What if it puts me in Slytherin?” Harry – ask it not to ;)
5)    The final shot of Harry, Ron and Hermoine, although I would have liked to see Hogwarts back to normal and Harry in action as an Aura.

I feel much better now that I’ve written all this down, even though it’s terribly disjointed and I sound like a babbiling 12 year old fan girl! Still. It’s a must-see. I took my cousin who only saw “The Philosopher’s Stone” and “The Chamber of Secrets” she still thoroughly enjoyed it (After I explained what the hell the Deathly Hallows and Horcruxes are to her!) My next mission is to read the books, because that’s really where the story is and there’s no pressure to find out what happens!

Photo by Daniel Ogren