It's hard to remember life without the emphasis of technology. The digital world has engulfed the human population in its synthetic web; tugging us along its algorithmic beat everyday of our lives.
It’s not all bad though. No matter how addictive or draining the internet may seem, there’s a multitude of benefits that have the potential to be reaped from such a space. Although the distractions pile up, I’ve gained a ton from my time surfing the web. Information has been gained and reinforced whilst other pieces of information have been forgotten to the perils of time. The cyberspace has also exponentially rotted my brain in ways unfathomable to a feeble human; however, I digress. Digital technology and multimodal texts have given me the ability to entertain, breathe, laugh, love, and think in ways that would’ve never seemed feasible to my prepubescent brain back in the 2000’s.
There’s an abundance of digital experiences and multimodal texts that have personally sparked inspiration throughout the years. From video games and video essays that have helped shape the way I perceive reality to movies and podcasts that were there for me when no else was; these pieces of media have played a significant role throughout my entire life.
A piece of media in particular that has personally impacted me for the better is a game called Hellblade. In this game, the player goes on a journey of psychosis through the lens of Senua. A celtic warrior who won’t stop fighting until she reclaims the soul of her fallen lover. You not only fight apparitions of Senua’s crumbling headspace in Hellblade, but the player solves environmental puzzles whilst digging deeper into the madness of Viking Hell. The binaural audio of the game is also pretty frightening and gives the player a glimpse into what it’s like to live with psychosis (please play with headphones). My brief description of the game may seem daunting for new players; however, I recommend it to anyone.
Here’s a trailer of the game if you’re interested -
Producing digital and multimodal texts through technology is extremely gratifying on a personal level. Creating content for others to consume rather than the other way around is what I’m in the process of transitioning into. Last semester, My rhetorical theory final was pretty open-ended which led to the creation of this -
It’s my first attempt at a video essay! Analyzing the world of rhetoric through the lens of Cicero’s five rhetorical canons whilst comparing those characteristics with acclaimed video game developer Masahiro Sakurai. The creation process also allowed me to make this:
I’ve never made a thumbnail before this one. I’d say it’s pretty solid for a first attempt. Currently messing around in Canva as well as Photoshop has been fun. Making my brothers cover art for his most recent music album was a liberating experience. The process of writing the script was probably my favorite part of the project. Filming was the worst. Having to remember the script while staring into a camera is still wierd to me; however, its a necessary part of implementing certain multimodal modes. Constantly referencing ancient rhetorical texts, video game facts, and my own bias led to a snarky narration of something nerdy. I love how digital and multimodal texts allow for creators to express.
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