This past year and a half has been the most disruptive time period for all of us. The ever evolving situation of the COVID-19 Pandemic has seen myself moving back to Port Macquarie from Wollongong for the majority of 2020, moving back to Wollongong in early 2021 and now finding myself in the unique situation of being stuck in Port Macquarie again, after a quick trip to visit my parents. This has all drastically changed many aspects of my work and social life. This disruptive change has had me thinking about my future career and ways in which I could start navigating certain industries whilst under lockdown restrictions. These changes, due to the pandemic, led me to think critically about my career and eventually, opened up an opportunity for me that pushed me into what I want to pursue when I graduate.

 I had the chance to sit down with David James from DCA Digital and interview him, as well as watch him pitch to real clients. The company is a multinational internet marketing and web design firm that ultimately increases online visibility and customer acquisition through precision search engine optimisation (SEO). Not only did I get a chance to understand the professionalism of all aspects of this line of work; Creative Process, Design and Collaboration, but also got a chance to see how the work one puts into a task directly affects the results they are looking for. More importantly, the opportunity highlighted some of the advantages involved in this line of work and, had such drastic changes in my life not occurred, may never have pushed me down this career path.

One thing that really stood out to me and I’m sure others can appreciate over the last year or so, is the disruption and change to our normal working week. This idea directly coincides with some of the ideas discussed in the Week three lecture on the topic of “The future of the working week”. As stated in the lecture, ​​the idea of full-time work normally around 35-40 hours a week is a cultural one with a relatively recent history that varies from country to country. It’s a consequence of the introduction of the eight hour work day as a safe working limit. Along with the eight hour day, the norm for most people is a five day working week plus a two day weekend. (Bowles, 2021) This has obviously changed over time recently due to restrictions forcing people to work from home. That being said, David James (DCA Digital) relishes in the fact that in his line of work, choosing your own hours and working from home is one of the Job’s most rewarding features. I think for anyone, the flexibility of choosing who you work for and how often you work are very appealing factors when choosing a potential career.

Advances in digital transformation technologies and business automation could also help ease the burden of working hours for employees, to ultimately bring about a shorter working week. Business automation is the use of technology to execute time consuming, recurring tasks or processes, where manual effort can be replaced without risk. (Citrix, n.d) This is exactly what David’s job at DCA entails, relying on the transformation of digital technologies like Google Ads, Pixel, etc to enable more focused and productive time  analysing the client’s needs and allowing more flexible work hours.

This opportunity to sit down with David and gain a real appreciation and understanding of his work life, as well as the advantages of a relatively healthy schedule changed my outlook on certain career paths; so much so that I’m in the process of creating a few digital media collaboration projects and learning the in’s and outs of SEO marketing. As sudden and drastic the pandemic changes to my life were, they provided me with the opportunity to harness the elements of working from home, while also solidifying a career choice that could ultimately become something I’m incredibly passionate about, while maintaining a healthy work/life balance. The professionalism I witnessed as well as the techniques used in areas such as ideation and project development now give me the ability to harness and use these techniques in my own future works, regardless of any sudden or unexpected changes to my life.

Below is a link to the full interview with David. He has me given full permission to mention his name, company name and the recording of our interview.

Sources:

Bowles, S 2018, Workshop 3: Work: a regulatory balance [lecture notes, ] The Future of Work BCM313, University of Wollongong, delivered 2 August 2021.

CITRIX. n.d. The Future of the Working Week. [online] Available at: <https://www.citrix.com/content/dam/citrix/en_us/documents/analyst-report/the-future-of-the-working-week.pdf&gt; [Accessed 28 August 2021].

Parliament.act.gov.au. 2021. DISCUSSION PAPER: FUTURE OF THE WORKING WEEK STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMY AND GENDER AND ECONOMIC QUALITY. [online] Available at: <https://www.parliament.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/1776257/EGEE-Discussion-paper-Future-of-the-working-week.pdf&gt; [Accessed 28 August 2021].

I gave feedback to three students and believed they all had really good ideas, though I feel I may have been a bit biased to the Call of Duty DA as I love World War Two history. 

The first feedback I gave was for the idea of creating a board game which encapsulates 2020 as one of the worst years of our lifetimes. I really enjoyed the fact that she mentioned this was just a DA for uni exclusively but once she did a bit more background research, really became a lot more invested in the subject material. I also enjoyed the idea of adding fun elements to a game which has a more negative tone. 

The Game of The Worst Year

The second piece of Feedback I gave also revolved around the topic of board game reviews in which the games would be played weekly and a verdict would be made. I mentioned in my comment that I really liked this idea as it could be a great way of attracting people who are new to board games or perhaps rekindling a love for board games. I also mentioned that I really liked the idea of exploring the history of these games through background research and subject reading, while also pushing the idea that board games are more than just time passing activities. 

https://annmary1604.wordpress.com/2021/08/19/bcm215-pitch-hangouts-made-better-board-games/comment-page-1/?unapproved=2&moderation-hash=e027b38b6b5e1ca81cb4497738b3991e#comment-2

Lastly, there was Maddy’s idea of exploring the historical accuracy of Call of Duty World War Two. As I mentioned before, I love this idea because I am a WW2 history fanatic and find everything about it fascinating. I made this explicitly clear in my comment. I think it will be very interesting to see where the accuracies and inaccuracies lay in the game as society has had a good 70+ years to learn about one of the biggest events in human history. Very excited to see how this DA turns out.

https://mhawkinsportfolio.wordpress.com/2021/08/20/call-of-duty-world-war-two/comment-page-1/?unapproved=13&moderation-hash=09bf82f22054f05b38dcc5572f8b8ee0#comment-13

Hello Games’ 2016 release “No Man’s Sky” promised over 18 Quintillion planets of endless space exploration fun, all procedurally generated to create endless universes of unique flora, fauna and landscapes of unparalleled scope. The Game’s massive scope and seemingly endless amount of features ultimately caused a lot of stir, signalling a potential Game of the Year title. Sadly, when the game was released, players discovered many false promises, clunky mechanics and a world which lacked interactivity.

One of the key promised features in the game was multiplayer and the ability to explore these planets with other people. Sean Murray, the lead Game designer at Hello Games said that there is multiplayer but, “The chances of two players ever crossing paths in a universe this large is pretty much zero”. This shocked players when on just the second day of release, two players ended up on the same planet, at the same time but couldn’t see each other. This, along with other missing features drew fierce criticism from players and critics alike. I know I was extremely hyped for this game and after playing for a couple of days, hearing this news and experiencing the lacklustre gameplay, I put the game down and haven’t touched it since.

Interestingly enough though, the failure of this game may not hinge entirely on the mechanics, or lack thereof, but people’s perceptions of the game going in. Sean Murray stated, “We definitely messed up a whole bunch of communication. I’ve never liked talking to the press. I didn’t enjoy it when I had to do it, and when I did it, I was naive and overly excited about my game. There are a lot of things around launch that I regret, or that I would do differently.” (The Guardian, 2018) His reluctance to talk to the press about the game ultimately led to people’s perceptions of the game being vastly different to what was expected, creating a dialogue of back peddling on comments, features and game mechanics right before the release of the game and in the months following its release.

Although I would say this game is a failure, I think the more pressing issue here is communication and perception of the gaming industry in one of the hottest release years of the past decade. Sean and his team eventually corrected all of their mistakes and are still creating content for a game which is over five years old, potentially highlighting one of the biggest turnarounds in gaming history. But for myself and many others, the damage has already been done and No Man’s Sky will go down as one of the most controversial releases in gaming history.

Sources

https://www.google.com/search?q=no+mans+sky&sxsrf=AOaemvKKOC9x5k6cGjMk5SrHWyeJdgKLzQ:1630066325250&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi145qiltHyAhW4lEsFHZW1CY8Q_AUoAnoECAEQBA&biw=1440&bih=732#imgrc=-o7jVr7kouEE3M

The chances of two players ever crossing paths in a universe this large is pretty much zero.

— Sean Murray (@NoMansSky) August 8, 2016

https://www.theguardian.com/games/2018/jul/20/no-mans-sky-next-hello-games-sean-murray-harassment-interview

Analysing forgotten games can be quite tricky. A game that may seem to have been forgotten could have once been the pride and joy of our formative years as gamers. Some of the games that have really stuck with me are the games in which there are no more walkthroughs being made, not petitions for a remaster and the feeling that I may have been the only one who really enjoyed this game.

One of these games for me is Pandemic Studios/Electronic Arts, “The Saboteur” released in 2009. The game takes place in Nazi occupied Paris during the Second World War, in which you play as Sean Devlin, an Irish racecar driver turned member of the French resistance, helping to liberate France. The game is presented in a black and white filter where German occupation is the strongest and once these areas have been liberated the vibrant colour of the city of lights returns. 

I think this game, although mostly forgotten, has stuck with me because there was a great sense of purpose. The cause is that of a just one, and once areas have been liberated and colour returns to the city, I felt as if I was doing real work and seeing that work pay off for the people of Paris was extremely rewarding. Rewarding in the sense that not many other games I have played have evoked such emotions. With all this being said though, I feel as if the game has been forgotten due to the fact that the idea (even in 2009) wasn’t very new. Call of Duty players had been fighting the Nazi’s for almost a decade, the same goes for Medal of Honor player and, don’t forget Wolfenstein players either.

I think that when understanding forgotten games, we tend to forget about the personal experience. I know my experience was vastly different from the majority of players who had their hands on this game, yet I don’t see it as a forgotten game; quite the opposite actually. I too had been playing Call of Duty and fighting this war for a long time, but seeing the real benefit of my actions for the people of Paris is something that will never make me forget this game.

Sources:

https://www.google.com/search?q=call+of+duty+world+at+war+hq+screenshots&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjT8sGklNHyAhUYArcAHYx9B5oQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=call+of+duty+world+at+war+hq+screenshots&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA1AAWABgjIcCaABwAHgAgAEAiAEAkgEAmAEAqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWc&sclient=img&ei=gdQoYZOuDJiE3LUPjPud0Ak&bih=675&biw=1440#imgrc=KJnCcfiv5_j0vM

https://www.google.com/search?q=The+Saboteur+hq+screesnhots&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjB6YDxk9HyAhUWSysKHcnxDp8Q2-cCegQIABAA&oq=The+Saboteur+hq+screesnhots&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoECAAQQzoFCAAQgAQ6BAgAEBhQ96cBWKnOAWCg0QFoAHAAeACAAe8CiAHyH5IBBzAuMi43LjaYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ8ABAQ&sclient=img&ei=FdQoYYGLC5aWrQHJ47v4CQ&bih=732&biw=1440#imgrc=ByfCD3-V3JFnLM

https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/12/09/the-saboteur-review

I’m absolutely fascinated by Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2. When it was released in 2018, I think it was safe to say I had my mind blown. Now, Rockstar Games has never disappointed in the past. With Grand Theft Auto, Bully, LA Noire and the first Red Dead game under their belt, they are one of, if not the best game developers in the world. So I had very high expectations for this game and, they exceeded my expectations.

Although every other aspect of the game was legendary and unparalleled, I found the scenery and landscape of the game just ridiculously stunning, more so than anything I’ve ever experienced. In contrast, I also found it intriguing how such mystery, violence and even horror/the unexplained could take place in such a scenic landscape. This is something I wish to explore.

In terms of research, a number of sources were used in order to deepen my understanding of the two main ideas of my DA. The Evolution of Video Game Graphics really helped to put into perspective just how far developers have come in order to finally reach a point in the last few years where photorealism doesn’t seem that far away.

Another source that really helped me gain a perspective into the developers creation of mysterious encounters in the open world was How To Make Compelling Side Quests. Although Rockstar really goes above and beyond in their creation of side-quests (to the point you don’t actually realise you are in one), just a basic rundown really showcases the process and creativity needed to craft compelling mysteries.

For key dates with this project I’m hoping to collect gameplay and research right up until week 12. I figure the more gameplay, the better equipped I am to explore more of my themes in depth. Analysing this content will also be an ongoing task up until week 12 as well. This will be interesting for me to explore as I aim to play, analyse, play, analyse, which I feel may add more to my final DA and perhaps I may pick up things I have perviously missed.

Hoping to share more with you soon!

Sources

ETHOS, 2021. How To Make Compelling Side Quests. [image] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecu2I2BBfCk&ab_channel=Ethos&gt; [Accessed 19 August 2021].

Sheehan, J., 2019. NPR Cookie Consent and Choices. [online] Npr.org. Available at: <https://www.npr.org/2019/01/01/681222316/reading-the-game-red-dead-redemption-2&gt; [Accessed 19 August 2021].

Stokes, P., 2020. Art for trying times: how a philosopher found solace playing Red Dead Redemption 2. [online] The Conversation. Available at: <https://theconversation.com/art-for-trying-times-how-a-philosopher-found-solace-playing-red-dead-redemption-2-142983&gt; [Accessed 19 August 2021].

The Logo Creative | International Logo Design & Branding Studio. n.d. The Evolution of Video Game Graphics. [online] Available at: <https://www.thelogocreative.co.uk/the-evolution-of-video-game-graphics/&gt; [Accessed 19 August 2021].

https://www.google.com/search?q=red+dead+redemption+2+serial+killer+hd+images&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiAgvvai8LyAhXHgEsFHcwjC6QQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=red&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQARgAMgQIIxAnMgQIIxAnMgQIABBDMgQIABBDMgQIABBDMgQIABBDMgcIABCxAxBDMgQIABBDMgQIABBDMgQIABBDULKHAVixlAFgxaIBaABwAHgAgAHzAYgB4wuSAQUwLjIuNZgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=P-4gYcDmF8eBrtoPzMesoAo&bih=732&biw=1440#imgrc=dd6fJGmgNQy3VM

https://www.google.com/search?q=red+dead+redemption+2+hd+images&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiWgNyFjMLyAhUBQ30KHbCgDfEQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=red+dead+redemption+2+hd&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQARgAMgQIIxAnMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQ6BAgAEBg6BAgAEEM6BAgAEB46BggAEAgQHjoLCAAQgAQQsQMQgwFQ1l1Yx3xgxoIBaABwAHgAgAH0AYgBrRKSAQUwLjguNJgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=me4gYdbPA4GG9QOwwbaIDw&bih=732&biw=1440#imgrc=GcJmwn27Q75ABM

https://www.google.com/search?q=red+dead+redemption+2+logo&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiunvbOjMLyAhWGSCsKHQvyBpQQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=red+dead+redemption+2+lo&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQARgAMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDoECCMQJzoECAAQQzoLCAAQgAQQsQMQgwFQ8X5Y784DYJvcA2gAcAB4AIAB9QGIAYcFkgEFMC4xLjKYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ8ABAQ&sclient=img&ei=Mu8gYa69I4aRrQGL5JugCQ&bih=732&biw=1440#imgrc=RqgM7o_5QsKGfM

As an avid gamer, the importance of feedback and communication between the fanbase and the developer is crucial in order to create a better overall gaming experience. With that being said, the task of relaying grievances, feedback and general communication to game developers is more often than not easier said than done. This can be extremely frustrating for gamers who would like to see certain implementations added into a game, simple fixes to a personal account or even widespread concerns throughout a singular gaming community. 

Taking a look at a recent release such as CD Projekt Reds’ Cyberpunk 2077, which was littered with bugs on release and still is, or a masterpiece like Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption two which has recently encountered a variety of bugs that have yet to be addressed – There is a need for a network such as Critique to create communities and build rapport between players and developers. 

If you’re like me and find that sending feedback in any capacity can be mundane and ineffective, I believe there may be a better way for large gaming communities to voice their issues directly with developers. My solution to this problem is to create a network of platforms across social media that is able to effectively gather critical feedback from gaming communities that can then be sent in bulk to major game studios. 

The idea is to create various pages on social media under the name “Critique” in which users’ most pressing concerns are shifted to top and this information can then be relayed to developers. Once the concept is better established a website with many different forums can be set up, subcategories by game titles and issues or critiques. The platform will be presented in a way in which all concerns can be voiced and the feeling of individuals’ concerns never being addressed can be avoided. In order to lay the foundations of this idea I will start to create small communities on reddit, instagram and facebook where I will then track interest and engagement with these gaming communities as well as my own pages. 

This is something that I believe is greatly needed for the gaming community and will be increasingly beneficial as the community of Critique expands and becomes more prominent in the eyes of developers.

With the expansion of technology in the last ten to fifteen years, the ability for viewers to access violent or graphic content online has become easier than ever. The question I seek to answer is if there is an appeal now more than ever to watching this graphic content and the reasons as to why this may be the case. Is it due to this content being more easily accessible? Or does it take a certain individual and their mindset to want to seek out this material due to curiosity? Once these questions have been answered I can then look into the effects of this graphic material on the viewer and hopefully bring to light the research and answers to my research question.

“In 1950, only 10% of homes in the United States had TVs. By 1996, however, approximately 99% of U.S. homes had televisions, with 54% of children having TV sets in their bedrooms, and spending an average of 28 hours per week watching TV. It would seem that even before technology brought TV onto our laptops and smartphones, kids were watching a lot”(Redmond, Jones, Holman and Silver, 2019). The real question is, with so much technology now, is specific graphic content being sought after more? Could it be that with tragic and graphic events now more than ever prone to being shown by the media, individuals are more intrigued or curious to get the full picture themselves? This to me is an interesting take on the topic, but not one fully understood nor researched in depth for that matter. Often whilst watching the media, we see reports about violent people doing violent things because they were exposed to something violent; “Several studies, in fact, have linked viewing violence with an increased risk for aggression,  anger, and failing to understand the suffering of others. Viewers are less likely to help others, feel sympathetic toward victims, and express empathy” (Glassman, 2018).  This is an area that is very well researched. What I want to tap into is the initial stages of said research; what attracts the individual to want to be exposed to this caliber of content? 

There is some evidence that is indicative as to why the pursuit of graphic content falls on the individual rather than any advancement of technology and therefore access to it; “However, even if traditional news outlets do not directly show the horrific news videos available on the Internet, they may still be culpable for individuals seeking to view this content. By constantly discussing horrific videos on the news, as was done with the ISIS beheading videos, news programs may inspire fear and draw individuals’ attention to these videos.” The research here indicates that those who are fearful of violent or traumatic events may be more prone to seeking out intensively more and more graphic content. If this fear eventually motivates an individual to seek out this graphic content, they might end up finding themselves “locked in a spiral of fear”.

The research also highlights that fear may not be the only contributing factor. Curiosity may have been boosted due to the fact that the media pushes the idea of the graphic content and then seemingly cuts the clip or in other words tells us that we cannot handle it. This ideology is often referred to as the reactance effect, in which a person feels that someone or something is taking away from their choices or limiting their ability to effectively do what they want (Bushman and Stack, 1996). This may be another reason as to why this content may be sought after; individuals often become curious when they are told they cannot be shown something. Therefore, the idea of the media withholding the graphic nature of certain events may be a catalyst in motivating some people to become increasingly interested in the graphic nature of this content.

With these ideas circulating, it would only be fair to now touch upon the relevance and effect of this viewing of graphic content and what it means for those who decide to watch it. The potential questions these insights propose may be able to help myself and others gain a better understanding of the effects this content has on the individuals that find it necessary to view it in the first place. Though this is an area that many researchers have touched on, the potential to find answers to my original research question and then tie in the research of others who have covered the effects of graphic content audiences could pay dividends in understanding the broader topic.

Although there may not be a definitive correlation between this graphic material and violent acts, I wish to find out if there is a correlation between technological ease and individuality factors that possess one to become interested in graphic content today. I believe further research into the theories and content above will help me to better understand if there is a growing appeal towards graphic content and what this means for our society.

Reference List

Bushman, B. and Stack, A., 1996. Forbidden fruit versus tainted fruit: Effects of warning labels on attraction to television violence. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 2(3), pp.207-226.

Feinstein, A., Audet, B. and Waknine, E., 2014. Witnessing images of extreme violence: a psychological study of journalists in the newsroom. JRSM Open, [online] 5(8), p.205427041453332. Available at: <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2054270414533323&gt; [Accessed 22 March 2021].

Glassman, S., 2018. Is it time to look away? Health effects of watching violence in the media. [online] https://www.inquirer.com. Available at: <https://www.inquirer.com/philly/health/is-it-time-to-look-away-health-effects-of-watching-violence-in-the-media-20180315.html&gt; [Accessed 24 March 2021].

Grizzard, M., Huang, J., Weiss, J., Novotny, E., Fitzgerald, K., Ahn, C., Ngoh, Z., Plante, A. and Chu, H., 2017. Graphic Violence as Moral Motivator: The Effects of Graphically Violent Content in News. Mass Communication and Society, [online] 20(6), pp.763-783. Available at: <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15205436.2017.1339804&gt; [Accessed 23 April 2021].

Redmond, S., Jones, N., Holman, E. and Silver, R., 2019. Who watches an ISIS beheading—And why.. [online] Available at: <https://moodle.uowplatform.edu.au/pluginfile.php/2781117/mod_resource/content/3/whowatchesanISISbeheading.pdf&gt; [Accessed 22 March 2021].
Steven Schlozman, M., Holly Peek, M., Steven Schlozman, M. and Steven Schlozman, M., n.d. What’s the Effect of Violent or Graphic Television? | MGH Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds. [online] MGH Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds. Available at: <https://www.mghclaycenter.org/parenting-concerns/families/whats-effect-violent-graphic-television/&gt; [Accessed 22 March 2021].

Introduction

My BCM 241 Digital Artefact and Ethnographic research is on the topic of ASMR and the many forms it takes, as well as why I believe it is a very stigmatised or even taboo media niche. I’ve been super interested in exploring the concept of ASMR as a media niche for quite a while as I believe (although it is becoming increasingly popular) it is a heavily stigmatised subject. I think it is definitely a form of media that has sexual connotations that aren’t necessarily true, but has also been a form of media that has been drastically sexualised as well. It is also a subject that can be hard to explain to people who have no idea what it is and is difficult to understand for people who don’t or can’t experience it, thus causing a stigmatisation issue. 

I think conducting ethnographic research on the ASMR community can help others to better understand the norms within the niche and also help to de-stigmatize the topic of ASMR in general. The online video communities like Youtube and thread forums like Reddit have facilitated a gathering of those who experience ASMR and as a result hundreds of videos and threads have been produced, viewed and shared with the goal of inducing this sensation. Gaining a better understanding of this community through ethnographic research may also help to uncover deeper scientific concepts behind the idea of ASMR and how it exactly induces relaxation.

ASMR and what it means to me

 I stumbled upon ASMR videos on youtube probably around three years ago now and I have been addicted to them ever since. They allow me to become relaxed in a short amount of time and I tend not to sleep well until I’ve listened to my ASMR video of choice before bed.  For those of you who don’t know what ASMR  is or what it entails I will try my best to explain it for you. 

ASMR, which stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response is a sensation people get when they watch stimulating videos or experience certain visual or audio triggers in real life – usually ones that involve personal attention. Many people describe the feeling you get when you experience ASMR as “Tingles” that run through the back of someone’s head and spine. Many people say the feeling is deeply relaxing, and can even cause them to fall asleep. Though this is the case, many people do not feel the effects of ASMR and tend to dislike it. Thus making it a niche. The term ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) was only coined in 2010. Though the feeling of ASMR has been known for years and years, only recently has there been some scientific understanding and recognition. Although the vast majority of Youtubers started making ASMR videos in the 2010’s, all you need to do is take a look at Bob Ross’ “The Joy of Painting” to understand that this has been a niche for quite some time. 

Stigmatisation of ASMR and my own experiences

As stated before, I have been an avid ASMR listener for quite some time now and although it is something I view on a regular basis and is quite normal for me, for a period of time I wasn’t completely sure if this was a normal niche to be interested in. I knew these types of videos relaxed me, but was it weird to listen to people whisper into mics in order to help me fall asleep? What would others think? It’s these sorts of questions that I believe are quite normal and asked regularly in the ASMR community. Researching this was quite easy. It didn’t take long to find various Reddit threads and a long list of ASMR videos on youtube titled things like; “What my parents think about my ASMR channel”, “What my friends think of ASMR” and “How not to care about what people think about ASMR”. This tells me that I, and many others are not alone in feeling self conscious about this niche. 

At this point I feel I should establish that there is an opposite (if you will) to ASMR and that is Misophonia, It translates to the “hatred of sound.” Certain sounds might make you feel angry, annoyed, or upset. It’s extremely common to feel this for eating and mouth sounds. However, these sounds are also common triggers among the ASMR community, so ASMRtists will usually add a warning before these videos for people that can’t stand these sounds. I can attest to this, I absolutely hate sounds of eating and mouth sounds, but still enjoy a plethora of various ASMR triggers. The point I’m trying to make here though is that although people may not enjoy these sounds, they still choose to view this niche as bizarre or weird.

It is not the act of listening to ASMR that may feel weird or even seem embarrassing, but what others will think of us for watching these videos that causes these feelings. This is one of the main reasons why ASMR may seem like such a taboo topic. This is enhanced by the simple fact that some people don’t experience the relaxing sensations that others do when exposed to this content, their bodies simply don’t enable this relaxation to be felt or they experience Misophonia. This is where the lack of understanding and inability to recognise feelings that others experience, turns into confusion and then stigmatisation of the niche; Spencer Gerrol, a cognitive scientist and founder of neuroanalytics company Spark Neuro, speculates that people who say they dislike ASMR are actually not experiencers. “It begs the question: Are they just not experiencing it, and therefore, it’s just neutral to them?” he says. “Or, are they experiencing something that they choose to not like?”.  

It can turn into a jealousy thing too; “You can experience ASMR which is apparently deeply relaxing and I can’t? Ok well you’re weird for watching it”, it’s this sort of mentality that I think is somewhat fair in applying to those that hate on the ASMR because it’s something that I myself have experienced and is sometimes deeply evident in many Reddit Forums. A quote from Reddit that isn’t as negative as above but still really encapsulates this idea has really highlighted these feelings of jealousy or feelings of potentially missing out on the experience; “At first I would get kind of jealous that he would just straight up ignore me to watch ASMR videos even when he wasn’t going to bed. It doesn’t really bother me in that way anymore. What does bother me is that I can’t experience the tingles and understand how it makes him feel. I’ll never be able to fully understand the tingles that he gets from flashing lights, tapping and crinkling sounds, roleplay videos and whispering. I feel like I’m missing out on something so interesting and intriguing.”

Sexualisation of ASMR

Diving deeper into ASMR and its varied connotations between people who watch regularly and those who don’t watch at all, comes the idea of sexulaisation. To many, including myself in the initial stages of getting into ASMR, the idea that this whispering deep into the ears or mouth sounds aspect of ASMR came off as some sort of weird sexual fetish was quite prominent. That being said, this isn’t the case, well mostly. For the most part ASMR isn’t meant to be sexual, it’s something deeply relaxing that can help with a multitude of problems like, anxiety, depression, insomnia etc. The goal is to make the viewer feel a deep sense of relaxation in whatever medium the artist desires; roleplays, personal attention, outdoor videos and many more.

The boundaries are often pushed though, but only recently has it been this way. In the early stages of ASMR creation on Youtube in the 2010’s, those making ASMR content solely strived to make relaxing videos for, at that point an extremely niche following. Sexualising or attempting to sexualise that content on Youtube would reinforce already very skeptical criticism of this content being published. With ASMR becoming more and more popular there is the point of view or criticism that some ASMRtists are only successful because they are attractive, because they sit on the line of sexual content or post suggestive thumbnails for their videos. There is also the criticism that after amassing a following on Youtube, ASMRtists are turning to websites like OnlyFans to capitalise on the potential oversexualisation of this niche.

Before addressing this, I believe I should detail my own experiences in the context of the sexualisation of this niche. I listen to ASMR solely to relax before bed. That being said, if there is a potential market to capitalise on (I believe there is) then I have no problem with artists using whatever means they can or making better money in pursuit of that goal. I do believe though that they should remain separate, and they will because Youtube has strict guidelines. This is simply due to the fact that sometimes people may wish to relax or go to sleep and some may wish to relax in the other way.

A very popular ASMRtist by the name of Heather Feather ASMR  who frequents Reddit regularly has addressed these concerns multiple time; “So I think that’s why you see some people being so expressly against associating ASMR with sex. Not everyone is prude, anti-sex, or closed minded—I think some people are trying to protect something that’s in its infancy on Youtube from being written off as a softcore niche of porn, to protect the people creating videos from being harassed, and to protect their ability to be open about something awesome that they experience. Unfortunately, that protective vein can sometimes go too far, and they end up harassing content creators as well for not making videos to the standard they personally feel is acceptable. So you can simultaneously be harassed by people trying to sexualize your content AND people trying to vilify you, telling you your content is too sexual, or that you aren’t a “real” ASMRtist”. I think she sums up some of the issues fairly well and coming from a viewer’s perspective, I think most people who view ASMR purely for relaxation can get behind this statement. I think the key takeaway here is about respecting the Artist and what mediums they choose to use. People will sexualise what they want, it tends to be what humans do. If a particular artist wants to capitalise on that audience whether it be through Youtube or Patreon or even a move to OnlyFans, we as that audience must respect that Artist’s desires. You don’t have to support it, but respect is necessary.

Conclusion

Exploring the topic of ASMR as a niche has been something I’ve wanted to do for quite a while now. Diving into depth and detail of the stigmatisation and sexualisation of the subject has really opened my eyes to the subjectivity of this phenomenon we know as ASMR. I think the key takeaway from my Autoethnographic research is just how subjective we can be when applying our own personal beliefs to any given subject. Down to its most simple form, subjectivity in ASMR comes from what the audience experiences tingles from; whether it be personal attention, mouth sounds, etc – and equally this subjectivity comes from people who don’t experience ASMR and choose to bash people who find it interesting. This carries all the way through to the sexualisation of ASMR in which everybodies sexuality is subjective and in turn individual desire as to how far they are willing to see ASMR go, in terms of sexually pushing the boundaries can always change. Becoming an even more established member of my ASMR community has shown me why I’m so happy I was able to find this niche, ways to get more people interested in this type of content, a deeper understanding of why we watch ASMR and further tools necessary to conduct even more research into this topic that I love so much.

References

Reddit.com. 2019. Am I The Only One Who Cannot Stand ASMR Videos?… : Beautyguruchatter. [online] Available at: <https://www.reddit.com/r/BeautyGuruChatter/comments/amxbeq/am_i_the_only_one_who_cannot_stand_asmr_videos/&gt; [Accessed 7 November 2020].

ScienceDaily. 2018. Brain Tingles: First Study Of Its Kind Reveals Physiological Benefits Of ASMR. [online] Available at: <https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/06/180621101334.htm#:~:text=ASMR%20is%20the%20sensation%20experienced,and%20spreading%20down%20the%20body.&gt; [Accessed 3 November 2020].

Le Roux, C., 2016. Exploring Rigour In Autoethnographic Research. [online] Taylor & Francis. Available at: <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13645579.2016.1140965&gt; [Accessed 1 November 2020].

Pedroja, C., 2017. The Untold Truth Of ASMR. [online] TheList.com. Available at: <https://www.thelist.com/82546/untold-truth-asmr/&gt; [Accessed 4 November 2020].

Psychologist, J., 2019. Is ASMR Real Or Just A Pseudoscience?. [online] Scientific American. Available at: <https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-asmr-real-or-just-a-pseudoscience/&gt; [Accessed 3 November 2020].

Reddit.com. 2018. What Is Your Opinion Of ASMR? : Askreddit. [online] Available at: <https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/9o96nu/what_is_your_opinion_of_asmr/&gt; [Accessed 8 November 2020].

Quora. 2020. Why Do People Hate On ASMR So Much?. [online] Available at: <https://www.quora.com/Why-do-people-hate-on-ASMR-so-much&gt; [Accessed 7 November 2020].

reddit. 2017. Why Is ASMR Getting So Sexual? [Discussion]. [online] Available at: <https://www.reddit.com/r/asmr/comments/5wserm/why_is_asmr_getting_so_sexual_discussion/&gt; [Accessed 8 November 2020].

Reddit.com. 2016. [Discussion] Why Do We Get So Defensive At The Sexualization Of ASMR? : Asmr. [online] Available at: <https://www.reddit.com/r/asmr/comments/2x8qef/discussion_why_do_we_get_so_defensive_at_the/&gt; [Accessed 8 November 2020].

Introduction and Summary

DCA Digital is a multinational internet marketing and web design company that ultimately increases online visibility and customer acquisition through precision search engine optimization (SEO). This effectively means that DCA focuses on all aspects of increasing business through online presence; website design, search engine optimisation through Google ads and other online digital marketing techniques such as the use of Facebook pixel are all used to ensure ultimate visibility online. I had the opportunity to sit down with the CEO of DCA Digital, David James and discuss in detail what goes on day to day inside the company and the collaborative process used while creating media for various clients. 

I sat down with David twice over the course of two days to firstly, conduct a roughly one and half hour long interview and secondly to sit in on a proposal pitch to an accounting client of his who was willing to totally redesign their online presence and also engage in Google ads to ensure the best results for the firm. The interview consisted of questions all about David’s personal experiences inside the industry, the use of search engine optimization, collaborative processes, the production process and many other ideas were also touched on. As rewarding as the interview was, I found the sit in on his pitch to real clients to be the most rewarding aspect of sitting down with David. I was able to visualise everything we had previously discussed in the interview and how it flowed when a real client was asking for specifics and how everything was going to work. The interview not only consolidated information about how the production process is achieved at DCA, but also highlighted the professionalism needed to conduct such a proposal in this field and what real clients come to expect when dealing with the CEO of a digital marketing firm.

Discussion and Analysis of examples of their work

As I said before the proposal pitch I was able to sit in on was the most rewarding and I got to see some of the work David does in order to gain new clients and keep those clients down the track. I sat down with David while he conducted his proposal pitch over Zoom to a Newcastle Accounting firm who was looking to increase their online presence and totally redesign their current website. I was lucky enough to keep the real proposal slides to use as examples for this case study to better understand the process David goes through in order to really pitch towards his future clients wants and needs. David breaks down the process of his work through a powerpoint presentation that details the key steps to ensuring the goals of the client in a clear and concise manner to ensure a simple understanding of the sometimes complex work he does. It is within these subcategories that we gain a better understanding of the clients needs and how DCA is able to fulfill them; “Our Process, Your worth to Google, Campaign Setup and lastly, Management.

In the Our Process subcategory, David really honed in on ensuring the accounting clients understood what exactly DCA can help them with and how they are going to achieve these goals. This is due to the compartmentalising of the five stages of the design process; Research, Prototyping, Design, Infrastructure and Launch. 

Research starts by David completing a full audit of the clients market space. Prototyping involves  rapid & collaborative iteration on concepts, layouts & directions. Design ensures brand awareness, colour continuity & clear messaging. Infrastructure involves making sure everything is built to an aesthetic standard and designed to function rather than just look pretty – David really tried to get the point across to myself and the client that a website can look pretty, but there needs to be functionality within it. And finally, Launch, where the website goes live.

In the Your Worth to Google category, David runs through his speciality to the client and that is Search Engine Organisation (SEO) through Google ads. SEO and Google ads ensure that a client always comes to the top of a search result through Google due to a set of various keywords that prompt it. Here David utilises Google Trends to understand how often people use keywords such as “accounting” in their searches and also stresses the importance of implementing other marketing tools such as Facebook Pixel –  which lets the client capitalise on all traffic coming to their website, no matter where they came from, Google Ads, organic traffic or another medium.

Campaign Setup focuses on how David is going to build a great ad campaign for the accounting firm. This stage consists of another three steps; Market Research & Campaign Tracking, Segmentation and Copywriting. In terms of market research, David will conduct a full day of research, looking at the accounting firms target customer profiles and pairing that with comprehensive keyword research in order to confidently know which ads he will be delivering to which future customers. Segmentation focuses on building out all of the companies ad groups, ad types, ad sets and individual ads themselves. This is basic market segmentation to which David explains; “saves you money, improves your conversion rate, and gives you insight into which ads and audiences are performing the best”. Finally, copywriting ensures persuasive messages for each audience to yet again maximize relevancy and clickthrough rates. This weeds out people who aren’t fully interested.

Finally, the Management subcategory rounded off David’s proposal and highlighted what needs to be done to ensure the high standard of this ad campaign is maintained. David went into detail explaining that this management is split into three parts; Bid optimization, Keyword Review and Performance Tracking. Bid optimization  has the management team review the campaign performance in real time. Keyword Review enables the performance of certain keywords in Google Ads to be tracked through Google Analytics and see which words attract the most attention and words that give false positives. Performance tracking helps reassure the client that this campaign isn’t just watched for the front end, but all the way through to ensure maximum strategy and gain. 

The insight I gained from this proposal was phenomenal. Not only did I get a chance to understand the professionalism of all aspects of this line of work; Creative Process, Design and Collaboration, but also got a chance to see how the work one puts into a task directly affects the results they are looking for.

Interview Findings and the Collaboration Process

My interview with David started off really straightforward but eventually progressed into normal fluid conversation which really elevated my understanding of the information he was giving me. Although I asked David a variety of questions I really want to focus on two key talking points that I found very interesting in terms of Ideation and Collaboration. 

In terms of ideation, David says his work varies due to the plethora of tasks he can complete for a client. When asked the question, “Can you take me through your typical production process from idea development to final presentation?” David says he likes to start off with a “discovery call” in which he gets to know the client, understand their business and find out what they expect from DCA. “If they have these crazy dreams and goals, I have to sometimes say I’m not the type of guy to help or really adjust their expectations. Setting expectations in the ideation process is extremely important.” This idea of setting expectations for yourself and the client I found really interesting as I think sometimes we wanna do everything and anything but that isn’t always necessarily possible. David also explained that ideation can have its limitations and that that isn’t always a bad thing; “I know the limitations of what a campaign can provide people and being able to deliver on what I say I can deliver – I tend to play things down in the process and then exceed expectations and over deliver”.

In terms of collaboration, David mainly works alone, but this doesn’t mean there is no collaboration in his field. Collaborating with the client is probably the most important aspect of the job done at DCA Digital. The whole process of creating these campaigns is in collaboration with clients, creating a standard to their wants and needs, to which David says is the key to further collaboration and strong client loyalty. “A lot of guys have a really high churn rate, so if you can consistently deliver for them, making yourself not an expense, but an asset, you can hold onto clients for years and years which equals further collaboration.” David also explained that because he works alone he likes to keep up to date with his field community and collaborate that way; “I try to stay really connected to the community, of guys who do what I do, and if you get in there people will really talk and share their ideas of what they’ve done and what works and I’ll do the same – there are a lot of guys in the industry who have a really good name, who know what they are doing and run groups. Getting involved, asking questions and answering questions is really the best way to collaboratively stay up to date with things in this field.” David says he uses a lot of facebook groups to connect with people and then from there connecting with a few guys on a more personal level to gain more insight. Due to the field DCA Digital deals with, especially SEO and Google, things are constantly changing and updating so these groups and forums offer help and collaboration so that nobody falls behind in the ever evolving field of digital marketing and advertising. 

This experience with David has really consolidated my understanding of working collaboratively, even if it takes a different form than I am used to. It has also confirmed what I wish to do with my degree after University. The professionalism I witnessed as well as the techniques used in areas such as ideation and project development now give me the ability to harness and use these techniques in my own future works. A great experience overall and a huge shoutout to David James for helping me with this Professional Profile and lending me his time.

Full Unedited Interview with David James – Reference List further down

Reference List

McKee, A. (2001) ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Textual Analysis’, Metro
Magazine: Media and Education Magazine, (127/128), p. 138.
[Accessed October 8th, 2020]

Mohan, T. (1997) ‘Semiotics: signs and cultural readings (Chapter
5)’ in Terry Mohan et al., Communicating! : theory and practice 4th
ed, Harcourt Brace: Sydney. [Accessed October 8th, 2020]

I have decided to continue focusing on my ASMR niche and more specifically the ASMR community in itself. Hopefully my pitch clearly and concisely explains everything that my four blog posts have been leading to and that purpose of this research is of sound achievability and that there is adequate research here to be conducted.

 I aim to conduct this research by targeting existing viewers of ASMR on various subcategories of videos in the niche as well as new viewers who may not experience or do not understand what this whole niche is about. Additionally I hope to gain more understanding into how listeners who casually, moderately and regularly listen to ASMR explore their own categories of relaxation.  I’m hoping to use both observational and auto ethnographic research methods when conducting my research of the ASMR community. The observational research methods used will involve reading comments under youtube videos, checking out ASMR sub reddits for varying trends and also rediscovering my own trends, observations and ideology regarding my experiences around ASMR. My auto ethnographic research methods will include personal journaling that includes how I access ASMR, why I choose to watch the content I do, how I actively participate in the community and the results of this self reflection. 

Due to the complex nature of actually studying a community,  I am going to really need to rely on my observational research and more importantly my auto ethnographic research to effectively convey my thoughts of the ASMR Community. The key aspect here is to really try and avoid bias and also maintain as ethical as possible even if I encounter negativity relating to a niche of mine I enjoy.

Hope you enjoy! 🙂