Part of the EM's series on videos screened at the 2010 Open Video Conference. Michael Wesch gave a keynote speech on the conference's second day, October 2, 2010.
Dubbed “the explainer” by Wired magazine, Michael Wesch is a cultural
anthropologist exploring the effects of new media on society and
culture. After two years studying the implications of writing on a
remote indigenous culture in the rain forest of Papua New Guinea, he has
turned his attention to the effects of social media and digital
technology on global society.
Dr. Wesch is not only a fascinating
speaker, with deep insights into the budding online video culture—he’s
also a talented videographer. His videos on culture, technology,
education, and information have been viewed by millions, translated in
over 15 languages, and are frequently featured at international film
festivals and major academic conferences. If you haven’t already seen
The Machine is Us/ing Us, we strongly recommend you spend the next few
minutes watching and be amazed. Or visit his YouTube channel to watch
his illuminating talks (especially An Anthropological Introduction to
YouTube, presented at the Library of Congress in 2008).
Music by Try^d: http://tryad.org/listen.html