Jaycen Mitchell
Idiot Box
Idiot Box is a commentary on how mass media (social media, news media, etc.) has a heavy influence on how the public perceives the world around them as well as causing people to feel burnt out when consuming the news. Stemming from the coverage and opinions of the Black Lives Matter protests, the 2020 presidential election, and the Covid-19 pandemic, the media has started to become a bit too much to handle all at once. Most people get their ideas about other people or situations from what they see on tv or on social media. If they have never interacted with anyone different from them or have not been educated on how certain things work, they get all of their “information” from other sources, like their local news broadcast, which may drastically skew their perception of the world outside of their thinking. For a lot of people, their only way of knowing things is from the news or Facebook. I realized that the news is curated to show stories and events that will entice their audiences to watch. Most older people are less likely to have multiple social media accounts and may only watch one news station to get their information about everything, which leads to a conversation about media bias.
Idiot Box brings together a research publication that provides information and opinions from various articles on mass media’s influence on public opinion. With it, brings an augmented reality experience that fully immerses you in a space that simulates the overwhelming and overstimulating feeling of consuming so much information all at the same time. Also, take home this installation with printable cards that allow you to experience this exhibit again through augmented reality.
