Mastroianni 1

Emily Mastroianni

Professor Weaver

Media Literacy

16 September 2016

Telepresence:InvitingMeintotheWorldofMediatedContent

Weallhavemostlikelyhearditplentyoftimesbefore,thephrase,dontgetcaughtup

inthemedia,orsomethingalongthoselines.But,intodayssociety,whereNetflix&chill

hasbecomethenewgotodatenightandsocialmediahasallowedustofollowourfavorite

celebritieseverymoves,itisalmostimpossiblenottogetcaughtup.Today,ourgraspsof

realityhavebecomeblurredbymediatedcontent.Somuchso,thatthereareinstancesinwhich

wefeelsoconnectedtomedia,thatwebelieveweareexperiencingitfirsthand,withnoscreen

betweenthecontentandourselves;thisideaisaphenomenoncalledtelepresence.Asdefinedin

ournotes,telepresenceisapsychologicalresponsetomediatedcontentandaperceptualillusion

ofnonmediationbetweenthepersonandthecontent(Weaver,2016).LombardandDitton

reemphasizethisdefinitionoftelepresencebyreferringtoitasa,theextenttowhichaperson

failstoperceiveoracknowledgetheexistenceofamediumduringatechnologicallymediated

experience(Riva,2003).Inotherwords,itisallowingoursensestobecomedeeplyinvolvedin

mediatedcontenttothepointinwhichwebelieveweareeitherapartofthatcontentor

interactingwithitinsomeway.Withtheprevalenceofmediatoday,itiscommonforoneto

experiencetelepresencebecauseofhowheavilyinvolvedthesemediatedtechnologiesareinour

lives.IfIhadtorecalloneexperiencethatparticularlystoodouttomeasatelepresence

experience,itwouldbewatchingthemovie,TheLizzieMcGuireMovie.
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Beforedelvingintomyexperience,itisimportantthatIsharesomebackground

information.LastfallsemesterIhadtheamazingopportunitytostudyabroadinRome,Italyfor

fourmonths.Ihadneverbeenoutofthecountrybeforethis,letalonetoaplacewhereEnglish

wasnotthenativelanguage,andIwasforcedtoimmersemyselfintoItalianculture.Overthe

spanoffourmonths,IcaneasilysaythatIaccomplishedthat;Ilivedinanapartment,went

groceryshopping,wenttoschool,interactedwithpeopleonthestreets,traveled,rodethemetro,

dinedinmanyrestaurants,andmostimportantly,livedamongtheancientandnotableruins,

streets,monuments,buildings,churchesandsights,thatultimatelymakeRome,Rome.My

telepresenceexperienceoccurred,notwhileIwasinRome,butrightafterIreturnedhomeover

Christmasbreak.

MydaysafterarrivinghomewerefilledwithmissingItaly,lookingthroughallofmy

photos,andgettingbacktomynormallife,soitwasnowonderthatIdecidedtowatchThe

LizzieMcGuireMovieonenightwhenIwasaloneinmybasement.TheLizzieMcGuireMovie

isafilmIhavelovedsinceIwasateenager.Itisastoryofagirlwhotakesaschooltripto

Rome,fallsinlovewithanItalianmusicianandeventuallyfindsthespotlightherself.AsIsatin

mybasement,alonewiththelightsdimmed,Ifeltentrancedbythemovie.Inthismoment,I

knewIwaswatchingthemovie,butbecauseofmypast,andrecentexperiences,IfeltasifI

werethere,ridingonthevespawiththemaincharactersthroughthestreetsthatIcalledmy

home.Duringthisparticularscene,mymindwasfixedoneverythingtheyweredrivingpast;I

wasconstantlyaskingmyselfquestionsHadIbeentherebefore?DidIeatatthatgelateria?Is

thatmyapartmentbuilding?DontIhaveapictureofthat?Iimmediatelywentbacktothe

mindsetthatIhadneverleftRome,thattherewasntascreenbetweenmeandthosecobblestone
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roads,andthatIwasntsittingathomeinPittsburgh,Pennsylvania.Immediately,Iwas

experiencingthedimensionofimmersion.ThescentsofItaliancuisinemixedwiththemustyair

andtheTiberRiverfilledmynose.ThesongVolarefilledmyears,alongwiththesoundof

Italianstreetmusicians,dogsbarking,littlechildrengigglingandthepiercing,yetmemorable

soundofanambulance.Icouldfeelthewindhittingmyface,andtherushofdrivinginRoman

traffic.IwatchedinaweaswepassedtheColiseum,thePantheon,theTreviFountain,St.

PetersBasilica,andPiazzaNavona,asifIwereseeingtheseplacesforthefirsttimeallover

again.IwouldthinkbacktospecificmemoriesIhadsuchasstandinginPiazzaNavonasquare

buyingapieceofartoffthestreet,orsittingonthestepsoftheTreviFountaineatinggelatofrom

SanCrispinoGelateria,asthecharactersinthemoviemadetheirwayfromplacetoplace.In

thatmoment,duringthatparticularscene,IwasbackinRome,andnotwatchingTheLizzie

McGuireMovie.

Inthearticle,BeingThere:TheExperienceofPresenceinMediatedEnvironment,

thereisanexcerptbyMarioKambergwhereheexplainshisreasoningastowhyitisimportant

tostudytelepresence.Hestates,Iwantthemtogoplacestheyveneverbeen,seethings

theyveneverseen,andfeelthingstheyveneverfeltbefore(Riva,2003).Althoughinmy

case,Iwasntwitnessinganewplace,andseeingnewsights,Ithinkithadmoreofanimpacton

mebecausethesewereplacesthatIheldsodearlytomyheart,makingthecontentinthemovie

muchmoremeaningfultome.Whenyouvisitanewplaceintheworld,Ithinkanattachment

growswithin.Anytimeyouseesomethingrelatingtothatplace,orhearsomeonetalkingabout

thatplace,itsalmostasifyouarerightbackthere.WatchingTheLizzieMcGuireMoviedid

thistome.MytimeinRomeformedmeintothepersonIamtoday,sohavingtheopportunityto
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gobacktothatplace,evenifthatmeantenteringmyselfintomediatedcontent,issomethingI

feelthatIwillcontinuetomentallydo.ThistelepresenceexperiencechangedthewayIthought

aboutthepowerofmediatedcontent.Inamomentofsuchconfusion,emotionand

disorientationaftercominghome,thismoviewasabletoremindmeofthepeacethatIfeltin

Rome.ItremindedmethatIwillalwayshaveadeepconnectiontoRomenomatterwhereIam

intheworld.Inthemonthsafterthisexperience,Ihavecontinuouslyusedmediatobringme

backtomytimeabroadandnow,whenIamreallymissingRome,IknowthatallIhavetodois

takeoutTheLizzieMcGuireMovieinordertotakemebacktothosespecialtimesallthanksto

telepresence.
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References

Riva,Giuseppe,&Isjsselsteijn,Wijnand,(2003).BeingThere:Theexperienceofpresencein
mediatedenvironments.IosPress.18.

Weaver,William.(2016,2September).NotestakeninProfessorWeaversMediaLiteracy
class.