With the breakthrough of the new media as a consequence of the digitization
revolution, new formats of self-expressions have become popular as the audience
gains recognition of his/her private, social, and public achievements (Hjarvard
2013 : 150). Hjarvard ( 2013 : 11) explains that the mediatization process affects an
individual autonomy and social belonging in such a way that the individual gains
more autonomy by relying deeply to the external world in the act of connecting to
the available large social networks. He calls this phenomenon,soft individualism.
Elliott and Lemert already observed a new kind of individualism in 2006. They
propose that globalization has a profound impact on the individual level. They
define this new individualism as a highly risk-taking, experimenting, and
self-expressing individual underpinned by new forms of apprehension, anguish, and
anxiety. High levels of individualism can lead tonarcissism. Twenge and Campbell
( 2009 : 19) state in their book,“The Narcissism Epidemic,”that the central feature
of narcissism is a very positive and inflated view of self and this value is growing
rapidly in the American culture fueled by the mass media, including the new media,
and changes in parental approaches to upbringing that emphasizes self-expression.
Symbolic representations of the new American culture of self-expression or par-
ticipating audience/amateur journalist are the emphasis on celebrities in the media,
the success of Facebook as a social networking site, the uploading of personal
videos on YouTube, twitter (micro blogging and text-based social networking or
SMS on the internet via its own website), and blogging (Twenge and Campbell
2009 ). In many cases, the audience can be a target or a commodity when the
abundant of profit-making orientation and values are built into the media system in
advertising (Jackson et al. 2011 : 63). The self or ego of the audience in these cases
will be coupled with commercial products to increase self-confidence, self-respect,
self-esteem, etc.
It is not wrong to conclude that mediatization and Western idea of practicing
journalism are to feed the perpetual perception of self. We may be aware that
someone else is suffering than us from reading news. We may feel sad about the
tragedies in the news, but at the same time, we may feel relieve that we are not the
victims. We look at entertainment and we feel happy we could forget our own
boredom, pains, and suffering for a while. We escape from our self and back to our
own life. Escapism is what the media help us for a short while. Then, we are back to
the real-world again.
7.2 How Thai Buddhism Helps Us See Through
the Perception of Self!
Mindful communication and journalism are based on the Buddhist phenomenology
and philosophy. It helps global citizens and journalists alike as observers to com-
municate effectively with the observant while framing the observed.
104 7 Mindful Communication and Journalism from a Thai...