Periodically, I try to identify my “top ten” books, food, movies, music, travel destinations, etc. In general, this exercise forces me to learn about my preferences by prompting me to consider not just what I like, but why I like it.
In doing so, I engage more deeply with genres, styles, and categories I might otherwise overlook—and I gain clarity in articulating what resonates with me and why.
Take, for example, blues music. I might begin by asking myself: Which style of blues do I prefer (e.g., Chicago, Delta, Texas, etc.)? If I have the time and inclination, I can drill down further, identifying which musicians within that category I enjoy most and why. To do this, I listen to what I consider to be a representative sample of their work and then determine which songs resonate with me and what specifically draws me to them.
This process does not have to start at the genre level and work towards the musician or song. It can easily begin with the song and move towards the genre. For example, why does Maurice Brown’s “The Mood” or Stanley Clarke’s “East River Drive” appeal to me? Once I pose this question then I feel compelled to dig below the surface.
Sometimes, this exercise can feel overwhelming. In such cases, I might narrow the list to a top five or even three. The important point is to select a manageable set and then clearly explain my choices.
Focusing on personal preferences and articulating the reasons behind them encourages exploration and assists me to sharpen my critical thinking. It also provides a foundation for strategic planning, helping me better choose future projects, adventures, and experiments. By understanding what engages me the most, I can move forward with greater clarity and purpose.
Photo Credit:
Photographer: Tom Page
Title: 2012 Paralympics
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/8276119032_3c52fb9857_c.jpg533799Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2025-05-04 04:27:442025-05-04 04:27:44Rank Ordering to Clarify What Matters Most
Individuals engage with urban spaces in a variety of ways. These approaches usually depend on their intentions, levels of involvement, and methods of observation. Three distinct modes of engagement — voyeurism, street ethnography, and urban exploration — offer useful points of comparison.
Voyeurism typically entails observing others without their consent, often for personal gratification and without regard to the privacy or dignity of the subjects. Voyeuristic engagement is often perceived as unethical and typically characterized by a lack of reflexivity or accountability.
In contrast, street ethnography involves a systematic, immersive approach aimed at developing a deep and critical understanding of social life in urban settings. Ethnographers try to be methodologically rigorous, ethically sensitive, and sustain engagement with the communities they study. Through participant observation, interviews, and reflective analysis, street ethnography moves far beyond mere observation.
Urban exploration occupies an intermediate position. People who engage in this behavior often seek to access and document abandoned, hidden, or forgotten spaces within the city. While urbex may involve a greater level of engagement and risk-taking than casual tourism, it generally lacks the systematic methodology and ethical frameworks associated with ethnography. Furthermore, urban exploration often centers more on the physical environment than on the social life of communities.
It’s important to note that an observer’s role is not fixed. Over time, they may shift across these modes. A tourist’s superficial engagement may evolve into a deeper ethnographic inquiry, particularly as the observer develops relationships, questions initial impressions, and reflects critically on their own positionality. This process, often shaped by reactivity — the mutual influence between observer and observed — highlights the fluidity inherent in urban engagement.
Photo Credit
Banksy’s Banksquiat. Boy and Dog in Stop and Search (2018)
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_7039-1-scaled.jpeg22512560Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2025-04-26 23:34:032025-05-03 19:50:25Distinguishing Among Voyeurism, Street Ethnography, and Urban Exploration
A bare-chested man with dreadlocks skateboards through Adams Morgan (Washington, DC), an iguana perched on his shoulder, and a selfie stick extending from his hand. A young woman rides the New York City subway with a large snake draped around her neck, and numerous riders crowd around taking videos with their smartphones.
What are We Actually Watching?
These images don’t appear to be spontaneous expressions or political protests—they seem more like carefully choreographed performances designed to go viral. Unlike traditional forms of protest, artistic expression, or ideological movements like the Situationists, these performances are calculated rather than accidental.
The content creators aren’t trying to shift culture, make a point, or inspire debate.
Importantly, the images (and videos) are neither made nor consumed by one demographic. People of all genders, races, ages, and levels of celebrity status produce and view this content.
Meanwhile, there’s no shortage of things, people, and organizations (e.g., smartphones, social media platforms, content producers, and viewers) contributing to this phenomenon.
If we look long enough, the algorithms, because of their power, dominate what we see online.
What’s Going on with This Content?
The underlying message seems clear: producers of this content want their videos to gain attention, and the way to achieve this is by creating attention-seeking content.
To be clear, this commentary isn’t a rant about “kids these days.” It’s a reflection on the shallowness of the spectacle itself. If the goal is to be noticed, mission accomplished.
But then what? Is viral visibility an end in itself? Is sharing a personal confession, pulling a wild stunt, a meaningful self-expression, or just a louder, more absurd version of screaming into the void?
Debord Was Right
Although Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation (1981) and Boorstin’s The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-events in America (1961) also explore the dominance of mediated reality, Guy Debord’s The Society of the Spectacle (1967) offers a particularly prescient critique. Debord argued that in capitalist societies, everyday life becomes increasingly dominated by representations—images, appearances, and commodified experiences. Rather than engaging with the world directly, individuals relate to it through these mediated images, resulting in passivity, alienation, and social fragmentation. While Debord could not have foreseen the rise of social media, his insights anticipate many of its most troubling effects.
The Real Cost
The more critical issue is how many otherwise creative people spend considerable resources creating this content. Meanwhile, as consumers of this work, we waste our time going down rabbit holes, permitting the absurd to drown out the urgent.
In a world dealing with urgent problems—inequality, climate change, crimes of the powerful—devoting our energy to producing and consuming this kind of content feels like a wasted opportunity.
I’m reminded of Seth Godin, who has famously said that you may win the internet for the day, but then what? In a world full of real issues and real needs, there are more constructive, impactful ways to stand out. If you want attention, maybe it’s time to consider earning it by doing something recognizably helpful and prosocial.
Photo Credit:
Creator: Ibrahim D.
Title: Social Media Icons of the 2020s
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/Social_media_collection_2020s.png10801920Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2025-04-20 13:22:402025-04-20 13:37:31Social Media’s Never-Ending Replacement of Substance with Spectacle
Rank Ordering to Clarify What Matters Most
/by Jeffrey Ian RossPeriodically, I try to identify my “top ten” books, food, movies, music, travel destinations, etc. In general, this exercise forces me to learn about my preferences by prompting me to consider not just what I like, but why I like it.
In doing so, I engage more deeply with genres, styles, and categories I might otherwise overlook—and I gain clarity in articulating what resonates with me and why.
Take, for example, blues music. I might begin by asking myself: Which style of blues do I prefer (e.g., Chicago, Delta, Texas, etc.)? If I have the time and inclination, I can drill down further, identifying which musicians within that category I enjoy most and why. To do this, I listen to what I consider to be a representative sample of their work and then determine which songs resonate with me and what specifically draws me to them.
This process does not have to start at the genre level and work towards the musician or song. It can easily begin with the song and move towards the genre. For example, why does Maurice Brown’s “The Mood” or Stanley Clarke’s “East River Drive” appeal to me? Once I pose this question then I feel compelled to dig below the surface.
Sometimes, this exercise can feel overwhelming. In such cases, I might narrow the list to a top five or even three. The important point is to select a manageable set and then clearly explain my choices.
Focusing on personal preferences and articulating the reasons behind them encourages exploration and assists me to sharpen my critical thinking. It also provides a foundation for strategic planning, helping me better choose future projects, adventures, and experiments. By understanding what engages me the most, I can move forward with greater clarity and purpose.
Photo Credit:
Photographer: Tom Page
Title: 2012 Paralympics
Distinguishing Among Voyeurism, Street Ethnography, and Urban Exploration
/by Jeffrey Ian RossIndividuals engage with urban spaces in a variety of ways. These approaches usually depend on their intentions, levels of involvement, and methods of observation. Three distinct modes of engagement — voyeurism, street ethnography, and urban exploration — offer useful points of comparison.
Voyeurism typically entails observing others without their consent, often for personal gratification and without regard to the privacy or dignity of the subjects. Voyeuristic engagement is often perceived as unethical and typically characterized by a lack of reflexivity or accountability.
In contrast, street ethnography involves a systematic, immersive approach aimed at developing a deep and critical understanding of social life in urban settings. Ethnographers try to be methodologically rigorous, ethically sensitive, and sustain engagement with the communities they study. Through participant observation, interviews, and reflective analysis, street ethnography moves far beyond mere observation.
Urban exploration occupies an intermediate position. People who engage in this behavior often seek to access and document abandoned, hidden, or forgotten spaces within the city. While urbex may involve a greater level of engagement and risk-taking than casual tourism, it generally lacks the systematic methodology and ethical frameworks associated with ethnography. Furthermore, urban exploration often centers more on the physical environment than on the social life of communities.
It’s important to note that an observer’s role is not fixed. Over time, they may shift across these modes. A tourist’s superficial engagement may evolve into a deeper ethnographic inquiry, particularly as the observer develops relationships, questions initial impressions, and reflects critically on their own positionality. This process, often shaped by reactivity — the mutual influence between observer and observed — highlights the fluidity inherent in urban engagement.
Photo Credit
Banksy’s Banksquiat. Boy and Dog in Stop and Search (2018)
Social Media’s Never-Ending Replacement of Substance with Spectacle
/by Jeffrey Ian RossA bare-chested man with dreadlocks skateboards through Adams Morgan (Washington, DC), an iguana perched on his shoulder, and a selfie stick extending from his hand. A young woman rides the New York City subway with a large snake draped around her neck, and numerous riders crowd around taking videos with their smartphones.
What are We Actually Watching?
These images don’t appear to be spontaneous expressions or political protests—they seem more like carefully choreographed performances designed to go viral. Unlike traditional forms of protest, artistic expression, or ideological movements like the Situationists, these performances are calculated rather than accidental.
The content creators aren’t trying to shift culture, make a point, or inspire debate.
Importantly, the images (and videos) are neither made nor consumed by one demographic. People of all genders, races, ages, and levels of celebrity status produce and view this content.
Meanwhile, there’s no shortage of things, people, and organizations (e.g., smartphones, social media platforms, content producers, and viewers) contributing to this phenomenon.
If we look long enough, the algorithms, because of their power, dominate what we see online.
What’s Going on with This Content?
The underlying message seems clear: producers of this content want their videos to gain attention, and the way to achieve this is by creating attention-seeking content.
To be clear, this commentary isn’t a rant about “kids these days.” It’s a reflection on the shallowness of the spectacle itself. If the goal is to be noticed, mission accomplished.
But then what? Is viral visibility an end in itself? Is sharing a personal confession, pulling a wild stunt, a meaningful self-expression, or just a louder, more absurd version of screaming into the void?
Debord Was Right
Although Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation (1981) and Boorstin’s The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-events in America (1961) also explore the dominance of mediated reality, Guy Debord’s The Society of the Spectacle (1967) offers a particularly prescient critique. Debord argued that in capitalist societies, everyday life becomes increasingly dominated by representations—images, appearances, and commodified experiences. Rather than engaging with the world directly, individuals relate to it through these mediated images, resulting in passivity, alienation, and social fragmentation. While Debord could not have foreseen the rise of social media, his insights anticipate many of its most troubling effects.
The Real Cost
The more critical issue is how many otherwise creative people spend considerable resources creating this content. Meanwhile, as consumers of this work, we waste our time going down rabbit holes, permitting the absurd to drown out the urgent.
In a world dealing with urgent problems—inequality, climate change, crimes of the powerful—devoting our energy to producing and consuming this kind of content feels like a wasted opportunity.
I’m reminded of Seth Godin, who has famously said that you may win the internet for the day, but then what? In a world full of real issues and real needs, there are more constructive, impactful ways to stand out. If you want attention, maybe it’s time to consider earning it by doing something recognizably helpful and prosocial.
Photo Credit:
Creator: Ibrahim D.
Title: Social Media Icons of the 2020s