From Rivers to Confetti: Reconfigurations of Time through New Media Narratives

We introduce temporal flows on temporal networks [17, 19], i.e., networks the links of which exist only at certain moments of time. Such networks are ephemeral in the sense that no link exists after some time. Our flow model is new and differs from the “flows over time” model, also called “dynamic flows” in the literature. We show that the problem of finding the maximum amount of flow that can pass from a source vertex \({s}\) to a sink vertex \({t}\) up to a given time is solvable in Polynomial time, even when node buffers are bounded. We then examine mainly the case of unbounded node buffers. We provide a simplified static Time-Extended network (\(\mathrm {STEG}\)), which is of polynomial size to the input and whose static flow rates are equivalent to the respective temporal flow of the temporal network; using \(\mathrm {STEG}\), we prove that the maximum temporal flow is equal to the minimum temporal \({s}\text {-}{t}\) cut. We further show that temporal flows can always be decomposed into flows, each of which moves only through a journey, i.e., a directed path whose successive edges have strictly increasing moments of existence. We partially characterise networks with random edge availabilities that tend to eliminate the \({s}\rightarrow {t}\) temporal flow. We then consider mixed temporal networks, which have some edges with specified availabilities and some edges with random availabilities; we show that it is #P-hard to compute the tails and expectations of the maximum temporal flow (which is now a random variable) in a mixed temporal network.

Temporal flows in temporal networks

When critics turn their attention to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, they usually focus on its treatment of larger feminist or psychological questions. Tricia Lootens, for example, argues that Jackson's novel explores the destructive power of family life. According to Lootens, Hill House stands for the kinds of oppression that lead women like Eleanor toward destruction. Most importantly, Lootens implies that Jackson has the family in mind when she wrote that "no live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality" (3). As Lootens puts it, "what Hill House reveals to its guests is a brutal, inexorable vision of the 'absolute reality' of nuclear families that kill where they are supposed to nurture" (167). Although we agree with much that Lootens asserts, we believe that her argument only captures a small part of Jackson's overall purpose. This is particularly true when Lootens suggests that Jackson's take on the family "touches on the terror of her entire culture" (167).KeywordsConcentric CircleCommonsense NotionAbsolute RealityFree Indirect DiscourseDream WorldThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Alternative Pathway to Television: Negotiating Female Representation in <em>Broad City</em>’s Transition from YouTube to Cable

Netflix series have emerged as a popular culture medium with an impact on the language skills of its audience. To explore the influence of Netflix series on English teachers' language skills, this research utilized a qualitative case study approach. A total of 20 English teachers participated in the study by completing a demographic survey. Participants were selected purposively based on their experience in maintaining language skills using authentic materials, including Netflix series. Data collection involved the use of a questionnaire and interviews. The questionnaire aimed to gather demographic information and elicit participants' perceptions regarding the benefits of watching Netflix series for language skill maintenance. Subsequently, interviews were conducted to obtain in-depth insights into participants' responses from the questionnaire. Five English teachers voluntarily took part in the interview process. Thematic content analysis was employed to analyze the data collected from the questionnaire and interviews. The findings of the study revealed various benefits for English teachers in terms of strengthening their language skills. These benefits included fostering a positive attitude towards teaching, enhancing language proficiency, and improving cultural awareness. The study suggests that watching Netflix series has a profound impact on English teachers' language development. In summary, this qualitative case study highlights the positive influence of Netflix series on English teachers' language skills. The research suggests that incorporating Netflix series into language learning routines can be a valuable tool for English teachers. The study contributes to understanding the potential benefits of utilizing popular media platforms like Netflix for language skill development among educators.

Web series are transforming the entertainment sector in India and the world. The Internet is a boon forthe information technology industry. By circumventing restrictions, online shows are changing the entertainment industry by offering a varied range of fresh content. The web series“Adolescence” explores the thoughts of a 13-year-old regarding females, his involvement in criminal activities, and the influence of social media content on him. “Adolescence”is one of the most-watched shows globally on the OTT platform Netflix, used as a case study. The BBC reports that Netflix's series “Adolescence”attracted over 120 million viewers worldwide in its inaugural month of 2025. This series examines adolescent psychology, sexual behaviour, familial relationships, and societal reactions to the murder of a female student who had bullied the protagonist online, despite his continual denial of involvement. Crime occurs as an exceptionally impartial phenomenon, ignoring the victim's age, class, race, social status, etc. The research investigates toxic masculinity, the influence of social media on the accused, and familial involvement in adolescent cognitive development, among other factors. The study also analyses the impact of social media on modern adolescent behaviour, the repercussions of cyberbullying, and the rise of online misogyny. In the contemporary context, adolescents experience accelerated maturation, partly due to the influence of social media and the internet.

This study delves into the unique qualities that make Korean SF stand out and explores the shortcomings of American productions. By examining the complex themes, stunning visuals, and intricate narratives of selected Korean SF films and web series, this study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the genre’s current state. My study also highlights the need for a re-evaluation of the traditional formulaic approach to American science fiction and a renewed focus on creative storytelling and thought-provoking concepts. Therefore, through this paper I tried to critically analyze Korean Science Fiction (SF) films and web series from the last decade like Hellbound (2021), Monstrous (2022), Kingdom (2019), Train to Busan (2016), The Host (2006) to keep the study specifically contemporary and relevant, examining their superior plots and how they differ from Western SF films and Web Series. A comparative study is conducted between films and web series in South Korea and America, while trying to answer certain questions linked with the success of South Korean SF films and web series regarding their declining stage of American SF. Moreover, the analysis offers insights into gender and sexuality issues and the influence of neoliberalism in Korean SF. The importance of cultural specificity and originality in SF storytelling is also taken into consideration, adding valuable contribution to the field of SF studies. I’ve based my paper on theories like the reception theory, which allows me to analyze how the audience interprets and engages with literary and media texts which eventually leads me to study reasons behind the success of Korean SF. I’ve also considered the Narrative theory, the Genre theory along with certain generic understandings of cultural studies and postmodernism. The paper uses thematic and cultural analytical processes as its methodology for which the focus throughout, remains highly ideological and at the same time, tries to consider how a story relates to the society and culture from where it originates.

India has taken a commendable step by becoming the first country to regulate the promotion of tobacco in the content displayed on Over-the-Top (OTT) streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Voot, ZEE5, Disney Hotstar, etc. 1 . The move is an extension of the existing provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), which previously focused on traditional media 2 . This dynamic move aims to curtail exposure to tobacco imagery in movies, short videos, and web series, hosted by the new age and popular OTT platforms and, in turn, can protect impressionable youth from the harmful influence of such depictions. The decision to regulate tobacco on OTT platforms was prompted by an extensive research effort involving data mining, interviews, and in-depth analysis of movies and web series, available on popular streaming platforms. Multiple researches revealed an alarming trend wherein tobacco use scenes were depicted without statutory warnings or disclaimers, creating a 'cool' and 'glamorous' image of tobacco 3, 4 . Such depictions violated the existing COTPA Act and had a concerning influence on vulnerable individuals, especially youth 5 . The comprehensive investigation and reporting played a pivotal role in highlighting the need for regulation within the OTT space. This development ensures that tobacco use scenes are appropriately addressed and necessary warnings are prominently displayed, safeguarding the well-being of viewers, especially the younger audience. The newly introduced Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply, and Distribution) Amendment Rules, 2023, notified by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India on World Tobacco Day, 31 May 2023 [GSR 400(E)] 1 , outlines stringent requirements for streaming platforms. These rules mandate displaying anti-tobacco health spots at the beginning and middle of the program, showing a prominent health warning message at the bottom of the screen while displaying tobacco products, and incorporating audio-visual disclaimers about the harmful effects of tobacco use. Failure to comply with these rules will result in action by an inter-ministerial committee, and publishers will be allowed to explain any non-compliance and make appropriate modifications to their content. The impact of these stringent laws on the industry will be witnessed in the future. However, the clear intent to protect the health and well-being of the Indian population is the heart of this regulation. This significant development is poised to change the content landscape positively, promoting responsible storytelling. OTT platforms can actively discourage tobacco use and foster a healthier society by incorporating warnings, disclaimers, and health spots. India's pioneering move to regulate tobacco in OTT content, sets an exemplary standard for the world, demonstrating the country's commitment to public health and responsible media practices.

This research seeks to contribute to knowledge of the structural characteristics and narrative complexity that define the web series format. To do so, we look at the case of Colombia’s prolific web series production, undertaken by professional and amateur producers and promoted by institutional and educational programmes. This research analyses the structure of 26 productions (thirteen professional, thirteen amateur) using a mixed-methods approach and an exploratory-descriptive scope. It uses analytical tools created inspired by narratology. Specifically, it offers data that allow us to develop the definition of web series: characteristics of their plots, characters, aspects of narration (time, mood, voice) and forms of endings. The results indicate that Colombian web series mostly present traditional serialized narrative structures and plot simplicity. They have linear, chronological and elliptical narratives developed in the present tense. They also tend to tell a single narrative, albeit through different stories, and leave open endings. Finally, there are only slight differences in these aspects between the two types of producers. These results, based on a specific geographical and industrial context, contribute to knowledge of web series form and its relationship to conventional serialized fiction.

Any network media platform, as an integral multifunctional multimedia system, a priori has a set of technological advantages for broadcasting socially significant information, at the same time, media text is a key element of Internet communications. In this regard, the media platform can be considered as one of the most effective means of state image formation. The authors test this hypothesis on the empirical material of specific media platforms in Serbia: they study media texts for the period of 2020-2021 highlighting Russia (its politics, culture, history). The research question consists in the formational features identification and promotion of the image of Russia on the digital territory of the kindred peoples. There is both an interdisciplinary theoretical and practical need to study media text of network platforms as a phenomenon that actively assimilates the multimedia format and various distribution channels. The authors use a linguistic analysis of texts about Russia, revealing the stereotypes inherent in the inhabitants of the Balkans in relation to Russians. It was found out that the modern image of the Russian Federation in this region is influenced by stereotypes reflected in the texts posted on Serbian media platforms. Special attention is paid to media texts reflecting the period of strengthening of the international authority of Russia as an independent state that consistently implements its foreign policy. Our research is relevant for an objective assessment of the attitude of the Balkans to Russia in the context of age-old interstate relations and traditions of the Slavic world. The texts of the Serbian online media demonstrate the authors understanding of the value of the common national cultural heritage, linguocultural basics of Russian and Serbian peoples. The functioning of modern media in the Balkan Peninsula, published in the Serbo-Croatian language, is considered in relation to the formation of a national civil society interested not only in the native language, but also in integration into Slavic culture in general, in the development of effective cooperation with Russia. Having used the technological capabilities of media platforms, it was established that the image of Russia in Serbian media modelling in the period of 2020-2021 is an element of the complex multimedia controlled impact on their audience. The results of our research show that the representation of the image of Russia was carried out systematically - taking into account the values, needs and preferences of the South Slavic peoples.

The article is devoted to the problem of interpreting the essence of temporal flows in Ancient Chinese and Ancient Greek philosophical traditions. It is emphasized that the sense of the passage of time is the cornerstone of the formation of any civilizational system, because it introduces the production of retrospective and prospective images, on which any prolonged activity is based. The state of human consciousness is seen as a key to the interpretation of temporal transit between modes of the past, present, and future, and the Ancient Chinese and Ancient Greek traditions offer two diametrically different approaches to define this state. The purpose of our research is to compare temporal interpretations in the civilizational systems of Ancient China and Ancient Greece and to determine which elements of them are present in modern temporal orientations in the global world and can serve as a guidelines for their improvement. In this aspect we also proclaim the relevance of our research, its resonance with today’s challenges. In the course of our research, we came to the conclusion that the Ancient Chinese tradition emphasizes the intuitive perception of time flows, and this intuition is based on the cyclic patterns of transformations of natural processes, which are based on the circulation of yang and yin energies. The task of a person is to maximally purify consciousness from egocentrism, from trying to occupy a central place in the world system. The Ancient Greek tradition in the opposite way brings the phenomenon of human consciousness on the forefront of temporal interpretations.Temporal interpretation becomes possible and prognostic precisely because human consciousness chooses a certain temporal narrative, plot, logos of the unfolding of events and interprets time on a previously given position. Two methods of orientation in temporal flows, invented in Ancient China and Ancient Greece, can become important guidelines for a modern person who faces new temporal challenges. In particular, these two approaches make it possible to carry out information storage in a different manner, which, in turn, directly affects the orderliness of the temporal flow in human consciousness in the era of groundbreaking technological changes.

Understanding the spatial and temporal movement patterns of residents visiting urban parks is essential to link park use with human well-being. There has been increasing interest recently in quantifying travel behaviors, but most studies have focused on flows of commuters within cities or tourists flows between cities. Actual, specific spatial and temporal connections between urban parks and residents within cities are still poorly understood. Here, we present an approach to take different types of travel flows into account when mapping and quantifying the spatial delivery and temporal dynamics of specific travel flows. This approach is based on empirical investigation of individuals’ movements from their homes to parks and online map navigation technology. The flow maps we generated capture key travel flow patterns, addressing where, which, when, and how much they were associated with the use of recreational service provided by urban parks in Wuhan, China, during the summers of 2015 and 2016. Such maps may aid efforts to restore or improve the efficiency of park access and use. We also examined bundles of these spatial and temporal flows, and show that similar transport conditions were important for bundling spatial flows, while temporal flow bundles were significantly related to spatial features. These findings could help to reveal potential trade-offs and synergies of travel flows associated with space and time constraints and facilitate exploration of policy alternatives for equitable and efficient use of urban park systems.

“Two Birds with One Stone”: Transmedia Serialisation in <em>Twin Peaks</em>

This is an advance summary of a forthcoming article in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication. Please check back later for the full article. The term “political entertainment” refers to a broad category of literature, media, and performance art in which politics and entertainment are comingled. Because of its varied and complex nature, there is no singular definition for political entertainment. However, to be considered as such, the content should have a primary or secondary political focus and generally include implicit or explicit references to socio-political issues. Within political entertainment expository, rhetorical and narrative structures are used to offer socio-political information, commentary, or critique. The content ranges from historical accounts to contemporary issues and often includes some type of moral imperative, civics lesson, policy preference, or desired outcome. Sometimes the purpose is simply to entertain, while other times the purpose is to engage, inform, or persuade mass audiences. Moreover, political entertainment is multi-functional, offering audiences a variety of ways to consume hedonic and eudaimonic political content. In recent decades, there has been a marked increase in political entertainment such as documentaries, fictional dramas, historical reenactment films, political music, animated series, and online videos. These forms range from short films, one-time events, and single audio tracks to feature length films, serial productions, and full television series. On a global scale, political podcasting has become increasingly infused with entertainment. Sometimes referred to as alternative or emergent media, political satirists and public opinion leaders use online formats to offer entertaining political commentary and social critique outside the bounds of traditional media systems. Additionally, made-for-cable, online, and on-demand outlets such as original HBO and Netflix series are quickly gaining ground as alternative political entertainment formats. The mixing of entertainment and news has also created a popular form of political entertainment known as soft news, infotainment, or news hybrids. These take the form of morning and daytime talk shows, online and cable news programs, radio, television, and podcast opinion shows, etc. With the increase in partisan political news and the proliferation of subscription-based outlets, it has become increasingly difficult to separate traditional news and opinion from news hybrids and related forms of political entertainment. The roots of political entertainment can be traced back to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, wherein satire (the earliest known form) was found in literature, graphic, and performing arts. Satire, as the forbearer of political entertainment, was traditionally studied from a humanist tradition and remains an important aspect of literary studies. Contemporary political entertainment research has broadened to include multiple disciplinary perspectives, mediated formats, cross-cultural orientations, and international viewpoints. Modern political entertainment literature traverses the humanities and social sciences, offering critical, qualitative, and quantitative assessments of the nature, content, and impact these media have on different democratic societies.

This study investigates audience engagement metrics across streaming and social media platforms, highlighting the growing significance of these metrics in today's digital landscape. As content consumption habits evolve, understanding how users engage with different platforms becomes critical for content creators, marketers, and media professionals. The research focuses on three primary streaming platforms—Netflix, Hulu, and Twitch—and four leading social media platforms—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. The study utilizes a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative analysis of engagement data with qualitative insights gathered from industry reports and expert interviews. To assess engagement, key metrics were identified, including average watch time, interaction rates (likes, shares, comments), and user retention rates. Data collection involved analytics tools, surveys of user behaviors, and secondary data from available industry reports. The analysis revealed significant differences in engagement across the platforms. For instance, streaming platforms demonstrated higher average watch times, indicating that users are more likely to consume content for extended periods. Conversely, social media platforms exhibited greater interaction rates, showcasing users’ propensity to engage with content through likes and shares. The findings suggest that while streaming platforms excel in viewer retention, social media platforms foster a more interactive user environment. This distinction has important implications for content strategy, as creators and marketers can tailor their approaches based on the strengths of each platform. The study contributes to the existing literature by filling a gap in comparative analyses of audience engagement metrics, providing actionable insights for enhancing content performance across platforms. Future research could explore longitudinal studies to assess how engagement metrics evolve over time and impact content success.