Term Paper: New Media Recap (Leah Johnson)

Overview/Reflection of Class

Understanding New Media is a course where the class consciously became absorbed in the media and how it has an unconscious control over society. This class explores how society communicates in these different media environments and how this communication has changed from earlier interactions. Also, in the class, the way people create different identities online oppose to reality have been examined. Overall, the class galvanizes one to make a conscious effort to understand how human operate within media environments. Also, this course propels students to explore how the recurring new media works. This paper will discuss “new media” and old media as it has evolved. Additionally, the paper will dissect a few different old and new media, such as social media, digital media, television, radio, and Internet.

Introduction to Older Media & New Media

“New media” references digital media that are interactive, implement two-way communication and involve some form of computing (Logan 5). “New media” consists of social media, such as Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, etc.  “New media” is also described as having the ability to combine text, audio, digital video, interactive multimedia, virtual reality, the web, email, chat, cell phone, etc. Another definition of “new media” is a new cultural form, which are native to computers or rely on computers for distribution: websites, human-computer interface, virtual worlds, multimedia, computer games, computer animation, digital video, special effects in cinema and net films, and interactive computer installations (Logan 5). This definition is most fitting, considering that “new media” has become a new culture, which society has become consumed within. Accepted individuals in society must conform to this new culture, or it is likely they will be left behind. Even older generations, who were not initially raised with or accustomed to these “new media,” are doing what they can to learn.

These “new media” are works that society is constantly interacting with throughout almost every moment of the day. There seems to be a consistent pattern between the older media and “new media” interactions. Older media refers to radio, television, and the telephone. Society was fascinated by how older media works when it was most prevalent. Society wanted to indulge in older media when it was the “new” technology. As society knows it, one cannot go maybe even a few minutes without using new media. However, the old media that society once loved is the very basis of the new media today. When old media was popular there, was a passive interaction from its users, but with “new media” users are active producers of content and information. “New media” has activated control, in which the users have always yearned for. Users make the most of this capacity of control and begin to participate in the constant production of new “new media.”

Media Ecology

Media ecology is the study of media as environments, which brings our minds to a new state of consciousness as different media work to support one another. (McLuhan 1977, Ong 1977, Postman 1970, Strate 2006). The study of media ecology encourages a heightened sense of awareness of the influx of media that surrounds us. In this analysis of media ecology and “new media,” I will connect the theories and ideologies surrounding these fields of study. Media ecology connects all communication and information processing of data and retrieval and is not only focused on media, but also technology. A media environment consists of humans interacting and communicating within different media environments. Media ecology and “new media” go hand in hand, because society is constantly in these media environments where people are participating mostly within “new media.” Understanding media ecology enables one to be aware of how new media affect us.

Terminal Time

Terminal time defines cultural contexts and how it defines our history. Society is used to being in roles as spectators at presentations, such as movies, or even when one is home watching television. Society is used to being entertained, so this side of the interaction is expected. Spectators are meant to experience the medium, as they are conscious of the actual interface. Two perspectives or roles are looking through the screen of the production. Through each of these roles, we incorporate our beliefs and prejudices to every media. It is human nature to have certain biases and our own beliefs. Interaction with digital media changes along the course of each media. The way society participates in certain media depends upon the actual production or interface. Society consciously becomes consumed in either of these phenomena. The example of society being consumed in the interface of the voting booth, made the interaction of a specific interface apparent. The intersection of virtual versus physical activity with different media is quite interesting and society participates on a daily basis.

McLuhan’s Methodology

Marshall McLuhan is a scholar in the fields of media ecology and “new media.” McLuhan made predictions and theories early on about media and how it would evolve and the older media will die out. For example, McLuhan alleges,  “Today we are beginning to notice that the new media are not just mechanical gimmicks for creating worlds of illusion, but new languages with new and unique powers of expression.” (1957, 272; Logan 13). McLuhan believes that old media and “new media” are one in the same and that the only difference is time. Society loved old media at one time, until the old media allowed for evolution and recreation. “New media” is merely modern day old media.

Remediation is the representation of one medium in another, which is the defining characteristic of digital media. How does one differentiate between “new media” and old media? McLuhan was unsurprisingly the first to view the content of a new medium, which some of the content characterized new media. Although different scholars make comments towards separating new and old media, it is sometimes still unclear.

McLuhan identified the symbolism behind the medium environments as an explanation of how our technological society decodes information produced by the media. McLuhan illuminated that it is not the environment itself that describes society, but how our society interprets the environment that explains how numb we have subconsciously become.

The differences between “new media” and old media are quite ambiguous, as it seems. However, some major distinctions have been identified. Older media is mass media and “new media” has few exceptions to that; i.e. the Internet. One may identify the Internet as a two communication, but there are many areas of the Internet that have minimal interaction. Old media can be regarded as passive media and “new media” could be referred to as “self-accessed” interactive media.

Social Media

Social Media is a world where its consumers become the context or the producer. The consumer essentially runs these virtual worlds and it creates a culture in which we all soon must learn. The amount of time consumers are spending on these social networks could be deemed as a full time job. Objectively, these consumers work for these networks for free, wit minimal benefits.  The figure below breaks down the world of social media into different sub groups in which the consumer can choose its next “job title.” This social media landscape is broken down into separate sub groups which are, Social Games, Virtual World, Livecast, Microblog, Social Networks, Discuss, Share, and Publish. These are all “occupations” that consumers have full control of becoming. This amount of power at the consumer’s fingertips has many pitfalls and many triumphs. However; finding an impervious record within social media is hard to obtain.

Facebook

Facebook is a social networking site that began in 2004. Many indulge in this network for hours daily. “If Facebook were a nation, it would be the World’s third largest behind China and India” (Levinson 13). This fact gives one an idea of how the population of users is on this site. Levinson discussed appeal of friends and online friendships. On Facebook, one can only have up to five thousand friends. This is the first aspect that sets online friends aside from reality. Obviously, there are no restrictions on how many friends one can have outside of virtual life. On average, consumers interact with about 20 of their Facebook “friends.” Between all of the friends consumers have on Facebook, they may only know about five percent of them, yet consumers consider all of these people on their friends list “friends.” Facebook friendships are usually based on similar interests between Facebook users. The only relationship that follows into offline relationships are these interests. However, will reliant Facebook friends get in contact or meet up in person? It is very unlikely that online friendships will not extend outside of the virtual realm of Facebook.

Twitter

Twitter is a social networking and blogging site, where users interact through 140 character messages, which are called “tweets.” Twitter clearly separates from reality by restricting how many characters can be produced in each message. This restriction takes away the beauty of orality, because there are no limitations on what the messages of users. Twitter is a current phenomenon that encourages users to tell everyone where they are and what they are doing from anywhere. Therefore, if one wants everyone to know every move and decisions they make in their life, Twitter may be the social networking service of their choice. Twitter is easily accessible to anyone who wants to use the site. Many can network on twitter or follow the life of anyone they choose. Twitter’s instantaneous speed keeps users absorbed in tweeting throughout their day. Although, Twitter seems like today’s best past time, Twitter is known for getting a lot of users in trouble for their impulsive tweets. How can one save themselves when they are in trouble on Twitter? Users are free to delete any of their tweets, however when other users re-tweet (i.e. re–posting someone else’s twitter message) ones tweets, the damage is done. All users should be careful and responsible when they tweet.

Blogs

A blog is a personal website, which allows users to record opinions or information related to their specific theme of the blog. Bloggers are often referred to as citizen journalists (Levinson 81). If a person can read or write, then they have the ability to be a blogger. Today, there are more readers and followers of blogs than there are writers. However, blogging gives the user full control and opportunity to convey their personal message. There normally are not any character restrictions, or limit on who can subscribe or post to a blog, which is essential to the growth of blogs. The different blog sites vary in function and layout. Blogs challenge users to be creative, and it takes a special user to truly use blogs effectively.

These three media outlets are considered “new media,” because of the interaction that users are able to engage in. New media is often viewed as the user having full control, but Facebook and Twitter each have a major restriction on the sites. As aforementioned, Facebook restricts the number of friends a user can have, and Twitter restricts the number of characters one can have in each message. This raises a question about how much control these sites really want their users to have. Both of these restrictions are the main functions of these sites, and it is questionable as to why these restrictions are in place. It seems that these owners of these websites do not have an immense amount of control over what happens on each of these websites. Twitter’s restriction of characters translates a restriction of expression or speech.  Blogs, on the other hand, are a place where the restrictions are absent on the user’s expression. “New media” has a wide range of different networks that fall within this category, and that range is still evolving.

Television

Television is a system, which transmits images and sounds. Television has evolved tremendously over the years and has many different purposes. However, television does not allow one to interact, but rather be consumed in the entertainment being displayed. Logan recognizes television as an “old media,” and Postman focuses on how television’s entertainment controls society. In Postman’s book Amusing Ourselves to Death, his argument explored the impact of television media on society. Society is a product of a media and entertainment consumed society. Postman predicted that discourse would be limited, because of people’s focus on entertainment. He also stated that we are a television-focused society, and television affects how we live “off the screen.” Television programs impact our minds tremendously. Television media creates biases that are eventually embedded into our minds.

Technology, entertainment, and media are responsible for diluting the importance of communicating with one another. Because of the biases created and maintained by media, communicating with other people has become less important for society. People form opinions, make judgments, and create stereotypes that disable us from effectively serving our communicative purpose in life. This influence is very consistent. For example, most well liked women on television are thin with long (usually blonde) hair. Moreover, since young girls constantly see this, they are subject to believe that being thin and having long (blonde) hair are required to be well liked. This is just a simple example of the many influences of television media. Postman alleges that the only way to prevent television from consuming us is to be aware of its negative effects, and to control how much television we consume. Our culture has become consumed in the media, and it has begun to control society in a negative way. Although most see technology and media as essential, it has impacted individuals’ ideologies and theories.

Postman predicted these issues early in the 1980’s and his predictions were correct. Society is currently suffering the consequences of the effects of media and entertainment. Society is truly “amusing ourselves to death,” i.e. the death of communication.

Radio

Radio is also an old media that has recorded music and spoken word. There is limited interaction on this kind of medium. Radio is another media where society is merely entertained. Because of “new media,” society can access radio in three separate ways, which are by satellite, podcast, or online radio. The only control a listener has with radio is a choice of their specific station they listen to, which matches their own interests in genre.

Internet

Internet was named an old media by Logan (235). The Internet is composed of a variety of telecommunications and computing that receives and transmits information within different media environments (Logan 235). The Internet is seemingly both an old and “new medium,” but the many websites on the Internet that lack interaction keeps this medium in the “old media” category. The Internet is an essential aspect of modern life, because it can be accessed for anything that one may desire. For example, one can complete almost anything on the Internet, such as buying a car, house, clothes, books, etc., the Internet is a media environment that enables one to tap into a world of endless possibility.

The Importance of Old and New Media

Old media and “new media” are essential to society, because they have become apart of a new technological culture that is inevitable to experience. Whether old or new, these different media environments must be sustained, and they continue to evolve. Society’s sustainability relies on different media environments, as this is the new cultural environment we have become consumed in. Every moment of the day one is consumed in at least one media environment. These environments encourage innovation. It is significant to dissect the aspects of old and new media, because of the major impact on modern culture. Viewing old and new media critically can enable scholars to, like McLuhan, predict the outcome of society and its indulgence in media, technology, and entertainment. 

References:

Bolter, J,Gromala, D. (2004). Windows and Mirrors: Interaction, Design, Digital Art, and            the Myth of Transparency. Michigan: MPublishing.

De Lorne, M. (2001 January 1). New media crash course video sessions in social and            digital media. For Hire Media: New Media Services.            http://forhiremedia.com/social/new-media-crash-course-video-sessions-in-social            and-digital-media/.

Last, F. M. (Year Published) Book. City, State: Publisher.

Levinson, P. (2012). New New Media. New York: Pearson; 2 Edition.

Logan, R. (2010). Understanding New Media; Extending Marshall McLuhan. New York:            Peter Lang Publishing.