New Media & Society

Without a doubt, the advent of 'New Media' has created a wave of change in society in general. Here are some of the most notable effects: The creation of the virtual handshake/hug We live in a global village- most of us have family and friends who live in different regions, states, countries or even continents. 'New Media' has facilitated a seamless continuity of thoughts, ideas and probably the most treasured,

photos. With 'New Media' even if I'm away from a loved-one for five years, I will not lose touch with how they've matured, significant changes in their lives and how they are feeling in the moment. Before 'New Media,' it could take months for letters to be exchanged and in many cases there were no images which could allow people to view progression. These technologies also provide for instant feedback in most cases, which makes 'interaction' more life-like. An Empowered Audience As I mentioned in some of my earlier blogs, the advent of podcasts and the availability of television shows on the internet, creates a feeling of empowerment that was not available with 'Old Media.' With 'New Media', if I have to work late and cannot watch my favorite television show that usually comes on at 7 p.m. on cable, I can now download the show on a mobile device such as my cellphone, ipod or ipad and not only watch it whenever I want, but as many time as I want. For a premium price, I can also choose to ignore advertisements that are associated with the show. As it relates to social media, I truly feel empowered in terms of rating products and services via the internet and sharing those ratings with potentially millions of people. In a sense, I see myself as a contributing force in making or breaking a business based on the automatic feed-back capabilities associated with 'New Media.' The creation of a level-playing field for small businesses With 'Old Media' the trend is that only multi-million dollar establishments have access to resources to effectively promote/market their products/services. Given the fact that advertising in print, radio and television is very expensive, smaller businesses would be unable to with larger businesses because of limited financial resources. 'New Media' has made it easy and very affordable for any type of business to utilize its tools for promotion/marketing efforts and get desired results. A dynamic outlet for creativity In 'Old Media' creativity existed in the forms of cartoons, poems, fiction (print), soaps, discussions (radio and television.)What was lacking in these original outlets was that the audience got the feeling of being a spectator, and

not a participant. With 'New Media' the audience now has the option of being a part of something that seems larger than themselves. In the world of virtual reality, the audience is actually participating in existing story lines/discussions and even creating them. The highlight of this creativity comes in the form of 'Avatars' and 'Hangouts' where the user invents a creation of his/her self and environment. Featured photo1 sourced from: http://memeburn.com/2011/02/conflicting-ideas-on-the-future-of-social-networking/ Featured photo2 sourced from: http://www.westerngazette.ca/2010/02/05/romance-a-virtual-reality/