New media

• refers to digital, screen based technology used for the consumption & distribution of new digitised media content (Includes tablets, smartphones, digital tv etc). cultural optimists/neophiliacs take optimistic view on new media, suggesting it has had positive impacts on society such as increased social life, greater democracy etc.

  • however cultural pessimists oppose this views in suggesting new media has had negative effects on society in way its undermined human relationships & connections as well as increased surveillance & control of consumer
• new media = refers to screen-based technology used for consumption & distribution of new digitised media content (includes tablets, tv etc)

  • technological convergence - while traditional media involved different devices for different media content, technological convergence where single device combines various media technologies. Jenkins argues the process of technological convergence brings about process of cultural convergence whereby consumers are encouraged to seek out & share new information and form connections between dispersed contents from range of media
• features of new media;

  • digitality - being digital rather than analogue
  • interactivity - consumers of media can contribute to participatory culture & collective intelligence
  • dispersal - new media has become less centralised & adapted to individual choices
  • virtuality - people can immerse themselves in wholly unreal interactive experiences & exist in virtual world
• • users of new media - Helsper argues healthy, young, well educated people with higher incomes & professionals are more liekly to be frequent users of new media
  • social class differences - evidence of there being digital divide between information rich digital haves and poor digital have nots, Helsper stares there is digital underclass forming in britain with those who have lower education levels falling behind other groups kn access to internet
• • age differences - substantial generation gap in users of new media, Boyle argues younger people have grown up with latest developments in new media and are therefore predisposed to it, there is also gigitsl underclass where its predominantly the older generation who haven't grown up with new digital media
  • gender differences - both females and males are avid users of new media however are differences in products they consume, EG men are more likely to own tablets, games consoles whereas women are more likely to own E-readers
• cultural optimist - new media is good for society;

  • more informed consumers as there are wider choices and consumers EG uk media audiences have choice of over 500 tv channels & millions of websites
  • more access to information - social media sites enable news and information to come to attention to those who may have missed it
  • world as global village - greater understanding of different cultures because space & time barriers have collapsed in communication therefore allows different people from different countries to be brought together
• cultural pessimist - new media is bad for society;

  • lack of valid information - difficult to know the sources of information in media makes it hard to validate information. Material posted by journalists is recycled without fact checking
  • cultural & media imperialism - new media led to imposition of western technology & cultural values on non-western cultures
  • undermining of human relationships/communication - increase in social isolation with people loosing ability to communicate properly in real world as they spend too much time on online world, making a loss of social capital