1. The New Media Flashcards
New media
The emergence of new forms of communication that have appeared in the last 25 years (E.g. laptops, smartphones, tablets, digital TV)
Traditional media
Older forms of media like newspapers and magazines
Two sides of the debate about the new median
Neophiliacs/optimists
Cultural pessimists
Argument of Neophiliacs
Welcome the new media technology because it offers consumers more choice
Every citizen has power to be an active participant in the democratic process as they can use the new media to criticise/hear criticisms of the powerful
Arguments of cultural pessimists
The democratic potential of new media is exaggerated because such forms of media are increasingly brought by the same media corporations that control older forms of media
Why are the new media problematic according to cultural pessimists?
Because they are leading to:
- cultural illiteracy
- dumbing down of popular culture
- decline of community
- emergence of a new set of social problems
8 characteristics of the new media
Digitalisation
Technological convergence
Economic convergence
Interactivity
Choice
Participatory culture
Collective intelligence
Technological convergence
Digitalisation resulted in the convergence (coming together) of different types of information into a single delivery system
E.g. texts, photos and music are now available on a smartphone
Economic convergence
Media and telecommunication industries that once produced separate and distinct communication systems began to make economic alliances with each other
Cultural convergence
New media has changed the way that members of society interact with both the media and each other (Jenkins)
Interactivity
New media are interactive as they are responsive to real time user input
Internet lets users select the stories they want to read (example)
Users can mix and match the information they want
Choice
Today’s media audience has a greater degree of choice compared to traditional media audiences
Viewers no longer restricted by TV schedules
Participatory culture
New media audiences are no longer passive receivers
Instead they often actively collaborate with new media and other users
Collective intelligence
New media allows users to out their knowledge together
This collective intelligence challenges traditional and official ways of seeing the world
New media content is an alternative user-led source of information
What key research body conducts studies into the new media?
Ofcom
Changes in the media from 2005 to 2015 according to Ofcom
2015 - 84% of adults accessed the internet in the UK
2005 - 54% of adults accessed the internet in the UK
Claimed weekly internet use hours per week among adults went from 9.9 hours to 20.5
Ofcom on age and new media consumption
Surveys conducted by Ofcom suggest 12-15 year olds are more likely than adults to be engaged in some form of cross-media and multitasking (E.g. watching TV while doing hw)
However, they argue that the generation divide may be in decline as older age groups increasingly engage in online activities
Negative consequence of young people’s access to a great range of new media
Their access has led to new social anxieties about children accessing pornography and terrorist propaganda, as well as new forms of bullying and grooming
Class and new media consumption
Suggested that the poor are excluded from new media usage because they are a digital underclass who can’t afford to keep up with m/c use of new media technology
Ofcom survey results about class and new media consumption
2015 Ofcom survey: 95% of AB socio-economic group use a range of new media devices compared to 75% of DE socio-economic group
Ofcom 2014 stats about gender and new media consumption
Males more likely than females to access the internet for more house per week (23 hours compared to 18 hours)
Women more likely to go on social media sites than men
Gender and online gaming
Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) found that women account for 52% of those who play online games (2014)
Boys more likely to play violent games
Percentage of houses with internet in Europe compared to Africa in 2014
78% of households in Europe had internet access
11.1% of households in Africa had internet accessn
In 2014, GSMA estimated that 72% of Africans use mobile phones. Why may this fact create a fake impression of digital use in Africa?
Only 18% of these phones are smartphones
Only 7% of Africa’s inhabitants are online
Neophiliac perspective: increased consumer choice
Convergence and interactivity of new media has increased consumer choice
There are now hundreds of entertainment and news channels on TV
People can now choose from a number of media delivery systems
Neophiliac perspective: what has taken place in shopping due to the new media?
An e-commerce revolution
Neophiliac perspective: e-commerce revolution
E-retailers like Amazon and eBay have been great economic successes and have undermined high street sales
This e-commerce trend has resulted in more choice for consumers because it increases competition, leads to lower prices and puts consumers in control as they can compare prices, products and services
Neophiliac perspective: How has the new media revitalised democracy?
New media technologies offer opportunities for people to acquire the education and information required to play an active role in democratic societies, and to make politicians more accountable to people
Neophiliac perspective: how does the internet aid in revitalising democracy?
Allows information that giant corporations who control the world’s traditional media won’t put out to be communicated
Provides people with opportunity to access range of opinions
Gives a voice to those who would otherwise go unheard
Cultural pessimist perspective: ‘not-so-new’ media
Old technology is still integral to the use of new media
Cornford and Robins suggest that new media technologies permit the refinement, extension and embellishment (adding value) of traditional media
Interactivity existed in the traditional media
Cultural pessimist perspective: new media and democracy
Criticise idea that new media are increasing potential for ordinary people to participate more fully in democratic process
The role of conglomerates in development and control of new media undermines potential for democracy
Cultural pessimist perspective: commercialisation
Over 10 years there’s been major shift in internet activities from educational use to commercial use
Many companies that sell products online engage in consumer surveillance
Technologies such as cookies can monitor and process data generated by interactive media usage so they can target audiences and make profits
Cultural pessimist perspective: how does the new media further capitalist domination and control according to Marxists?
The new media encourage materialism, consumerism and false needs
Cultural pessimist perspective: reinforcing power of the elite
Media technologies are mainly strengthening power of existing elites rather than promoting alternative ideas, free speech or democracy
Cultural pessimist perspective: how does the digital class divided also reinforce the power of the elite?
They are they group with the most political grievances and are conveniently the ones who have less access to new media technologies
Cultural pessimist perspective: in what ways does the new media not promote democracy?
It may just mirror the level of ordinary people’s political involvement in the real world
Only 6% of webpages were devoted to political issues
78% of political opinions expressed on American websites were mainstream
Cultural pessimist perspective: role of elites in shifting politics to the side
As the media corporations successfully colonies most of the net with their views, entertainment, business and sports sites, minority political views and civic discourse (sharing different opinions) were shifted to the margins
Cultural pessimist perspective: decline in quality of popular culture
Increased number of channels has led to dumbing down of popular culture as TV companies fill these channels with cheap imported material
ITV and BBC have experienced tabloidisation over past 10 years
Decline in documentaries and news coverage and increase in reality TV programmes
Cultural pessimist perspective: what problems has the new media caused for society?
Rise in set of problems for society, including global cybercrime, cyber bullying, abusive online trolling and sexual grooming
Cultural pessimist perspective: how has the new media resulted in greatly anxiety and isolation according to Turkle?
People now live full-time on the web and are devoted to their communication devices
Although new media connects its users to more people, it has resulted in greater anxiety and isolation
Cultural pessimist perspective: 4 criticisms of the new media according to Keen
Social networking sites don’t contribute to democratic process
User-generated sites are open to abuse and fake news - unreliable
Much of output of new media is unregulated to uninformed opinion, lies and trolling are the norm
Internet is contributing to cultural illiteracy
