Developments In Digital Forms Of Communication In A Global Society

Question 1

The Digital revolution

Answer 1

Technological developments leading to significant change in culture & society

• AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION: developing farming to cultivate crops
• INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: development of science & technology to build machinery
• COMPUTER/INFORMATION AGE: development of internet/worldwide web

MAIER - argues the miniaturisation of the computer means there are now mobile and a part of almost every social environment ‘era of ubiquitous computing’

Question 2

Media Convergence

Answer 2

Combination of the 3 c’s ; computing, communication and media content
- Technological convergence : the merging of different types of information into a single digital communication device.
BOYLE - explains that this had blurred that lines about how we use these technologies.

• Economic convergence : media, computer, tv and telecommunications companies that once operated in separate spheres of development and production are increasingly engaging in technological & economic alliances with each other to produce multimedia delivery systems.
• Cultural convergence: most members of society now interact with each other using the same type of digital communication. The way people consume is also changing.
  JENKINS - argues interactivity & convergence have produced a ‘participatory culture’ where media producers & consumers no longer occupy separate roles but interact with each other.

Question 3

Global Village

Answer 3

The world is becoming a smaller place where people around the world feel close to each other due to daily interactions despite geographical distance and having never met.
— space - time compression (HARVEY)
McLUHAN - predicted the emergence of what he called global village where everyone on the world is connected
— eventually all the worlds diverse cultures would be compressed into one ‘super culture’ leading to cultural homogenisation.

GIDDENS - this global culture results from people around the world consuming the same films, music & brands, people feel connected despite distance.

Question 4

Social Media

Answer 4

Any form of digital platform for making, confirming or developing social networks which have global reach.

Social media = participatory culture - community of users to interact & collaborate, create and share content

MILLER - defined social media as technology that allows ‘scalable sociality’ — how people associate within society.

Question 5

Types of social media

Answer 5

• Digital social networks - encourage users to create public profiles & make and upload photos and videos (keep in touch). Facebook is most popular default setting for 96% of adults online ( OFCOM)
• Microblogging - sites such as Twitter, which has 500 million users worldwide
• Virtual world sites - CyberCith, SecondLife, which enables users to live alternative lives in virtual worlds.

Question 6

Virtual Communities

Answer 6

Online spaces that allow globally dispersed people with common interests to connect & interact with each other.
- Virtual communities have contributed to space - time compression.
Participatory culture (JENKINS)

SECOND LIFE - create own avatar. Create communities, buy homes, fall in love etc. By 2013 - 1 million regular users.

THE STUDENT ROOM - social learning website for school & university students. Get help & advice. Over 300 forums and sub forums.

VAN DIJK - virtual communities increasingly shape both identity and community. — teenagers no longer imagine organising lives without social media.

Question 7

Networked Global Society

Answer 7

World interconnected using digital media.

CASTELLS (Marxist) - digital technology has created a new type of society. — Information Age ‘everything and everything is connected and based on networks’ transforming relationships.
—argues this has given rise to a new type of culture ‘real virtuality’ where virtual networks are a fundamental part of reality.
— people organised into horizontal digital communication and non-hierarchy digital networks of like minded individuals.

Question 8

Digital Social Networks

Answer 8

Use of internet based social media programmes to make connections with others.

OFCOM - Facebook = most popular site 96% adults online, Linkdeln = 20 million users worldwide

Various types of social media and virtual communities enable digital social networks and these could develop an individuals SOCIAL CAPITAL.

Question 9

Social Capital

Answer 9

The emotional, psychological, social and economic benefits that come from being a member of a group or digital network.

Access to dc can bring about social capital.

BONDING SOCIAL CAPITAL - membership of an online community may provide opportunities for people with similar interests to find & interact with each other

BRIDGING SOCIAL CAPITAL - relationships with others who are different.
— GRANOVETTER - strength of weak ties theory.

ANTHEUNIS - general studies suggest the use of social networking sites may increase a persons social capital.

Question 10

Big Data

Answer 10

MAYER SCHONBERGER - massive volume of ‘messy’ data consisting of billions of records generated by digital world.

• Volume - amount of data created and stored on a global level is massive and growing velocity.
• Velocity - speed of data e.g. every 60s there are 72 hours of footage uploaded to YouTube.
• Variety - Data comes in all types of formats e.g. email, video etc.
• Variability - data flows can be highly inconsistent
• Complexity - data comes from multiple sources and it is difficult to link, match, sort and transform data across systems as well as connect and correlate relationships.