neophiliac views of new media

Question 1

what is the neophiliac perspective

Answer 1

believe media is beneficial to society
- increases consumer choice
- created an E-Commerce revolution
- revitalises democracy
- created a globalised culture

Question 2

increased consumer choice

Answer 2

convergence and interactivity - increased consumer choice
- hundreds of entertainment channels

pluralist neophiliacs - competition between this diversity of media will improve the quality of media output

user-generated sites eg blogger - enables ordinary people to offer advice and make criticisms

Question 3

increase consumer choice eval

Answer 3

limitations
- cultural pessimists - negative side effects to increased consumer choice eg companies sell products and services on internet engage in consumer surveillance - companies can track data on customers - target them to enhance profits
- 2018 cambridge analytica - facebook collects data on individuals and sold information to political parties so targeted for political adverts

Question 4

e-commerce revolution

Answer 4

internet has led to a revolution in e-commerce - e-retailers such as amazon and ebay have been great economic successes and undermined high-street sales

nearly all major commercial companies have own websites

e-commerce trend has resulted in more choice for consumers - increases competition and lower prices

postmodernism and pluralism

Question 5

e-commerce revolution eval

Answer 5

marxists - commercialisation of the internet, smartphones and digital TV - claim that it encourages materialism and consumerism and false needs - furthers capitalist domination and control

Question 6

revitalising democracy

Answer 6

new media - opportunities for people to acquire the education and information required to play an active role in democratic societies
- communicating information that giant corporations who on and control world’s media are unlikely to report

Seaton - many believe internet is advancing progressive politics - internet is rejuvenating civil society, generating political activism
eg Corbyn - 2017 - youthquake

gives voice to people - like-minded people can join together

Massberger et al - ability to participate in society online essential for fully democratic society

Question 7

revitalising democracy eval

Answer 7

limitations
- global digital divide - global poor have little access to the internet so they do not benefit from greater participation in democracy - those that benefit most have least access
- number of governments have suppressed freedom of expression in new media - eg china
- increasing ownership of internet companies - increasing control over content

Question 8

globalised culture

Answer 8

postmodernist neophiliacs - new media contributing to social diversity - enabling people to share in globalised culture

enabled people to expand personal boundaries and new channels for interactions

can enhance social capital - re-establishing lost contacts

new media helps to facilitate cultural globalisation

Question 9

globalised culture eval

Answer 9

limitations
- marxists - global and class divide in the usage of the new media - primarily western countries who benefit from this globalised culture
- cultural pessimists - globalisation is just a form of cultural imperialism