the new media

Question 1

what is meant by the term new media?

Answer 1

the new media generally refers to new forms of mass media (means of communicating messages to a large audience) that have emerged in the last 25 years or so.

Question 2

what is digitalisation?

Answer 2

digitalisation refers to changes in the way information is stored and transmitted. it is converted into binary code, which means much more data can be transmitted much more quickly.

for example, newspapers, tv shows and music are now available online rather than just in physical formats.

Question 3

what is technological convergence?

Answer 3

is where different types of information can be delivered in a single device.

for example, smartphones can be used to make calls, send texts, send emails, listen to music, watch tv and film, browse the internet and play games.

Question 4

what is economic convergence?

Answer 4

is when a company controls several products or services within the same industry. media and telecommunications industries which used to produce separate products have begun to make alliances. this saves cost and lowers prices for consumers, helps media spread to different audiences and creates more high quality content.

for example, Rupert Murdoch’s news corp owns numerous newspapers but is also involved in book publishing, sports, broadcast television, cable television and film.

Question 5

what is cultural convergence?

Answer 5

refers to the new media changing the way members of society interact both with the media and each other.

for example, the rise of online shopping or communication through social media.

Question 6

what is interactivity?

Answer 6

occurs when the new media are responsive to users in real time. users can click on links to select what they want to read or watch and when. they can choose this from several different media outlets.

for example, mix and match programmes from Netflix and amazon prime.

Question 7

what is increased choice?

Answer 7

this is where interactivity leads to more choice. tv is no longer supply led but demand led so viewers are no longer constrained by schedules and can choose what they want to watch/read/listen to and when.

for example, Netflix and Spotify.

Question 8

what is participatory culture?

Answer 8

is where new media users no longer just passively receive media. they can actively shape it by uploading content, leaving reviews, or sharing their opinions via social media.

for example, YouTube and twitter.

Question 9

what is collective intelligence?

Answer 9

is where the new media allows us to share our collective knowledge and skills to create shared resources.

for example, wikipedia.

Question 10

what is the digital divide?

Answer 10

the digital divide describes the idea that there are differences in the way that different social groups use the new media, and also inequalities in terms of who has access to it.

Question 11

what is the generation divide?

Answer 11

the new media is often associated with young people.
studies from Ofcom suggest young people are more likely to engage in media multitasking.
BUT, a 2020 Ofcom survey suggested that 70% of adults in the UK have a social media account.
this suggests the gap between young people and older people is not as big as once thought.

Boyle argues that young people are more accustomed to the ‘now’ media as it gives them what they want and when they want it.

Question 12

what is the class divide?

Answer 12

the same 2020 Ofcom survey found a class divide.
people in higher social classes are more likely to use different devices to access the new media and to own smartphones.

Helsper says there is a digital underclass forming in Britain with those who have low education levels falling behind other groups in their access to the internet.

Question 13

what is the gender divide?

Answer 13

there are some differences in how men and women use the new media. Ofcom found that men spent more time on the internet and women spent more time using social media sites.
women now make up around half of those who play digital games, though some research suggests they are less interested in violent video games than men.

Question 14

what is the global divide?

Answer 14

research suggest that the digital divide is globally widening.
whilst mobile phone use is widespread this masks other problems such as poor connectivity and lack of internet access.

Question 15

who are neophiliacs?

Answer 15

neophiliacs are optimistic about the spread and influence of the new media.
they see it as offering consumers more choice and a chance to participate more interactively and effectively in the democratic process.
they are essentially postmodernist.

Question 16

what is increased consumer choice?

Answer 16

neophiliacs believe that the new media benefits society by increasing consumer choice.

for example, hundreds of entertainment and news channels allow people to see the same events from different angles.
the competition between media institutions will improve the quality of media output.

Question 17

what is an e-commerce revolution?

Answer 17

neophiliacs believe that the new media benefits society as it has led to an e-commerce revolution.

e-tailors like amazon have had great economic success.
most major commercial companies have their own websites.
some argue this results in more choice as this increases competition which leads to lower prices and puts consumers in control as they can compare prices.

Question 18

what is revitalising democracy?

Answer 18

neophiliacs believe that the new media benefits society by revitalising democracy.

the new media offers opportunities for people to acquire the education and information needed to play an active role in democratic societies.
the new media provides opportunities to communicate information that major news corporations are unlikely to report.

citizen journalism = provides the chance to access a wide range of information and alternative interpretations, posted by individuals in society.
Seaton 2003.

Question 19

how does the world become a global village?

Answer 19

neophiliacs believe that the new media benefits society as the world has become a global village.

the internet has collapsed time and space barriers in human communication.
it promotes cultural diversity as different kinds of people are brought together which promotes a greater understanding.

Question 20

how is social interaction enhanced by the new media?

Answer 20

neophiliacs believe that the new media benefits society as it enhances social interactions.

a 2007 survey found that 96% of tweens, 70% of adolescence and 40% of adults with internet access used social networking sites.

Question 21

who are cultural pessimists?

Answer 21

cultural pessimists have a negative view of the new media.
they argue that the new media isn’t really that new.
they also argue that interactively is an illusion because ownership of the new media is still overwhelmingly concentrated in the hands of powerful corporations.
they think that the new media has led to a decline in the quality of popular culture.