Core reading this week:
- Curran, J and Seaton, J (2010) Power without responsibility. Press, broadcasting and the Internet in Britain 7th edition. Routledge. Read Ch. 17 (especially 257-274)
- Lister, M, Dovey, J, Giddings, S, Grant, I and Kelly, K (2009) New Media. A critical introduction. Second Edition Routledge (pp. 44-52; 78-79).
- Miller (2011) Understanding Digital Culture. Sage: Chapter 1: Key elements of Digital Media. Read: Introduction
Media technologies and society is broken into a three layer model –>
- Object / tools (laptop / phone / tablet)
- Content / services (record / copy / transport text) {what can be done using these tools}
- Practices of use / social meanings. (share / consume / exchange communication) {how we use these tools}
“Any attempt to understand new media requires a historical perspective” (Lister et al, 2003 : 38)
– Are binary approaches (good versus bad) useful in the understanding of new media?
This question links into today’s lecture and seminar as we discussed the ideas of how new media technologies have affected users and how society is being run in the 21st century as the statement “new media is frequently contrasted (usually favourably) with old media … it’s as if there is an implied critique on old media on new media” this can suggest that old media is suddenly thrown into a bad light.
Social media can affect the lives of users through the many apps and ways to get interconnected with individuals all across the world, this idea is seen as being both positive and negative as there are increasingly longer lists of software to be stored in devices to help connect international relations. This makes new media more digitalised than in the past twenty years.
Some positive effects of social media is that through such platforms like Twitter, numerous people are able to get involved and get a hashtag trending, an example of this would be the #MeToo as survivors of sexual assault and abuse speak out about their situation, this concept lead onto a movement entitled #TimeIsUp where at the Golden Globes celebrities spoke out for this cause and therefore as multiple people saw this award show this allowed others to feel comfortable to speak out their own personal experiences. However; a negative side towards social media can be the detrimental effect that it can have on individuals, such as the catfish illusion of the internet, the toxic personalities as users want people to view their online profile as being the best side of them, this creates the brain to be trained to believe this idea that what they’re viewing online is reality, hence creating false expectations for users.