In this week’s lecture I learnt about the 3 layered model. It consists of: object/tools which are the tools we use to access the internet such as phones and laptops, content which is the content we use on our phones or laptops to log into and use such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and practices of use and social meanings which are places where you can buy and sell items, such as eBay.

In the seminar Maria split the class into 2 groups, each discussing either how using the internet has or hasn’t helped with communication, expression and freedom of information. My group discussed the later and how people on social media who have lots of followers influence others, plus how some countries, like North Korea, are not part of the networked community.

Maria gave us a list of questions to choose from, I picked ‘Is the historical useful to the study of the media?‘ I think the historical is important because modern media is firmly based around the internet but looking through a historical perspective opens up a new understanding of the origins of the internet and its development into a form of media which we rely on greatly today. Media includes print newspapers and magazines but these are also published on the internet alongside social media pages and 24/7 news websites. By looking back, you can see how media used to be and when the internet transformed that into the place we all now access for media, and places that in historical context.

In this week’s lecture and seminar I learnt about the differences between (i) analogue and digitalisation and (ii) being on and offline, and how they link. My reflections on these are:

Analogue media is how the media was produced before the internet. Examples of this are telephone which consists of voice exchange, radio which relays sound, music and voice, and television which consists of moving image/video. Today we have access to all media via the internet with connections possible using any devise and location with wireless capability. Because of this any digital content such as image, sound and data can be delivered via any network and accessed through any digital device. I was very interested in Maria’s lesson and enjoyed it.

In the seminar I learnt what it meant to be both on and offline, and how I can still be online even though I’m not connected the internet. Being online means you can access the internet from where you are through a device such as mobile phone or computer. But, for example, if I post something on social media and then leave the internet, I could still be considered to be online as my post is still live which people can view, like, comment and re-send which means that digital media is always live.

It’s fascinating to think that I’m still online without being on the internet. I also really enjoyed learning about analogue media as it made me consider how quickly consumption of the media has changed.

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