How New Is Digital Media?
Erin Sweeney
FYO Final Paper
November 17, 2014
How New is Digital Media? The term “digital media” describes the modern method of global exposure and communication rather than the actual technologies themselves (such as the internet or mobile phones). When you look closely at the differences between “new” and “old” technologies, you will be surprised that it is a very short list. Radio, television, telephone, and picture-taking technologies display images, words, and sounds in relatively the same way as digital media does, only with vast improvement as to quality. Old and new media are orientated around the same uses, institutions, and support. I believe that people understand digital technology to be “revolutionary” not because of what they do, necessarily, but because of the new method of making connections and networking across the web that has spawned from digital media. In order to analyze what digital technology is, you have to first understand what the word “technology” means. In my understanding of the word, there are three prongs to which a supposed “technology” must meet. A technology has to be a) a device or “thing”, b) you must have knowledge about the device and how it is supposed to work, and c) it must have a compelling social use. In doing research into popular culture, digital media meets all these prongs to earn the definition of a technology, and it can be further defined as a technology that transmits words, images, and sounds over a transmission medium or network. Now, how revolutionary is digital media? When did it first appear and why is it viewed as so radically different from earlier technologies? First, some of the most important early technologies includes, but is not limited to, the radio, television, phonograph, telephone, motion pictures, and photography. These can all be defined as fully fledged technologies by an analysis into the commentary and advertisements around the time of their development. In comparing these
FYO Final Paper
November 17, 2014
How New is Digital Media? The term “digital media” describes the modern method of global exposure and communication rather than the actual technologies themselves (such as the internet or mobile phones). When you look closely at the differences between “new” and “old” technologies, you will be surprised that it is a very short list. Radio, television, telephone, and picture-taking technologies display images, words, and sounds in relatively the same way as digital media does, only with vast improvement as to quality. Old and new media are orientated around the same uses, institutions, and support. I believe that people understand digital technology to be “revolutionary” not because of what they do, necessarily, but because of the new method of making connections and networking across the web that has spawned from digital media. In order to analyze what digital technology is, you have to first understand what the word “technology” means. In my understanding of the word, there are three prongs to which a supposed “technology” must meet. A technology has to be a) a device or “thing”, b) you must have knowledge about the device and how it is supposed to work, and c) it must have a compelling social use. In doing research into popular culture, digital media meets all these prongs to earn the definition of a technology, and it can be further defined as a technology that transmits words, images, and sounds over a transmission medium or network. Now, how revolutionary is digital media? When did it first appear and why is it viewed as so radically different from earlier technologies? First, some of the most important early technologies includes, but is not limited to, the radio, television, phonograph, telephone, motion pictures, and photography. These can all be defined as fully fledged technologies by an analysis into the commentary and advertisements around the time of their development. In comparing these
Cited: Gitelman, Lisa, and Goeffrey Pingree. "What 's New About New Media?" Introductory Essay to New Media, 1740-1915. MIT Press, 1 Jan. 2003. Web. 26 Nov. 2014. <http://web.mit.edu/transition/subs/newmediaintro.html>. Gordhamer, Soren. "5 Ways Social Media Is Changing Our Daily Lives." Mashable. 16 Oct. 2006. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. <http://mashable.com/2009/10/16/social-media- changing-lives/>. Rodriguez, Salvador. "60% of World 's Population Still Won 't Have Internet by the End of 2014.” LA Times. Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2014. <http:// www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-60-world-population-3-billion- internet-2014-20140507-story.html>.