New Media? To Whom?
It’s fair to say the web didn’t exactly sneak up. In fact, I’d argue that quite the opposite was true. To those paying attention, the web’s growing presence, and power, has been repeatedly announced via bullhorn on max volume. Consider the evidence. I’ll start with myself. How do I find information? Google. How do I mass notify friends and family? Email. How do I purchase music? iTunes. How do I make plans? Text/SmartPhone. How do I pay my bills? Online. How do I get my news? RSS. How do I watch TV? DVR. Where do I view photos? Flickr. How do I connect with friends? Facebook. Where do I shop? Amazon.com. These are not “new” behaviors. Not in any sense. These behaviors are long-integrated aspects of my everyday life. Now lets consider your choices? Outside of personal preference, are you THAT different? Probably not I’d guess.
Point being, “new media” is not new. It’s an established way of life and has been for sometime. Need some perspective? Use the term “new media” around someone in college. Watch the confused look that crosses their face. And that is because there is no “new media” to college students. There is just media. There is just a way of life they have always known rendering the descriptor “new” irrelevant. For younger generations, blogs are the norm and Facebook is an institution. The list of examples is endless. Anyone else see the value of this realization? “New media” is an old and increasingly empty term. It’s application is relative to audience. The term is dated and entirely attached to perspective. To those younger, “new media” is the lingo of the un-hip and confused. So let’s look forward. And let’s understand that younger generations are the most telling. Their media habits and lifestyles are great indicators. Let’s learn by listening and observing. Need to know where media is trending? Want to brace for its possible effects? Don’t want technology to catch you by surprise? Or have your business left behind? My advice, spend some time with your college-aged neighbor or fratboy nephew. Chances are, you (we) might learn something truly “new”.
-Alex Chiulli
Alex-
I prefer to refer to the variety of digital media platforms as ‘now media’ and have been for the past year or so. The reasoning stems from much of the same thought process that you describe above. ‘Now media’ will always be evolving and it is our job as professionals to determine which strategies effectively communicate to our client’s audiences and bolster ROI. We must strive to stay a step ahead. See the below post for an interesting thought regarding the future of social media:
http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2009/12/21/what-does-ambient-data-mean-for-the-future-of-social-networking/
If we can figure out the most profitable way to stream information based on who our targets are, who they’re with, where they are and what they’re doing, we will position ourselves to effectively leverage ‘now media’ as it develops.
-Ray Gobberg
Alex:
Agree, it’s time to drop the ‘new’. I am even wondering if it’s time to drop the ‘media’ part as well. Is a phone ‘media’? Is an online store ‘media’? The world is increasingly digitized, and the analog world is giving way. Digitization is as big a force in now as globalization. Together they are a tsunami.
Our vocabulary isn’t keeping up with the change. Perhaps we should just recognize the two-wayness of all media and call it ‘communications channels’?
I absolutely agree with your last point, watch the ‘feet’ (ah, digits) of young people. They understand its about utility of the tools and are the first to put them to use.
Carol Phillips
Using the term “new media” hinders the possibilities of these technologies and sustains the viewpoint that there is little trust or value of them. As college student, I use multiple sites, applications and tools that fall under the new media umbrella.
I have managed the social media accounts for two different companies over the past year, seeing how value these outlets are toward gaining site traffic, revenue and brand loyalty. However, I have also seen the negative, dismissing views about leveraging these tools from those employees, both older and from gen Y. There people either do not engage in these technologies at all, or only see them for their social value.
We have seen so much success from companies based solely on “new media” or “now media” as Gobberg defines. Companies have also reached new audiences, gained valuable feedback and increased profits. Many of these tools are free, costing companies only the time it takes to start and manage them.
We are already in this new era. Hopefully, everyone will jump on the bandwagon before it leaves them.
I am used to the term ‘new media’ because I spend a lot of time with people who are older then me. People who think the Internet is ‘new’ and the way we consume information is different. It’s not to new to me at all. I started doing research on the Internet in third grade and have since rarely done research for school outside of Google.
Sad? I don’t think so, it was how I was brought up. My question is, when will people stop referring to it as “new media”? When will it become just media? It can’t be new forever and quite honestly, the newness of it all has worn off.
Excellent post! You are already the voicing the thoughts of thousands of college kids.
Thanks for the feedback everyone. Some great points all around. Guess words and terms can be tricky, especially when the subject matter is also. Perhaps the value is finding a phrase or description that enables rather than limits us? The goal for words is to avoid confusion rather then create it right?
Ray: I like “now media”. Think you are onto something there.
Carol: Great point about the word “media” also. Almost feel that “technology” is better. But in many ways the two have somewhat become one and the same.
Courtney: I hear ya! Lets keep are fingers crossed for all those slow to adopt.
Jennie: Thanks for the support and backup. Make sure you talk to those neighbors of yourS and help them out!
The internet will always be “new media to me” because I have lived and learned all the old media methods of communication. I have no regret about this as I have witnessed and learned so much advancing technology I take nothing for granted and am truly in awe of the tools of today. I am grateful to understand “hands on” where we came from. Students today will not know the difficult struggle it was to research current events topics in the precomputer ages of the 60′s and 70′s. I remember vividly researching the pros and cons of prostitution (for a class debate) not available in an encyclopedia. I had to go to the actual library during the limited hours they were open, decode how to find periodicals by volume, issue, page from an index, actually go to the basement of the library to find the year and month of the copy of “Time” magazine then copy notes by hand. What a thrill it was to find the articles, there was so little information available it was like finding gold.
I have also had the experience of having to go to the library to use public computers before they were affordable for home use. Navigating the internet via URL with no Google is a completely different experience. I looked up web sites from URL listing books that were outdated within months. Using a library subscribed data base for medical information to research kidney failure for my ailing grandfather opened the door to knowledge never revealed to patients and caretakers before allowing me to make informed decisions on his care. It was a miracle! Freedom of access although you had to sign up for computer time and had a time limit. I am not sure students today will ever understand how much information we could not get or even knew existed. I do know that because I learned not to expect research to be handed to me I am not afraid to try new/old applications such as google but I will always evaluate the source carefully and dig way deeper than the first pages of hits to confirm authenticy and facts. There could be more fantastic information waiting a few clicks away in a place or accessed in a way beyond my imagination but not beyond availability to the public at large. I hope when this generation hears the term “new media” someone from an older generation has clued them into the history of technology. Maybe they don’t need to learn old ways but just appreciate how far and fast we have come and are going. They too will someday have to “keep up with change” from the future generations to follow them.
We should get the language right — and I have no idea how to define “new media” as 2010 approaches. Is it the semantic web? Or foursquare? My personal opinion is that “now media” seems too subjective — it connotes “what’s in, what’s cool”.
“Communication channel”, while precise, feels too broad and a tad old-fashioned. I believe the existing terms of digital media and social network, while imperfect, best hit the mark.
Barbara: Those stories really illustrate how media has evolved. Help us remember that media is dynamic and has been for sometime. No sign that it will change either. And I agree its important that we consider historical context during our analysis. Without doubt, allot can be learned.
Gail: And communication channel is also a total pain to type! Just kidding. But I do see your point. If the ultimate goal of language is to clearly communicate/explain/articulate then perhaps familiar terms are best?