To start off with I would like to prioritise the notion of CHANGE & TRANSFORMATION as a way of thinking about NEW MEDIA which can be linked to the key ideas of a media syllabus. For example,

1. the transformation of social interaction (audiences);
2. the transformation of individual identity (audiences and representation);
3. the transformation of institutional structures (industry); and the changes in textual content and structure (language).
4. The transformation of audience consumption

In summary, this could be described as the changing nature of symbolic interaction and a lot of the work on this blog is essentially discussing this concept.

Impacts of New Technologies:

What is AI?

Artificial intelligence leverages computers and machines to mimic the problem-solving and decision-making capabilities of the human mind.

What is VR?

Virtual reality is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world.

What is GPT 3

Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 is an autoregressive language model that uses deep learning to produce human-like text. Given an initial text as prompt, it will produce text that continues the prompt.

1. the transformation of social interaction (audiences);
2. the transformation of individual identity (audiences and representation);
3. the transformation of institutional structures (industry); and the changes in textual content and structure (language).
4. The transformation of audience consumption

The change in media forms and association to it:

-Time

-Space

-Speed

-Control

-Rate

-Access

-Quantity

-Non linear

-Collaboration

-Quality

-Opportunity

-Revenue

-Commercialisation

-Storage

-Retrieval

Marshall McLuhan:

The Medium is the Message – a good theorist to quote in your exam.

“Societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the media by which men communicate than by the content of the communication”

By which he means that the important thing about media is not the messages they carry but the way the medium itself affects human consciousness and society at large. In other words owning a TV that we watch is more significant that anything we watch on it.

AI (artificial intelligence)- demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans

Types of AI-  reactive machines, limited memory, theory of mind, and self-aware AI.

1. the transformation of social interaction (audiences);
2. the transformation of individual identity (audiences and representation);
3. the transformation of institutional structures (industry); and the changes in textual content and structure (language).
4. The transformation of audience consumption

In summary, this could be described as the changing nature of symbolic interaction and a lot of the work on this blog is essentially discussing this concept.

• Speed
• Knowledge
• Time
• Communication
• Understanding
• Access
• Privacy
• Choice
• Interactivity

Marshall McLuhan- The Medium is the Message

 A way of understanding ‘technological determinism‘ the idea that it is the tool that shapes us, rather than us who shape the tool. “Societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the media by which men communicate than by the content of the communication”. Digital Prophecies.

 Are computers super-human beings or just processors?

Krotoski also looks at the network effect, ‘the constant loop of digital information’

New Media: means of mass communication using digital technologies such as the internet.

The Neophiliac Perspective

Neophiliacs believe that new forms of media (e.g. social media) have led to an increased amount of choice for consumers and has also led to the revitalisation of democracy and democratic engagement

To start off with I would like to prioritise the notion of CHANGE & TRANSFORMATION as a way of thinking about NEW MEDIA which can be linked to the key ideas of a media syllabus. For example,

1. the transformation of social interaction (audiences);
2. the transformation of individual identity (audiences and representation);
3. the transformation of institutional structures (industry); and the changes in textual content and structure (language).
4. The transformation of audience consumption

In summary, this could be described as the changing nature of symbolic interaction and a lot of the work on this blog is essentially discussing this concept.

Dan Gillmor is a useful theorist to look at, you can read his book We Media by clicking on this link – provides an overview of how new media technologies have had an impact on relationship between citizens and government / institutional power.

media has transformed:

speed, knowledge, time, space. understanding, access, reality , privacy, choice, interactivity, storage, retrieval.

Marshall McLuhan:

The Medium is the Message – a good theorist to quote in your exam.

“Societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the media by which men communicate than by the content of the communication” (p. 8: 1967)

Marshall McLuhan: The Medium is the Message: A way of understanding ‘technological determinism‘ the idea that it is the tool that shapes us, rather than us who shape the tool.

He predicted the World Wide Web almost 30 years before it was invented.

change and transformation

• the transformation of social interaction and audience consumption (audiences);
• the transformation of individual identity (audiences and representation);
• the transformation of institutional structures (industry)
• the changes in textual content and structure (language).
• overall, the changing nature of symbolic interaction

David Gillmor

examines how new media technologies have had an impact on relationship between citizens and government / institutional power

three key turning points in media:

1. printing press
2. radio broadcasting
3. the internet

claims that prior to the internet, ‘large, arrogant institutions’ were able to control and manipulate the news, but the growth of media allowed ‘regular people’ to have a voice – ‘news was being produced by regular people who had something to say and show, and not solely by the “official” news organizations... This time, the first draft of history was being written, in part, by the former audience. It was possible—it was inevitable—because of new publishing tools available on the Intenet’

as a result, news consumption transforms from a lecture, into a conversation

he claims there are three major sectors in a world where anyone can make the news, despite their blurring into each other:

1. journalists
2. newsmakers
3. the former audience

Marshall McLuhan – The Medium is the Message

studies the effects of mass media on thought and behaviour – he believes the medium is the message:

“Societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the media by which men communicate than by the content of the communication”

Its not about the content of the message, its about the form in which the message is expressed – the technology that transfers the message is what influences society, individual, family, leisure, family

does not suggest that the content is inconsequential, but when we pay to much attention to the content, we ignore the power of the form in shaping our experience – if you dont understand the medium, you dont understand the message

Essentially predicted the internet by claiming the world was entering a fourth, electronic age where everyone has access to the same info – he called it the ‘global village’

Alex Krotoski – The Virtual Revolution

we do not think in a linear or sequential way, but associatively and sensorily, so that information is linked to patterns, consequences, almost like nodes of hyperlinked information

B. F. Skinner – Behaviourism

Considering free will to be an illusion, Skinner saw human action as dependent on consequences of previous actions, a theory he would articulate as the principle of reinforcement: If the consequences to an action are bad, there is a high chance the action will not be repeated; if the consequences are good, the probability of the action being repeated becomes stronger.

He calls this operant conditioning – the ability of a person to change their behaviour based on the use of a reinforcement. three types of responses

1. Neutral. These responses would not increase or decrease the probability that a behavior would be repeated.
2. Reinforcers. This type of response would increase the likelihood of a repetitive behavior. A reinforcer can be positive or negative to encourage the repetitive response.
3. Punishers. This is the response that would decrease the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. The goal of a punishment is to weaken the behavior so it becomes less desirable in the future.

Jaron Lanier

believes that social media and companies like Facebook and Google are practicing behavior modification that harms the individual and society and undermines economic dignity.

Lanier is no longer a fan of how the digital utopia is coming along. He’s called it “digital Maoism” and accused tech giants like Facebook and Google of being “spy agencies”

highlights the dangers surrounding social media:

• believes people are being subtly manipulated by algorithms as they change your behaviour
• Society had been darkened by the surveillance and behaviour modification which has been imposed by advertisers online sense of uncertainty regarding what is real and what is fake
• believes the companies internationally make social media addictive in order to manipulate the population through rewards and punishment (THINK ABOUT B. F. SKINNER) – EG rewards are gaining followers, punishments are receiving hate – allowing the advertisers to change the internet user’s behaviour
• whilst you are watching/observing/reading social media, the social media is also watching/observing/reading you – they find patterns in your behaviour, allowing them to alter it

Shoshana Zuboff – The Age of Surveillance Capitalism

Surveillance capitalism – concept in political economics which denotes the widespread collection and commodification of personal data by corporations. This phenomenon is distinct from government surveillance, though the two can reinforce each other.

———————————————————————-

ESSAY STRUCTURE

1. Overview: New media always creates change (printing press, telegram etc)
2. Q: so how has recent technology changed (society, individuals, organisations, ideas, beliefs etc etc)
3. CSP 1 – show knowledge of CSP
4. characteristics of new media (in reference to CSP 1)
5. theoretical / conceptual analysis of new media (loop theory, network theory, Dunbar number, McLuhan, Krotoski)
6. Critically thinking about new media (Baudrillard, McLuhan, Krotoski, B. F. Skinner, Zuboff, Lanier – are all essentially critical of new media technologies. But Gauntlett, Shirky, Jenkins are all very positive about new media technologies)
7. CSP 2 – show knowledge
8. Draw parallels and conclusions
9. Suggest future pathways / developments

To start off with I would like to prioritise the notion of CHANGE & TRANSFORMATION as a way of thinking about NEW MEDIA which can be linked to the key ideas of a media syllabus. For example,

1. the transformation of social interaction (audiences);
2. the transformation of individual identity (audiences and representation);
3. the transformation of institutional structures (industry); and the changes in textual content and structure (language).
4. The transformation of audience consumption

Key Words:

• Access
• Speed
• Time
• Storage
• Feedback
• Share
• Space
• Connectivity
• Participation
• Discover
• Retrieval
• Knowledge

Marshall McLuhan:

Marshall McLuhan’s theory of ‘the medium is the message‘ means that the important things about the media is not the messages they carry but the way the medium itself affects human consciousness and society at large. For example, owning a TV that we watch is more significant than anything we watch on it.

“Societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the media by which men communicate than by the content of the communication” 

B.F Skinner

The theory of B.F Skinner is that learning is a function of change in overt behaviour – changes in a persons behaviour are the results of an individuals response to events that occur in the environment. It is important because it played a key role in helping phycologists to understand how behaviour is learned.

Some themes and discussion points from Great Hack:

• The Exchange of Data
• Search for Truth
• Behaviour Management
• Propaganda / Persuasion
• Regulation

New technologies allow for improvement with time, space, speed, control, rate, access, quantity, non-linear, collaboration, quality, opportunity, revenue, commercialisation.

Marshall McLuhan

Marshall McLuhan was a Canadian philosopher who proposed in 1964 that “the medium is the message“, basically meaning that the medium was more significant than anything else in determining meaning over companies, organisations, governments, individuals and representations.

Aleks Krotoski

According to 24 Hour Movement Guideline they recommend 2 hours per day online, from 2018.

In a 2021 report, Jersey was the number 1 for internet speed and connectivity.

Clay Shirky

Clay Shirky is pro-technology and believes audience behaviour has progressed from the passive consumption of media texts to a much more interactive experience with the products and each other. New digital technologies and social media has made connecting and collaborating incredibly easy.

B. F. Skinner

B. F. Skinner believed that the concept of free will was an illusion and, instead, thought that all human action was the result of conditioning.

Remember to focus on key issues around new media – privacy, knowledge, understanding, education, friendship, behaviour, thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, politics, economics, employment, war, conflict, food, the environment, space, science (essentially social change)

1. Overview: New media always creates change (printing press, telegram etc)
2. Q: so how has recent technology changed (society, individuals, organisations, ideas, beliefs etc etc)
3. CSP 1 – show knowledge of CSP
4. characteristics of new media (in reference to CSP 1)
5. theoretical / conceptual analysis of new media (loop theory, network theory, Dunbar number, McLuhan, Krotoski)
6. Critically thinking about new media (Baudrillard, McLuhan, Krotoski, B. F. Skinner, Zuboff, Lanier – are all essentially critical of new media technologies. But Gauntlett, Shirky, Jenkins are all very positive about new media technologies)
7. CSP 2 – show knowledge
8. Draw parallels and conclusions
9. Suggest future pathways / developments

Some themes and discussion points from The Great Hack:

• The Exchange of Data – big companies (e.g. Facebook) buy/sell personal data
• Search for Truth
• Behaviour Management
• Propaganda / Persuasion – they use the data to target certain communities to sell a message, passive media consumption
• Regulation –