What is New Media?

Manovich attempts to explain to the reader on what New Media is. It’s amazing how Manovich’s approach on the principles of new media ties in together.  They all are coherent when it comes to how they influence what is known to be new media.  Manovich’s explains to us that it is not new media we speak of, but simply human interaction with computers.  We as humans are losing our originality because of computers.

He proposes five principles.  The five principles are: Numerical Representation- this refers to the fact that computers operate in response to numeral codes that helps complete the basic functions of it, Modularity- the fact that all new media has the same modular structure throughout, Automation- the computer user modifies or create from scratch a media object using templates or simple algorithms, Variability- instead of identical copies, a new media object uses a compilation of many different versions of something, and the computer puts it together, and finally, Transcoding- convert (language or information) from one form of coded representation to another.

Examples of these principles are as followed: numerical representation, me being in a film, how films are continuous movements of pictures.  Modularity would be more of editing the film.  Automation would be the editing part of the film, where you make cuts or add music.  When we look at different variables we see that we add all of these things and the computer joins it all together.  Finally transcoding is the process by which we can convert the movie to a DVD.

Are these principles true as far as how new media is viewed?  Does the principles gives us a rough generalization of what new media is?  I say yes we see those points that he brought out are self-evident in our environment and our culture.  This is not necessarily a bad thing but we must not leave behind our own originality.

Potential Earth With the Help of the Internet

 

Jeremy Rifkin: The Empathic Civilization and Michio Kaku: Will Mankind Destroy Itself?, are both mind changing videos.  They provoked a lot of questions from the viewer. 

The main point in Rifkin video was to show how internet plays a major part in humanity.  He uses the term “empathy” to explain a lot of how the connect to each other.  The concepts are concepts that provokes an impulse that causes your head to tilt to the side like that of a dog when you do something abnormal.  He explains how humans attempt to be a part of each other and that’s the main goal.

Kaku’s video interest me the most.  The big question was “Will Mankind Destroy itself?”  This is a question that hunts me on a regular basis.  He attempts to explain how the internet is a great way to avoid world destruction.  His theory is the reason why we’ve never discovered intelligent life form in outer space is because those intelligent life forms perhaps destroyed themselves with world wars and so on.  He thinks that in about a hundred years our world will reach a “type one civilization.”  He explains different civilizations with us as of now being type zero because we receive our energy from the earth. 

The internet is becoming a source that links all of us together.  It helps so much with the growth and development of civilization as we know it.  It is much larger than what we see it as now. I don’t think we’re able to articulate the ability of the internet yet!  Once we are able to I think we’ll be on a verge of something new, if we don’t destroy ourselves first or during the process. 

“The Medium is the Massage”

Marshall McLurhan’s book of “The Medium is the Massage” is a wonderful view of what media would eventually form into.  The book attempts to show the reader how the media is changing and how some people have to just face the facts pretty much.  He takes the reader far back in time explaining how the phonetic alphabet started and what it did for us, communication wise, but how it limited us creatively.  He brought something to the readers’ mind that was very interesting.  He said that the phonetic alphabet only helps us to understand visually in a world that isn’t just visual.  This book is a collection of interfaced concepts and ideas that he uses to provoke the reader to think outside of the box.

I must say McLurhan was a very brave person for what he did.  This book I must admit was a little before his time.  He saw something that obviously everyone didn’t see in the nineteenth century.  Although it is more evident now that the media is changing the way we think and the way we live, we still have those who oppose the media.

I agree with most of the concepts that McLurhan showed. There is one I must disagree with though.  He said something about how in this society the parents aren’t the prime role models but we are influenced a lot by outside forces.  It is true we are influenced by outside forces, the people who have access to that type of mass communication.  However, I think that our parents are still the ones who we learn the most from, while in their house.  Look at people who aren’t able to receive that type of technical advancement, who are those people being influenced by? 

McLurhan seems to take up for the youth during his time.  Because he knew that depriving youth of technology in fear of the advancement of technology would be inevitable. 

As Marshall said it is the environment that we create that is our medium. We change daily and that is inevitable.

“Change is inevitable. The only human institution that rejects change is the cemetery.” –Anonymous

The media helps with that change in positive ways.  It pulls away those traditional boundaries and allow humans to express themselves freely.  Although time has changed, his view of the media is still relevant, it is still issues that we face; media is still progressing as we speak because “the medium is the massage.”

                                                                                               

Media As We Know It

Media As We Know It

 

What way or ways is media impacting my generation and me some people might wonder? How big of an influence is media to this generation? Are those influences good or bad? Why is the media so important for my generation? These are some of the many questions people propose about the media and how it relates to this generation. It is essential to note that without media some information that are available to us wouldn’t be available without it. Media is defined as “the main means of communication” according to Webster’s dictionary. The MAIN means. Media is something that has pushed this generation’s information speed to a level that is unknown to the past generations. Some people do not understand that and find media to be a con rather than a pro.

In the two articles, "Critical Media Literacy, Democracy, and the Reconstruction of Education" by Douglas Kellner and Jeff Share and "The Media Education Revolution" by Len Masterman, the authors set the media on a very high pedestal as to what they bring to us and how efficiently it can be used. Masterman takes us through the evolution of media and how it is used in education. He points out some of the issues that occur when teachers attempt to teach media on a bias level. He also gives the reader a few suggestions on how media can grow in the future as far as education. Share and Kellner attempts to give the reader different ways and tactics on how the media is taught. The three authors all have similar views on how media influence society not just by opinion but also with facts.

Media impact this generation in a major way. Media provides a direct communication line to the topic of interest and the growth of knowledge in a split second. There is a reason why this generation is known to be one of the most advanced generations in history, because of media. Just as Masterman explained, unlike past generations, no longer do we have the source of knowledge in the hands of one prime source. The school teacher is not the only person with the knowledge or thinking skills. Media has opened this generation up to all of the knowledge we will ever need.
edia is a prize in a democratic civilization. In order for a democracy to survive, we must have knowledge. How can the blind lead the blind? Jesus said, “My people perish because of lack of knowledge.” I said that to say this: media is the source of power to the mass. When there isn’t just one person who holds the key to knowledge it is nearly impossible to manipulate and put people in bondage. When people are able to critically think for themselves that’s when the society advances. 

My peers are not only up to date on national issues but we know about global issues as well. It scares me sometimes when I begin to examine myself and see all things that I know compared to my parents.
Media do however have its downfalls. Boundaries are broken that has never been broken before. Younger children are exposed to things that they shouldn’t be exposed to. Media brings ideas to people such as teenagers that suggest to them that they have to look, dress or act a certain way to be accepted. This brings about depression and causes negative side effects to our generation. But I can’t name one good thing that doesn’t have its pros and cons. We don’t live in an ideal world so everything has its ups and downs. The amount of intellect the media presents to this generation is far greater compared to the minor setbacks. Media is what interest us as a generation.

In the end, media provides this generation with so much knowledge that we can’t receive in a class room. It is the foundation of this generation, it brings about efficiency, intelligence and skills that cannot be taught by a teacher. Well maybe, but it wouldn’t be very productive because it is proven that if someone isn’t interested in a topic or what they are learning, they will gather facts they need to pass the class but will not want to find out more about it driving the studies to a potential haut. But if someone is interested in a subject, one will want to explore more about the subject provoking critical thinking skills and knowledge. Provoking a chain reaction that will make people want to learn more and more about any and everything. Knowledge is power. This generation is powerful. The media gives this generation the knowledge to be a power source that is satisfying for both the generation and civilization as we know it.