Digital Media

This blog will serve as a communication tool throughout the semester as we examine the world of digital media and what it consists of. This blog is going to be a valuable resource for everyone because each person will interact with digital media in different ways and it is important for all of us to see digital media through different perspectives. As new stories are released that will impact the world of digital media they will be posted here or through the twitter communication. Digital media is constantly changing and we must stay ahead of those changes if we want to be successful with this realm of communication. Businesses can succeed or fail based on how they are marketed via digital media and children are impacted by this medium of communication more than ever before. Years ago parents had to worry about their children being kidnapped while they were playing outside now they have to worry about what’s happening to them while they surf the web while sitting in the living room. Digital media is making the world a much small place to live and it is important that we recognize the power of this medium and treat it with the respect that it deserves.

Digital media is any type of electronic media, thus the name digital. Media can be accessed digitally though hand held devices like mobile phones (iPhone & Droid X have taken mobile phones to a whole new level), laptops (the iPad is changing this as well), desktops, mp3 players, and much more. The first type of media that went digital was text as it became available on the Internet. When the internet first became available text content exploded out onto the web and it allowed businesses to communicate with one another virtually as well as a new method of storing content. Images and video can along shortly thereafter changing the way the world now communicated. Also, society has become dependent on these communication tools, some people struggle when they can’t access their emails and some relationships are completely virtual with the people never actually knowing what the other person looks like. I often find myself wondering how people got along when they weren’t accessible 24/7, how did plans get made before cell phones, what happened during 8 hour car rides if you had a problem and there was no phone. There are still people who are resistant to the technology and refuse to be pressured by the norms of society to adopt technology. I envy them from time to time when I’m trying to work and my husband is constantly calling because he needs help while he’s working on the road. I imagine that these “technology resisters” do not feel the pull and the need to stay connected that some of us do. I look forward to see how each of you feel about technology as this semester progresses.