Category: Grade 10

Learning about New media- Melissa Sobhani

Melissa Sobhani
English 10
9 February 2021
Mr. Barazzuol

Learning about New Media

New media is the online and digital way of exchanging information, there are many different ways in exchanging information with different devices. New media shows one that they are able to communicate with others using different devices and platforms/apps. Apps like Instagram, Twitter, Phone call, and iMessage are examples of New Media. With New Media there is interactive technology, apps and websites being able to work whenever the user wants, which is an example of demand. Demand is one reason that makes New Media new. With demand, one can access anything on a device wherever and whenever they want. Like downloading movies, listening to music, or even reading an online book. Another way of making New Media new is media being interactive, meaning there are multiple ways of communicating, unlike traditional media where there is only one way of communicating. Traditional media is the opposite of New Media. Traditional media shows that people do not have the decision into what they want to use. For example, listening to the radio. There is no decision into what someone will be listening to, unlike New Media whereas there is an option to download songs and listen to them whenever the user wants. Media is everywhere, in fact most people consume media everyday. There are so many platforms for so many services that one will use. This is an example of media consumption being fragmented. New devices being created as well as new apps being created for media consumers. New television channels with even more advertising, a radio with multiple stations, new apps with many different ways and things to learn, and even online books to read instead of going to the library! The use of media is high; however, one must find ways to consume this media in a healthy way. Limiting time on devices and apps could be a huge help to less media consumption. In addition, limiting use on junk apps could also be a major help. Junk apps are websites/apps that don’t really give any education or purpose to the person consuming it. One might say junk apps are very similar to junk food, “Junk food. Junk media” (Donovan 2018). The difference between junk food and junk media is the food being unhealthy for the human body, and media being unhealthy for the human mind. The best way to help consume media in a healthy way is to spend more time on reading news articles on trusted websites, or just in general using media for educational purposes. Similarly, one could always reward themselves with social media. Putting a time to do homework and going on a device after finishing everything! This will help to procrastinate less. As mentioned before, a method to use media in a healthier way is to use it for education. Therefore, one must make sure whatever they are reading or trying to grab information from is well trusted and secure. For example, having a homework assignment that needs some kind of information source like google, whatever article one is using to get information from must be correct, they should always fact check everything they are reading, especially if the source does not seem like a trusted website. If someone does not fully know which sources are trustable, they could always fact check. Go on other sources and see if they have the same information as the article they first started reading. Does the information seem correct? Does the article have a date, if so, is it outdated? Does the article have an author, if so, are they trust-worthy and do they know what they are talking about? One must check all of these to make sure their information is not false. In the end, New media has so many different opportunity’s with finding new information, having multiple ways of communicating with someone, and can really help everyone become entertained, educated, and safe.