New Media illustrates a form of communication which relies mainly on computer and digital forms to distribute its content. One example of New Media I have encountered in my day to day life is through the online media platform YouTube. YouTube is a platform where creators, companies, instructors, and other individuals can share video content. Lisa Gitleman notes that there is no description for what could be considered “old media”. She depicts that New Media “is a tag for present mindedness”. I personally find that YouTube is a great example of this in our society. The platform itself features thousands of videos from across the world, published today back to almost 20 years ago. An immense amount of our culture, information and identity, in the form of saved memories, are presented through this method of communication and is constantly updated due to its accessibility. While we continue to post what is relevant at the time, whether it be informing one on the current social status of our country or merely “vlogging” one’s day, this shift can be identified through platforms such as this as it holds access to and gives the ability to present “present mindedness”.
3 thoughts on “New Media- Bella Kjellen”
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Is there a difference between the media (streaming video) and the platform (YouTube)? How do the platform and the new media interact? What roles do each play in shaping identity and culture?
I agree with you about how Youtube is an example of how modern “new media” is able to influence culture through its accessibility and diversity of video topics. In a broader sense, streaming platforms have been one of the hallmarks of this most recent wave of new media. Platforms such as Youtube, Tiktok, and Instagram are the backbone of this online wave of media and are what come to mind when one imagines new media. The ability to be able to broadcast the realities of daily life with a few clicks of a button are one of the beauties of new media and cannot be ignored by critics of modern media.
I am intrigued by the concept of YouTube as a sort of documentation of its users and the world over time. On YouTube content or media that is being produced is not only influencing culture, but is also aiding in the creation of a continuous log of the interaction between the identity, culture, and media of its users.