How and Why Sociological Theory and Concepts Deal With the Features of New Media - Essay Example

? The most consequential features of “new media how and why sociological theory and concepts deal with these features al affiliation Tutor Date The most consequential features of “new media”: how and why sociological theory and concepts deal with these features Introduction The phrase “new media” is used to explain the ease at which the present-day media has made the access to novel information simple for users. In essence, through new media, users are able to get content everywhere, any time using digital devices that consent to the users to actively take part in the information-sharing process. Mobile phones, the internet, and computers are examples of new media, all of which have transformed the delivery of information. In line with this, this paper aims at recognizing the various features of new media and analyzing the sociological concepts that can be derived from the affirmed features. The linkage of networks, capitalism, virtual relationships, digitalism, selfishness to geographical distances, and cultural identities are the main features of new media whose influence on sociological concepts will be reviewed. The linkage of networks The term “networks” within sociology is used to refer to the different connections between diverse actors, where these connections are driven by new media. Networks, according to Gane & Beer (2008, pp. 30), can be referred to as “dynamic systems that contain infinite creative possibilities, for they bring entities into contact in ways that would previously have been unimaginable.” Platforms are created through interfaces, where various media can be linked and information easily shared by huge numbers of people (Gane & Beer, 2008, pp.7). The sharing of information is easier due to reduced time and cost, and augmented speed of sharing information since there is no environmental supply chain. Gane & Beer (2008, pp. 67) view interfaces as key tools through which social and physical spaces are connected. Interface culture more specifically, is concerned with the material aspects of everyday life in which humans are bale to communicate with machines and derive meaningful experiences from these interactions. Multiple media networks have merged, through new patterns of organization and production, to create common new media capable of performing complex tasks that could only be performed using different devices during the analogue period. For example web pages getting merged with T.V channels to come up with a mode of information sharing in which people can get real-life stories in a very short time. Essentially, this means that new media has brought about new ways of representing the world, meaning that even the sociological and cultural meanings ascribed to world phenomenon have changed. Using the social network analysis, according to Gane & Beer (2008, pp. 14) gives an empirical view of the way in which actors operate within networks. Networks are seen as means through which capitalism is advanced in the society, since they allow for the easy flow of capital (Gane & Beer, 2008, pp. 23). Economic role: capitalism In today’s society, a person has to be included on the network in order to be an active participant in social activities. The network society brought about by novel media has stratified the society and brought about new forms of disparities (Webster, 2006, pp. 111). In an ideal world, in information labor, there are classes of people with some termed as “manual workers” whose stringency to technical change renders them unable of acquiring wealth. Informational capitalism distinguishes against the unskilled and uneducated therefore placing them at the lowest level of social classes. This class of people in the words of Castells (2001, pp. 94), is socially punished for failing to invest in intellectual capital. The digital economy typified by the new media has led to labor exploitation of temporary workers (Fish & Srinivasan, 2011, pp. 138). Digitally distributed labor relies on user-distributed content which comes from common people who make intractable contributions during their free time. Webster (2006, pp. 111) writes that information labor that relies on networks is the new device for advancing capitalism. For instance, Gane (2012, pp. 30) writes of how the new media has brought into focus the function played by capitalism in the 2007 financial crisis and its impacts on the sociological agenda. According to Gane (2012, pp. 57) the society should be protected against manipulation and exploitation. Companies have also taken advantage of the fact that various people post many forms of information online. As a result, these companies use this information for self development without recognizing the function played by the public. According to Fish & Srinivasan (2011, pp. 138), the predisposition by companies to use information from the community to achieve organizational goals is a clear suggestion of how new media has propagated capitalism within the public. The formation of communal and cultural identities through virtual relationships New relationships between consumers and media technologies, as well as relationships among diverse consumers are emerging as a result of new media. People build relationships with others on the media, even though such people may not know each other physically. This means that apart from the social relationships characterized by physical proximity, people nowadays relate with others who are not physically present, as if the physical distance did not exist. Particularly, these virtual relationships have been powered mostly by social websites through which people meet and interact using gadgets. One of these social websites, Facebook, has over 64 million users since January 2007 meaning that this social network is fast becoming a cultural mainstream (Gane & Beer, 2008, pp. 48). The main concern in sociology about virtual relationships is that they tend to give users the illusion that their social lives are intact, when in fact; spending more time with virtual acquaintances than real acquaintances is detrimental to one’s socialization skills. Physical proximity according to Urry (2002, pp. 262) requires people to come face-to-face and interact in a particular place at a given moment. Face-to-face meetings allow people to share communal experiences which shape the socialization of people within a given community. As Urry (2002, pp. 258) states, physical proximity is important in building social relationships, thus making this process desirable and appropriate. On the flip side, too much virtual interaction causes social discordance, where people prefer spending time on digital devices interacting with virtual acquaintances rather than interacting with real-life people physically. The reason for this phenomenon, according to Urry (pp. 231) is that physical meetings often come at a cost, while virtual meetings have no cot considerations. The result is that people lose their social identities and socialization skills and remained buried in a virtual world. Digitalism The fact that new media is digital means that it allows for the easy retrieval, calculation of contents that can be read from the machine. According to Gane (2012, pp. 35) modern culture has been influenced by digital technology which, just like capitalism, advocates for maximum output and minimum input, through optimal performance. In order to get this optimal performance, different users with different needs require having their gadgets personalized to suit their interests. Personalization is the process by which individuals can easily customize their new media gadgets to suit individual needs. Urry (2002, pp. 264), for example, writes that mobile phones allow people to personalize the social networks for example deciding what applications are best suited for online interactions using a given mobile phone model. Unfortunately, as a result of this digitalism, new media devices are prone to manipulation, an issue that brings about great sociological concern. Basically, ease of data manipulation is a common characteristic among new media devices. Manipulation in this sense means easy alteration of content that is not protected or properly secured (Gane & Beer 2008, pp.7). For instance, using it is easier to manipulate a non-printed document created through a word processor just with a click of the mouse, but harder to alter the contents of a document inscribed with a type writer since the words are physically inscribed. For instance, the United States has been accused of collecting the personal data of website users and using that data for commercial purposes (Castells, 2001, pp. 174). Insensitivity to geographical distance Anyone can access information online from sources that are miles away from them. The time, cost, and speed used to access such information do not put geographical distance into consideration. Webster (pp.18) writes that as a result of new media, time and distance have been reduced and individuals can easily manage their affairs on a global scale, for example lecturers can give tutorials to people who are miles away, by use of the internet. The only requirement for easy access to information through new media is the availability of a digital gadget and a good communication network. According to Giddens (1991, pp. 84), the globalization of media has meant that anyone with access to a digital device can get access to information that would otherwise not have reached them in the absence of such digital devices. Fish & Srinivasan (2011, pp.150) give the example of Samasource and Current TV as organizations based in San Francisco, which use labor from the developing countries through the use of new technology media such as the internet. The input of the people from the developing countries is vital for the growth of the two companies. However, without new media, the only way such people would have contributed to the companies is if they physically moved to San Francisco to work for the companies, a process that would have been very costly. The only social problem with the operations conducted in these two organizations is that the on-line workers are required to be acquainted with the educational and professional approaches of the west, with little regard being given to the local cultures of these online workers (ibid). Cultural influences and identity formations “Cultural profiling” often occurs on mass media, where the latter categorizes consumers into classes, thus causing a social divide. The mass media, according to Giddens (1991, pp. 199) plays a critical role in determining the identities of people, by feeding them information on the lifestyles that are deemed worthy of emulation According to Webster (2006, pp. 122) network societies are influenced by the flow of information which touches on the devices and labor used in transforming societal functions. Tsatsou (2011, pp.10) considers the adoption of the internet in most European countries as having been influenced by the culture of most western countries. A few years back, new media was seen as source of employment for a good number of people, but with the current economic situation, only a handful of people can get income from new media. This creates a social division between those people who have monetarily benefited from the capitalism of new media, and those who only vie new media as a source of entertainment. Social structures, as Urry (2007, pp. 160) states, are made up of networks powered by electronic devices that allow for information sharing. According to Tsatsou (2011, pp. 19), the internet, particularly, has become a source of social differentiation and inequity. Ideally, anyone who does not have connection to ICT tools find very hard to survive in a world where access to jobs, social services, and even legal services is determined by networks. Nonetheless, although Slevin (2000, pp. 51) views the internet as a medium that is influenced by the cultural baggage brought to it by its users, he is of the opinion that many academics only see the negative side of new media such as ICT while ignoring the positive effects that such media have had on the society. Conclusion The above discussion clearly shows how sociological concepts such as class stratifications, cultural identities, economic aspects, and social relationships have been affected by new media. For instance, digitalism and diverse networks among various new media devices have led to a reduction in the physical distance that is required for people to interact. Accordingly, virtual relationships have been formed to the extent that companies form developed countries are using the services of people from developing countries without physical interaction. Accordingly, capitalism as a means of production is encouraged, although it often leads to the exploitation of people from the developing countries. Ironically, the latter are expected to conform to the standards of developing countries, forgetting that these are the same manual workers whose deficiencies in informational intellect have subjected them to low status within the society. Ideally, what should be done is for the new media to be regulated to ensure cases of social stratification, manipulation, and exploitation do not emerge as a result of new media. References Castells., M., 2001. The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp.94-174. Fish., A., & Srinivasan, R., 2011. Digital Labor Is The New Killer App. New Media & Society 14(1); Pp. 138-150. Gane, N., & Beer, D., 2008. New Media: The Key Concepts. New York: Berg. Pp.7-67. Gane., N., 2012. Max Weber and Contemporary Capitalism. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Pp.30-67. Gidens., A., 1991. Modernity and Self-Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age. California: Stanford University Press. Pp.84-191. Slevin., J., 2000. The Internet and Society. Cambridge: Polity Press. Pp.51. Tsatsou., P., 2011. Digital Divides in Europe: Culture, Politics and the Western-Southern Divide. New York: Peter Lang. pp.10-19. Urry, J., 2002. Mobility and Proximity. Sociology, 36(2); 255-274. Urry, J., 2007. Mobilities. Cambridge: Polity Press. Pp.260. Webster, F., 2006. Theories of the Information Society. Oxon: Routledge. Pp.18-122. Read More