Digital Media Assessment - Essay Example

Digital Media Assessment For over years that have passed, media and technology played an important part in shaping the lives of the society. Every business establishments, institutions such as schools, play or game areas have been using technologies that will make their life easier, convenient and faster. (Miller, 2005) Since digital media has introduced to the consumers it has gathered numerous critical thoughts, evaluation and different observations on how these can affect the society especially the children who are exposed to it. As it was told, globalization has greatly influenced everything in the system of each and every living thing in the world. The technological advancements including the influence of the media turned the simple lives into a multi-system and multi faceted world. It is evident that media really played a big role in here. From communications to trade and industry to school systems to health lifestyle and even to the micro level such as the household perspective it has employed a bigger development in every aspect. Everything became digital and all. It became the governing and prevailing means of communication which introduced a new paradigm and framework to the society leaving to what is conventional and critical way of doing things. If this can be put into one word this might probably the "communication revolution" of all times (M2 Presswire, 2006). Digital media is the integration of texts, sounds, graphics and data in a more advanced system formed into multi-media and networking. The data and information are carefully formed into multi level of data presented into less, cheap and convenient way of accessing it whether it is music, information or entertainment. It opened to the possibilities of creating gaps and spaces from the message to the messenger and onto the receiver. It created boundaries and fissures that is why this is argued by the theorists who are concerned of the influencing power of the digital media that might possibly become the captain of everything in the world (M2 Presswire, 2006 & Miller, 2005). Digital media was seen as the convergence of the different forms of the digital medium in information and communication and packaged into a single medium which is distributed widely in different parts of the world. It is the union of bits and bytes into a simpler and easier form, as what the media artists say, through the use of a common language, medium and packaging (M2 Presswire, 2006). There are 7 identified characteristics of the digital world identified by Miller (2005) and these are the following: 1. Interconnection. It explains that everything is linked with each other. The threats and opportunities that encountered are interlinked. Several networks have surfaced because of the common interests projected to the communities involved. 2. Multifaceted. Things that are complex and multifaceted as a system can be attributed to the complex environment. It is like a domino effect that when one code struggles everything else follows. This might cause complexities and problems in the business dealings and other complex financial transactions. 3. Acceleration. The introduction of digital media hastens everything we do from business transactions to marketing to capital growth and even in doing simple things at school such as homework and projects. Communication is hastened that is why everything else hastens as well as the development of the new technologies. 4. Intangibility. As digital environment is introduced, more intangibles have come the way. The physical and tangibles are shied away from the users because they are more presented with the convenient way of having these products by using the system introduced to them. 5. Convergence. New ways will be integrated since everything will be in one medium such as the CD and DVD. 6. Immediacy. Everything else is done in faster and easier way so the introduction of the digital era is one solution to respond to the ever changing technological environment without reflecting on the effects it may cause. 7. Unpredictability. Because of the complexity, several unprecedented effects might worsen the ability to let things become faster and easier. One example will be the new technologies introduced in treating patients but because of the some unprecedented events on the system this might cause malpractices to some patients. As digital media is faced with such critical thoughts some business consultants and theorist present a method for understanding the changes faced by everybody and how to manage these kinds of changes in the environment of digital world. Arguments arise from David Weinberger about the digital media when he was asked to comment on the emergence of digital media of music such as the iTunes. The iTunes are the compiled long list of music in one disc or music gadget and can be downloaded over the internet without buying original record albums. The customer will surely save from this but then again this might cause some legal actions on getting permission from the music record executives. (Miller, 2005) On the other hand, theorist such as Emmanuel Levinas who has considerations on the ethics of contemporary digital era was described by Roger Silverstone in one of his books. One question that emerged on his book is the moral obligations in carrying out the digital era especially when this is presented to the youth. Silverstone asked the question: how we are to behave morally in our dealings with "mediated others". This is about moral ethics when posed with computers and not used to physical relations or face to face interaction with others. Silverstone theorized that this is a "moral category". (Mondloch, 2004) On the other hand, theorists such as Foucault and Gordon described digital media as the team up of every data and information of every person unveiling each and every profile and can be used as the tracker in order to monitor and record everything that is done even if this is outside the area of responsibility. The theorists posed that the possibility of baring everything through these technological advancements has become cheap, decentralized, and interactive. One emerging issue would be the security posed by these kinds of media (Dion, 2005). They discussed that there is an emergence of "Internet of Things" where the primary concern of everyone is the security posed with this issue. More and more generation of data and more powerful tools are introduced to compete with the technology especially that this is in the digital age. The responsibility on controlling things and even man has become an issue because they believe that digital era created distance and remoteness to the respondent. Because of the powerful chips coupled with bits and bytes helped in analysing data easier but has this really become helpful to the public who has been using it. (Krooker, 2007) Digital media pose different issues based on the theorists view but these are just a few of them theorizing the moral and ethical views. The digital age or era, as others may call it, has helped in any way especially in manipulating data and information. But the challenge for everyone is to treat it with care and be guided with the results and effects this might cause to the system. It should be noted and rethink the role in different institutions that shape the lives of the society and especially the youth who are faced with different kinds of threats in the environment. These are the institutions that will predict and influence the unpredictable social change. There should be stabilizers, buffers and capacitated society to face these kinds of challenges and opportunities. References Arthur and Marilouise Kroker, Editors. 1000 Days of Theory: td046. December 2005. May 18, 2007, www.ctheory.net/articles.aspxid=567. Dennis, Dion. Policing the Convergence of Virtual and Material Worlds. " The True Object of Police is Man." 2005. Digital media is expected to become one of the main forces driving the Chinese economy. M2 Presswire. March 2006. DRM interoperability: Toward a "moral & technological digital media framework".(digital rights management). The Online Reporter. July 24, 2004 Fauconnier, Sandra. Die dingliche Umwelt ist uninteressant geworden, das Interesse hat sich auf die Dokumente verschoben. Rens Fromm rens@v2.nl rens@v2.nl March 2003 fokky@v2.nl.Vilm Flusser, 1989. Karp, Scott. Analysis: The Value of Aggregating Content. May 20, 2007 - 8:37pm. Miller, Rex. The digital dynamic: how communications media shape our world. The Futurist. May 1, 2005. Mondloch, Kate. "An invitation to think again: Digital Media Revisited". Art Journal . June 22, 2004. The New Digital Media Series Provides a Comprehensive Technical Introduction to the Foundation Technologies, the Current and Emerging Technologies and Keymarket Developments to Non-Specialists. M2 Presswire. May 2007. Read More