Use of Old and New Media Simultaneously - Research Proposal Example

Use of old and new media simultaneouslyAs people are becoming more and more tech savvy, the use of old and new media simultaneously is increasing. The advent of new media (interactive and digital) has made life a lot easier and interactive. The use of old media and new media simultaneously is increasing rapidly which has both positive and negative effects. Through my research I found many instances where people use both old and new media simultaneously, while some are beneficial and make life easier but others are just a distraction and lead to less accomplishment.

The digital and interactive media has made it a lot easier for people to stay in touch and especially to connect with people with whom daily interactions are not .possible. People now can know what’s happening in an old buddy’s life with the help of interactive media which is not possible through traditional media. Through new media you can chat with your friends with whom a telephonic conversation would not make much sense. But the use of both the media together takes the main idea behind connecting.

For example, many people watch TV or read newspapers while they chat with their friends online (Borsch, 2010). Here, the attention is divided between the two. Neither the friend you are chatting with gets your full attention nor the TV program or the news that you are reading. So at the end, you do not exactly know what you read on the paper or what you watched on the TV. Neither did you have a quality conversation with your friend. Hence, the use of both forms of media here is a disaster.Movies are a great way to relax and immerse yourself in a whole new world.

In the past, movies meant complete disconnect with the real world. Movies were the most enjoyable media for many. But with the advent of mobiles, people now use their mobiles even in theatres distracting themselves and also those around them. This takes away the whole essence of watching a movie in theatre. You pay to enjoy a movie but are distracting yourself by thinking about the message on your mobile. Also it is very annoying for those around you. This is because you are loosing on quality time that you can spend with your loved ones.

People by using both old and new media at the same time assume that they are getting more done in the same time. This is not always true as it can be seen in the above examples. In most cases, it turns out that you only do not do either of the jobs completely or with full attention. The purpose of new media is to make work easier, effective and entertaining (Chun & Keenan, 2006). But when new and old media is used together, this purpose is not served. For examples, when you read a newspaper and listen to music on your iPod simultaneously you are not doing either one of them with full attention.

Finally, it would just be a waste of time.There are instances when using both new and old media together can be beneficial and fun. For example, taking a laptop to school is great for a student. While the teacher primarily uses old media while teaching, a student can browse and update himself on the topic by browsing on the laptop. New media also makes class more interesting and fun for the students.Therefore, you must consciously use media to benefit and not distract you. There are both advantages and disadvantages.

A conscious effort to make the best use of both the media is now a necessity.ReferencesBorsch, S. (2010). Watching Tweevee: Old & New Media Use At The Same Time. [Online]. Available at: http://iconnectdots.com/2010/03/watching-tweevee-old-new-media-use-at-the-same-time.html Published march 29, 2010. Accessed on June 24, 2011.Chun, W.H.K. & Keenan, T. (2006). New media, old media: a history and theory reader. NY: Routledge.