A Type of New Media that Doesn't Exist

Though VR technology has already made massive steps in terms of advancement, VR technology tends to have little to no interaction with social interaction and new media. As VR technology gets better and more incorporated into our daily lives, I forsee VR becoming the new medium for just about anything. Rather than stare at a lifeless Google page or call for a robotic voice named Alexa or Siri, we can potentially get help from a virtual assistant with a name and a face. VR technology can transform books and movies into experiences that consumers will live through, rather than simply read or observe.

New Media Fosters Creativitiy

New media serves as another outlet for individuals to share their ideas with each other, inspiring creativity. New media gives new tools for individuals to express themselves and share their work with others. As more and more people get access to someone's work, that idea is spread more and more around the world.

I believe memes are a great example of how new media "fosters" creativity. Though memes are now widespread throughout the internet, they do not inherently contain any new ideas. Rather, it is simply more and more individuals who are able to express themselves in a funny manner, and can share that idea with more and more people. Once a meme penetrates into a "knowledge community," it can spread faster and faster, creating the phenomenon known as "going viral."

Cited: Creators, Audiences, and New Media: Creativity in an Interactive Environment

Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds or realities can be extremely beneficial to society. In times of social distancing, such as right now with the coronavirus pandemic, virtual worlds can serve as a great replacement for interactions that would normally be unsafe. For instance, there exists a replica of the Library of Congress on Minecraft, allowing researchers and the like to have access to materials they would otherwise not have access to.

In the future, virtual worlds will become a normal means for people to express themselves, whether they are used as a resource or simply for private individuals to share ideas.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dianemehta/2013/04/30/after-second-life-can-virtual-worlds-get-a-reboot/#175f2817735a

https://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/03/28/sl.autism.irpt/index.html#cnnSTCText

Twitter v Blackboard

Twitter as a method of hosting class discussion works quite well. Although a little less organized than Blackboard, its optimization and casual tone allows for classmates to share their thoughts with each other much faster. Twitter allows for long chains of replies from classmates as they discuss whatever is at their whim. I do prefer in-class discussions to both Twitter and Blackboard, as I believe speaking face to face humanizes each other a little more than tapping away at our phones and keyboards.

Social Networking Sites

I viewed Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and Youtube, and these four sites have vastly different appeals to different audiences.

First, Facebook, once used by all the early adopters to social media, has mostly been abandoned, save for older audiences. Facebook has become a platform for individuals to connect and talk to each other, as well as see updates on the lives of their friends. From sharing photos to even hosting a marketplace, Facebook has shifted its target audience from teens and young adults towards older adults.

Twitter is one of the trendiest social media tools currently. While giving a voice to every individual, it allows users to speak colloquially to random people who share their passion, or even celebrities and people of importance. In addition, Twitter shows users the trending hashtags, keeping users curious and clicking.

Reddit is a social media tool that models internet forums of back in the day. While this style has mostly fallen out of favor, Reddit's design keeps users clicking on the next link. Subreddits are categorized nicely, and since there are subreddits for nearly every topic, users will definitely find something of interest to mull over. Redditors are able to share their own ideas, upvote or downvote on comments or threads, and share their thoughts by replying.

Youtube is often seen simply as a video viewing platform, but in actuality, it is a social media tool tied to videos. In essence, it is a less organized video version of Reddit. Users are able to comment on videos, and like or dislike them. The trend, however, seems to show that Youtube commenters are much more inflammatory with their words.

Blog Social Networking

Blogs and social networks can be a great way for corporations to share ideas, knowledge, or just spend time communicating with co-workers outside of the work environment. There are many benefits to more casual communication outside of the workplace, strengthening bonds between individuals without the pressure of being at work. That being said, these interactions should still be professional, and be used as a tool to help each other learn and build rapport.  For instance, a blog about a new strategy introduced in the workplace could be discussed civilly by employees to gain a better understanding of why they've made the switch, and what they can look to get out of it. There can even be benefits to personal blogs dissenting about work and the workplace. Frustrated employees can vent their issues and get responses to how they feel. Though this might be frowned upon by the company, I believe there is still merit to letting dissenting blogs have a place. Not everyone will agree with every decision at work, and it is healthy to allow employees to speak their mind, as long as it is used as intended.
 The dark side to blogs and social networks in corporations would probably exist when personal blogs garner malicious intent towards the company or possibly individuals at the company. These cases would not be the fault of the company; rather, they would be the extension of the malicious individual who wants to spread negativity, and thus should not be the fault of the company. In the future, I see blogs and social networks as an integral part of the workplace, such as Slack is slowly doing at the moment. Employees are no longer just a face and a badge, but are now coworkers who can share a drink after work and talk about their day. Social networks lead to a much more connected, familial feeling in the workplace, strengthening bonds, and helping to alleviate frustrations.

Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/business/media/10carr.html
https://www.wired.com/2009/06/ff-facebookwall/

Blogs vs Wikis

Blogs and wikis are two powerful tools in the digital age. Blogs have given a voice to any who want to be heard and allow them to share their feelings and their ideas with the world. They allow for one to continuously share their thoughts or opinions in real-time, often hosting a comment section to allow readers to express themselves as well. This creates a conversational atmosphere to many blogs that facilitates the sharing of often differing ideas with engaged readers. With the rise in popularity of Twitter, we can see that blogs are generally no longer one person speaking to another, but rather a collaborative conversation where each individual gets to voice their feelings.

Wikis, on the other hand, are a collaborative creation where different parties work together to continually edit and update about a subject. Wikis are focused less on ownership and a single person's ideas, but rather often provides a more neutral stance on a subject. Due to the power of continual editing and refinement, wikis encapsulate all the nuance in opposing viewpoints of an issue.

In today's globalized world, convergence has played a huge role in enriching the lives of humans everywhere. At the touch of a smartphone, users can seek out information about anything they wish to learn about. Wikipedia, a free collaborative encyclopedia, has more information on any subject than one could read in one's lifetime. If, in fact, one stumbles across a topic that hasn't been talked about yet, one could simply be the first to voice their viewpoints about the topic. Wikis have allowed for a collective sharing of knowledge that in essence, has transcended any book or physical recording has had. Wikis allow for continual refinement of a topic as humanity learns more about it.


Sources:
https://teaching.unsw.edu.au/assessment-blog-wiki-or-forum-which-should-you-use
http://www.lrc.columbia.edu/blogs-versus-wikis-which-should-i-use/