What is New Media?

New Media is a vast and new expanse of informational awareness, the new ways in which information is circulated is nearly countless. But to narrow them down, they include sites like Twitter, Linkedin, Delicious, and Facebook. Devices that have brought in the new age include the iPod and most smartphones. With the introduction of the iPod en masse, came new markets to distribute information to, and thus was born the Podcast, and the 99 cent song available for purchase in the iTunes Store. With the introduction of the iPhone and its App Store, came a new adaptability to any environment; if you happen to be constructing something in your house, there was a beam app available to straighten your lines, if you needed to carry important Documents, the Memory Stick is no longer vital because there is Docs To Go™ and if your lost, no need to call 311 or bring a tourist map with you, your iPhone can lead you anywhere.

The Internet can be thought as the father of new media, for like the common expression, If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?...well in the case of Internet and new Media, the Internet gave ears to the world. Regardless of the importance of a discovery in Malaysia for example, if there is no medium in which to transfer it through, World-Wide, it is of no importance at all. What the Internet allows new media to do is let your common Texas man, if he so desires, log on to the Internet and read about someone blogging of how great a discovery a researcher in Malaysia made.

The rapid influx of new media can be explained in two words, speed and convenience. The grand majority of new media is both faster and more convenient that it's old media predecessors. If I have Google Maps on my iPhone telling me exactly which trains to take where and what time, why would I hassle myself with bringing a bulky train map and having to declare to everyone upon opening the map, "I have no idea where I'm going". If I happen to be a Political News addict, I can satisfy my lack of patience with notifications via my smartphone, with no need to sit down in front of my TV, find the control, and flip to CNN for my daily update. Another main reason why old media is being replaced is simply financial. Because the Internet is the new medium, one can reach an audience of millions through a few clicks, as I am -theoretically can...for unfortunately, I am not- distributors are no longer limited by location, or country or technical difficulties, the comparative ease with which an audience can be gained is a boon to advertisers. With a grand and overarching influx of advertisers comes the revenue [to the distributor] and finally, with advertisers comes free content, and we all know the temptation of FREE.