What Is New Media?

New media is a combination of many things. New media is constantly changing from time to time because of the rapid growth and changes in technology. There is no definite answer of what new media is but at the present time someone answers this question it can be for example, a book and a month later the answer would change where that same person would say new media would be for example an ebook. One thing about new media is that it is more easier for us the people to use because it is more based around a community such as social networking, podcasting, full episodes of television and much more. In one of the articles I have read, Marshall McLuhan states that, "whenever we get our hands on a new medium we tend to use it like older ones" (Thompson). In this article the author Clive Thompson discusses MadV's use of YouTube and the viral reaction that spread globally on YouTube. In this case users of YouTube followed his steps and just like old media we used it as a form of entertainment just like television just that it is much more advanced and it is much more social. 

 Another perfect example of new media is podcasting. A few years ago podcasting was introduced and after a while it started to catch on with users of the internet. In another article I have read, Daniel Terdiman talks about how this form of new media has changed the way we think and listen to the radio. To show how simple podcasting is he states that, "To get audio feeds, users simply connect their MP3 player to their computer, go online, and subscribe to feeds they want the podcasting service to provide. Audio content is then pushed from the original source to an aggregator and then to the subscriber" (Terdiman). Before radio listeners would have to tune in exactly at the time of the live show to catch the broadcast but now this form of new media makes it as simple as going online and subscribing to listen to your radio broadcast at any time you wish. New media is constantly but it is definitely beneficial to our modern age.

1. http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/17-01/st_thompson

Clive Thompson on How YouTube Changes the Way We Think. Clive Thompson. Wired Magazine.

2. http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/news/2004/10/65237/

Podcasts: New Twist on Net Audio. Daniel Terdiman. Wired Magazine.