New Media Technology

Name:

Institution:

Course:

Tutor:

Date:

New Media Technology

Introduction

The dynamism that has been experienced in the media industry in the recent past can be attributed to globalization that is increasing eroding the traditional barriers of both time and space. The technological innovations have also played a leading role in perpetuating the inherent changes. Notably, various social networking sites are being employed in this industry by individuals from different backgrounds. One of the main developments in this regard has been the creation of you tube, a virtual site that enables users to share videos and make commentaries accordingly. This has changed the mode of communications in this respect by increasing interaction during communication.

Unlike other cites where the information and content is determined by the owner, you tube gives the users a chance to generate the content of the same. In addition, this content is presented to the audience before being filtered. This implies that the users significantly determine the content and therefore credibility of the site. Such changes have had diverse implications on the culture of the populations as they actively participate in media communication. This paper provides a critical analysis of the impacts of you tube on the cultural welfare of the current populations. It begins by providing a brief historical background of this technology before analyzing how it has impacted on different cultural domains of the population.

Lee (2007, p. 45) defines you tube as a website that allows its users to upload and share different types of videos with their fellow users. It was created in 2005 by Steve Chen, Jawed Karim and Chad Hurley that were initially working for Pay Pal Company. Although the trio experienced various difficulties during its creation, Ingram (2007) contends that it immediately took root and currently, it ranks behind Google, Yahoo and Facebook. Later on in 2006, Google Inc bought You Tube from this trio and from then henceforth, it has been operating as a subsidiary of Google. In his review, Poster (2005) cites that a significant support feature of this is the Adobe Flash Video. As indicated earlier, the information contained on the site is solely generated by the users and it ranges from music videos to movie and television clips.

Although most of this information is sourced from the user, Lacy (2008, p. 31) posits that part of the video clips are posted on the same by the media organizations who supposedly work in collaboration with the You Tube. It is also indicated that he choice of this name raised various controversies in the past because it was almost similar to that of HYPERLINK “http://www.utube.com” www.utube.com. Gwinn (2007, p. 13) indicates that the owner of the later filed a suit after being overwhelmed by individuals looking for the former. This led to the change of utube’s name to HYPERLINK “http://www.utubeonline.com” www.utubeonline.com.

Unlike traditional media, you tube has made it possible for individuals to upload different kinds of videos and share the same with the global populating within a short period of time. The only fundamental requirement is to have internet connection at one’s disposal. According to Graham (2005) there arte a wide range of topics that are shared on the site and which reflect various cultural ideals and values. Over time, it can not be disputed that this is increasingly changing to a single global culture that is assumed by the entire global population. This has led to loss of critical cultural diversity as more than ever, individuals are adopting the dominant cultural ideals that are presented by this media.

Hopkins (2008, p. 6) laments that the underlying principles of this technology have had adverse effects on social cohesion in different ways. Essentially, you tube advocates for broadcasting oneself and therefore users find it fundamental to upload videos accordingly. The posting of videos has become an intrinsic aspect of the broadcasting ideology to the extent that those who do not participate actively in this are shunned by the society. This has had negative impacts on social cohesion as vital bonds that maintain viable relationships have increasingly been broken. On the other hand, individuals and especially teenagers that use the technology more often have been cited to post videos that contain obscene acts in order to attract recognition by other users. Liu (2006) asserts that this has increasingly undermined the important moral and ethical values that define one’s culture. Furthermore, the urge to conform to the trends that are assumed by other users has been blamed for the current increase in crime.

You tube has also encouraged posting of wrong information regarding individuals as a form of making fun or ridiculing the same. Usually, this has adverse effects because of the f act that it impacts on the worth and esteem of the individual. Friedman (2006) asserts that the worth of prominent personalities and politicians has in most cases been negatively impacted on by the tendency to post wrong information about other individuals on this site. Rampell (2007, p. 62) cites that some of the implications have been lose of public trust and feelings of shame.

You tube has also encouraged the emergence of internet celebrities that comprises of persons whose videos are viewed and appreciated by a significant percentage of the goal population. The relative fame has in most cases been beneficial to the respective persons in unexpected ways. In this regard, Rodney (2009, p. 64) cites Broke Brodack whose comedy video landed her a development contract for NBC’s Carson Daly.

Although such celebrities post the videos for fun, this in most cases translates in special and incredible offers by individuals and organizations that appreciate their creativity. This creativity has not been confined to the movie industry alone. In his review, Kowk (2007, p. 52) indicates that musicians from different cultural back grounds also post their music on this. This has played a leading role in the popularizing of local culture and making in known to the world within a short period of time. A classic example in this respect would be the avenged artists who post their various concerts on the same. These are also uploaded by their fans who record their performances using various technologies and later upload the same. This has been instrumental in marketing their music across the globe.

In his consultative research, Cloud (2008, p. 14) also cites that you tube has provided a basement upon which individuals can give various commentaries regarding to the mode of governance and leadership. At this juncture, it should be appreciated that politics is a very important aspect of a people’s culture. By providing a viable forum with which the subjects can voice their concerns regarding the mode of governance, you tube has been instrumental in enhancing vital changes in this regard and ensuring that justice and democracy are maintained. Calderhead and Gates (2003, p. 113) cites that various media agencies like CNN in some instances review these commentaries and channel the same to the relevant authorities for action.

Apart from debates on political issues, Gillmore (2007, p. 35) indicates that religious issues are also discussed and exchanged according on the forums provide by you tube. A quick search can result in different video interpretations of religious information. Persons from different religions have a chance to share their personal views regarding to various religious perceptions. For instance a Christian might post a comment that can be responded by the Muslim or atheists. In this regard, individuals are able to learn various religious principles beliefs and practices from other religions. Thus you tube enhances the populations’ freedom to air their religious views and beliefs and their respective opponents to post their rebuttals too.

At this juncture, it is worth acknowledging that the freedom of speech has generated various implications that are both positive and negative. These have been manifested through incidences of copy right infringement, censorship and legal battles regarding privacy rights. In this respect, Buckingham (2008, p. 61) cites the example of mash up videos that constitutes a collection of clips from various other videos and compression of this in a single video. This is then given an eye catching title to attract the attention of the audience and improved with different type of background music. This in most cases raises various controversies that are related to the infringement of copyright laws as the creator uses the original work of other individuals without appreciating their efforts.

Alleyne (2009, p. 117) and Richard (2008, p. 94) indicate that usually, you tube takes practical measures to remove the videos whose content violate the provisional copy right laws. However, this is done after the video has already been posted and the affected individual raised the complaint. Arguably, its content is likely to have reached a significant percentage of the global population. It is in this consideration that Lee (2007) asserts that filtering of the videos needs to be done before rather than after the video has been posted on the site.

Further, the process of censorship has been cited to be compounded by various complexities. In most instances, it relies on the information provided by the users, and not on objective reports provided by you tube employees. Various concerns have been raised in this regard with the most profound being the fact that some users are having their videos removed even when the content of the same meets all standards. Trends indicate that the most affected in this regard constitute videos with religious and or political information.

Hutcheone (2007) asserts that the measures that have been taken by you tube to address copy right issue are relatively commendable. In this regard, it is indicated that the company has recently developed and enforced a certain policy that has since reduced the incidences of copy right infringement significantly. An uploading technology is currently being employed in detecting any forms of copy right infringement before a full upload of the videos. Any upload that is found defective in this regard is rejected. However, Rampell (2007) contends that despite having reduced related cases, this has not been effective in eliminating the problem completely. At this point in time, infringement on copy right laws has far reaching economic implications on the wellbeing of the original owner of the same. Therefore, it is imperative for timely and effective measures to be undertaken to prevent the same.

With regard to the role and status of the audience and the communicator, Poster (2005) contends that you tube has removed the boundaries that existed within these individuals. Traditionally, the power to broadcast any form of information was entirely assumed by the relevant media organizations. Notably, this has been challenged by you tube that accords all individuals in the population a chance to participate actively in broadcasting. In addition, unless it is compounded by copy right issues or other sensitive issues, this is not controlled and users are allowed to share any type of information.

Conclusion

From the analysis, it can be contended that you tube has enabled different types of individuals to interact with the global population accordingly. Individuals post the videos for various reasons that comprise of the need to educate the public, inform the population of a certain issue, entertain the same, and contribute to debates regarding various social issues and exhibit creativity through uploading different types of art. This has resulted in the emergence of internet celebrities, given the artists and musicians a chance to promote their respective works of arts, allowed the populations to express their religious and political concerns and made the artists to discover their talents.

Likewise, the characteristic broadcasting has also led to the rides of different controversies that are related to copy right issues and infringement on individual rights and privacy. As it has come out from the review, you tube has generally had various impacts on the social and cultural welfare of individuals. Thus as much as it has contributed to enhanced communications, it has also posed various challenges that need to be addressed in order to make the same more effective.

List of References

Alleyne, R, 2009, Exploring the Success of You Tube, Penguin, USA.

Blarkely, R, 2008, Legal Concerns and Emergent Media Technologies, Wadsworth, USA

Buckingham, D 2008, Media Education, Polity Press, UK.

Calderhead, J & Gates, P (eds.) 2003, Conceptualizing the Development of Media Technologies, Falmer Press, UK.

Cloud, J, 2008, You Tube and American Pop Culture, Time Magazine, November 25th, 2008, pp 12-5

Friedman, L 2006, Media Technology and Globalization, Penguin, USA.

Gillmor, D 2007, Emerging Media Technologies and their Impact on Culture, University Press, Cambridge.

Graham, J 2005, Emergence of Video Websites, Pine Forge, USA

Gwinn, R 2007, The Role of Media in Behavioral Development, Chicago Tribune, June 14th, 2007, pp. 12-7.

Hopkins, J 2008, History and Development of You Tube, USA Today, November, 29Th, 2008, pp. 5-7.

Hutcheone, S, 2007, Modern Technologies: Implications of You Tube vs Television, University Press, Cambridge.

Ingram, M 2007, Popularity of You Tube: Charts and Underlying Trends, Longman, USA.

Kowk, C 2007, Understanding use of New Technologies, Economic Journal, 360, 45-71.

Lacy, S 2008, Impacts of You Tube, My Space and Facebook, Crimson, USA.

Lee, A 2007, Advantages of New Media Technologies, University Press, Oxford.

Liu, S 2006, Disruptions of You Tube, Penguin, USA.

Poster, M 2005, Second Media Age, Polity Press, UK.

Rampell, C 2007, You Tube Ratings: The Role of Numbers, University Press, Kansas.

Richard, J 2008, You Tube and Culture, Penguin, USA.

Rodney, H 2009, Emerging Social Networking Sites: Exploring Cultural Implications, Polity, UK.