digital divide and hyper cycle

Apply concepts of the digital divide and the hype cycle to your planned profession or a field that interests you.

The term digital divide made its appearance during the rise of the Internet and replaced the former term ‘knowledge gap’ to describe, just as the latter, the social and economic inequalities in the world (Norris, 2007). This gap can be seen by comparing digital possibilities different people, depending on where or how they live, have. With new technologies emerging the hype was big that this gap may slowly but surely disappear and encourage a development all over the world. With the introduction of new media, there was development and change happened, however, as not all people have access to online communication or information, digital divide made its appearance and until nowadays, the inequalities remain.

Introducing new media or other new world changing technologies to the world makes the hyperbole increase and expectations grow. After analysing Gartner’s theory of ‘Hype Cycle’, one knows that after the grand imaginations of where those new technologies may lead us, there comes the phase of the peak of the hype and scepticism of the new media arises. The adopting of new technologies cannot be established everywhere and not in the way one is often expecting in the beginning, it’s what we call the ‘trough of disillusionment’. After that benefits can be slowly made and standards are developed to move on to the plateau of productivity.

            After having established new technologies and knowing what their origins and outcome are, they can be spread throughout the world and actually cause change in digital but almost always also in social means. If we take the Internet as an example, one can see that it had a huge impact on how people nowadays interact and communicate with each other. Not only developed countries use it for social, economic and educational reasons, it did and is still establishing itself in developing countries. With the rise of online communication, the flow of information grows and people all over the world have access to global knowledge. Most flows of information come from countries controlling the five world news agencies, but the important outcome is that in a first instance it is actually a possibility to have this information on screen. Furthermore if people wanted access to other news corporations, this would probably not be a problem either with nowadays’ possibility of connecting everywhere and to almost every site. The possibility of people rich in education and digital technologies to gain more knowledge is endless, other countries like the developing ones, or nations under certain regimes have more difficulties establishing new media, but since its release, there has been a noticeable change on a social, educational and economic level.

            The presence of social media makes a difference to how new media comes in use in developing countries and diminishes the digital gap between cultures. As mass media once spread and became a tool of political and social change throughout the world, new media is doing the same, expending even faster, promising to bridge that knowledge gap which was established between different nations once.

            The use of smartphones, for example, has triggered an important social change in the world. The device makes it possible for people to communicate, get information online, explore technology and interact all in one. In lots of countries, even developing ones, access to the internet through smartphones is possible due to wireless connections installed mainly around cities, which makes it easier for people to be part of the revolutionary and digital change. Smartphones do not cost as much as computers do, they are easier to carry around and to understand, which makes it the perfect all-in-one tool to get people, from wherever they might be, interested in new communication, technologies and thus enable the access them to news and information.

One can conclude that the hype cycle often triggers too many expectations and too big ones when new technologies are on the rise and promise change. However, those new media almost always keep part of the promise and establish themselves in the digital world by contributing something new and revolutionary. All those small steps into the right direction may lead us one day towards a world where the digital gap will have disappeared or at least where the divide is not this big anymore as it is now. For journalism, innovations mean a lot because its main goal is to educate, inform and entertain as many people as possible. If new media makes it possible to reach more people, journalists will have a broader audience to work with and the news flow will spread even more widely. Important for people working in broadcasting or any other kind of journalism is also the access of information and with the digital divide getting smaller, the possibilities to explore themes on a more international basis will get bigger.

References:

Flew, T. (2008). New Media an introduction, 3^rd edition. Victoria: Oxford University Press.

McQuail, D. (2011) Mass Communication Theory, 6th edition. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Grönlund, A., Isla, Y. (2010) A mobile e-learning environment for developing countries: the Bangladesh Virtual Interactive Classroom, volume 16, p.244-259.
DOI: 10.1080/02681101003746490

Schramm, W. (1964) Mass Media and National Development: The Role of Information in the Developing Countries. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Fenn, J., Raskino, M. (2008) Mastering the Hype Cycle: How to Choose the Right Innovation at the Right Time. USA: Gartner INC.

Brand, J. (2013) Digital Media and Society: Week 12 Lecture. Gold Coast: Bond University.

Globalisation

Globalisation is the combination of different ideas, media and other cultural products from all over the world, resulting in an international community. This melting pot of cultures brings along connectedness of societies, mainly due to new media such as social networks, international productions or internet corporations. The effect globalisation has on the everyday life and thus on humankind, can be seen in various sectors. However, as my field of interest is the media, I will concentrate on how globalisation changed not only journalism, but also new media in general, and in how far the latter itself is relevant to global movements, socially, economically or politically.

                As people became aware of multiculturalism and adapted to the process of globalisation, media had to do the same. One can say, that media plays an important role in globalisation’s rapid growth. Due to new media, information can be gathered quickly on search engines, emotions can be shared on social networks, friends can be made in virtual worlds and international entertainment can be downloaded in seconds. It seems that through new media and globalisation, time, space and reality are fading. 

                Before the 1970s media systems were predominantly national, with globalisation however, western media systems went through an immense transformation, trying to serve not only the local, but appeal to people on a global scale. It is true that when it comes to journalism, people trust in local and known sources; people read newspapers they have grown up with, watch channels they are used to and have a look at blogs that friends have recommended. Still, there are more stories than ever coming from the outside of one’s community, news travel fast through new media and information is only a mouse click away. More than ever, do American movies, shows and music attract a large public. As one can watch international entertainment easily and for free on the internet, the interest in local media productions often decreases and authenticity turns into one big culture, the western culture (Tunstall 1977). One could argue that cultural imperialism installed itself in the world, cultural products and values are flowing ‘from the West to the rest’, due to not only economic power but mainly the use of media. Hence, globalisation is to be made accountable for the rise of mass media taking control over global culture and communication. This westernization is often related to the loss of diversity in nowadays’ communities, as people get used to cultural synchronization through new media, imposing only one way of life to all societies. An example for this is ‘McDonaldization, Ritzer argues that the food chain is one of ‘the most influential developments of the 20^th century’, it can be found in nearly all parts of the world whether in form of the original restaurant or of a clone restaurant. In either way wherever one goes on holidays, one can be sure to find the same kind of food he knows from home as McDonalds gave the base for all fast food chains, and explains the idea of what globalisation represents. People do not have to experience other cultures anymore, they can continue their way of living wherever they happen to be in the world. This is what globalisation is about and what humans expect since its progress: efficiency, calculability and predictability.

Globalisation is as one can see the consequence of modernity, and plays not only an important role in media itself but also in social life and is thus related to new media. With the rise of social networks, the notion of community changed and the term virtual community gained in importance. The global network communication defies the importance of time and space as in the online world social relations across the globe are possible and identities can be mixed. In social networks one can create himself a new identity and find a community which fits one’s own interests and values. This has its positive sides, it can however, also be damaging to the users themselves or to how they see reality.

New media allow users to be connected and interactive at all times, it changes the way one sees and experiences the world, but furthermore it pushes globalisation to extend. Private and public spheres are mixing; people believe that representing themselves in social media is a normal thing to do, which has an impact on how people perceive their real life next to their virtual one.

All in all, globalisation made the world a more connected place, giving people the ability to interact and economy the chance to grow. However, one must not forget that it also erased cultural aspects and encourages homogeneity. In order to appreciate the global market, one must critically analyse point of views, relate it to reality and not reduce the whole world to the image which is most portrayed in media.

References:

Flew, T. (2008). New Media an introduction, 3^rd edition. Victoria: Oxford University Press.

McQuail, D. (2011) Mass Communication Theory, 6th edition. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Landow, G. (2006) Hypertext 3.0: Critical Theory and New Media in an Era of Globalization. USA: The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Hardy, J. (2008) Western Media Systems. Oxon: Routledge.

Tunstall, J. (1977) The Media were American: U.S. Mass Media in Decline. Retrieved from the lecture of How Media Changed the World by Bastow, S. London: Kingston University.

Bastow, S. (2013) How Media Changed the World II: Lecutre. London: Kingston University.

Ritzer, G. (1998) The McDonaldization Thesis: Exploration and Extensions. London: Sage Publications Ltd.

Brand, J. (2013) Digital Media and Society: Week 11 Lecture. Gold Coast: Bond University.