3.3 Digital Media: Internet, Social Media, and Mobile Technologies

Digital media has revolutionized how we communicate, share information, and interact with the world. From social media platforms to mobile technologies, these digital tools have transformed our daily lives, enabling instant global connections and reshaping how we form identities and communities.

The impact of digital media extends far beyond personal communication. It's changed how we consume news, engage in activism, and participate in democracy. While offering unprecedented opportunities for connection and expression, digital media also raises important ethical concerns around privacy, security, and the spread of misinformation.

Digital Media Overview

Forms of digital media

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• Digital media uses digital codes for storage and transmission enabling easy creation, manipulation, and sharing of content
• Internet is a global network of interconnected computers that enables communication and information exchange across the world through platforms like websites, email, and instant messaging
• Social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube) facilitate user-generated content and social interaction by allowing users to create profiles, share content, and engage with others
• Mobile technologies are portable devices that enable access to digital media
  • Smartphones combine phone capabilities with internet access and apps
  • Tablets are larger touchscreen devices for consuming and creating content
  • Wearables are devices worn on the body (smartwatches, fitness trackers)

Impact and Implications of Digital Media

Impact on communication and society

• Digital media has transformed communication by enabling instant, long-distance communication through messaging and video calls, largely replacing traditional letters and postcards
• Social interaction has been altered by digital media, allowing people to connect and maintain relationships online through social media platforms and online communities formed around shared interests, experiences, or identities
• Digital media has revolutionized information dissemination, enabling instant global sharing of news and information, democratizing content creation and distribution, but also presenting challenges like the spread of misinformation and echo chambers

Digital media and identity formation

• Digital media allows individuals to curate their online presence and express personal interests, beliefs, and experiences through social media profiles, potentially leading to identity fragmentation between online and offline personas
• Digital media can facilitate the formation of collective identities by uniting people around shared characteristics or causes through online communities and social movements, but can also amplify existing social divisions and polarization

Ethics and legality in digital media

• Digital media raises privacy concerns about personal data collection and use by online platforms for targeted advertising and personalization, with data breaches potentially exposing sensitive information
• Security risks posed by digital media include cyberattacks (hacking, malware) that can compromise digital systems, as well as online harassment and cyberbullying causing psychological harm
• Digital media challenges traditional notions of intellectual property, as the ease of copying and sharing digital content can facilitate copyright infringement, while fair use and creative commons licenses provide frameworks for legal content sharing

Digital media for social change

• Digital media can be a powerful tool for promoting social causes through online campaigns that raise awareness and mobilize support
• Marginalized groups can use digital platforms to amplify their voices and experiences
• Digital media has transformed activism through:
  1. Online petitions and crowdfunding enabling grassroots organizing and fundraising
  2. Hashtag activism uniting people around shared causes and sparking offline action
• Digital media can facilitate civic engagement and citizen participation in democratic processes through online forums and social media enabling public discourse and debate, as well as digital tools enhancing government transparency and accountability