Media Technologies

Social Networking

Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc. are becoming increasingly popular.  Because there are so many members, news is gathered from all over the world and it is transmitted very quickly. There is no real “red tape” or protocal that traditional media sources deal with, so social networking has the ability to communicate much quicker and easier.  The main audience of social networking is young adults and the original intent was to connect friends.

“Social networking can serve as a tool to boost anyone’s chances in landing a job, but it is especially beneficial to those in the communications and information-technology fields” (Gerstner, 2011).

If you're not already on Linked-In, you are missing out on a valuable resource.  More than 100 million people worldwide have created profiles on LinkedIn.  This site is used for professional networking, so your profile is much like your resume.  You summarize your skills and experience and connect to people you know through professional contacts.  It is a great tool for a job search or promoting your business.

Smart Phones

Smart phones, such as BlackBerries and iPhones, are not taking away from traditional media sources, but they are providing access when it would not be otherwise available.  For instance, users can now access their favorite news sources (such as CNN.com) from their phone’s internet connection. 

After completing a study of media usage in 2007 (the year that the Apple iPhone was released) John Dimmick, lead author of the study and professor of communication at Ohio State University concluded:  "Mobile media is filling in the spaces and times where people are on the move, away from their offices and homes, such as when they are in the line at the supermarket or eating lunch at a restaurant."

Smart phones were originally created for business professionals and are currently being used by all types of people.

Computers

Computers are used to access media websites and social networks and to communicate via email.  Without computers, many other forms of media technology would not be possible.  The audience for computers is all inclusive.

These days, we are able to stream video and television through our computers.  We use software application such as Skype to communicate “face-to-face” with people all over the world.  We use tools on our computers to create presentations for business purposes, write papers and proposals on word processing software.  We keep our financial records on our computers and communicate with our financial institutions.  It is difficult to remember a time when computers were not around and even more difficult to imagine what our lives would be like if we no longer had computer access.

While television is still the most popular form of media technology, the computer is becoming more and more important to users.  Studies have proven that the internet might replace television over the next few years. 

Television

The television was one of the most remarkable inventions in history.  According to Mitchell Stephens article in the Grolier Encyclopedia, before 1947, the number of U.S. homes with television sets could be measured in the thousands.  By the late 1990s, 98% of U.S. homes had at least one television set, and those sets were on for an average of more than seven hours a day.  The number one source for information has been television news for quite some time.

With the creation of the World Wide Web, computers have taken away much of the television audience.  As computers continue to progress, they will one day be able to handle video as easily as text, making television even more obsolete.

References:
Gerstner, L.. (2011, July). Use Social Media to Retool Your Career. Kiplinger's Personal Finance, 65(7), 1. Retrieved June 19, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2377794311).

Grolier Encyclopedia (2011). History of Television. Retrieved June 22, 2011, from http://www.nyu.edu/classes/stephens/History%20of%20Television%20page.htm

Ohio State University (2011, March 17). Smart phones not replacing other media for news access, at least not yet. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 16, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2011/03/110317131211.htm