Impact of Media Technologies on the Structure of Environment Essay

Impact of Media Technologies on the Structure of Environment - Essay Example The environment which is deemed to be a messaging system in itself, is supposed to have a bearing on what people see and say and therefore how they act, how roles are assigned to people and the boundaries in which these roles are discharged in a society (Postman, 1980). It is observed that with rapid growth in media technology, physical spaces have shrunk and there is an integration between the physical and the social sciences. As pointed by Monberg (2005) "changes in media technology change patterns of social interaction, and changing patterns of social interaction have political consequences". The author likens the advancement of media technology to the "steel era" because steel changed the way people lived, worked, travelled, and fought wars. It is believed that new media technology will do just that in the 21st century. The impact of new media is also worth evaluating because of the notice convergent media nexus has received by the international community. It is acknowledged that media technology has an impact in facilitating or impeding man's chances of survival (Postman, 1980). As pointed by Bhuiyan (2006): "with the rapid growth of new media technology including the internet, interactive television net... It is also predicted that media technology will help preserve free speech and privacy and strengthen communication opportunities, largely owing to the use of digital media technologies such as PCs, the internet, computer games, cell phones in the ever shrinking global community. Such advancement has resulted in the advent of telecommunications, print, broadcast and computing into new domains to create a product that coalesces the elements of all these technologies, to create a brand new channel of communication and information storage. So consumers use iPods to make their own music playlists, personal video recorders to customize television schedules, digital audio broadcasting or DAB Digital Radio pumps static-free music to their homes and cars. With the heavy reliance on new media technologies, wired and wireless, into our daily life, the impact is such that it not only influences those who are using it but also those who are not because they have no access to them, lack the necessary skills, or simply do not want to. The world around is changing quickly. How it is changing is discussed in the following pages. The digital culture New media technologies have a telling effect on the culture we live in. Culture, as pointed by Stalder (2005) is "systems of meaning articulated through material and immaterial symbols". The culture is now becoming digital. The impact is felt even in the world of tangibles like chairs, automobiles, and buildings, which are designed digitally and produced through a process of information flow. Given that digital information is easy to copy, distribute and transform, it has become easier to incorporate the work of others not by