One of the definitions of revolution is a sudden, sweeping change in something. The American Revolution is but one example. The 1960s counterculture revolution of much of Europe and the U. S. is another example. The social media revolution, currently, is the most recent and widespread.
Social media has transformed people from content consumers to content producers. How knowledge and information spread has undergone radical change. In the past, we were used to the monologues of broadcast media: one person delivering information to the rest of us. We know this typically in the form of newspaper articles and TV newscasts.
However, because of the new revolution, these familiar norms are being forced to amalgamate themselves with the unfamiliar new. Now called dialogues of social media, not just one person but also many are now the disseminators of information. We now both gather and produce information, which is why we can be called content producers.
Several forms of this are common. One well-known one is ideas or concepts designed to be easily regurgitated so that they are easily repeated often to others. Another form is print media, which is designed to be reproduced to the masses. A third form is the movement at ground level of direct dispersement, including rallies, demonstrations, and public speaking. A fourth is the mass sharing of information from advanced search-capable Internet and mobile devices.
Traditional media, also known as mass media, broadcast media, or industrial media, differs from social media in many ways. To begin, social media is less expensive and more easily accessible. Mass media normally needs more resources to be able to share information. Second, industrial media production normally necessitates learning specialized skills; normally, social media does not. In short, social media can be utilized more easily by anyone.
Third, the impact on response time and newsworthiness has been profound. While in social media, this can be instantaneous, the same can take hours or even days in mass media. However, as the influence of social media on traditional media grows, this difference will probably become minimal.
Fourth, permanence is treated very differently by the two. In mass media, after an article is printed and distributed, it cannot be changed. Corrections, retractions, and apologies may be necessary, but the article is unable to be altered. In social media, however, changes can instantly be made.
It is interesting, however, to note the similarities between the two forms of media. Both types of media can be dispersed to a worldwide audience or to a local one. A blog posting may reach no one ‘ or it may reach everyone. TV news broadcasts may reach the same ranges of people.
The future direction of social media and traditional media is, of course, unknown. One hypothesis is the hybridization of the two. In this scenario, what is known as community media is the use of the frameworks of both traditional and social media. In fact, this hybrid is already being commonly used in some corners.
Whatever the future brings, the social media is not transient. It is here for good, even as its future direction is still not clear. Will hybridization continue evolving? Will mass media, as we know it, continue? Will the social media network evolve to the point that it engulfs both the traditional and the hybrid? Keep abreast with your local media outlets as we go forward.
one time credit score | 2012 calendar printable | 2013 calendar