Old Vs. New Media Blog #2

  Media has transformed tremendously over the last 60 years. Telephones, computers, television, newspaper, etc. have all changed to keep up with the latest media trends. With these forms of media changing, so do the people that have to use them. They must stay on top of new gadgets and new ways the media world evolves and interacts with others. New media allows for the older generation to actively participate and be included in what is going on. This could be considered a participatory culture where consumers are invited to actively participate in the creation and circulation of new content (Fuchs, 2017). However, new media can also create a digital divide between old and new media. A generational gap can lead to this digital divide (Fuchs, 2017).


  I had the pleasure of interviewing my 57-year-old dad who I would describe as someone who does not like the tech-savvy devices and is comfortable with using an old, beat up android that might have cost $30. I chose to interview my dad because yes, he is very far out of the loop when it comes to using media, but somehow, he has become what I would say to be twitter famous (over 10k followers). You might think how is your dad not able to keep up with new media but has captured so many followers on Twitter. Well, I ask myself that same question every day as I still have to walk him through online shopping and other simple internet tasks. As someone who has grown up during the transition from old to new media, my dad discussed how little he use to use media and how greatly his experiences have changed. 

  When asked to identify the three most significant changes in the media, he immediately brought up cellphones, television, and newspapers. He said, "when I was your age we had the old land phones and had no idea who was on the other side with no voice mail; it could be a heckler or someone who was legit." Back then, people had no clue who was on the other line using rotary phones, unlike today where you have caller ID and contacts. There were no cellphones when he was 19-years-old.

"The closest thing I came to a cellphone as a kid was a Walkie Talkie."

-Bruce Proctor

As cellphones started to come around, only people with a decent amount of money could purchase them. One of the things that my dad mentioned that I found most surprising was that he did not get his first phone until just before my older sister did in 2005. He mentioned how he loves these new features because he now has a choice to pick up the phone or to deny the call. My dad discussed how he used to have to use a payphone to call someone only ten minutes away but it would be expensive because it was a call to a different county so it was considered long distance.

Another significant change in the media that my dad mentioned was how television used to be. Today, you can enjoy the programs because back then you would never know if the program would actually come through. Television sets are more diverse and allow viewers to select from a variety of channels compared to the handful of local channels they had back in the day. My dad described the older televisions as "the TVs with the rabbit ears." These televisions did not have the luxury of DVR and other features that makes viewing programs more accessible. Most TVs seen in a household today are flat screens but before they use to have a huge box attached to the back of it. In fact, my old-fashioned dad still has one of the older TVs in his bedroom to watch TV.

  The last major change in media that my dad notices was the downfall in newspapers. When he was a kid, the newspaper was the main source of information and he used to get one every day. Now, all he has to do in open up twitter or google online newspapers to find out what is happening in the world. Also, when my dad wanted to do research when he was younger, he had to go to the library because the internet was not an option for him. He said, "today you can look up whatever you want on the internet instead of wasting your time reading through an entire newspaper about the information that I was not necessarily interested in." New media is more accessible but can be harder to pick up on if you were not born into the generation where it was already established.  

  When asked if he is able to keep up with new social media trends, my dad said, "I am still learning how to navigate social media in my late 50s and I will never be ahead of the game." My father will continue to always call me for help as he goes through this transition from old to new media the best way that he can. Below my dad list some of the pros and cons of new media, and it is clear that his favorite part about media is the social interaction. According to Whiting and Williams, social interaction is one of the most popular themes for using social media, as well as entertainment, pastime, and relaxation (Whiting & Williams, 2013).

Pros & Cons of social media in my dad's eyes:

• get to meet many interesting people

• are able to interact with them where some could even become your friends

• others can be rude

• able to connect with famous people that you would never have expected to talk to in your life

  After talking with my father about the significant changes from old to media, I realized how much media has developed and made things such as research, entertainment, and news more accessible. Even without all the new technology and social media apps, my dad was still able to do find entertainment, news, and information. Growing up in this generation makes it hard to imagine what it would be like to not have this new type of media. 

References:

Fuchs, C. (2017). Social media: A critical introduction. London: SAGE Publications. doi: 10.4135/9781446270066.

Whiting, A. and Williams, D. (2013), “Why people use social media: a uses and gratifications approach,” Qualitative Market Research, pp. 363-368.