Mass media and its impact on culture and society

New media forms and technologies have centralized around the idea of community and culture. The question of whether these new creations help or hurt a community becomes the main argument. On one hand, media forms can be thought of as a way to control the masses while ruining authenticity and cultural traditions (Lister 69). On the other, new media (such as the internet) can be thought of as a way to free the masses and give them the right to choose the boundaries they have of gaining information and performing tasks. Regardless, new media forms do shape a culture and community.

This ultimately leads back to the question of whether or not “new media” is actually good. The latest versions of any media form are always thought of as being better than the previous. Each time a newer form is introduced, the thought that these forms will solve the questions a culture has or lead the masses to utopia is adopted. Every newer form is looked at in relation to the old and compared to how the culture used it previously. The question should be what significance do these media forms and their latest versions play in a community and culture? How will they change the culture for better or worse?

Ever since the creation of digital media, community members have been given the luxury of choice. Masses are now able to choose where their imaginations want to take them and can also create new worlds to explore. Lister reflects on the concept of new media forms being an extension of the imaginations of people (Lister 60). Moreover, the idea of newer technologies being better is then adapted. The newer technologies provide a path to the imaginations of people and are thought to have the answers. By creating newer forms, users are able to fulfill their desires and imaginations of striving toward their utopia.

This directly leads to the final question of how new media forms are created. Marshall McLuhan adapted the idea of media forms being extensions of the body as well as the medium being the message. Each of his theories were somewhat “if a tree falls in the woods and no one’s around, does it really make a sound” theories. Their main themes, along with Raymond Williams theories, were the relevance to this topic. The themes revolved around remediation and newer forms as improvements to older ways of communication (Lister 77). By this, books were just improvements to the sense of sight or internet encompassing all the senses much like the new ipods have been updated over the years to include touch screens for the physical aspect.

This brings us back to the concept of community and culture. With progression of newer media forms comes a change in the culture. But, can it be stated that the the media forms are the cause of change or is it how a society uses it that is the actual change? What makes these technologies actual advancements if how they are used is determined by the users themselves? Is a society and culture even shaped by media forms or are users doing the shaping and defining by how they use them?

links:
http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/mcluhan.html
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/amroth/scritti/williams.htm