Six Main Characteristics of New Media

There are six main characteristics of new media found in the book “New Media – A critical Introduction – Second Edition” by Martin Lister, Jon Dovey, Seth Giddings, Iain Grant, and Kieran Kelly.

As media continues to grow and evolve, it is important to be able to understand the characteristics as they change and develop over time. In the book, the main characteristics include the following:

Digital

Interactivity

Hypertextual

Virtual

Networked

Simulated

Digital

Media data is transformed into binary codes. Binary code allows people to access data in a way that is easier and faster. Everything digital is made up of Binary Code – or zeros and ones. The data can be found as an output. As an output form it can be seen as online sources, digital disks, or memory drives. These outputs are to be decoded and received as screen displays.

The opposite of digital is analogue. Analogue refers to the process of storing physical properties in another physical form – like old newspaper archives.

Analogue media is fixed – it does not change. Whereas, digital media is in a constant state of flux. It is constantly flowing, changing, and improving.

Wireless connections between computers, servers, and networks are becoming more common. Despite this, many connections still depend on cables and telephone lines. These connects have to be physically dug into the Earth.

Interactivity

It is a two way form of communication. People are able to make individualized lifestyle choice from endless possibilities offered by the market.

People are no longer just on the receiving end. New media allows consumers and users to get more involved. This can be seen in simple acts like commenting on news pieces or writing a review for a place.

Interactivity includes: hypertextual navigation, immersive navigation, registrational interactivity, interactive communications, and interactivity and problems of textual interpretations.

It is a “key value” characteristic of new media. Interactivity is a powerful representation of user engagement with media texts. It is also a more independent relation to sources of knowledge, individualized media use, and greater choice.

Hypertextual

It is a reference to non-sequential connections between all kinds of data facilitated by the computer. For example the hyperlinks that you’ve seen me use in previous posts.

It is also an important part of the history of computing, especially in the way that hypertexts address ideas about the relation of computer operation systems, software, and databases to the operations of the human mind.

Networked

This characteristic is the availability of sharing content through the internet. This involves consumption. A prime example would be our consumption of media texts, and how now we have a large number of highly differentiated texts available in various ways.

Virtual

This characteristic embodies a virtual world that is created by immersion or engagement in an environment constructed with computer graphics and digital video. The users have control over their interaction. For example video games give people a virtual stage where they can interact and somewhat control their virtual lives to an extent.

Simulation

You could link this to previous points in regards to video games. Simulation games manage to immerse people in a “virtual life” that is represented or simulated through digital technology.

The definition of simulation is any synthetic or counterfeit creation. It is the creation of an artificial world that represents a real one. This is done through a mathematical model, combined with a set of initial conditions, that allows predictions and visualizations as time unfolds.

It takes the place of more established concepts. Simulations can be sued as an imitation or representation of things that are more complex. Today we have flight simulations, driving simulations, and even ship steering simulations.

By Mkessa Patricia