Media is today's culture

This week’s readings focused on the idea that media, particularly new media, has become part of today’s culture. Deuze (2011) argues that media is so ubiquitous that it’s invisible. As fellow student Sarah (2011) said media is like an ocean and we have jumped straight in. Bell (2006) explores this idea with a case study on mobile phones in Asia. How they are used from more than just communicating but can also say a lot about where you sit on the social ladder.

What I took from both articles is that people by nature love to communicate with each other. They feel the need to share their identity and personality.  Today people do this through social networking sites and blogs and they can even personalize their mobile phones. I think this has always been the case as in the past people used talk back radio and letters to the editor to share their thoughts, opinion and lives with a mass audience. New media just allows us to share ourselves on multiple platforms, ones that are easier and more convenient than ever. So yes I think the media has become part of our culture but I think the need to connect, brand and narrate ourselves is inherent in each individual.  

References

Bell, Genevieve. 2006. ‘The Age of Thumb: A Cultural Reading of Mobile Technologies from Asia.” Knowledge, Technology, Policy  Vol 19. pp. 41-57

Deuze, Mark. 2011. ‘Media Life.”  Media, Culture & Society. Sage Publishing. pp 137- 147

Sarah 2011. “Just keep swimming”. New Media a six part saga. Accessed on the 4^th of March 2011 on http://sarahsnewmediablog.blogspot.com/