Four Types of Media Technologies

Media and technology continue to grow and advance on a daily basis. There are many different tools that can be used to communicate and different ways in which information can be shared. Many forms of media are being used to reach millions of people throughout the world. Four types of media that will be further discussed are: social media, digital media, print media, and television commercials. These are all forms of media that impact the communication world and help to keep people connected and informed.


Social mediais growing and advancing to the point in which it is important to gain an understanding of what social media is. “Technology is now playing a major role in the way we express ourselves and communicate with the world. “Commenting, liking, tagging, and tweeting are now becoming technological norms that people socialize with” (Nicholls, 2011). There is large proportion of individuals who use social media on a daily basis to communicate. It has such an impact that cellphones and PDA’s now have internet access in which individuals can connect on social websites and post while out and about. Social media is used to describe technology that occurs on the internet and webpages. Social media can include blogs, Facebook, Twitter, podcasts, and wikis. (Marsh, et. al., 2009) Because of this social media is way for people to stay connected and communicate with each other. Twitter is a website in which individuals can post within seconds what they are doing or thinking. These postings are called “Tweets” and people can follow the Twitter page, and connect with an individual in that manner. It is very popular for celebrities to use this website. Social media is used for networking, sharing information, and connecting with individuals. It is apparent that social media is an important part of how people are communicating with each other, and it can reach a large variety of audiences throughout the world. Individuals can share information and ideas, advertise products, and have conversations on the social networking sites. Again these sites consist of Facebook and Twitter. Social media will continue to impact the way we communicate and express our feelings.

Digital media is another form of technology in which individuals use to communicate. Digital media, “is any storage device that holds digital data” (The Computer Language Company INC., 2011). The purpose of digital media is to share as much information as possible and to reach a large amount of audiences. Digital media can consist of social media and in fact because the information is stored on a computer, it can cover the internet as well as social networking sites. Some examples of digital media are USB drives, multimedia, and magnetic discs. These all store information necessary for us to use while we communicate and saves information. As mentioned earlier cellphones and PDA’s (smartphones) are an important tool for individuals to use to help stay connected. As technology has advanced cell phones now have the ability to download music and connect to the internet. Because of this, individuals are able to stay connected, share information, and communicate within seconds. Businesses and companies understand the importance of digital media and the impact it has.“An organization’s ability to manage the fast moving digital currents of today’s world is increasingly important. It’s a safe assertion and conservative one, that an organization’s ability to ‘respond and navigate digitally’ ties to profability, efficiency and overall reputation”(Lipsey, 2010). Digital media stores information and helps individuals to communicate and reach a large audience. Anyone who is comfortable with technology and the computer is more likely to use digital media. Digital media is broad and can be tied with social media as there are many tools that are linked together.




 Print Media is another effective tool that is used to communicate. Print media can consist of pamphlets, books, newspapers, magazines, and brochures. Print Media is a medium in which can be used to distribute information. The purpose of print media is to share as much information as possible and reach an audience that may not be familiar with computers or technology. It is another way to disseminate information to an audience. Magazines are a popular form of print media and can have a variety of topics. Magazines can have articles about different topics and hobbies. US Weekly is an example of a magazine and it specifically shares information about celebrities. Newspapers share information in regards to what is going on in that specific state, or can share information from around the world. Having a hard copy can be easily distributed and is tactile unlike the internet. Print media is an effective way to advertise and throughout colleges are ways to notify people of upcoming events. Consumers and producers of products use print media to sell products, explain directions, and provide information. Social Media and digital media may be able to reach out to an audience that is technologically savvy, but to individuals who are not, print media is an effective way to share information. Print media is an effective way to share information and reach a specific audience. Although it appears that technology and social media are continuously advancing, print media is a great way to share information. Print media can target different audiences that are not as technologically advanced. Because of this, print media will continue to stick around.


Visual media is used to inform an audience through telling a story with pictures. Many people watch TV to entertain themselves. From soap operas to sports, to the news television delivers a large amount of information. Because people watch TV, we are bombarded by TV commercials besides our TV programs that we watch. Television commercialsare another effective way to share information. The purpose of television commercials is to “motivate the viewer to take a desired action, usually in the form of a marketplace transaction” (Marsh, et al., 2009). Televisions can be found throughout the world and are in millions of homes. It can reach many different audiences at one point. TV Commercials can target a different audience through the varying television stations. Different shows attract different age ranges and with that commercials can be produced in which can target that specific audience. Television commercials use sound and picture to draw attention to their product. A lot of TV commercials use sex appeal, famous celebrities, humor, and athletes to gain the attention of an audience. TV commercials can deliver information in a short amount of time. One way to show that TV and TV commercials impact consumers is the Super Bowl. According to Forbes, marketers are willing to pay “$2.6 million for a 30-second spot on Sunday’s game”(Forbes, 2007). It is quite obvious that TV commercials are an important way for advertisers to get their name out. With that being said, TV commercials will continue to impact consumers and share messages. The audiences of TV commercials are individuals who possess a television in their household.









References



Lacey, R. (2007, January 30). Is a super bowl ad a super deal?. Forbes, DOI:Forbes.com

Lipsey, D. (2010). Managing the fast moving (digital) currents: How DAM can help emerging
rapid response media centers. Journal of Digital Asset Management, 6(6), 332-335. 
Marsh, C., Guth, D.W., & Short, B.P. (2009). Strategic writing multimedia writing for public relations advertising and more. Boston: Pearson Education Inc. Retrieved January 9, 2012, from ABI/INFORM Global.

Nicholls, J. (2011). Social media comes of age. Mental Health Nursing (Online), 31(4), 6. Retrieved January 9, 2012, from ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source.