Media Technology

You Tube, Google +, Second Life, and Slide Share are all fairly new media in todays fast paced technologically advanced world, yet already play a vital role in communicating in todays society. These four types of media are very different from one another, but share one common goal and that is to broaden the horizon of communication and expand the opportunities to connect with others using technologically advanced methods.

YouTube is the oldest of the four types of media but happens to be the most popular. “YouTube allows billions of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos." (Youtube.com, 2012)  YouTube acts as both a communication and information powerhouse where you can watch recorded videos about almost anything. From video tutorials on how to cook, to the latest and greatest music video, YouTube is sure to have something to humor or enlighten you. I've personally used You Tube as both a site to watch videos just for fun, or to learn how to do certain things around the house like plant a rose garden, or crochet. If you’ve ever wanted to pick up a hobby or learn how to do something, YouTube is the place to learn how to do it. There are “how to” video tutorials on almost anything you would ever want to know.

It's also a great source to find videos on the latest news happening in the world. If you are a business owner, you can use the site as a way to market and advertise your business. You could post videos to draw interest to your products. “In the next minute, 60 hours of video will be uploaded to YouTube, and by the end of today, 4 billion videos will have been watched around the globe on the world’s most popular video-sharing site. (Goodwin, 2012)” Even people who don’t consider themselves technologically savvy have heard of or used this popular form of social media. In contrast, Google + is one of the newest editions to the ever expanding world of social media.

Google + is much like the ever popular social media giant Facebook. You create a profile on Google + and use this profile as a way to connect with others. One neat thing about Google + is that you can break down the people you're connected to and place them in "circles" where they are a part of a certain group. That way, if you want to post something about yourself on your Google + page and only want certain circle groups to see your content, you can narrow it down by specifically choosing which group of people you want to see it.

I have a Google + account but haven’t really gotten into it and feel as though it has a long way to go before it gains the popularity and usability as Facebook currently has. For the most part, people don’t like change and if something works there’s usually no reason to change it. I think that’s why it’s taking so much longer than expected for Google + to gain the popularity its creators had hoped for. New media technology doesn’t just consist of social media sites like Facebook and Google +, it also consists of other forms of communication including use of avatars and virtual worlds. We see this type of communication through the very popular site called Second Life.

Second Life is a 3d Virtual World where you create your own avatar and connect with others. “Second Life is a 3D world where everyone you see is a real person and every place you visit is built by people just like you" (secondlife.com, 2012). What is neat about Second Life is it allows an everyday ordinary person to create a virtual version of him or her self in any image they like. In many ways, online virtual avatars are a way for the everyday ordinary person to become extraordinary or the person they've always dreamed of being. The dorky guy in class can now be a macho man dominating an entire virtual world and getting all the ladies. The overweight and underappreciated female can now become that goddess she’s secretly been hiding all this time. Virtual worlds also allow people to communicate globally. “In the virtual world, new channels of communication can be opened up between different cultures” (Harvey, 2011). This form of communication makes it easier for people from different cultures and backgrounds to communicate on a level they wouldn’t be able to in different circumstances.

One of the neatest innovations in the ever-changing world of media technology is SlideShare. This is a great communications tool online where you can view, upload, and share slide presentations. You can use the search engine provided on the website and type virtually any subject and any correlating slideshows or PowerPoint presentations will appear for your viewing pleasure. This is a great way to conduct research or look for information on a wide variety of subject matter. "It forces professionals to get a message across in a highly visual way, and as a result it’s grabbed about 29 million unique visitors" (Noyes, 2012). What I like most about the use of Slide Share is being able to view subject matter through the eyes of another person’s perspective and then taking that perspective and using the information gained to obtain my own views and opinions on the information.

All four of these forms of new media technology serve a great purpose and that is to broaden our opportunities and abilities to communicate effectively depending on the different situations we’re in. Whether it’s telling someone how to cook a roast on You Tube, setting up a chat session with one of your circle groups on Google +, becoming a blonde bombshell in the virtual reality world of Second Life, or expressing your research and opinions on sustainable living through Slide Share, you are communicating and enriching your life through opportunities gained because of the advancement in technology that is continuously changing. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

 Reference

Goodwin, D. (2012). YouTube Now Serving 4 Billion Videos A Day. Retrieved from http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2141050/YouTube-Now-Serving-4-Billion-Videos-Daily

Harvey, R. (2011). Virtual Worlds as a Means to Promote Inter-cultural Communications. Retrieved from http://voices.yahoo.com/virtual-worlds-as-means-promote-inter-cultural-8517479.html?cat=15

Noyes, J. (2012). 5 Really Good Reasons Linkedin Bought SlideShare. Retrieved from http://blog.eloqua.com/linkedin-slideshare/

Secondlife.com. (2012). Retrieved from http://secondlife.com/whatis/?lang=en-US

Youtube.com. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/t/about_youtube