Dear Diary - 'Eight Traits of The New Media Landscape'

One of our earliest workshops involved us reading into the specific work of Henry Jenkins which is titled 'Eight Traits of the New Media Landscape'. To read Jenkins article yourself, please click here. The 'Eight Traits' that Jenkins discusses are as follows; Innovative, Convergence, Everyday, Appropriative, Networked, Global, Generational and finally, Unequal. The article is an interesting account wherein Jenkins sums up what he believes to be the most identifiable and effectual changes within media, which have shaped a 'New Media Landscape'. The eight traits he discusses are all extremely significant to the media which surrounds us today, in very different ways.

Our first assignment for MEDS1101 was a written report on this article and it's subject of the new media landscape. In 'Eight Traits of the New Media Landscape' Jenkins writes:

'Most often, when people are asked to describe the current media landscape, they respond by making an inventory of tools and technologies. Our focus should be not on emerging technologies but on emerging cultural practices.' 

I found this particular quote (which had been highlighted in our module handbooks by our tutor) very useful, as it explains how the new media landscape works - through it's users. The media has become some a necessity to many generations of the 21st Century. It has evolved greatly from being a brief source of news, or entertainment. Nowadays, the media is constantly surrounding us wherever our heads turn, thus, Jenkins is right that emerging cultural practices are the real focus.

We were asked to choose one of the eight traits and write a report on our own personal media use in relation to that particular trait, with reference to the article. I chose the trait Everyday as I felt an immediate  link when reading it's paragraph. I believe this is due to the fact that I am part of a generation who are extremely connected with the new media and use many different types of media, everyday and in very different ways. I began to think about the kinds of media I use daily, and made a spider diagram to illustrate my thoughts.

After acknowledging the types of media I know that I use daily, I began to structure my report. I began by discussing Jenkins work, then in the second half of the report I compared it to my own usage. One of the thoughts that Jenkins presented within his work that intrigued me was the short section which discussed the way in which media connects and disconnects people on the new platform. 

He writes that 'young people often deploy media to cut themselves off from the people around them.' Although this seems almost like a generalisation, when relating to my own experiences of media use in relation to the quote it is easy to identify Jenkins meaning. In many ways I can specifically relate my media use (from time to time) as being my most reliable source and form of escape, which I am sure many young people would agree with. One of my most commonly used sources of escape through media is the social networking site 'Tumblr'. Tumblr is a microblogging platform, wherein users post multimedia onto their personalised pages in the form of pictures (most commonly), videos, links, quotes and text. The social networking site also allows registered users to follow other blogs, allowing all of their followed blogs pictures to appear on what is known as a 'dashboard'. Personally, I use this social networking and microblogging website for escape and enjoyment. In many scenarios I have found myself procrastinating on it, or trying to forget my current problems by skimming through pictures of happiness and glee from other countries and time periods. Additionally, I enjoy the creative side of Tumblr, as I can stumble upon animations, illustrations or edited pictures which I find fascinating. You can explore my tumblr by clicking on this link: www.alexgeorgiades.tumblr.com. 

Jenkins also discusses how "New technologies have enabled a greater connection to more dispersed family members". This quote is in contrast to the previous, however, is equally true. In my report I discussed how the quote is equally as relevant with friends as well as family. For instance, when at University, social networking websites such as 'Facebook' and 'Twitter' allow me to browse through recently tagged pictures to see what family and friends have been getting up too, as well as keeping my updated on their wellbeing. I additionally discuss the use of the hashtag (#) on twitter, which is used to group people who are discussing the same subject. For instance, in my report I discuss how during nights where X-Factor would be on television, friends and family would all be grouped by the same hashtag, (#xfactor) allowing me to see all of their views and furthermore open discussion to compare their thoughts with mine.

The next subtopic I decided to discuss, moving past the media experienced in a home environment, was the smartphone, which I quickly related to the sections from Jenkins work wherein he quotes science fiction writer Bruce Sterling. 

Reading Sterling's description of contemporary media usage, I realised how reliant my generation seems on modern technology, most especially, their phones. In my estimate, 80% of young people at University have a smart phone. In my initial mind map, the things I associated with my iPhone were internet use, social networking, camera, iPod and finally, texting and phoning. Through the quote 'Contemporary technology "sticks to the skin, responds to the touch...pervasive, utterly intimate" I realised that my phone is more or less with me at my side for as long as I am awake. This realisation, in my head, is what immediately allows me to understand Jenkins work, and most especially, the third trait of New Media Landscape, Everyday.