INFORMATION AGE, DIGITAL AGE, & NEW MEDIA AGE

INFORMATION AGE

The idea that access to and control of information defines this era.

Claude E. Shannon,

“father of Information Theory,” 1948 at age 32, Nokia Bell Labs; Published paper showing information can be encoded as ones and zeroes; Demonstrated all media (telephone, radio, TV) could transmit without error using this framework

1970s

Milestones

___: Internet developed by US Department of Defense; adoption of personal computers a decade later;

Fiber optic cables and faster microprocessors accelerated information transmission and processing;

World Wide Web started as electronic billboard, evolved into interactive consumer exchange;

Email enabled near-instant exchange of information for work and personal communication;

Digitization impacted traditional media: books, music, TV, cable;

Businesses increasingly focused on profiting from digital information

DIGITAL AGE

Era and IT-based economy from 20th century; shift from industrial economy to knowledge-based economy; Intersects with Internet Age; public Internet access changed information availability and global communication

1940s

Timeline

___: Birth of information science;

Late 1940s

: Universities, military, companies developed digital systems to automate manual math;

Early computer systems created to digitally copy and automate previously manual math operations;

1970s: Altair Microcomputer Kit

(first home computer); coin-operated video games; arcade games popular;

1980s:

Computers became semi-ubiquitous in homes, businesses, industries;

Late 1980s–1990s: Tim Berners-Lee

invented World Wide Web which became publicly accessible;

Internet spread quickly;

Companies advertised websites;

Phones not widely used;

2000s:

Cell phones advanced beyond 1990s; text messaging exploded; developing world joined digital revolution;

2010s–present:

Smartphone use and console ownership increased; Internet users reached 63.5% globally; cloud computing became widespread

New Technology and Society:

Daily creation of minor tech upgrades; occasionally major inventions impact human life; printing press was an early tech; modern main components: computers, satellites, Internet;

New Technological Networks:

Internet and networks allow communication globally; replaces face-to-face or paper-based methods; enables messaging, calls, real-time news, media access in moments;

Mobility:

Digital tools allow work, social engagement, travel from anywhere; international travel more accessible due to affordable air travel;

Consumerization:

Businesses adopted consumer-level computers; specialized equipment became widely available;

Misinformation and Disinformation:

Internet allows global information exchange, but false/misleading info spreads quickly;

Globalization:

Internet accelerates blending of systems, economies, communities, and politics; cultural diffusion and leveling occur; Western culture and technology influence other countries (e.g., Japan mixing Western and Eastern traditions, fashion, music, capitalism);

Security Concerns:

Information security as crucial as physical security; rapid tech progress exposes systems to cybercrime and cyber warfare

NEW MEDIA AGE

Development of interactive technologies from late 20th century into 21st century;

Various forms emerged from the internet since it became widely available in homes during mid to late 1990s

(Blogs, Internet videos, social networking tools; cellular technologies and Internet-compatible apps)

Changed privacy, social interaction, and information access; Reduced face-to-face communication; Emailing expanded into instant messaging, texting, tweeting, blogging; “Text lingo” emerged; criticized for affecting spelling and grammar

Impact on Communication

Tools make information easily and quickly accessible for individuals and organizations; News networks use Twitter, Google, Wikipedia to source/verify up-to-date stories; Independent bloggers (“citizen journalists”) report in real-time without typical political bias

Information Accessibility

Web 1.0

– Focused mainly on delivering information from corporations and organizations;

Content was primarily created and controlled by companies (corporate-generated);

Media included text and static images;

Accessed through standard websites and web portals;

Interaction was mostly one-way, between humans and machines (man–machine);

Web 2.0

– Shifted focus to socialization and interactive communication through social media platforms;

Content was largely user-generated, allowing individuals to contribute text, images, and videos;

Platforms included Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and search engines;

Interaction became two-way and collaborative, happening directly between users (man–man)

New Media: New Problems

Multi Identity; Cyber Crime; Collapse of Traditional Economic Models; Privacy Issues; Hate Speech

New Media: New Horizons

Virtual Socialization; Cyber Entrepreneurship; New Business Models; Global Political Organizations and Movements

New Media: New Forms & Contents

Text evolved into hypertext and blogs, allowing dynamic linking of information;

Television expanded to IP TV, Mobile TV, WebTV, and Digital TV formats;

Traditional print media—books, newspapers, magazines—transitioned into e-books, e-newspapers, and e-magazines;

Films gave rise to interactive entertainment, including role-playing games (RPGs)

New Media: Jobs

Blogger And Online Journalists;

Social Media Experts;

Online Reputation Managers;

Copyright/Content Managers;

Online Educators & Trainers;

Mobile Healthcare Experts

New Media: Future

Web 1.0 – Primarily informational, with corporate-generated content; Text and static images dominated the online environment; Users accessed content via websites and web portals; Interaction remained one-way between users and machines; Web 2.0 – Focused on socialization, allowing active participation on social media platforms; User-generated content included text, images, and videos; Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube enabled collaboration and sharing; Interaction became primarily human-to-human (man–man); Web 3.0 – Semantic web emphasizing smarter, context-aware content; Content generated collectively, including text, video, images, and 3D media; Digital experiences extend into virtual worlds; Virtual assistants help users navigate and manage content; Interaction extends to machine-to-machine communication

Web 1.0

– Primarily informational, with corporate-generated content; Text and static images dominated the online environment; Users accessed content via websites and web portals; Interaction remained one-way between users and machines;

Web 2.0

– Focused on socialization, allowing active participation on social media platforms;

User-generated content included text, images, and videos;

Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube enabled collaboration and sharing;

Interaction became primarily human-to-human (man–man);

Web 3.0

– Semantic web emphasizing smarter, context-aware content;

Content generated collectively, including text, video, images, and 3D media;

Digital experiences extend into virtual worlds;

Virtual assistants help users navigate and manage content;

Interaction extends to machine-to-machine communication