Modern Media Evolution

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Digital Technology Improvement Plan

The many benefits of modern digital communications are undeniable: connection to family, opportunity to meet new friends, visibility for businesses, and access to the collection of human knowledge, to name a few. With these advantages, however, come limitations that create problems for society. Some of the most prevalent challenges include big data and cybersecurity, the spread of misinformation, and unrealistic expectations caused by social media. There are concrete steps that both individuals and institutions can take to improve these limitations. Big data is typically used by corporations to learn more about consumers in order to turn larger profits while cybersecurity threats are often carried out by bad actors attempting to access and steal private information. Individuals can be safer by educating themselves about how they are tracked and how their data is used by companies. Then they can make choices that protect their information like deleting browser cookies and restricting

Social Media and the Challenge of Unmet Expectations

There are many benefits to social media: easy contact with friends and family, opportunities to join groups with similar interests, and a platform to advertise and grow a business, to name a few. But if left unchecked, the expectation of perfection which social media creates can leave users feeling inadequate and becoming envious of others (Wu & Srite, 2021). Part of the draw of social media platforms is the ability to curate the image one presents to the world. Carefully crafted posts highlighting only positive experiences an make the user's life look perfect, affecting the expectations of viewers. This comparison can instill a desire for their life to be perfect , too, but since no one's life is actually perfect, they fake it for social media, and the the cycle continues. As they say, comparison is the thief of joy. The prevalence of social media usage in society - 72% of American adults are on at least one social media site (Pew Research Center, 2021) - has turned the ac

“I Want It Now!”: Instant Gratification of Digital Communications

The birth of the 24-hour news cycle created an expectation for audiences that the press would constantly report the latest news updates, whether or not there was anything truly newsworthy to report. This paradigm is largely driven by profits made from high audience traffic, whether from views on major television networks or clicks on Facebook and Google (Sambrook, 2017). The drive to be the first and the fastest has damaged the quality of reporting. In fact, in 2021, Americans’ trust in the media dipped to just 36%, a level second only to 2016 when 32% of adults in the U.S. reported finding the media trustworthy (Brenan, 2021). Audiences want their news reported immediately and continuously, but then lose confidence in the press when they inevitably make mistakes. Likewise, the various digital platforms individuals use in their personal lives means that they are more reachable than ever. If they don’t answer the phone, send an email. If they still don’t answer, try a text. Still not

Surrendering Our Privacy

There is a plethora of privacy concerns the public has in regards to technology. Companies and government agencies can track our digital footprints, accomplishing everything from exploiting our shopping habits for profit to surveilling our contacts for national security threats. Even more concerning, criminals can use technology to hack data and steal identities, causing harm to both the individual victims as well as to the organizations that suffer the cyber attack . To combat this threat, an entire industry of cybersecurity has developed. These security companies promise to keep private data secure from bad actors, but the majority of our private data is actually used with our consent. While most people are aware of the risks that come with using digital communications, we generally accept them as the cost of using modern technology. There is, however, a number of Americans who are ignorant of the privacy risks of internet usage, and an effort is underway to encourage "digital

Journalism, Activism, and the Digital Age

Digital communication technology, particularly blogs and social media, have provided a platform for average, everyday individuals to share their stories or advocate for causes. Before the advent of the internet, activists were only able to share their messages with national audiences when they received attention from the traditional media (Häussler, 2021). Now, anyone with a Twitter account can use it as a virtual megaphone to blast their thoughts and opinions on any subject. While this can be beneficial to the flow of information among citizens, it brings a variety of issues professional journalists must tackle. One benefit to the accessibility of online journalism is the opportunity for activists and community organizers to utilize digital communications to push for societal change. The civil rights movement, women’s suffrage, and LGTBQ pride all achieved great strides for human rights thanks to organizers and activists. Today’s generation marching for climate action, gun control, an

"Click Here to Buy": Online Advertising

Digital communication technology has completely revolutionized the field of marketing and advertising in recent decades. Traditional advertising platforms such as – print ads, billboards, television and radio commercials, and corporate sponsorships – have taken a backseat to the new and increasingly popular forms of online advertising. Today’s marketing and advertising experts must refocus their energy on new methods including display ads, search engine ads, sponsored content on social media, direct email or text marketing, native ad content, and influencer marketing. Tech companies like Google, Apple, and Facebook also track user data in order to more effectively target specific audiences (Szabo, 2021). The interconnectedness of devices also affects advertising methods: an individual may interact with a brand on their smartphone and then see an ad from the same brand while on their laptop. Advertising professionals today must learn skills beyond writing catchy dialogue for a commerci