Technology in the media is ever growing and creating a huge impact on our society. There are countless outlets for which we can stay connected with.
Social networking is an enormous industry. It has been growing more and more in the last decade, with sites like FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace, and even Blogspot and other blog communities. We are able to connect with people on social and professional levels, as well as building communities based on location and interest. I know when I was planning my wedding last year, using outlets like blogs was extremely helpful in finding resources and ideas. There are countless people using these types of networks to express their creativity and interesting thoughts and ideas. People are networking all over the world for free or very little cost, and are able to connect with tons of people they would have never been able to connect with on a somewhat regular basis.
Another great media resource are video and photo sharing sites like YouTube, Hulu, Flickr, and Photobucket. These types of sites are used for those with a more narrowed interest. Photographers are able to utilize these sites to share their creative work with others. I was able to use Snapfish, a photo sharing website, to share photos with family and friends after our wedding. That way, I was saving tons of money on printing cost, and we weren't wasting paper by printing tons of photos. Anyone who I shared the site with was able to go on and print whatever photo they wanted from our wedding. YouTube is also another popular website that has multiple purposes. It can used for fun or for educational purposes. People are allowed to share home videos for anyone to view, as well as sharing knowledge of a specific trade or craft. I've seen parents showing funny videos of their kids being silly, as well as watching clips from political debates from years past. There is freedom in posting, which can pose danger if not monitored.
E-books have become extremely popular, with products like the Kindle, iPad, and Google Reader. If you have this hardware, you are able to download tons of books at a low cost. With this ability, there is more convenience and more accessibility. I am still undecided about this type of media outlet. On one side of the coin, the convenience is a plus. You are able to download a book and begin reading it within seconds, plus there's unlimited storage and space. On the other hand, I love paper and books. Maybe that's me being a romantic, but I want to hold the book in my hands and turn the pages. I end up having two or three books in my bag at a time, and I'm ok with taking up that space!
Last but definitely not least, radio and television have been at the forefront of media for a long time. They are also a fairly convenient form of media, since most people are able to access both of these. With radio and television, you are able to receive news and updates, as well as the latest in entertainment, music, sports, and education. There is an extremely broad audience, and programming for whoever is listening.
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