Media in a Changing Global Culture
Media has changed over the years and in a good way because things have changed like technology and the way we view and use things. All facets of our lives are changing along with media and globally change has taken a new turn over the past couple of years. One of the noticeable changes is education. In the reading by Thoman and Jolls they stated, “The convergence of media and technology in a global culture is changing the way we learn about the world and challenging the very foundations of education. No longer is it enough to be able to read the printed word; children, youth, and adults, too need the ability to critically interpret the powerful images of a media culture.” It also goes on to state that “mastering the skills required for lifelong learning in a constantly changing world.” (Thoman & Jolls. Pg. 1) As a 70’s and 80’s kid globally media was very bland back then compared to now where children all over the world are in need of laptops and need the internet in order to survive. However, children in other countries seemed to be more advanced and that seems like the same case even when it comes to media.
My Asian coworker told me that his family in China always had many different tech things way ahead of people in America. I wasn’t surprised because this has been happening the past 30 years but Americans seem to catch up. Updated technology comes out like the speed of lightning and we all must adapt to it. For example, smart TV’s came out where you can view the Internet on it! This was not a thing of the past for sure. Media convergence is inevitable and things are done differently. Kids today definitely do things differently than yesteryear. In the reading by Jenkins he mentions, “Our culture communicates through snippets of borrowed media content. Young people construct a mix tape to share how they feel about each other. They create a collage of images to express how they see themselves.” (Jenkins. Pg. 6)
Media will continue to change in global settings. The culture will always latch on as television, radio and the internet changes worldwide and these changes will go on way into the future and hopefully, great things will happen within all cultures that can be passed on from generation to generation.
