New Media & the Way Ahead
Internet today has reached a stage that it can shake and disturb any person/system in no time. I would like to draw your attention to “Second Life”, an internet based virtual entertainment world as an exploratory example of the future democratic politics of a net mediated society. In second life, it is possible to assume a virtual identity and live it as your own real life. You can decide for yourself your colour of skin, hair and eyes, your name, your race, attire and what not? Avatars may take any form - human, animal, vegetable, mineral, or a combination thereof - or residents may choose to resemble themselves as they are in real life. A culture is being created by the cyber space with pre-determined specifications. The residents of the virtual world engage in many activities, just as people do in real life. Unlike real life, there is no biological need to seek nourishment or shelter. Thus some activities that would be necessary in the real world are purely voluntary leisure pursuits. People still often live in houses, and enjoy food and drink.
In short, the new media is constantly and continuously changing our daily routine with or without our knowing it. The emergence of new personality created by the second life becomes a reality in our contemporary society. Immediacy is another baseline characterstic note of the virtual world. You are able to let others know what you are doing or beginning to do at a given time. Immediacy defines our approach, and the meaning that we attribute to our being.
There are very serious, radical discussions/debates taking place in blog, perhaps much more than the print or visual media. Democracy, communalism, terrorism, climate change etc are being regulary been discussed without being edited or censured by any one else. The blogs have developed that it could correct or challenge any news or story dessiminated by main stream media. They are even capable of prosecuting in public the conservative media for taking anti-people stances. I perceive that our news papers will be forced to change themselves only because of the impacts created by the blogs.
There is greater scope and functions to the new media in a democratic society. It strengthens the democratic institutions, challenges the monopoly of the main stream media.
Digital technology is changing our politics too. The World Wide Web is already a powerful influence on the public's access to government documents, the tactics and content of political campaigns, the behavior of voters, the efforts of activists to circulate their messages, and the ways in which topics enter the public discourse. In the circumstances, we are yet unable to forecast the future of our political alignments and ideological structures.
WELCOME AGAIN , Friends...
No comments:
Post a Comment