Final : THEME 3

It is evident in this day and age that all forms of technology that have ‘gone digital’ have been manipulated and altered by their given audiences and users. Three types of ‘old’ media, (specifically books, film, and radio), have been forced to adapt to new digital media forms and have thus changed because of it. First and foremost, books are quickly becoming a thing of the past. With new technologies such as the Kindle and Ipad, actual books with paper pages are becoming obsolete. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fu1DS1tlT8 ) Now, if you own either one of these gadgets, you can download entire novels, textbooks, and even dictionaries all paper free and within a matter of minutes. Reading is quickly becoming words illuminated by a backlight instead of words formed by ink on a page. These specific electronics are a result of the public desire for efficiency. Everything needs to be more compact and lightweight now more than ever. Another media that has undergone digital transformations is film. Originally, movies did not contain color and could only be viewed on reels by using projectors. Over time, they could be distributed on bulky VHS tapes, then flat DVD disks, and most recently on even smaller Blu-Ray disks. Current movies, however, are drastically different. They are in color and can be distributed digitally over the internet. Advances have also been made which allow movies, such as the most recently famous Avatar, to be viewed in 3-D. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uajir6hCwj4 ) These movies are designed to enhance and somewhat distort our interpretations of depth and perception. Cameras are used to capture the same image from two different angles and special projection equipment and glasses are used to enhance the illusion of depth. Colors seem more vibrant and instead of only being seen as something flat on a screen, you can now feel as if you are in the movie yourself, surrounded by the characters. I’m personally skeptical about 3-D entertainment only because consumers are not going to want to view everything in 3-D; there are instances where sometimes the basic method of viewing films is more appropriate. Not to say that 3-D entertainment and movies will die out, just that not all films will be viewed in 3-D. A third technology that has been altered by its audience is radio. Originally, radio was strictly used as a source of information regarding current events. Around the 1930’s, it began doubling as a source of entertainment for farmwives. Radio soap operas became popular and kept isolated farm and house wives amused throughout their days. A couple of decades later, it was still a source of entertainment, but the main focus was now on music. The radio was local and personal to the area in which it was based. Music could be heard in wide variety as well. Over time, however, the music started to become more mainstreamed and all the stations began to seem identical. Currently, the radio has become extremely commercialized. Some stations play more commercials than they do music. It has become less of an entertainment source and more of a business technology. Out of the three technologies, radio seems like it will die out soon. With the development of Ipods and MP3 players along with digital and downloadable music, the radio is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Hardly anyone listens to it anymore, preferring to download their favorite songs so that they are available instantly.