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New media

technology Maturity 9-11 Next article →

New media are special tools for communication. They let people interact with each other. They also let people interact with the things they see.

This is different from old media like radio or books. Old media usually followed a "one-to-many" model. This means one person sends a message to many people. New media creates a "many-to-many" web. Now, many people can talk to many others at once.

How does this work step by step? New media uses digital technology and computers. Information is turned into digital data. This data is controlled by software. Software uses algorithms, which are sets of rules, to change the data. For example, software can change the colors in a photo. It can also make a computer act like a very fast calculator. This speed allows us to play video games and use the internet.

People have been working on this for a long time. In the 1950s, artists began connecting art to computing. In the 1980s, Alan Kay and his team at Xerox PARC worked on personal computers. This helped give computer power to individuals. In the mid-1990s, the term "new media" became very popular. It was used to sell interactive CD-ROMs for school and fun.

There are many different types of new media. These include blogs, wikis, and social networking sites. They also include virtual worlds and social media platforms. Some people call these technologies Web 2.0. Digital tools also change old media. For instance, tools like Adobe Photoshop help people edit images. Even the printing press has changed because of digital tools.

New media connects us in new ways. It can change how we think about distance. It also makes communication much faster. Some experts think this helps people join in debates. Other experts worry that a few big companies might have too much power. Regardless, new media continues to change how we see the world. It links our old ways of sharing with new digital paths.

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