NEW MEDIA EMPLOYMENT.

As a young person I use new media. As a media student I use new media. And as an employee I use new media. I literally can’t see myself having it any other way. My entire lifestyle is based around the concept of new media and I can’t see that reverting to anything else anytime soon. 

As Ms Gill says, every new media relationship begins informally (2007, 25). I find this especially relevant to my existing career path. I currently write for an online events website that covers Brisbane. I was offered this opportunity because I was introduced to a friend of a friend of a friend’s boyfriend. In the past there was no way this kind of offer would have been given to me purely because of my lack of university degree and experience. These days, purely because I have a Tumblr blog of my own, am studying a degree that contains relevant content and have connections, I am now a fully published writer with an ABN of my own without even graduating.

In terms of my future career I don’t see anyway that this won’t change due to public relations involvement with new media. Every class I take discusses how current practioners are adapting campaign strategies to include such new media inventions as Facebook, Twitter and Blogging… just to begin with. New media and the 21^st century are so integrated with each other that I don’t believe there is anyway to separate them.

REFERENCES:

Gill, R. (2007). Informality is the New Black. In Technobohemians or the new Cybertariat? New Media work in Amsterdam a decade after the web. Amsterdam: Institute of Network Cultures: 24-30 & 38-43.

The Internet; world's largest drug dealer?

Myself, along with the majority of people my age and older turn to the Internet immediately after suspecting they are ill with something (522, 2006). The vast cyber world is sprawling with information waiting for us to self-diagnose. It’s undeniably a valuable resource as long as it’s accessed in conjunction with actual medical help.

Unfortunately there is an arising trend of people diagnosing themselves and then ordering their own medication online.  I’m in two minds on this topic. On one hand, if people can buy whatever pharmaceuticals online they want there is a grave danger for this whole venture to turn into the largest black market ever. Where people can purchase and resell drugs not necessarily needed for themselves. But on the other hand, for medicines that are commonplace and regularly given to patients with extended scripts I can see the benefits.

The technology new media has created always opens up new opportunities regardless of the topic. And as Nielsen and Barratt say, in this case there will have to be vast improvements to make sure the technology aids the right groups of people (84, 2009). Personally, I hope these changes happen soon because I’m sick of travelling to the Doctor and chemist every time I need a refill.

References:

 Lewis, T. (2006). Seeking health information on the internet: lifestyle choice or bad attack of cyberchondria? In Media, Culture & Society, volume 28, issue 4: 521-539.

Nielsen, S. and Barratt, M. J. (2009). Prescription Drug Misuse: Is Technology Friend or Foe? In Drug and Alcohol Review, volume 28: 81-86.

ONLINE ALWAYS

Deuze’s reading this week really spoke to me. The world we live in today is so totally consumed with media that it is almost impossible to do anything without using in some way new media (2011, 137). This has had two effects on me, which I would hardly cause positive.

Firstly, I find it extremely hard to do one thing at a time. Having a Smart Phone I am used to constantly having access to my messages, phone book, emails, BBM messages, Facebook, Tumblr, the internet, a GPS and so on and so forth. I also have a laptop with me most days at uni making it easy for me to always be online. Unfortunately I am now unable to sit still and read a book, which causes me a lot of upset.

           

And secondly, I often find myself doing things in “real life” purely to put it on an online format. This relates especially to outfit photographs. It’s frequently a struggle to justify the point of wearing new clothes if no one will see them. I’m certain this kind of attitude is not healthy and for that I blame new media.

References:

Deuze, M. (2011). Media Life. In Media, Culture & Society, Volume 33, issue 1, pp. 137-148