New New Media Empowerment

There has been a shift in the way that people see, share and create the world through media. Henry Jenkins argues that the technological advances have made the media incredibly accessible, but that the major impact has come from the new new media, or social networking websites.


The distinction between the producers and the distributers of information fades as people choose to get more involved. The model for communication has shifted and therefore has become more dynamic and less forced top-down by a superstructure or by those in power.


The readings suggest that the new affordances and capacities available to everyday people have triggered the change, but most importantly, Jenkins says these empowering "technologies are deployed reflects of emerging social logics and cultural practices.”


This provoked me to think what in this new reality created by the new new media is really new. I started to look at the traits behind each one of these media and could not help but to think that, although a new universe of tools and accessibility came from these advances, the behavior and social structure of these media are yet just another manifestation of our already existing culture.


People have certainly become more involved. They have been able to get more things out there for others to see and that unquestionably gives them a sense of power. I guess the powerfulness comes from the idea that through these media, we are al free to engage and learn about more things than without these media, as well as being free to share and teach.


With more freedom, people should be able to carry forth new ideas that would add new layers to our general culture through the new new media dynamics. More issues, certain truths and different concepts would emerge from the deepest corners of society and settle along these websites. But that does not seem to be the case.


According to Jenkins, people make a series of socially embedded decisions when they choose to share something in the media. He says that “all people who create new content from existing material want to communicate something about themselves. When people receive spreadable media content from a discerning friend, they often welcome it as reflecting their shared interests.” This means that people will mot likely post thinks that will represent them in what they deem is the best light than what might be necessary for society to know.


Granted that people have been able to spread important issues over these media. The Egyptian rebels were only able to share their concerns and act because of the ease in communicating through social media. However, too few of these large movements challenge the existing powers. Most of those who participate in these websites are more interested in managing their self images than risking their reputation, or sometimes even safety, than taking advantage of these tools to empower themselves.


Being involved with new new media is not enough. By conforming to the social standards in each website, people are conforming to the existing culture and status quo. People get a false sense of power and freedom as they believe that everything and anything they do and say can be heard. But their actions still only reinforce instead of question the already existing values. People will sustain popularity contests, relationship games and try to look cool rather than create truly new things.


If we take Simmel's theories of fashion, we can see how even the reinvention of certain aspects of culture still help maintain a cultural system. Even though fashion, or personal ideas on new new media, may seem innovating, they still participate in a broader picture that might not necessarily be contributing to social advancements as expected.


Like Jenkins said, these thechnologies reflect our social and cultural practices, but, I believe they do not necessarily create new practices, or at least not more than would already be carried just through a different means given the technological advancements.