Why So Fast?

Information spreads incredibly fast, not only by new media broadcasts but also through the new new interactive media. Something happens and the next second it is already going around.

Accessibility is an obvious reason why information gets out there so fast. Everybody is able to just pull out their portable devices and text, email, tweet or facebook anyone in the world in a matter of seconds. Pictures, videos and recordings are a click away with the new technologies people carry around, which can also be shared across the world almost instantly.

But technology being more accessible is not the only reason why information goes around and around so fast. Jenkins offers a very important explanation: He says it depends on people having the right tools (such as cel phones and iPads) but also on their knowledge of what to do with them.

It is important to recognize the cultural dimensions behind spreading so much news. Yes, it matters to live in a society in which these tools are accessible, but we cannot forget that people do not necessarily use the same tools for the same purposes.

There might be some standard behaviors that technology brings. The fact that people can communicate things in different media at any given time is brought upon the culture by the media, but there are things and behaviors that are characteristic of certain communities.

For instance, Brazilians on social media websites, such as Orkut or Facebook, will delete their history and tend to have much fewer photos uploaded than Americans. Brazilians will often block their conversations and consequently opt for more privacy, but will generally make more plans for going out though these media than an American.

This reflects the cultural background of the two different ethnicities. Brazilians have a more conservative and protective sense of their individuality and identity. That may be because of the history of violence in the country and their fear of exposing themselves, or a simple question of keeping their profiles mysterious leaving room for questions as is the Brazilian cultural preference.

The tools may allow for common ground between nations and cultures. Everyone does in fact have a central point in which the information is focused, but it depends on their culture to assess the purpose of each media and to use them accordingly in the way they believe they should be represented.

We must not make assumptions as to where this technology may lead us or as to what implementing these media in different communities may bring because each society can and will respond differently.