School Assignment

Media Technology

      Digital Book readers: American companies sold over 6.6 million e-book readers and 55 million smart phones, capable of running e-book readers like the Kindle app, in 2010 (Grimaldi, 2011).  I think this form of technology is pretty amazing.  It doesn’t just apply to books, but also magazines and newspapers too!  I used the kindle app to purchase a book in a previous class, and I also downloaded it for my phone too.  I didn’t read anything on my phone though I must admit.  I’m actually not a very big fan of reading long things on the computer.  This new form of technology is changing the way we shop and communicate though.  Bookstores are struggling, as Borders declares bankruptcy (Grimaldi, 2011).  I think any audience interested in reading would be drawn to this media.  I see people at the gym and at Panera all the time using Kindles, iPads, and other devices. 

Social Networking:  It’s a fast, free, and convenient way to share tons of information quickly.  At first, I only used facebook to see what my friends were up to.  I used Myspace to look at pictures.  I used livejournal to blog about my own feelings.  Now, I use facebook constantly!  I think I might be addicted!  But it was this great new tool initially that connected people within networks (schools, colleges, universities) to be able to share multiple things at once.  The creators of Facebook then expanded the networks to high schoolers, and later on, everyone and anyone who wants to join. 

Shared networking: I’m not sure if this is the right term exactly, but this is a way that people within an office can create a document, and then save it into a networked folder that is accessible by multiple people.  I used to use a shared network folder for a journalism class in high school.  This way the reporters could create their articles and put them into the folder, and the section editors could open it and put the content into a page layout.  It also worked the same way with photos too.  This type of communication and media can actually have two audiences.  The other people using the information, and in my situation, our readers were our audience as well. 

Gaming:  I’m lumping a bunch of different things together here.  Online gamers play games together on servers (the place where the game is hosted).  The game itself is a form of technology where people can come together from all parts of the world to talk and play.  They use headsets and microphones to have live voice chats while they play.  They also use instant messaging built into the game or built into the program that runs the game, or even through an outside program.  The companies who develop and create the games are intending them for the players who are their audience.  People use this technology to communicate, play, have fun, and relax.

References

Grimaldi, P. (2011, February 7).  Book lovers lament Borders’ woes; Economy.  The Providence Journal, A.1, retrieved February 17, 2011 from ProQuest Direct database.