MEDIA - Who is using the New Media? Flashcards
What are the 4 subtopics that users of the New Media are broken down into?
- Class
- Age
- Gender
- Location / Countries
(CLASS) An Ofcom survey in 2015 found what percentage of the top socio-economic group (AB socio-economic group; middle-class professionals) use a range of New Media devices?
95%
(CLASS) The 2015 Ofcom survey found what percentage of people in the lowest socio-economic group (DE socio-economic group; working-class, manufacturing or unemployed people) use a range of New Media devices?
75%
(CLASS) What does Helsper claim about the lower classes in comparison to the upper classes, in terms of the rate of using the internet?
They claim that the lower class has increased its use of the internet at a SLOWER rate than other social groups!
This could be due to the fact that poorer classes are excluded from new media usage, because they cannot afford to keep up with the middle-class use of technology!
(CLASS) Explain what Helsper meant by a ‘Digital Underclass’.
Helpser identified a ‘Digital Underclass; was forming in Britain; those who have lower education levels and no employment lag far behind other groups in their use and access to the internet!
(CLASS) What did Helsper say that disadvantaged groups lacked, once they finally gained access to the New Media?
She also found that, once disadvantaged groups secured access to the internet, there were still at a disadvantage, as they lacked CONFIDENCE to engage with the online opportunities given to them!
(CLASS) What did Jones identify in terms of patterns in internet access? HINT: Inequalities, polarisation and North-South Divide!
They stated that patterns in internet access reflect and amplify existing inequalities and stratification with society; this is evident by the North-South divide and the polarisation between the working-class in the North and the upper and middle classes in the South!
(CLASS) How can you link the use of the New Media, in terms of Class, to Marxism? HINT: The ISA and the media being homogeneous!
The media reproduces INEQUALITY and EXPLOITATION and preaches the upper class’ ideology (hegemony), by using the media and the internet as an ISA, as states by Althusser –> FALSE-CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS!
The bourgeoisie make the proletariat believe they have a lot of choice when it comes to using the media and the internet, but perhaps they actually do not, due to the media being HOMOGENEOUS.
(AGE) What percentage of the older generation (65+) use the New Media?
39% (around 40%)
(AGE) What percentage of the younger generation (18-24) used the New Media?
94%
(AGE) What does Boyle states in regards to the New Media and Young People? HINT: Association!
They say that Young People often ASSOCIATE with the New Media more, which can lead to Cultural Convergence (whereby the New Media changes the way that we behave)!
(AGE) What does Ofcom state regarding where Young People (16-24) are likely to get their news from?
Ofcom found that Young People (16-24) are more likely to get their news from the internet, in comparison to Old People!
(AGE) How can you link the use of the New Media, in terms of Age, to the Postmodernist Theory? HINT: Fragmentation and stratification!
Postmodernists would argue that, in contemporary society, there is FRAGMENTATION; this can lead to SOCIAL STRATIFICATION regarding age!
(AGE) As Young People are more likely to consume New Media, what is likely to happen to them as a result of this? HINT: ‘Consumer-identities’ and media saturation!
Young People are more likely to consume New Media, develop ‘consumer identities’, and they may (therefore) become media saturated. This can affect their views of society and their behaviour, which may lead to hyper-realism and simulacra (illusions of reality)!
(GENDER) Explain what Li and Kirkup found in their study of Gender Differences. HINT: Gender-based cultures emerging between Chinese and British students!
They studied gender differences in the use of (and attitudes towards) the internet amongst Chinese and British students! They suggested that there are 2 global gender-based cultures emerging online!
They found that, although more women are going online and the gender gap in the internet is narrowing slightly, actual behaviour online is still gendered in New Media technology.
They found gender differences in internet experience, attitudes, usage and self-confidence!
(GENDER) In terms of Li and Kirkup’s study, can you identify some of the differences between Men (in both China and Britain) in comparison to Women? HINT: There are 4 bullet points here; think about the different experiences, attitudes, usage and self-confidence between these two sexes!
- Men are MORE LIKELY to have POSITIVE ATTITUDES towards the internet; they SPEND MORE TIME ON IT and use it more EXTENSIVELY
- Men are more SELF-CONFIDENT about their COMPUTER SKILLS than women, and they were MORE LIKELY to EXPRESS THE OPINION that using COMPUTERS was a ‘MALE ACTIVITY’
- Men are MORE LIKELY to use EMAIL and CHAT ROOMS, and PLAY COMPUTER GAMES and USE the XBOX
- Men are LESS LIKELY to USE the INTERNET for STUDYING
(GENDER) TRUE OR FALSE: The emergence of New Media and the increased era of Digitalisation had led to LESS choice and interactivity online!
FALSE = The emergence of New Media and the increased era of Digitalisation had led to MORE choice and interactivity online –> This is due to the increased number of channels and online applications that people have available to them!
