Perspectives on, and Access to, New media Flashcards
(15 cards)
What is the neophiliac perspective on consumer choice in new media?
Jenkins (2008) argues that new media allows for the democratisation of content production, giving rise to greater consumer choice.
Platforms like YouTube, Amazon Kindle, and TikTok enable peer-released content, allowing users to bypass corporate gatekeepers.
This freedom fosters creativity and undermines capitalist monopolies over media.
Key concept: Participatory culture, consumer pluralism.
What is the cultural pessimist response to the idea of consumer choice in new media?
Fuchs (2014) argues that consumer choice is an illusion maintained through surveillance capitalism.
Users are tracked, data is sold, and content is ultra-targeted back to them, reinforcing existing consumption habits.
Additionally, authoritarian states (e.g., China) use censorship to control access and suppress dissent — e.g., Facebook deleting Arab Spring protestor accounts.
Key concept: Surveillance capitalism, illusion of choice, digital repression.
What is the neophiliac view of collective intelligence in new media?
Lévy (1997) states that the internet enables collective intelligence, where knowledge is pooled across diverse contributors.
Sites like Wikipedia allow users of any background to share knowledge and co-create cultural meaning.
Escaping the profit motive allows creativity to flourish (e.g., influencers, indie artists).
Key concept: Wisdom of the crowd, user-driven knowledge, creative democracy.
How do cultural pessimists critique collective intelligence in new media?
Keen (2007) warns against the cult of the amateur, arguing that unqualified users undermine expertise.
Wikipedia and blogs devalue traditional knowledge gatekeepers, leading to misinformation and a decline in quality.
The result is “candyfloss culture” – superficial, low-quality, easily consumed content with little critical value.
Key concept: Candyfloss culture, fake news, collapse of authority.
How do neophiliacs view citizen journalism and participatory culture?
Jenkins (2008) argues that citizen journalism represents true democratisation of news.
Individuals bypass mainstream media by sharing protest footage, analysis, and political commentary.
This enhances awareness, challenges corporate control, and empowers the public (e.g., Arab Spring 2011).
Key concept: Convergence culture, citizen empowerment, democratic media.
What is the cultural pessimist critique of citizen journalism and participatory culture?
Curran (2003) argues that access is unequal — not everyone has the tools or protection to participate equally.
Citizen journalists lack legal accountability, spread unverified claims, and are often ignored by mainstream power structures.
Governments still prioritise institutional news sources like the BBC.
Key concept: Digital divide, lack of accountability, participation inequality.
What are the four main types of divide affecting access to new media?
Generation and Age Divide – Younger people are more immersed in new media and digitally fluent, while older generations may lack media literacy.
Digital Class Divide – Working-class and unemployed individuals may lack access, skills, or resources for full digital participation.
Digital Gender Divide – Men and women engage with different media platforms and content; access is shaped by social norms and interests.
Digital Global Divide – Stark contrast in media access between developed and developing nations due to infrastructure, affordability, and device quality.
What is the generational divide in access to new media?
Boyle argues new media is strongly associated with younger people.
Ofcom surveys show 12–15-year-olds engage more with cross-media multitasking than adults.
Young people today have grown up in a digitally saturated environment, using tailored new media formats for diverse needs.
This creates a generational divide in access and digital fluency.
How is the generational divide in new media use changing?
Ofcom research shows the divide may be narrowing.
48% of baby boomers aged 65–74 have social media profiles.
However, older users are less digitally fluent — e.g., 72% of over-75s were unaware of personalised ads.
The gap persists in media literacy, not just access.
What is the digital class divide in new media access?
Helsper notes that despite some progress, a digital underclass persists — linked to unemployment and low digital skills.
Livingstone argues digital exclusion mirrors social exclusion, especially visible during COVID (e.g., students lacking tech fell behind).
Blank adds that internet users are still likely to be young, wealthy, and educated — LinkedIn users are far more affluent than Twitter users.
Digital access reflects class inequality.
What is the postmodernist response to the digital class divide?
Pakulski and Waters argue that in postmodern society, class is dead and individuals choose media freely, regardless of background.
However, structural inequalities still affect tech engagement — working-class groups may engage less not from freedom, but from material constraint.
Postmodernists downplay the continued impact of class on digital access.
How does gender influence access and use of new media?
Ofcom reports men spend more time online (23 hrs/week vs 18 hrs for women).
Women use social media more, while Olsan found boys more likely to play video games.
Klimmt (supported by Royse et al.) found female gamers prefer social interaction over violent content, often challenging traditional gender norms through gaming.
Digital use reflects gendered motivations.
How do liberal feminists interpret the gender divide in new media?
Liberal feminists argue that participatory culture (Jenkins) enables women to challenge traditional gender roles.
Movements like #MeToo show how new media empowers women to raise awareness of sexual assault and abuse of power.
Women are not just consumers but active agents shaping public discourse and reducing societal and media gender norms.
What is the digital global divide and why is it a concern?
The World Economic Forum and World Bank highlight that access to digital media is unequal.
While 72% of Africans may own mobile phones, only a fraction are smartphones — creating a false image of global connectivity.
This divide threatens development, information equality, and participation in the digital revolution.
What is the necrophiliac view of the digital global divide?
Necrophiliacs argue the gap is narrowing.
Mossberger claims new media enables global democratic participation, allowing people worldwide to acquire knowledge and engage politically.
Movements like BLM spread through digital platforms, showing that access is improving, with transformative global potential.
