New Media as an Agent of Change

Media has changed the way humankind had been living from primitive times. From the way we had been functioning to the way we thought about things, it has completely transformed our perspective towards the world. Part of this is because of the preponderant exposure that we have been subjected to in the form of social media apps in our handy gadgets to channels on the television. Whether we acknowledge this or not, media is deftly playing the role of an agent of change in our society more than we can imagine. However, we cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that while media has the power to change a lot of things in society- for the better or not, that we’ll discuss later- it certainly comes with its fair share of limitations and bounds. But in order for us to understand that, we should first strobe upon what “new media” is. New media is a means of mass communication using digital technologies such as the internet. So according to this definition, social media, video-streaming services like YouTube and Dailymotion, and websites available to us online, are all included in new media.

While we are no aliens to the fact that new media has certainly allowed us to connect faster to the outside world and has played an integral role to make information so readily available to the masses, it most definitely has transformed the world into an actual global village. With information being so readily available to people nowadays, ignorance really is a choice. New media has positively made us more self-aware human beings, more knowledgeable, well-informed, and opinionated. It has helped us shape our political stances towards issues, enables us to think more effectively, and has turned us into generally aware human beings. New media has allowed our voices to be heard. It has enabled us with a tool to reach masses in a matter of seconds, to be heard by people, and to listen to other people as well. Moreover, new media has provided people a platform to make public outcries possible and then action to be taken. Take the example of the recent “motorway rape case” where direct and indirect persuasion by the people helped in bringing a change. Had there not been a public outcry for the rapist to be found and punished on Twitter and other social media forums, the perpetrator would have never been found by the authorities’ in-charge.

Another example could be that of the “#MeToo Movement” that took the internet by storm. People were coming out with their sexual misconduct allegations on people bringing the culprits to the forefront, exposing them to public humiliation and shame, which in my opinion they totally deserved. These perpetrators were boycotted from their professional arenas and endeavors, they were finally being held accountable for their unpardonable actions and the victims were gaining public empathy. Had there been no social media activity so fervently practiced, these victims would have always thought of themselves as being lesser in their own. As a result of this movement, states in the USA were introducing laws to protect their workers. The “Time’s Up” Legal Defense Fund has been subsiding over 3600 people to seek justice in the court, survivors are getting financial restitution and people have generally altered the way they perceive coercive power. But since we have talked about the scope of social media activism, we should also discuss its limitations. Taking the example given above further, although it calls out the perpetrator, it doesn’t guarantee their punishment. For example, according to statistics, only a fraction of cases get to the court and are acted upon, but more so are forgiven and compensated by the jury because of lack of enough evidence.

Secondly, new media has provided us with a platform of education being so readily available and an opportunity to learn and grow at our own desired pace and space. Online learning forums such as Coursera, MIT and Yale Open Courseware, instructables.com, etc. have really made the acquisition of knowledge and attaining education a piece of cake. These forums are run and powered by renowned universities all over the world. But instead of spending whopping amounts of money on actually going to these universities, going through the labor of attending these tedious classes on campus, online education has made it possible to attain access to these forums being anywhere in the world. Adding to that information, we should not forget the fact that as I am typing this final exam away, I, along with my fellow class members have been using our privilege to participate in the endeavors of distance/remote learning where we have been tested and educated using new media showgrounds. A limitation of this could be the lack of hands-on experience that actually going on campus and learning makes us attain. While we are comfortably perched on our couches trying to make online education work, most of us have become a little too comfortable with this mode of learning. Also, the monotony of this means of education can sometimes take a toll on one’s mental health.

The fact is that the greatest superpower that the new media has is its reach. The fact that it is so readily available to every single one of us. Of course, the prevalent digital divide cannot be ignored, but the people who have the liberty to be connected via the internet have exposure to a lot of things. Here I would like to quote a very popular theory relating to media called the “Individual Differences Theory” which namely suggests that “individuals respond differently to the mass media according to their psychological needs, and that individuals consume the mass media to satisfy those needs.” According to this theory, each individual is subjected to respond differently to anything the mass media has to offer. Take the example of the infamous Aurat March posters in 2018, 2019, and 2020. While to some “Apna khana khud garam karo” was extremely empowering, shunning pre-conceived, pre-assumed gender roles, to some it was extremely problematic and derogatory. To each their own. Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook were taken by storm exhibiting these outrageous banners and posters being used in the Aurat March. Opinionated masses stood by what they perceived to be right or not. Maybe this is what we call freedom of speech.

As an agent of change in society, we cannot ignore the merits and demerits new media has brought about in terms of people’s careers. The advent of new media has allowed businesses to flourish, employees to stay in contact with their recruiters, and independent workers to earn a living through working on social media. Moreover, freelance writers, bloggers, content creators, and influencers are solely dependent on the internet for earning a living for themselves. According to a survey, “in 2018, according to BLS, PR specialists made a median salary of $60,000.” (Cote, n.d.) Moreover, editors, graphic designers, photographers, home businesses, and major other professionals rely heavily on the new media to generate some good cash. While in most cases it works, a limitation could be the unsteadiness of the internet in a location, the troubles that come with cyber-security issues, and a lot more. Whatever the case is, people are most certainly availing themselves the opportunity to work from home in every respect that they can, adjusting to the culture it has brought with itself.

Learn about privilege here.