Media Technologies

Media technologies are rapidly evolving. I can remember when the internet and cell phones were just becoming popular and the preferred method of communication was still a phone call. Now we have email on our cell phones and we are almost never out of touch with the outside world. I can think of several different types of media technologies that are widely used today, but I will focus on social networks, instant messaging services, television, and print media.

Social networks are becoming very popular very quickly. They provide users with access to millions of people. I use Facebook to keep in touch with friends and family members who are spread across the world. The audience for social networking sites is very large and diverse. Everyone from teenagers to grandparents use sites such as Facebook and Myspace to keep in contact with friends and loved ones.

Instant messaging services seem to be losing steam as a form of communication media. I still use Yahoo messenger to talk to my husband while he is deployed and we use web cams to see each other. The audience for instant messaging services would be anyone who can or wants to communicate online instead of over the phone or in person. Instant messaging is also easier than email and provides less cluttered inboxes.

Television remains one of the largest forms of media. It provides entertainment, news, and advertisements for people all over the globe. The audience for television is very diverse, depending on the programming being viewed.

Print media seems to be losing as much steam as instant messaging services. There are those who say the newspaper is a dying form of media. I prefer to sit down with a newspaper rather than read it online myself, but for others it is easier to read online. Print media also has a very diverse audience. It depends on the content of the media as to what the audience would be.