Old media vs New media

I believe new media is nothing but a major transformation of older media. It gives us variety of new improved modes of communication to reach out to the rest of the world.
Old media includes newspapers, TV, radio, books, journals and magazines. New media gives us devices like computers, cell phones, ipods which give us access to information we had before through old media as well as a lot of new information.

Another major difference between the two involves the consumer and consumer interaction. Old media was limited to the wealthy or people who could afford to buy TVs, Radios etc. But with online access provided by new media, information is available all over the world at a very reasonable cost and it is just a click away. We now have electronic forms of books called ebooks, online newspapers, songs and videos available online as well. They are easy and quick to access and not expensive at all.

In addition, the level of consumer interaction varies widely between old and new media. Previously, people just accepted whatever was made for them and whatever they could afford. Today consumers have their own voice. Companies today form products with the choice of consumers because they voice their opinions online. For instance, Dell, HP and other computer companies sell customized laptops made with the choice of their respective customers. Celebrities get to interact with their fans through their personal blogs or social networking fan pages.

In short, new media is a huge blessing to all of us and no doubt is an essential part of our lives today.