Digital Media Technology: Advantages, Disadvantages, and Impact

This essay examines the multifaceted impact of digital media in the modern world. It explores how digital platforms like television, mobile devices, and social media have transformed global communication, fostering cultural exchange and creating a 'global village.' The essay discusses the benefits of digital media, such as enhanced business relations, easier socialization, and opportunities for distance education and professional development. It also acknowledges potential risks, including health concerns like obesity and addiction, as well as exposure to inappropriate content. The analysis covers earned, paid, and owned media, emphasizing the significant role of owned media in shaping social and political implications. The essay highlights the importance of owned media's longevity, real-time updates, and its impact on socializing and information access. The essay references several academic sources to support its arguments and provides a comprehensive overview of the advantages, disadvantages, and overall impact of digital media on society and culture.

Running head: DIGITAL MEDIA
Digital Media Technology
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

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Digital media is being used in all forms of modern accepted standards of living. This is
because people all around the world have realized the benefits that they can get from using the
digital media platforms like television, mobiles and also the social media networking systems.
This is an era of Globalization and it is because of the digital media that people all around the
world are able to get connected with each other and there is an exchange of culture and ideas
among all of them. This must be noted that digital media is having a widespread impact over the
social and the cultural activities in the day to day system.
As per the opinion of Van Dijk (2017) the world has transformed into a Global village.
People living in one part of the Nation are able to interact with others who are living almost
halfway across the world. This is possible because of the widespread use of the modern scientific
devices like smart phones, laptops and other such gadgets. People are able to stay connected with
their friends, relatives and family members in spite of living in different time zones and different
geographical areas. Therefore specializing has become much easier and people are able to
socialize easily. Gibson et al. (2015) has also stated that business relations have been
strengthened due to the advent of the digital media and the other scientific technologies. In act of
doing the business across Nations people are also able to understand the different kinds of
thoughts and principles of different religions and societies. Thus there is a proper exchange of
the religious, social and also the inter-cultural ideas.
This is also very useful in understanding the stereotypes that are existing and people are
able to challenge the same and give new and innovative modern ideas. Sobré-Denton (2016)
have opined that a knowledge based society is being created due to the digital media culture or
the mobile based culture that is taking place at a very rapid rate. This is helping in developing
newer opportunities of learning and developing professionally (Gibson et al., 2015).

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Collaborative work culture with colleagues living far across the world is also becoming much
popular. This in turn is able to bring newer opportunities of trade and commerce and thus give a
boost to the National and the Gross income of the country. Collaborating and working with
people across the boundaries is also helping in exchange of cultures.
Everyday activities also include distance education that is the online educational
programmes. These are systems where the students are able to enrol themselves in many
educational or subject courses in the foreign universities as well. This is a very good option for
the working professionals as well. They are able to carry on with their education and also their
work side by side. This is because the programs like Coursera helps the working professionals to
study and give the exams by using the other sites like LinkedIn for proper networking facilities
and also the talent platforms like Upwork that is really helpful in maintaining the talent platforms
as well.
However Hoge, Bickham and Cantor (2017) have argued that there are also some kinds
of associated risks with the arrival of digital media platforms. This is because the chances of
health risks like Obesity are increasing. Kids and the teenagers are getting addicted to the digital
media usage. They are getting hooked in front of the gaming applications, social media sites like
facebook, twitter and others (Van Dijk, 2017). This is reducing the playing hours or the time
form physical activities. As a result of this the kids might develop several health risks and also
suffer from lack of concentration over their academics.
Digital media platforms often use some Advertising as one of their major platforms.
Advertisements often use some contents or I ages that might not be suitable for the children
(Ziani, Elareshi & Alrashid, 2017). Children might be misguided by seeing the improper

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advertisements or they might suffer from several inferiority complex. Advertisements often use
the images of violence that might have very harmful impacts on the children (Petrescu et al.,
2017). As it is not possible for the parents or other care givers to keep an eye upon the activities
of their children every now and then, there is a chance that their children might be getting
exposed to improper or violent images that might leave them mentally disturbed.
There are about three different media like earned media, paid media and the owned
media. Among them owned media is the one that includes websites of any company, social
media accounts and also some kinds of websites and others.Social and political implications can
be highly impacted by this form of media because there are many news channels and also
freelancer journalists who get the freedom to post their opinions. Getting news about the polls
during the voting time is of utmost importance. This is because the citizens of the Nation who
have to vote are often governed by the results of the number of polls being won or lost by them.
Advertisements may only stay for a certain period of time but the owned media like
social blogging sites or websites will remain for long. Consequently they will be able to attract
the attention of the people on a regular basis. People will be able to get the real time and regular
updates (Gaál et al., 2015). There are many aspiring students and other journalists who will be
able to interact directly with the politicians by posting questions or even he leaving their
feedbacks and views on the blog posts.
Socializing is also impacted best by the owned media because people always like to get
the updates about the lives of their favourite actors or any other social figures. Therefore
checking in to the recent twitter updates or facebook posts or any other posts on the social media
will naturally help them to get all the necessary information that is needed by them. One of the

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premium features or advantages of owned media is the longevity. Even on a personal level
people like to keep in a proper contact with their friends and their relatives via the social media
sites as this helps them in getting all the detailed information about life events. Pictures,
comments and posts that are floated across the personal social accounts helps in socializing.

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References
Aldrich, J. H., Gibson, R. K., Cantijoch, M., & Konitzer, T. (2016). Getting out the vote in the
social media era: Are digital tools changing the extent, nature and impact of party
contacting in elections?. Party Politics, 22(2), 165-178.
Gaál, Z., Szabó, L., Obermayer-Kovács, N., & Csepregi, A. (2015). Exploring the role of social
media in knowledge sharing. Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management, 13(3).
Gibson, D., Ostashewski, N., Flintoff, K., Grant, S., & Knight, E. (2015). Digital badges in
education. Education and Information Technologies, 20(2), 403-410.
Hoge, E., Bickham, D., & Cantor, J. (2017). Digital media, anxiety, and depression in
children. Pediatrics, 140(Supplement 2), S76-S80.
Marlowe, J. M., Bartley, A., & Collins, F. (2017). Digital belongings: The intersections of social
cohesion, connectivity and digital media. Ethnicities, 17(1), 85-102.
Petrescu, D. C., Vasiljevic, M., Pepper, J. K., Ribisl, K. M., & Marteau, T. M. (2017). What is
the impact of e-cigarette adverts on children's perceptions of tobacco smoking? An
experimental study. Tobacco control, 26(4), 421-427.
Sobré-Denton, M. (2016). Virtual intercultural bridgework: Social media, virtual
cosmopolitanism, and activist community-building. New media & society, 18(8), 1715-
1731.
Van Dijk, J. A. (2017). Digital divide: Impact of access. The International Encyclopedia of
Media Effects, 1-11.

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Ziani, A. K., Elareshi, M., & Alrashid, M. (2017). Social impact of digital media: Growth pattern
of facebook in the Arab world. Media Watch, 8(2), 177-191.