Analyzing Engaging Media: Management and Digital Transformation Essay

This essay delves into the multifaceted world of engaging media, exploring its evolution and impact in the digital age. It examines key concepts such as remediation, the convergence of digital gaming and virtual reality, and the role of memes in contemporary communication. The essay draws upon the works of Terry Flew, Bolter and Grusin, and others to analyze how new media technologies are reshaping social interactions and cultural landscapes. It discusses the interconnectedness of old and new media, the rise of digital natives, and the significance of virtual reality experiences in shaping media consumption. Furthermore, it highlights the social aspects of digital gaming and the evolution of e-currency within these virtual environments. The analysis also includes the impact of fair use and copyright laws in the digital space. The essay provides an insightful overview of the digital transformation and the management of engaging media.

Running head: MANAGEMENT
Engaging media
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note
1.

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In the book “New media: An Introduction” written by Terry Flew, it is a comprehensive
outline of theories about contemporary media. According to the book, media can be segregated
based on its effect on the society rather than its time of occurrence. Media’s social influence is
grouped under a list of common features, which examines the assimilation of information and
technology and emergence of a new social platform for interaction. It discusses the age of digital
transformation that has ushered rapid dissemination of information and technology and created a
section in the demographic for whom technology is a part of their life and are termed as digital
natives (Flew, 2007). The author states that there is an interconnection between the old media
and the new one. The medias are closely associated with each other, the new one is a
remediation, a better version of the previous one, and neither can exist without the other. It
observes the evolution of the virtual world and globalization and the emergence of new societal
class based on online communication (Cádima, 2017, p88-100). The author wants to convey to
his readers that the technological changes is a result of collaboration, indifferent to its
participants.
The article places new age visual media in comparison to older media such as
photography, television and others. The authors try to communicate to their readers the relation
of each medium with the other. The central theme of the argument states communication media
is a part of a process called remediation. The authors believe that remediation has existed since
the renaissance times. The process of remediation examines the relation between two opposing
logics, the logic of hypermedia and transparency. Early media recognized the importance of
transparency with the use of linear perspective, erasure and automaticity.Emergence of e-
newspaper is an answer to the digital shift of readers who prefer to access news digitally;
therefore, it is not an obliteration of the traditional media but a step towards remediation to suit a

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more current need. Remediation is a relevant requirement in the modern context (Bolter &
Grusin, 1996, p 311-358). There is growing demand for the medium to provide with an
experience; therefore, more televised series are taking steps towards recreating that experience
for their viewers as much as possible. The authors also mention how virtual reality aims to
eliminate the interface that distorts perception of a thing; virtual reality provides its users with
complete experience without the interference of a medium. The authors point out that the culture
while multiplying media wants to erase traces of mediation and this makes the concept of
remediation a confusing subject.
Fair use is a protection of copyright law that prevents oppressive monopolies. However,
it is more of more of a right that reduces the importance of copyrights. Fair use does not
undermine the rights of the copyright owners but it allows the use of material for less
transformative work, promoting a free culture and exchange of ideas (Collins, 2008).
Memes are an integral part of the internet information culture. A form of visual media
that uses texts and certain repetitive dialogue that has a direct relation with the picture’s source
and continuously replicates itself and is a modern day humor. Social media and memes are
interconnected; memes are broadcasted from one person to the other without much thought. The
remediation is instantaneous as it is relatable and empowering. The content of meme is not
important, as is the interaction or the social activity between individuals and technological
medias (Gal, Shifman & Kampf, 2016). The subject for meme can be anything but it adheres to a
certain primary text or picture and the remediated text. The meme in discussion originated form a
beer advertisement for the brand Dos Equis that portrayed a character called “the most
interesting man in the world” and the original slogan was “stay thirsty my friends”. The
remediated text was “I don’t always ____ but when I do ______.” The original text was a slogan

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for advertisement an attempted scandalous humour to encourage sale of the beverage. While the
remediated text creates this text overlays which is aimed at making fun of common human
behaviour. Such as” I don’t always look at my smart phone but when I do it’s usually to prove
people wrong”. While examining memes as a visual communication method there is similarity
between the two as both include text overlaying. It differs however in the delivery of the
message. The first is a fun slogan for a beer advertisement that is to be taken seriously to
generate sales, traditionally a more formal message. However, a meme takes a traditional
advertisement, picture or others and turns it into a relatable funny content, the reason for its
popularity can be attributed to the fact that it is constantly changing and it is not a well-thought,
polished humour. Meme provides a social inclusiveness in the digital platform and allows
interaction thus; it has garnered significant attention (Milner, 2016).
The traditional media has undergone significant changes over the last few decades. One
of the essential changes that it has seen is the convergence of digitalization and virtual reality in
the gaming world. The first article that elucidates this concept is Digital Korea by Tomi Ahonen
and Jim O’Reilly. The book discusses about the rising interest of digital gaming that could be
attributed to the ability to create a virtual reality world, where the experiences are getting more
realistic and gradually reducing the interface medium to maximize the user experience (Ahonen
& O'Reilly, 2007). This is relevant as the book Remediation by Bolter and Grusin hints at a
similar future. The media consumption too is increasing Korea according to the book that signals
futuristic changes by the introduction of household robots who will serve multifunctional
purpose within a household, which is relevant to the article by Terry Flew, where he states there
is an increasing interest to find a medium that can do everything. Digital gaming has also
changed the way we view currency, as there is a system of e-currency within the gaming world,

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emergence of bit coin or digital currency (Grinberg, 2012). This also signifies the fluidity
between several mediums that has come to exist. The second article chosen for the essay is
Multiplayer: The Social Aspects of Digital Gaming by Thorsten Quant and Sonja Kroger. This a
relevant source of article that analyses the social aspects related to digital gaming and discusses
the factors that has led to change in the traditional media consumption (Quandt & Kröger, 2013)
The article is relevant as it provides information regarding media psychology and the social point
of view of the digital gaming world. The digital gaming world is elaborate and realistic which
attracts more gamers each day. The article refutes the common misconception that the digital
gaming world is solitary as players develop meaningful relationships. The article is provides a
psychosocial perspective to the digital gaming scenario which is replacing traditional media
consumption for it is infiltrating various media platforms rapidly. One of the important factors
that the article discusses is the remediation of several medias which has heightened the user
experience in digital gaming. The article provides relevant information the various technological
advancement in the hardware and software of the digital games that has led the business to
expand.

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Reference
Ahonen, T., & O'Reilly, J. (2007). Digital Korea: Convergence of broadband internet, 3G cell
phones, multiplayer gaming, digital TV, virtual reality, electronic cash, telematics,
robotics, e-government and the intelligent home. futuretext. Retrieved from
https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1535299
Bolter, J. D., & Grusin, R. A. (1996). Remediation. Configurations, 4(3), 311-358. Retrieved
from https://muse.jhu.edu/article/8107/summary
Cádima, F. R. (2017). Media, diversity and globalisation in the digital age. JANUS. NET, e-
journal of International Relations, 8(2), 88-100. Retrieved from
https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/4135/413553386007.pdf
Collins, S. (2008). Recovering fair use. M/C Journal, 11(6). Retrieved from http://journal.media-
culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal/article/viewArticle/105%26gt/0
Flew, T. (2007). New media: An introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved
fromhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Terry_Flew/publication/200026356_New_Med
ia_An_Introduction/links/55afe87908aeb923991717bb.pdf
Gal, N., Shifman, L., & Kampf, Z. (2016). “It Gets Better”: Internet memes and the construction
of collective identity. New media & society, 18(8), 1698-1714. DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1461444814568784
Grinberg, R. (2012). Bitcoin: An innovative alternative digital currency. Hastings Sci. & Tech.
LJ, 4, 159. Retrieved from https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?
handle=hein.journals/hascietlj4&div=6&id=&page=

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Meme reference Retrieved from
https://en.meming.world/wiki/File:The_Most_Interesting_Man_in_the_World_meme_3.j
pg
Milner, R. M. (2016). The world made meme: Public conversations and participatory media.
MIT Press. Retrived from https://books.google.co.in/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=SPwlDQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=Meme+as+communicative+m
edia
%27&ots=GsN2eU1yB3&sig=H7CIgmMDzgdBreDlbdc8EG9ItmQ#v=onepage&q=Me
me%20as%20communicative%20media'&f=false
Quandt, T., & Kröger, S. (Eds.). (2013). Multiplayer: The social aspects of digital gaming.
Routledge. Retrieved from https://books.google.co.in/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=zd_eAQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=digital+gaming+and+traditiona
l+media&ots=G3c_hMnTaL&sig=4sKHJL4YYmNNR5LVdBRJQutaQ88#v=onepage&
q=digital%20gaming%20and%20traditional%20media&f=false