1 00:00:09,166 --> 00:00:13,266 I received a couple of requests to say something about ‘new media’. 2 00:00:13,266 --> 00:00:15,266 There is of course a lot to say about this, 3 00:00:15,266 --> 00:00:20,432 but for now I want to limit myself to a quick discussion on new media theory. 4 00:00:20,433 --> 00:00:23,633 Before we continue, could you think about some old media? 5 00:00:23,633 --> 00:00:28,666 Just note the first ones that pop up in your mind. 6 00:00:28,666 --> 00:00:35,066 And now, some new media. I asked this question in many classrooms. 7 00:00:35,066 --> 00:00:39,999 And usually my students mention mobile phones, the internet, tablets or blu-ray discs 8 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,688 as new media. 9 00:00:42,688 --> 00:00:48,776 Old media that are mentioned are the newspaper, books, television and radio. 10 00:00:48,776 --> 00:00:53,166 Take a few seconds to think about why you consider this medium old and the other new. 11 00:00:53,166 --> 00:00:57,466 What is the definition of a new medium? 12 00:00:57,466 --> 00:01:01,232 While you are thinking about this, I want to share with you the following, 13 00:01:01,233 --> 00:01:03,499 typical quote, from a scholar: 14 00:01:03,500 --> 00:01:08,833 “[The new medium] will create forgetfulness in the learners' souls, 15 00:01:08,833 --> 00:01:11,966 because they will not use their memories (…). 16 00:01:11,966 --> 00:01:16,899 [Learners] will be hearers of many things and will have learned nothing; 17 00:01:16,900 --> 00:01:21,900 they will appear to be omniscient and will generally know nothing; 18 00:01:21,900 --> 00:01:28,633 they will be tiresome company, having the show of wisdom without the reality.” 19 00:01:28,633 --> 00:01:33,566 What medium do you think this critical scholar had in mind? The internet? 20 00:01:33,566 --> 00:01:37,832 You often hear people say things like this about the internet. 21 00:01:37,833 --> 00:01:43,566 But this quote is actually about the written word by the famous philosopher Plato. 22 00:01:43,566 --> 00:01:49,899 Plato wrote these critical notions on the written word around 360 Before Christ. 23 00:01:49,900 --> 00:01:55,700 There are many historical quotes very similar to this one referring to other media 24 00:01:55,700 --> 00:01:57,700 that were new at one time in history, 25 00:01:57,700 --> 00:02:00,733 like the first printed books in the Late Middle Ages, 26 00:02:00,733 --> 00:02:06,499 the new phenomenon of the popular newspaper press in the nineteenth century, 27 00:02:06,500 --> 00:02:10,699 radio in the early and television in the late twentieth century. 28 00:02:10,699 --> 00:02:14,233 The point I’m trying to make is this: 29 00:02:14,233 --> 00:02:20,333 It’s important to realize that all media were new at one time or another. 30 00:02:20,333 --> 00:02:24,499 Because it’s easy to fall into the trap of only seeing our current new media, 31 00:02:24,500 --> 00:02:28,333 internet, mobile media and such, as new. 32 00:02:28,333 --> 00:02:35,166 This trap has led some scholars to come up with very specific definitions of new media, 33 00:02:35,166 --> 00:02:41,099 claiming that new media are always interactive, promote user participation, et cetera. 34 00:02:41,100 --> 00:02:43,366 But is this useful? 35 00:02:43,366 --> 00:02:48,666 Basically what we are seeing here is new media theory built around specific 36 00:02:48,666 --> 00:02:50,866 and only current examples, 37 00:02:50,866 --> 00:02:57,299 like the internet or mobile media. These types of theories explain what’s happening right now, 38 00:02:57,300 --> 00:03:01,600 but you can’t really use them to explain the phenomenon of new media in general. 39 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:05,800 These theories, built around the new media of today, 40 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:09,266 hardly fit the situation where the written word was introduced 41 00:03:09,266 --> 00:03:14,832 or the book printing revolution changed the face of Europe. 42 00:03:14,833 --> 00:03:19,633 Also, in designing theories to fit current examples lies another danger, 43 00:03:19,633 --> 00:03:23,199 because it’s very probable that these theories become outdated as soon 44 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,666 as a new new medium arises. 45 00:03:26,666 --> 00:03:32,199 Therefore, many scholars argue against the practice of creating new media theories 46 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,366 to fit current examples. 47 00:03:35,366 --> 00:03:41,599 The influential Marshall McLuhan gave a great example when he proposed his own theories on new media, 48 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:46,966 not by dwelling on modern-day examples, but by skipping back and forth through time, 49 00:03:46,966 --> 00:03:54,832 showing in fact that his theories apply in all of these historical and modern situations. 50 00:03:54,833 --> 00:04:00,266 One of his main observations was in fact that all of these media revolutions throughout history 51 00:04:00,266 --> 00:04:03,899 were always caused by a new technology. 52 00:04:03,900 --> 00:04:07,300 This perspective is called technology determinism, 53 00:04:07,300 --> 00:04:11,533 because important shifts in human development are, in the end, 54 00:04:11,533 --> 00:04:18,065 attributed to innovations in technology. The printing revolution was made possible by 55 00:04:18,065 --> 00:04:21,531 Gutenberg’s innovation of the printing press. 56 00:04:21,533 --> 00:04:27,499 The internet was made possible because computer networks were developed. Et cetera. 57 00:04:27,500 --> 00:04:33,200 Another important conclusion of McLuhan was that all of these shifts in the media landscapes 58 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:36,733 had huge effects in society: 59 00:04:36,733 --> 00:04:40,033 The printing revolution led to the Renaissance and Enlightenment. 60 00:04:40,033 --> 00:04:46,266 The rise of the internet has heralded a modern digital information age. 61 00:04:46,266 --> 00:04:49,566 Other scholars have followed in the footsteps of McLuhan, 62 00:04:49,566 --> 00:04:53,432 even though they don’t always agree with his views, 63 00:04:53,433 --> 00:04:58,299 they too strive to formulate theories and definitions on New Media 64 00:04:58,300 --> 00:05:04,466 that capture the entirety of the new media phenomenon, and not only current examples.