Electronic media has been a positive experience for consumers. We can get news from around the world as it happens, buy music or
books to download to phones or other electronic devices, and share
pictures and videos with family or the general public.
However,
the Internet has had a negative effect for people employed by newspapers
and magazines. These industries were too slow to recognize how the
public would turn to electronic news sources and many went out of
business or suffered a serious loss in revenue. Some were able to
update their publication methods to include electronic media.
Electronic books have also changed the book publishing industry. Now
people can download books to devices like “Kindle.” It’s also easier to
get a book published electronically.
There has also been a
negative impact for musicians and the music industry in general. As
people found ways to share music over the internet, they felt a loss in
revenue and responded by making it illegal to do so by arguing
violations of copyright laws.
Video publications have also changed.
Anyone with a digital camera can upload videos to YouTube these days. A
person doesn't have to have a huge production studio or film
distributors to get their work of art out to the public. Some get quite
popular and “go viral” which means they accumulate millions of viewers
in a short period of time. Computer generated graphics have really
revolutionized the special effects industry for movies, especially for
science fiction or paranormal subjects, as well as for online video
gaming which has gained in popularity also.
So, the Internet has
had some negative effects on employment and revenues for print media,
but for the consumers, like myself, it's been great.
Of all of the new electronic devices out there, Kindle and Nook are probably the ones that have divided people's opinion the most regarding the new vs. the old type of media. I own a Kindle, and I really like the flexibility of carrying several books in one small device. It saves me a lot of space when I travel, and the device allows me to purchase and download books directly from Amazon.com with a simple click, provided I'm in a wi-fi area. I like the convenience of getting the books I want without having to purchase them at the bookstore. There are those, however, who like the "feel" of paper, and of turning a book page. I can understand that. I still read books the old way as well. It is nice to sit home on a Saturday afternoon sipping coffee, and enjoying a good read.
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