By Festus V. Guah
News Public Trust- www.newspublictrust.com continues its series with various perspectives from students of Liberia’s state owned University on How the New Media/Digital Media Has Changed The Way They And Others Communicate.
EPISODE #2
It has made it easy to stay in touch with our family members, relatives, friends and workmates far and near, using words, videos, and exchange media—this is called social connectivity. Again, this new digital culture has provided us learning opportunities, for instance, anybody with access to the internet can even learn directly using their own platforms or different sources, both teachers and students can share useful information with one another.
In addition to the positive impact of digital culture, modern technology has made many people to have multiple working opportunities, and people have chances of working from home.
Being cognizant of the positive impacts of digital culture, there are also negative portions too. Digital culture has affected our interpersonal communication (social interaction), for example, people no more pay heed to serious matters of concern, especially when busy using the social media (internet), in fact, husbands and wives almost no longer keep company as a result social media distractions.
How it changed the way you communicate?
The digital media has shifted the way we communicate in the following ways:
- We can now communicate faster and more cost effectively, that is, we can connect people World Wide, using our choices (social media)
- Secondly, we have quick access to more information, this means that there is much data that can be communicated about any topic, then was previously done
- Finally, we have more options of how to communicate.
Well, one of the most impressive changes the world has witnessed in the last decade is the growth of a New Digital Economy. In this new economy, information in all its forms has become digital, reduced to bits stored in computers and flowing through networks at lightning speed.
Again, the digital media has created the globalization of the World, this means the World is connected as one globe (global village), wherein, people from all sectors of the World share information and even carry on transactions (businesses) with one another.
Views and/or experiences of some of your friends and relatives
It is no doubt that the influence of digital media is far reaching and cuts across races, cultures and geographies.
“The coming of the digital age has made some of us to get and share information with our love ones and around the World”, regardless of our respective locations,” says Miss Jenevie Z Johnson, a resident of the Monrovia suburb of Mt Barclay.
For Mohammed Tulay, VPI, Mama V Dukuly English and Arabic School, Omega Community, “Technology has reduced physical labor Force,” it has even made us to keep or store documents on various websites or blogs, which was not possible those days.”
“My son, before the coming of what you call New Media”,it was not just easy talk with family members abroad”, but with this modern technology, we can now communicate with them conveniently, using the social media”, Mr Thomas Kollie, a construction engineer,” Mr. Tulay adds.
Another Liberian, Rita Sam, a business woman selling at Mt Barclay Market also says: “Modern technology is good, because I can now send and receive money from family members, friends, etc, both nationally and internationally.”
On the other hand, there is a general impression by many that Social Media has negative influence, especially on our children.
As Abraham Luogon, a Liberian commercial motorcyclist says: “They no more pay attention to studies, instead they are keeping focus on Facebook Messenger, etc.”
The following include advantages and disadvantages of some of the people I interviewed:
The Social/Digital Media has its pros and cons, which can be summed up as follows:
Advantages
- Social connect– communicating with people far and near, around the World
- Learning opportunities–exploring the internet to directly learn, teach and share information
- Versatile working condition–Having chance to work from homes with multiple entities
- Banking and financing–Online Banking such as mobile money, transfer of money are done using the internet
- Accurate Duplications—You can write a work report and email it multiple recipients.
Disadvantages
Social Disconnect–This can easily lead to a sense disconnect and isolation
- Crimes and Terrorism–Terrorist can use the social media to promote themselves and encourage others
- Digital Media Manipulation—Photos, information, sound etc, can be manipulated