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The New Media
Interactivity - Recap
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A key theory on the New Media is
the potential for interactivity
because of the many-to-many form
of communication as opposed to the
one-to-many communication of the
Old Media
Anyone who has access to the
internet can produce and transmit
their own text and images to other
members of the virtual community
that is the web
While the creation of these virtual
communities in the New Media is
impressive they can also have
severely negative affects, not only
on participants but on others
around them…
New Media – Social Networking Sites
Social networking sites are one of the most obvious kind of Virtual Community
Some of these virtual communities are resembled in reality, where the ‘virtual’
members of the community exist in real life - for example the Facebook
community we all share
However there are some people in these virtual communities who do not exist with
the same; face, body, name or home country, they have displayed on their
virtual profile
Some people will go years talking to people they have only met before online and sometimes the
worst thing that can come out of it is a feeling of betrayal by whoever has been tricked. But there are
people out there who become addicted to being their virtual alter ego, so much so that they put
their own life on hold while they spend everyday progressing the life of their virtual counterpart. This
is where Functionalists would argue that these types of virtual community are not benefitting society
as a whole, because people are instead focussing on improving their virtual society instead of the
one they physically belong in…
Online Bingo!!!
Online Bingo is often advertised as a fun ‘event’ rather than an activity, using
Barbie pink colours and advertising Bingo as much more than just a game (it’s
an online community with lots of people to interact with). It seems pretty
harmless but it has damaged the lives of many people, not only by putting
them in debt, sometimes the effects are a lot worse. Many children and
babies are left neglected and sometimes die, without food or care while their
carers are lost on online Bingo sites. And it’s not just women who are addicted
to these sites…
Video Game Psychosis
Video Game Psychosis, or VGP, can be as severe as the case study on the
previous slide but it can also be simple and almost unrecognisable.
For example, a player may lose a race on their game and end up throwing the
controller against the wall, breaking the controller and only realise they’ve
broken the item several minutes later.
This isn’t just a gamer ‘raging’, this is a form of psychosis where the player is
so engrossed in their game that they aren’t able to think about their actions.
Sometimes gamers won’t even realise they have VGP, for example they might
just talk to themselves while gaming or their body language might change
whilst playing particular games. Severe VGP develops when gamers play
excessively, especially if they already suffer from mental diseases such as
schizophrenia.
Reality Games
Reality games are games which are played as the highest form of escapism because you are
essentially creating your own different reality. So while games such as Grand Theft Auto can cause
players to go into VGP, there are other games, mainly MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role
Playing Games) which some sociologists have argued, encourage VGP through the creation of an
avatar and virtual community.
Games such as World Of Warcraft and Lineage enable players to create their own avatar where they
can choose a name, gender and alter their appearance. Players can then meet up with other avatars
online and develop this virtual community and virtual relationships.
Players can
customise their
avatar and during
the game buy and
exchange
different clothes
and armour to
further alter
appearance
All these avatars can meet up and players can play the games together, whilst chatting to their virtual
community and developing relationships with fellow gamers. However, through excessive gameplay or perhaps
previous trauma some players find it hard to separate themselves from the life of their avatar and their own
reality…