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It is evidence that humanity has benefited from technological advancements from the past to the present. Several technologies have been invented recently, most notably the smartphone. As you have seen, at least one new smartphone version will be released every year. People frequently use smartphones because they are handy and include a variety of accessible technologies in one device, as well as the ability to handle all media features. For example, watching movies, listening to music, playing games, and, most importantly, reading the news: all these activities can be done on one device, a smartphone.

In the past, people receiving news or information will be limited in location and time, access to information will be quite difficult and inconvenient, and the released information will be gatekeeping already. Nevertheless, nowadays people can research, receive, and collect information everywhere and every time by using smartphones. In addition, new media has a huge impact on human life no matter what ways such as in terms of lifestyle, attitudes, and beliefs. For instance, social media such as TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. In addition, most people are no longer consuming news from the mainstream media anymore; however, they turn to new media, choosing to receive news from social media platforms instead of television because it is fast and easy way to access no matter who it is, which country you are in, or how old you are, but the audiences have to choose to receive good information because there is no fact-checking and gatekeeping anymore. Furthermore, new media is not only affecting personal behavior but also affecting the business industry, for example, consumers before purchasing goods or services will make decisions by seeing reviews or feedback from people who have previously used services. Moreover, businesses that are related to new media, turn more attention and development will be. Thus, this will make new media affect human life in this generation a lot no matter what.

Since the media was developed, traditional media need to adapt itself to survive in this digital age. New media affect traditional media in many ways. People consume more content on online platforms, therefore; the circulation of newspapers and magazines tends to decrease due to the development of technology and audiences have more choices. On the other hand, new media is also important because it simultaneously develops with society. For example, new media also created more opportunities in terms of employment. People can develop new businesses by adapting new media like people become an influencer because it is the free space for everyone to create content. We can say that society cannot drive without media, because people need to consume information to know what happened in society. In short, the media is the mediator between people and society. New media has more variety of content and receives information faster than traditional media, but traditional media at present also develops itself to survive. 

Nonetheless, new media has many advantages. One of them is digital media which lets everyone be a producer and it occurs a lot nowadays. Furthermore, there are lots more platforms to consume the news than before. In traditional media, it only depends on the press company. This means that in the past we could only receive the news from one side and we have no idea if it was fake or not. Using old media may cause propaganda. Since the new media has replaced the traditional media, many perspectives have shown up which is a choice to consume. However, it also  has negative things. First is fake news as mentioned in the above paragraph that occurs a lot in our societies. When everyone can be a producer, it means everyone can post anything and sometimes they produce some untruth information. Some people can believe the information easily if they do not fact-check it. Moreover, some reporters serve their audiences by using emotion. For instance, Kak Kumpaka, journalist of Voice TV, used her feelings when she reported about politics. Most of the audience likes to consume the news that was reported by using emotion. Reporters should inform the news directly without putting their personal perspectives.

Even though, the tendency of people nowadays tends to use new media as their mainstream, the traditional media can survive and continuing do their duties as usual because traditional media are still accountable to the audience as they must scrutinize whether should represent to their audience or not and whether it is a fact or fake, or we could say that traditional media are doing their duties as a gatekeeper for their audiences. However, with the easy spreading of new media, hence, the audience has to fact-check by themselves because on new media everybody can be both sender and receiver which is also causing a problem that occurs a lot, fake news. Traditional media, moreover, represents what is happening on social media such as daily trends on Twitter, Viral videos on TikTok, the conflict of people on online platforms, and more because those stories can also affect people’s lives and also inform them to make their best decision for their lives. Somehow, traditional media wants to serve the interest of their audience which may turn out both positively and negatively. For instance, the Case of Nong Chompoo was getting a lot of attention from Thais; therefore, both traditional media and new media have represented this news a lot but with lots of attention and how the media portray the angle of this news leads to lots of disadvantages such as Thais give their attentions to her uncle so he became famous as an actor and the case was extended for a year. Recently, there is another case that may turn out to have the same outcome, Tangmo Thai actress who drowned in the Chao Phraya River. Her case is gaining lots of attention to finding the truth about what was happening in the boat. Nevertheless, with the overrepresentation of the media will it be useful or make it worse as happened in the previous case?

To sum up everything that previously has been stated so far, there is abundant stuff that has been enhanced so far, particularly technology. Moreover, currently, people turn their attention to new media more than traditional. In addition, they also modify their behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes according to the media that they consume. Notwithstanding, traditional media continue to do their duties as usual and still survive because no matter how much people change their attention to new media, they still need the traditional media to receive the information that is verified and checked to receive the facts to make their best decisions. However, It is undeniable that today people are turning to new media over old media because it can make anything possible which means people are less in need of traditional media like in the past.

One Comment

  • Grace says:

    Although new media replace the traditional media, there are no disadvantages. New media help improve our society and give more alternatives in many aspects to people.

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