Streaming media
Streaming media
Technology application has reached an arguably inequitable magnitude in reference to the rate of innovation transpiring the current day and age characterized by an exponential increase in change in existing technology and introduction of new technology. This constant change in technology due to difference in dynamism and its effect to the society in entirety has led to the introduction of elements that best define these elements in reference to nature of their occurrence and the resultant factors that characterize their discourse. Digital media platforms have experienced exponential change from technological evolution essentially introducing new transmission avenues, as is the case of streaming media overthrowing traditional broadcast methods of video and voice data and rather enabling their transmission on an online basis. One of the most important aspects of the change in media technologies is to understand that they exist only as structural constrains. This consequently means that like any other structure, technology media are a benefactor of human innovation subsequently enabling or restricting human action. Sociological understanding of this development essentially determines the rate of innovation in media technology.
Media technologies irrespective of how they occur have sociological significance seemingly from their ability to enable and factor human communication ergo manifesting various sociological issues (Bockstedt, 29). However, media technologies role surpasses mere mechanism of communication when attributed to difference of their development paradigm defined as traditional media and new media. This aspect characterizes technological determinism, which is simply an approach that references technology and technological development as the primary component enabling social change (Prasad 237). Technological determinism argues that facets that make up technological properties require predefined results inferring that users of technology only equitably use technology in the same threshold that technology uses them meaning that society change is a factor of technological change rather than human change. Technological determinism in streaming media can be referenced to the introduction of new forms of data transmission allowing media providers broadcast events live via the internet (Bockstedt, 34). This has led to the society reduction in preference to traditional broadcasting such as cable television due to the advantages endorsed by streaming media such as the ability to view media such as movies and documentaries without having to wait for them to air on cable. Users of streaming media also have the advantage of selecting any media such as video of their choice, an aspect comprehensively missing in cable TV. For this reason, most of the media companies are venturing into streaming media to recuperate consumers that may prefer streaming media. This overwhelming and inevitable property of streaming technology effect to its users and media companies best defines technological determinism.
Video game addiction despite not being recognized diagnostically as a disorder by medical association is a real disease in the world as evident by the number of people uncategorized by age that remain compulsively dependent to playing this form of games (Pc World 80). Teens and pre-teens are the most affected community of video game addicts majorly from continuous development of video varying in context and their integration into various platforms readily available to this generation well versed with technological products (Pc World 79). The nature of video games has become more complex, persuasive and meticulous with time in turn pulling a greater audience of people even to them abandoning some of the societal norms as socializing with friends and actively playing sports. Streaming media plays a major role to the presence of game addiction. Technology innovation has enabled the ability of video games to be streamed live over the internet. Through such innovations, the internet gaming has emerged as one of the most resilient forms of gaming addiction.
Social networking refers to the coexistence of a group of people such as a community that join from the premise of a predefined factor (s) such as a shared interest, a referenced background or a predefined activity (Prasad et.al 231). Despite social networks having the capability to exist on group basis of individuals, technology has again led to the transferal of social network to majorly existing on an online basis. The platforms that necessitate social networking are referred to as social networking services which comprise websites known as social sites that feature different individuals each with a unique footprint on the website that identifies them individually to enable other members enrolled to a social site identify each individual independent of the rest of the social community signed to the website. The internet primarily enables social networking (Prasad et.al 232). Technological innovation has greatly affected the basis of social networking by incorporating aspects such as streaming media into their discourse. Streaming media allows members of a social network share data of video and voice format live over the internet. Individuals also have the capability to transact and communicate live over the internet through live video streamed from the different locations of the users of the social network website. Streaming media has arguably revolutionised the social network by allowing comprehensive communication between individuals essentially eliminating inhibitors such as distance between consumers.
Information Communication Technology embodiment of digital media has imperatively changed the way data of different formats is transmitted. A concept of relevance to the emergence of digital media especially to streaming media is to consider the difference between technological determinism and social constructivism. While technological constructivism refers to technology as a naturally existing element whose changes with time directly leads to the same change in the society, social constructivism refers to the constant need by society to adopt new technologies. The blurred bridge that separates this two concepts has led to the presence of uncertainty into determine the element of the two that leads to emergence and development of media such as streaming media. The answer to this paradox has no definite answer and only assumes that the two elements allowance to continuous change in media technologies means that there is an already workable relationship existing between the two elements.
Work Cited
Bockstedt, Jesse C. Understanding Technology Ecosystems: Tools and Methodologies for Analyzing the Information. S.l.: Bibliobazaar, Llc, 2008. Print.
Pc World. San Francisco, Calif: PC World Communications, 1983. Print.
Prasad, Anand R, John F. Buford, and Vijay K. Gurbani. Advances in Next Generation Services and Service Architectures. Aalborg: River Publishers, 2011. Print.
