I believe that by being a part of generation z, the "net generation" we have grown up with the internet and media technology. We have been the generation to best understand and use it, and it is also easier for us to accept it. I know for myself, when I have to do research or when I am looking for something out of my my own interest, the internet is always my first choice. Rarely, my first choice is to check a newspaper or go to a library. I believe for myself that it is all about accessibility and convenience, as it is a lot easier to sit down at a computer and find the information you are looking for. Once you are able to accept the transformation of new media, the easier it will be for you to evolve in the future.
Today, I picked up a Calgary Herald newspaper from my local grocery store to get more of a feeling about new media compared to old media. I read an article in the Calgary Herald titled Oil discovery in Australia's outback could "transform world's oil industry" and I then read its equivalent on the newspaper's website. At first glance, I did not think I would feel any different reading the two because they were the exact same story, but the layout was quite different from each other. In the physical newspaper, you had to finish the story by flipping to another page, whereas with the online article, the entire article as altogether. After I read both verison, I found that when I was reading the newspaper I had little connection with it and I found my eyes wondering to the other headings and photos on the page. When reading the online version, there were links to read more about similar stories and there were also video clips to choose from, giving me the sense of having more control over what I was reading. For me, I believe I enjoyed reading the online version better because I felt like I was able to get more information on the story than I was able to with the physical newspaper, and I also found myself getting bored quickly while reading it.With new media becoming more and more popular there are many advantages. Not only is it cheaper to read online newspapers, it is also more environmentally friendly, and is an opening of communication with the world. With new media there are less barriers, what you have to say gets heard faster and the development of new media is irresistible. It is developing faster and faster and soon traditional media may be gone altogether. Although it is easier for new generations to grab hold of the quickly changing media, the older generations will have to jump on because new media is inescapable. I believe that even though new media is overpowering traditional media, the base of new media comes from the traditional style. We are now just expanding the way we get our information across to keep up with the rapidly growing world of technology.
