On the Cultural Crossroads: New Media vs. Old Media

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In spite of the fact that the modern techniques are slowly ousting the old means of communicating the news, such mass media as radio will never be interchanged by such new invention as IPad. Because of the force of the habit, people resort to ham radio much more often than it is considered. Despite the unfavorable prognoses of the specialists, ham radio still has its loyal audience, and this audience is not going to abandon the common source of information.

According to the results of the annual meeting of the ham operators all over the state, there is still hope that radio will not lose its listeners. No matter what new technologies lure people with, the more conventional radio still has a lot of fans all over the world; in addition, the statistic says that many people who start with IPad technology often turn to using the ham radio after they have experienced the advantages and the drawbacks of the new invention.

Taking into consideration the reasons which the fans of the ham radio mention first, the essence of the good old ham radio which no IPad can stand comparison to is the opportunity for live communication. Since the very idea of feeling the pulse of the information stream is so important for both the younger and the elder generation, it is too early to pension off the veteran of the information handling.

As a matter of fact, the history of radio is far not that long as one might assume. Because of its huge popularity all over the world in the middle of XX century, people started feeling that this device has had its day; yet such conclusion seems way too far-fetched. It seems that the new technologies which, no doubts, have the right to exist and to enrich the world with the new opportunities can coexist peacefully with the old media. Just think of the long way which radio had to come!

This is what happened in 1920ies:

The radio craze led almost immediately to a period of rapid expansion as entrepreneurs and advertisers began to grasp the potential of the new medium. Almost as quickly, government was compelled to expand its regulation of radio broadcasting. (Biagi 2006, 110)

The radio surely will not surrender its positions so easily! Among the advantages which radio has, tuning was mentioned in the article under the discussion. “He might tune into a station in the South Pacific or listen to a guy in Europe.” (Bluthe 2010)

One of the most amazing things which came into the open during the conference was the striking similarity between radio and IPad despite the “age gap” between them.

Comparing and contrasting the two media sources, the experts finally came to the idea that the two media sources both concern one and the same thing, which is hunting for information. While IPad makes the process relatively easy, a radio adds a touch of competitiveness to the process, making it more enticing, which makes radio look more winning compared to the invention of the new era.

The conference held has proved once more that the radio geeks are not so rusty as they might seem for the first time; most of them do not belong to the class of old geezers and possess vast knowledge on the modern mass media as well. However, as they emphasize, they have consciously chosen the old means to convey certain information to people only because it offers much more fun than IPad. Since IPad has been developed for a single person usage, it does not presuppose direct communication, which radio can suggest.

Hungry for new impressions and the feeling of reality around radio, both the old and the new generation are eagerly indulging into the world of ham radio. Still it must be admitted that a great deal of people are in ham radio “just for nostalgia” (Bluthe 2010). Feeling sad for the times which have gone and do not seem to ever come back, people resort to the only means they know, which is ham radio.

It must be admitted that despite the new opportunities which an IPad suggests, more and more people get focused on radio rather than on IPads. It seems that due to the specifics of IPad, it will never oust ham radio. Considered a gadget for those who prefer spending their time alone, IPad will never create the feeling of a company which radio can give. In addition, there is a small distinction between an IPad and a radio which makes them completely different from each other.

Trautschold (2010) has managed to seize the very idea of this difference: “Your IPad can hold a great deal of valuable information (181)”. In contrast to radio which does not presuppose keeping the information and represents a specific “stream of consciousness”, IPad stores the info which the owner chooses. This creates an impression of complicity and wipes out the idea of simplicity which is so appealing to the people who prefer radio.

Although it cannot be denied that the new ear must be followed by certain innovation and that the mankind is supposed to make both technical and spiritual progress, radio is one of the issues which should be better transferred to the future.

With help of this device, people will be able both to feel the essential of the epoch which has passed by so quickly and at the same time in such a strange and impulsive fashion, people can make the distance between themselves shorter, as well as feel less lonesome. Whatever the new era with its progress might bring, the old media will never become too old-fashioned and useless, and that is for certain.

Works Cited

Biagi, Shirley (2006) Media/Impact: An Introduction to Mass Media. Stanford, CN: Cengage Learning. Print.

Bluthe, Anne (2010, Apr., 4) IPad Zings, but Ham Radio Still Crackles. Newsobserver.com. Web.

Trautschold, Martin and Gary Mazo (2010) IPad Made Simple. New York, NY: Apress. Print.

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On the Cultural Crossroads: New Media vs. Old Media

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