1. Internet in Altering How Newspapers Present News
Over the past few years, radio, television, magazines, and newspapers authored consumers' information to enlighten on several matters and occurrences globally. Currently, newspapers are significantly feeling the after-effects of digital media on their advertising revenues and circulation. As opined in Reich's (2013) views, the Internet has therefore initiated a fourth estate of journalism, which significantly differs in characterization from the traditional model of journalism. In this case, the Internet is viewed as a reporting tool that contributes to a new form of journalism. The Internet and the recent revolution of technologies that include hand-held devices have significantly affected the delivery of news through mobile gadgets, which further fuels debates regarding the impact of this variable on the presentation of news. Secondly, Reich (2013) underscores that the Internet equally wires millions of people through portals that place them in potential information specialists' positions.
Besides the increase in real-time information delivery, this medium's use attracts several audiences into the news sector. For instance, Sparks et al. (2016) establish that social media platforms' interactivity remains critical in transforming how consumers engage and receive news. An example of this is evidenced in the case of Twitter. Twitter allows its users to personalize a set of appealing news content while equally responding to concerns, queries, and ideas. Sparks et al. (2016) observed that the Internet has significantly changed the newspaper landscape as it increases consumer involvement in the use of news. The Internet has significantly challenged the traditional journalism values of factuality as well as validity, given that its information corresponds with the delivery of real time information through different media outlets.
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The proliferation of online readers has had a significant effect on the presentation of newspapers. As a massive population of people turns to the use of online reading to receive news freely, the traditional newspaper significantly struggles with a decline in subscribers to remain competitive and afloat in holding to their readers. This is induced by the increase in Internet appeal that goes far beyond the acquisition of free news content to convenience. Traditional newspapers are therefore devastated by the scope of coverage provided by the Internet, a factor that raises journalistic muscles as the use of different social media platforms has proven its timeliness and superiority (Agbaji & Banke, 2017). This significantly threatens the relevancy of the present newspapers in the delivery of news. However, as the Internet provides a new form of journalism that plays a pivotal role in challenging professionals towards considering the credibility of ideas, objectivity, and reliability, its information sources primarily obtained through a host of networks remain immediate, that makes it significantly hard for journalists to verify their authenticity.
2. Digital Media and its Influence of Children of this Generation
Children of this generation are significantly immersed in the consumption of the traditional as well as the new forms of digital content and media. In other words, the influence of digital media on the development of children remains profound. Despite the digital media's omnipresence, its effects on child development revolve around behavioral, cognitive, psychological, and physical development issues. According to Reid Chassiakos et al. (2016), advertisements made on digital media pose positive effects on the children's behaviors. For instance, several alcohol and cigarette manufactures spend close to 10% on advertisements cautioning children regarding the dangers of drinking and smoking, a factor that cites the influence of these forms of media on child behaviors. Children and teenagers equally consider digital media as one of the leading sources of data and sex information. The adolescent's susceptibility and prevalence of the digital media's influence on their beliefs and sexual attitudes remain high.
The explosion of computing began in 1940, which paved the way for the emergence of social media. The Internet was too far behind the implementation. Primitive emails emerged in the 60s before further developments in the 70s that resulted in the Usenet and Televisions' growth. The Usenet allowed the users to communicate through articles, posts in newsgroups, and virtual newsletters. The 90s saw the emergence of different traditional media outlets that include the emergence of social media sites. Before the introduction of digital media, the traditional media had dominance in the market. Later on, the growth of social media sites significantly increased, which significantly revolutionized news consumption from different digital media outlets. For instance, currently, children aged between 12 and 17 spend three-quarters of their time on social media—affecting their health and wellbeing in the U.S (Welle. n.d.). Another study in Germany revealed that the excessive consumption and use of digital media remains a factor that is linked to mental health issues such as depression. Another 2.6% of the German teens of the ages of 12 and 18 are primarily addicted to digital media apps that include Snapchat, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Instagram. Given this, the influence of digital media on children has adverse and positive effects. Digital media provides learning avenues that increase the intelligence of children. However, digital media equally poses a challenge to the health and growth of children.
3. Digital Media’s Influence on e-commerce
In contemporary society, reliance on e-commerce remains a factor that has significantly gained popularity in several nations globally. According to Valerio et al. (2019), this is mainly enhanced by the inclusion of digital media that, to a more considerable extent, increases how advertisements are conducted. The sales of products in the 60s were considered rather sluggish, given that traditional methods were used in the acquisition of goods. However, in the 80s, the mailing of products or the use of batter trade systems were refaced by the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) systems. This, therefore, paved the way for the emergence of e-commerce. Valerio et al. (2019) also established that e-commerce remains a factor that has been in existence since time immemorial, and was first practiced in Germany, the U.S., and France. Since its inception, close to 40 years ago, Valerio et al. (2019) ascertain that e-commerce has continued to penetrate into different markets, a factor that has seen several business ventures reverting to its use to remain competitive.
After the emergence of e-commerce, the systems were found to be less reliable, given the challenges that businesses faced in implementing the systems in their operations. One of the challenges that were notably established revolve around limited product information. This opened a door for digital media that has significantly influenced the domain of e-commerce in the U.S. as well as in other developed economies such as China and Japan (Saputro, 2020). Digital media has had a significant impact on the contemporary business landscape. E-commerce, in this case, is characterized by the purchasing and the sales of commodities through the use of electronic networks, a factor that significantly cuts down on a firm's operations. Since its inception, the reliance on e-commerce has played a critical role in enabling firms to achieve their competitive advantage. For instance, in the U.S., as of 2015, close to 300 billion dollars was generated in the e-commerce sector. It is projected that in 2030, a significant rise in profit margins will increase to a tune of 900 billion dollars (Saputro, 2020). Digital media remains a fundamental construct in the growth of e-commerce globally.
4. Fake News, its Existence and Spread
Fake news remains a phenomenon that has taken a pedestal toll as a result of the advancements in technology. The spread of fake news significantly increased following the emergence of several social media platforms that provide avenues to reach different audiences. The term “Fake News” turned out as a household name during the last elections when stories with no basis ensued on social media sites that include Twitter and Facebook. The spread of fake news is significantly heightened by the emergence of social bots that search and retrieve some form of non-curated data and information from the web. Therefore, the bots on social media make continuous posts, a factor that spreads the collected non-curated data and information through the use of trending hashtags and topics (Kriel, 2018). False news spread as rumors and that are targeted at specific people may have adverse consequences. Individuals may face bullying on social media as they may be targeted by threats and insults. The long term effects of fake news may result in democratic wrangles in politics as it may overturn the will of a people. The short-term whims of fake news include increasing the level of fear among culprits. Give this, it is assumable that fake news may affect the credibility and reputation of individuals.
Learning and avoiding fake news's potentials involves the need to establish the authenticity and credibility of sourced information from statistical sites. Secondly, the news consumers may need to understand the need to establish the face value of information. This involves checking the dates and the citations of a source of information. Consumers equally need to be educated regarding how to determine the propagation of information in the current world. Another approach involves the empowerment of consumers in learning about the involved actors as well as stakeholders within a provided story, a factor that increases understanding of their intent. However, Zhao (2020) establishes that education is hardly viewed as a panacea. In other words, well-educated consumers are prone to default the learned ideologies. Besides this, the lack of proper news literacy may contribute to the spread of fake news.
References
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Kriel, C. (2018). Fake News, Fake Wars, Fake Worlds. Defense Strategic Communications , 3 (1), 171–189. https://doi.org/10.30966/2018.riga.3.6
Reich, Z. (2013). The Impact of Technology on News Reporting. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly , 90 (3), 417–434. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077699013493789
Reid Chassiakos, Y. (Linda), Radesky, J., Christakis, D., Moreno, M. A., & Cross, C. (2016). Children and Adolescents and Digital Media. Pediatrics , 138 (5), e20162593. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2593
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Welle (www.dw.com), D. (n.d.). 100,000 German teenagers addicted to social media, study finds | DW | 01.03.2018 . DW.COM. https://www.dw.com/en/100000-german-teenagers-addicted-to-social-media-study-finds/a-42783211
Welle. (n.d.). 100,000 German teenagers addicted to social media, study finds | DW | 01.03.2018 . DW.COM. https://www.dw.com/en/100000-german-teenagers-addicted-to-social-media-study-finds/a-42783211
Zhao, Z. (2020). Identification of vital nodes in the fake news propagation. EPL (Europhysics Letters) , 131 (1), 16001. https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/131/16001
