This weeks reading centralised around the idea of E&M (Entertainment and Media Industries) it looked at the geographical nature of the industry and the way it is evolving and remoulding to new wave ideals. The aspect of the reading I found to be most insightful was the idea of the location specific markets. We live in a world of global companies and products that are accessible by a lot of the western civilisation particularly. However, the reading highlighted the importance of local content and how it had the ability to define the particular E&M industries within the particular countries.

Although some of these ideas may seem contrary to the outcomes of our course I believe it is important to understand that we must look locally as well as globally and take into consideration sociatile preferences. The reading also talked about the rising prevalence of the aggregator and how companies can use this idea to benefit them. The importance of our interests and networks within one space is becoming extremely important especially to the younger generation as they have access to so many options on the web. By opening up to this idea even traditional media companies can continue to thrive by getting information to people in a more digital friendly way.

The final idea I took from this reading and found rather interesting was the use of E&M in advertising. It spoke of the idea that new media platform are opening up avenues for companies to use that is alternative to the traditional “big idea” companies. The data being collected is more specific and tailored. This is interesting in that what is it that we can expect for future advertising with traditional companies needing to work harder to win business if there are other cheaper and more definitive options such as Google and Facebook? Overall I like this reading and the messages and ideas it explored it is starting to make more sense the idea of the future of new media.

In the lecture this week we had guest lecturer Astrid from ABC R&D. I found her talk insightful and exciting to see the way that the media landscape and humans interaction with media is shaping up in the current time. She spoke of new media that I haven’t really heard off such as the holographic experiences and the smart fridges. It gave me some really interesting ideas and thoughts when it came to approaching Media 6. When we broke out into separate groups we brainstormed further into the three headings and there sub headings.

My group had a – immersive and wearable’s. This is media that is able to be experienced all around. One becomes a part of the medium rather than simply consuming it. As per the attached pictures they were rather interesting in deciphering new ideas such as advancements to health and allowing people to understand the data they are receiving. In addition we thought of all round experiences with driverless cars allowing the monotony of driving to become an interactive and technological journey. We also weighed in on the risk of these types of media such as laziness and losing our sense of humanity to the media machine. We emphasised the point that we must move forward but still remember the foundations of who we are as humans.

Upon completing the reading for this week there were several details that I was left perplexing over. Who are we? Where are we? but most importantly where are we going? Technology as a transport system and convenience tool has been rampant and rapidly growing for several years but as humans we have, whether we felt it or not had some form of control over it. As a result of this reading this may not be the case in the not so distant future. Schwab comments on the various ways that technology is evolving and the completely unimaginable tasks it can preform from 3D printing to even assigning treatment for cancer sufferers. It is with out a doubt that the human race particularly the new generations depend deeply on the speed and convenience of the heights of the technological and digital realms.

However, have we thought of how we as humans, not machines are going to evolve with it. His comments on these new technologies, are supported with a an in depth caution, that we need to continue to be the consumers and actually not become consumed. Schwab’s particular comments on the effect that the cloud and the digital world have on our jobs interested me the most. It made me feel almost insecure that we will soon essentially relinquish our employee rights for ease of access and be happy to willingly do so.

Overall, the comments that Schwab makes about the impending industrial revolution are not cynical in anyway but rather cautionary to the way we as humans interact with it. That we should not lose our sense of self and humanity at the whim of the now traditional computer.

• Extracts from Klaus Schwab, 2016, The Fourth Industrial Revolution (World Economic Forum), pp.14-26, 47-50, 67-73, 91-104.