Reflection upon reading the first chapter of ‘Understanding New Media’ by Eugenia Siapera:

People often misuse the terms ‘digital media’ and ‘online media’. They are in fact very different – digital media focuses more on the aspects related to the technology that made it possible, whereas online media refers more to the element of connectivity. What then is this ‘new media’ that is so talked about? According to Lev Manovich’s (2001) argument, it is the result of a convergence between the computational logic characteristic of the computers and the communicative logic characteristic of the media. Despite the many statements and arguments that have been made by various theorists and critics, there is one thing that’s for sure – media has always played an important role in the evolution of mankind since its beginning. It has brought up and influenced societal and psychological processes and practices, and will continue to do so. After dissecting the several theories and ideas surrounding this topic, it can be said that although new media is crucial in this discussion, we must also take into consideration how it influences cultural norms and perspectives, and also the many ways it takes part in society.