Core Concept — Youth Audience
New media mostly addresses a young audience, called the youth. The lesson describes the youth as more computer-savvy, meaning more comfortable with computers and similar gadgets.
According to the lesson, young people are an important audience for new media because they spend more time with computers. In urban households, the lesson points to people in the 12–25 years age group as being connected to computers or mobile phones and to one another through the internet. Access to information is especially important because competition is growing and the youth needs to keep informed.
Why New Media Addresses the Youth
More Time with Computers
The youth spends more time with computers, making new media an important way of reaching them.
Need for Information
Growing competition makes it necessary for young people to keep themselves informed all the while.
Internet Connection
Young people are described as being more connected to each other through the internet.
Information Overload and Information Fatigue
Information overload means exposure to too much information. The lesson says this can leave a person confused. When there is so much information that it becomes difficult to use, the condition is called information fatigue.
The lesson says that too much information may make it difficult to use the information properly. It also notes that having a lot of information does not necessarily produce logical and analytical powers. Raw information without analysis does not add to knowledge unless a person knows how to use it when required.
How the Lesson Suggests Dealing with Information
- Develop yourself in areas in which you feel comfortable.
- When faced with a lot of information, prioritize it according to your areas of interest.
- Classify information as most important, important, not so important, and not required.
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Textbook Illustration — Figure 23.1
The illustration on page 138 shows students working in a computer lab, matching the lesson’s discussion of young people and computer use.
Chapter emphasis: Remember the sequence from too much information to confusion and difficulty in using it, and the lesson’s distinction between information overload and information fatigue.
Core Concept — Creativity Factor
One fundamental way in which new media attracts the youth is through storytelling or a narrative writing style. The lesson calls this a powerful form of communication because people like stories.
Narrative style is not new to media. The lesson explains that print journalists also use it when they want to draw readers’ attention. In the history of journalism, this style was first adopted in the USA in the late sixties as new journalism, pioneered by Tom Wolfe. The lesson says that the trend could not continue for long but is coming back with the advent of new media.
How New Media Makes Stories Easier to Read
Break the Story into Sections
A story is broken into interesting segments because reading a long item at one go can be difficult.
Make a Multimedia Package
Several stories can be brought together with multimedia to form a package.
Attractive Opening
The home or opening page highlights a story with an attractive visual and a good introductory paragraph.
The lesson says the main story is kept very short and crisp. Other interesting stories are written in narrative form and are preferably human interest stories. To attract young audiences, new media writers like to do things differently, which the lesson links with the idea of lateral thinking, associated with Edward de Bono, called the father of creativity in the lesson.
| Term |
Meaning in the Lesson |
Linked Name / Idea |
| Information overload |
Exposure to too much information that can leave a person confused. |
Youth and heavy information exposure |
| Information fatigue |
Difficulty in using too much information; the lesson describes it as a state of depression. |
Too much information without effective use |
| New journalism |
A narrative trend first adopted in the USA in the late sixties. |
Tom Wolfe |
| Lateral thinking |
Doing things differently as a way to attract the youth and encourage creativity. |
Edward de Bono |
Chapter emphasis: Connect the creativity factor with storytelling, narrative writing, story segmentation, multimedia presentation, human-interest stories and lateral thinking.
Core Concept — Interpersonal Skills
Talking and listening to people are part of a person’s interpersonal skills. The lesson explains that human beings live in a society and therefore need to talk, listen and share.
The lesson presents a concern raised by parents, teachers and others: changing technology may affect interpersonal relations among the youth. The example of the Madhavan family describes children spending time in front of computers or television and talking to friends through the computer without meeting them.
Why Interpersonal Skills Matter
Talking and Listening
These are described as parts of interpersonal skills that develop when we deal with people.
Living in Society
People cannot stay entirely by themselves; they need to communicate, listen and share.
Confidence and Working Together
The lesson connects communication skills with confidence, human relations and the ability to stay or work together.
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Textbook Example — “Mitra, My Friend”
The lesson refers to the film Mitra, My Friend, in which two people chat on the internet without realizing who they are. When they finally meet, they discover that they are husband and wife. The example illustrates the difference between online communication and direct human interaction.
Maintaining a Healthy Balance
The lesson does not say to run away from computers. Instead, it suggests maintaining a healthy balance: use computers, but do not spend all evenings in front of a machine while cutting yourself away from people. It compares this with schools advising parents to regulate children’s television watching and says a similar approach can be applied to internet use.
Chapter emphasis: Interpersonal skills develop through dealing with people. The lesson links talking, listening and sharing with confidence, human relations and the ability to live and work together.
Core Concept — New Media Ventures
The lesson presents new media ventures as an area in which a business can be started without the large expenditure and huge infrastructure needed to publish a newspaper or magazine.
The lesson says new media ventures can be categorized as SMEs, meaning Small and Medium Enterprises. To start a business in this area, huge infrastructure is not required, but a lot of creativity is needed—the ability to do things differently.
Niche Websites
A niche website contains highly specialized content. The lesson gives subjects such as travel, health and sports as examples. Some ventures began in a small room, created specialized websites, and later grew into bigger companies, hiring more people and expanding their infrastructure.
| Aspect |
New Media Venture — As Described in the Lesson |
Examples from the Lesson |
| Scale |
Can begin as a small or medium enterprise. |
Young people beginning operations in a small room |
| Infrastructure |
Huge infrastructure is not required at the beginning. |
Website design and space to post content |
| Specialization |
Niche content can focus on a particular subject. |
Travel, health, sports and tourism-related services |
| Business strength |
Creativity, enthusiasm, energy, accessibility and affordability are emphasized. |
Networking through the internet |
Building the Revenue Model
The lesson identifies generating income as the most important business need. One way is advertising. Other means mentioned are content selling, subscriptions and specialized services. In tourism, for example, a new media venture can offer holiday packages.
Online Learning Ventures
Freelancers can develop content. The lesson identifies website design and buying space to post the content as the stated cost.
Tourism, Property and Retail
A designer and programmer can start a website, with business networking taking place through the internet.
Online Services
Web services facilitate buying and selling, ticket booking, ordering food, buying books and selling an old car.
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Textbook Example — Mobile Cricket Update
A person interested in cricket can register on a news website and receive cricket-score updates on a mobile phone. The lesson calls this customisation of news: news is supplied according to the person’s need or interest.
Chapter emphasis: Remember SME, niche websites, creativity, affordability, accessibility, networking, revenue model, advertising, content selling, subscriptions and specialized services.