Another phrase to add to Wikipedia’s online dictionary is “Net generation” describing the global connected youth cohort born from 1977 to 1997 representing the first generation to “grow up digital” (The new consumer seeking value and control, 2009). To this group, new media are just another part of life but unbeknownst to them, all of this information has been commodified as businesses and corporations today vie for power, profit, and public interest. Supporting leading theorist Dan Schiller, it appears corporate power has played a role in influencing and shaping the development of new media, transforming it into a market-driven global media and communications environment (Schiller, 2009). The original purpose of new media therefore, has been lost by commercial promise of widespread improvement of human condition, education, and entertainment thereby clouding our vision of the digital divide.
As Dan Schiller emphasizes, corporations around the world have identified the value of information and are now merging and partnering to seek better control of its production, transmission, and consumption (Schiller, 2009). Utilizing information vectors (means of delivery for flows of information) new online media spaces such as social networking sites, satellite radio, and popular search engines provide the opportunity to reach more target markets at a lower cost. Advertisers are capitalizing on this digital opportunity as new focus is placed on online communities and mobile networks for marketing and brand awareness. During the five years to 2013, advertising that targets new consumer behaviors will grow 7.8%(from 12% in 2008), whilst pending on all other forms of advertising will fall by 2% compounded annually. As a result, by 2013 advertising that targets new consumer behaviors will account for almost one-fifth of the total global advertising pie (Advertising: Short term decline masks deep structural shifts, 2009). Today, businesses are exploiting the digital opportunity to increase their power, profit, and public interest cheaper than ever before.
So as these companies and businesses join forces they have been consistent with generating new media hype promising widespread improvement to human condition, education, and entertainment. Hype is defined as excessive promotion, exuberant positive/negative discourse, or exaggeration. Utilized for commercial interest, new media hype has been spread by those of the uncritical euphoric stance to help gain competitive advantage and capital as society ‘goes digital’. So far, some of the hype has been proven as our human condition has been improved through increased interactivity, instant access, and better entertainment. However, the claim is improving the human condition, have we forgotten the rest of the world?
The answer is we have forgotten about others, in the sense that the claim is technology has improved the ‘human condition’ yet in reality only the ‘information rich’ condition has been improved. As such, commercial promises of digital media hype cloud our vision of the digital divide supported by the fact that, “more than half of the worlds population lives more than two hours away from a telephone”(Flew, 2008). So as production and diffusion of ICTS increases so does the digital divide, the distinction between information rich and poor, and the gap between the haves and the have not’s. The Digital divide encompasses the global divide and the social divide both describing the differential access to, and use of the Internet. As we know, we live with access to all facilities and resources supporting an intellectually and economically rich lifestyle, however the claim improvement has been made to the human condition is false in the sense that we now have the ability to globally connect through new technologies and yet, many are still information poor.
Perhaps the new market driven, commercial greed from today’s big businesses clouds our vision of the digital divide as attention or efforts to help bridge the gap does not provide the opportunity for increased power, profit, or public interest. Essentially, there is nothing to gain, so instead of addressing the issue of the digital divide big businesses use new media hype instead. For example the discourse on technology is aimed at the information rich anyway as advertisers and other successful businesses go to all ends to come up with innovative advertising, products, or services only available to those information rich. Basically, different economic situations create a major disadvantage to the information poor so supporting non-profit associations such as the one laptop per child is crucial to help bridge the gap. As founders Nicholas Negroponte and Charles Kane intended it is a truly charitable cause to give the rest of the world their “right to access” as there is no commercial interests for the one laptop per child program. Today, others such as Jonathon Richman have joined the efforts kick starting, “an evolution in marketing towards something called Marketing with Meaning with the main idea to create marketing that is in it of itself meaningful to consumer’s. It can be applied to billion-dollar brands or developing markets in developing nations to help bridge the gap (Gilbreath, 2009). http://www.marketingwithmeaning.com/the-book/
Advertisers have used new technology to improve what aim to be the human condition by providing added value to products and services through innovative techniques. Companies have included Samsung, which installed free laptop and phone recharging stations for weary business travelers and Vicks creating a mobile alert service so people can track cold and flu activity in their neighborhoods. As Bob Gilbreath Chief Marketing Strategist at Bridge Worldwide comments, “the companies are growing by creating marketing that people choose to engage with –marketing that improves people’s lives. I call it Marketing with Meaning” (Gilbreath, 2009). Other meaningful marketing implemented have been Southwest airlines “ding” fare sales alert tool, Home Depot’s classes to teach people the skills of home improvement, Abbot Nutrition online tool to help people with diabetes manage their disease, and Dove’s mission to improve girls self esteem.
So as consumers or the “Net Generation” it is suggested to continue demanding these added value services, meanings, or connections from advertisers and businesses. Seeing over 3,000 ads per day gives the public high exposure, which increases our expectancy for innovative, meaningful, and eye-catching ads. Perhaps commercial interest should be set aside and more focus placed on using these online spaces to bridge the digital divide- I think the businesses would be surprised how much we would respond if they set all greed, power, and profit aside to help a good cause.
References
Gilbreath, B. (2009). The next evolution of marketing: Connect with your customers by marketing with meaning. Retrieved December 1, 2009, from; http://www.marketingwithmeaning.com/the-book/
Schiller, D. (2009). How to think about information, Retrieved Decemeber 1, 2009, from;://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/52abq7tk9780252031328.html
(2009). Advertising: Short term decline masks deep structural shifts. Retreived Novemeber 31, 2009, from; http://www.pwc.com/en_GX/gx/global-entertainment-media-outlook/pdf/advertising.pdf
(2009). Bridging the digital divide: Meet jonathan richman. Retreived November 30, 2009, from; http://afterpharma.com/2009/05/fp2/
(2009). The new consumer seeking value and control. Retrieved Novemeber 31, 2009, from; http://www.pwc.com/en_GX/gx/global-entertainment-media-outlook/pdf/new-consumer.pdf
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