by Alycia Scott-Hiser

New Media
First of all, what do we mean by "new media"? Most people immediately think computers, certainly a tool central to the creation and use of new media, but not the entire picture. New media tools are those used to create, integrate and experience audio, video, animation, graphics, text and photography - all means of expression, communication and play. Computer hardware and software, internet connections, digital cameras and video cameras, even cell phones fall under the heading of "new media." Yet it is not so much about the tools themselves that make the study of new media so facinating, it is the ways in which we are using these tools and how our lives are changing because of them. New media tools provide new ways for us, and our children, to experience art, commerce, communication and education.

Certainly the rise in popularity of the internet is a good example. Currently a large portion of the American population uses email for daily correspondence; for work and play. Many companies are now finding that employees prefer to use their email and Instant Messenger for business communication, as opposed to picking up the telephone. Still others have embraced online shopping, as evidenced by the increase in holiday shopping sales through e-commerce strongholds, Amazon and Ebay.

Youth
This growing shift toward communication through new media tools, is even more evident in today's youth population. How many times have we heard a parent or another teacher proclaim "technological illiteracy" when compared to their kids? Meanwhile, these new tools, various electronic products, hardware and software, are developed, introduced, upgraded and discarded in favor of the next "big thing", by consumers, at an alarming rate. Consequently, many adults often feel that it is impossible to get a handle on these rapidly changing technologies. Yet so many of our children seem to navigate the waters of these technological advances with ease. They are often the early adopters of any electronic gadgets, games and software. According to Cheskin Market Research's Insight Series on Digital Experience and Youth:

"Although easy to dismiss as fad-driven and immature, the Youth population in any era tends to forecast the future in the way they look, act and believe. That's certainly true with the current generation. They've been exposed to computers and digital devices from the time they were infants. Most have grown up in a world where cell phones, PCs, IM (instant messaging) and email have always existed. As a result, they're more tech-savvy than any other segment of the population."

Some may conclude that it is this new generation of tech-savvy kids that is setting the pace of for a "digital revolution." As teenagers, in particular, adopt and incoporate these new media tools, primarily in the area of communication, they are often bringing along the adults in their world. How many of us have recently asked a teenager to show us how some new "gadget" worked, like a digital camera or how to use a new feature on our cell phone?

Cell Phones
Cell phones are a perfect example of a new media tool now in common use. New wireless technology has given us mobile phones that combine voice with text, images and internet access. People are now using cell phones for a whole lot more than just talking; we now play games, organize calendars, create to do lists, get stock quotes, etc. through our cell phones. Traditional "land line" telephones are losing favor to small, portable phones that can provide a rich multimedia experience. Today, cell phones are truly changing the way we, and our kids, are communicating.

I recently interviewed some young girls (12-17 yrs) about how they incorporate new media into their lives, and the most common responses involved cell phones and instant messenging. These new forms of communication have suplanted the boring old land line phone, except in a few specific cases. For example, I heard from two 12 year olds that prefer I.M. to phones (cell & land), because they can talk to more people at once, do homework while "chatting", essentially muli-task. They claimed that they will only use a "regular phone" to call each other to make plans to go somewhere. I found this to be a really interesting distinction on the uses of each media - old and "new".

Media and McLuhan

"After three thousand years of explosion, by means of fragmentary and mechanical technologies, the Western world is imploding. During the mechanical ages we had extended our bodies in space. Today, after more than a century of electric technology, we have extended our central nervous system itself in a global embrace, abolishing both space and time as far as our planet is concerned. Rapidly, we approach the final phase of the extensions of man - the technological simulation of consciousness, when the creative process of knowing will be collectively and corporately extended to the whole of human society, much as we have already extended our senses and our nerves by the various media."

Communication theorist Marshall McLuhan famously wrote in 1964 that "the medium is the message" and all media are "extensions of man". To fully understand the effect of new media on our lives, I think we really need to look to the "early adopters", the kids who have already embraced the new technologies. Are these kids, our ultimately wired, globally connected youth population (using cell phones, email, Instant Messenger and weblogs) extending their senses into a sort of cyberspace, or collective consciousness? Does this mean that we, as a culture, are becoming more (emotionally) connected to each other, as we have 24/7 access to each other despite time or distance? Or are we at risk (kids included) of being unable to hold "real time" face to face conversations, complete with interpretation of body language and gestures? These are important questions to ask, particularly for educators as we jockey for positions of importance in the lives of our students.

Literacy
It seems that as more kids embrace these new forms of communication, a new lexicon is developing. English teachers would cringe if they read some of the email & I.M. exchanges between kids. Extensive abbreviating is the norm in online communication (allows one to type faster and therefore "stay in the loop" of a multi-person conversation, or "convo" as I have been told). What effect will constant use of cell phones, text messaging and email have on traditional literacy; the ability to speak and write effectively? This is another question that we have to ask ourselves as teachers to this new generation of "digital youth". Recently a colleague of mine stated that some theorists believe that literacy and acceptable speech and writing patterns will become altered by abbreviated text-based communication. Should we, as educators, push the concept of traditional literacy within the framework of new technologies used for communication? Or do we simply accept these changes as a natural evolution of a communication style, based on the use of new technologies?

There is currently a great deal of discussion in the field of education, and in particular, art education, regarding a different type of literacy, "new media literacy." To be literate in a new media world, means to be more than a passive consumer of the various types of media. It means to actively construct meaning from the abundance of images in our media-saturated culture. It means asking questions, developing theories and testing them out through new technologies. The ability to use new media tools, understand their value and question what is produced with them may ultimately lead to generations of better thinkers and problem solvers. That is, if we, as educators, can get a handle on how to use these technologies ourselves, understand how our students are using them, and find ways to effectively incorporate them into our teaching practices. (But that is another essay.)

Conclusion
As kids continue to embrace new media technologies for communication, expression and play, it seems obvious that digitally based artwork is the next logical frontier. It is certainly already starting to happen. Some kids are enthusiastically creating text based "weblogs", an often intimate, expressive form of writing. Still others are working with images and text on their personal websites, complete with links to other sites of interest. Students in middle schools are experimenting with digital photography and video making through popular software programs like Adobe Photoshop and Apple iMovie. Even though the task may be daunting; getting up to speed with new media technology, the benefits for educators are well worth it. No, you don't have to become a "webmaster". You may not even see any need for computer based tools in your specific classroom. However, achieving a level of new media literacy will allow you to form greater connections with your students today and in the future. That is where the real value of new media literacy for teachers lies. Kids are actively incorporating new media tools the into various aspects of their lives, with communication being at the core. Something as simple as giving students access to you through email, eliminating the boundaries of time and space, can prove to be a very effective tool in the overall scope of the classroom. As any teacher knows, the ability to connect and communicate with students is perhaps the most important factor in a positive learning experience.

Online Resources:
Cheskin Market Research's Insight Series on Digital Experience and Youth

For those really interested in cell phone technology:
How Cell Phones Work

For more information on new media literacy in the classroom:
New Media Literacy Interview

Alycia Scott-Hiser is an MSAE candidate at Massachusetts College of Art

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