Lessons and Blessings from New Media

My first New Media class started on November 13th, and to be frank, I felt like I was in alien territory. I was thinking nonstop about the definition of New Media as “the means of mass communication using digital technology.” I even thought we were going to dive into some sort of futuristic technology. However, as classes continued, it started putting things into perspective. That is, what the course actually dealt with.

Seeing Facebook through a new lens, I thought Facebook was just a site to converse on, scroll through, and keep in touch with your friends and family. Little did I know how much more was beneath the surface. The New Media lecture really opened my mind to a whole different world of digital campaigns, product marketing, content creation, branding, and so much more. Facebook is just a mere social platform, it is a minefield where somebody willing to think differently, yet put in some effort, can benefit from.

One very useful thing that I learned was not to take social media personally. Many times in the past, whenever I uploaded something and did not receive 'likes' or responses from my close ones, I would feel let down. This class has shed light on the fact that social media runs on different lines. Engagement is on a voluntary basis, if one wants to, they would respond, and that realisation hit me hard.

I also realised that if I wanted people to take the time to comment on my posts, I had to put my best foot forward and give them something worth commenting on. Quality content tends to speak for itself. Another deep realisation was that New Media offers relief not from incarceration, but rather from the loneliness and tension life sometimes demands. I have felt this isolation. 

However, social networks give every individual in the world the opportunity to communicate with others and dispel that loneliness. The internet has made the world into one large village; no one has a reason to be a lone wolf anymore.

I entered my first New Media class not knowing how important it would come to be. Now, everything is different, and I see things in a very different light. I was able to understand that social media was not just a medium of chatting, scrolling, and video watching, but a very powerful tool in creativity, branding, connection, and expression.

 With that knowledge, I am ready now to spread my wings, build my brand, and create value with people from all over the world. Further learning, I believe, will help in improving my own life and, if possible, inspire the people around me. Thank you for reading !!!