This project asks you to explore “new media” as a social practice. Specifically, it asks you to consider an important social and political question that accompanied a particular media technology when it could properly be considered “new media”. The project has two specific components for you to consider.
Component #1 – the CONTENT of your project
For the content of your major project, you may choose one of two focuses. Each of these asks you to choose a particular social, political or economic problem, issue or question that is related to the “new media” you wish to do your project on.
As for focus, you can choose:
(A) to do an analysis of a contemporary “new media” technology (please see the Contemporary New Media Review assignment for a list of possible technologies)
Some examples:
– virtual digital assistants (e.g. Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, Google Home, Microsoft’s Cortana)
– “smart” speakers (e.g. Apple HomePod, Amazon Echo)
– smart home technology (e.g. Google Nest) and the Internet of Things
– digital health tracking systems (e.g. Fitbit, Apple Watch)
– digital music streaming services (e.g. Spotify or Apple Music)
– High speed mobile data services (e.g. LTE, 5G)
– home broadband internet services (i.e. ADSL, coaxial cable or “fiber to the curb” systems like Bell Fibe or Google Fiber)
– satellite internet services (e.g. Starlink, Viasat)
– self-driving vehicle technologies
– consumer (e.g. Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, OneDrive) OR commercial (e.g. Akamai, Microsoft’s Azure, Amazon’s AWS) “cloud” storage services
– mobile digital videocameras or DSLRs
– console video game systems (e.g. Xbox, PS4) or portable game systems (e.g. PSP, NintendoDS)
– VR technology (e.g. Oculus Rift)
– Bitcoin, digital currencies, or other applications of blockchain technology
– e-readers (e.g. Amazon Kindle, Kobo Reader, etc.)
Remember, ensure that the pages are exclusive of the cover and the reference pages. Also, ensure that you include all the references you use in finding research for this assignment paper. References should be at least three for the paper