My mom mailed me a box of my old books recently because she recently decided to move. Among my old yearbooks and Dr. Seuss I found a book which teaches readers how to "surf the web." I got a kick out of reading it, because the hot and trendy sites (circa 2000) are now so completely irrelevant in the way they go about their purpose. The dancing baby was quite an advancement, I'm sure, but today it's funny in a nostalgic way for me. It's especially ironic that something is nostalgic, which used to be quite new and innovative as far as entertainment goes, is outdated but still can be found in a "new media" like YouTube.

In considering new media at this moment, my thoughts are filled with of hellos and goodbyes. Sappy, I know, but it's true. I didn't choose this class thinking that I'd become more connected with new media. I figured, hey, I use Facebook and YouTube and I read some blogs; I'm pretty "new media."On the contrary, I've realized that the new media sphere is far bigger and specified than the few bits of comfortable new media forms I use. And as I write the final post for this blog, I feel compelled to the first subject in class that really engaged me: what is new media?

Before reading and discussing the subtleties and specifics of new media, my definition was more of a list of ares and are nots. Facebook and YouTube, as I mentioned counted. Just some random website probably didn't. But why these sites fell into various categories I couldn't necessarily explain. Yes, we could consider exact definitions of "media" and "new" and "interactivity," (and we certainly did...) but my grasp of new media is in many ways not necessarily different. The first thing that comes to mind when considering the definition is not an explanation, but rather examples. And the examples have multiplied and been refined. I now understand why some of the examples we've examined are new media, and why some believe they are not.

I can't say I've necessarily come to a final conclusion on what we truly mean when we say "new media," though. I suppose this makes sense, as the temporal "new" ensures that what is included in the examples today may not be "new" at all next year (or maybe even next month). The one working definition we discussed in class that most appealed to me was the many-to-many concept. I don't particularly enjoy discussing semantics, though, so I find it interesting in its appeal because at times the difference between one-to-many and many-to-many isn't very clear. The video I posted on YouTube quite some time ago of my roommate awkwardly trying to fit himself through a clothes hanger is one-to-many, I guess. But YouTube as a whole is a many-to-many means of getting these types of videos (and maybe ones with more of a purpose) out for the public. This, in many ways conflicts with the interactivity that some people wanted out of our working definition.

I don't believe interactivity, in the way most of the discussions we've had about it have defined it, is a necessary part of new media. It has certainly evolved as a staple feature, but it's certainly not necessary. It's important to note that I don't think using something is "interactive." Yes, I'm technically interacting with a video by pressing play when I want, just as I'm flipping the pages of the Michigan Daily as I scan for news in search of a laugh or a little hope that the marching band will get to take me somewhere nice after football season this year. In both cases--video and print media--interactivity isn't necessary. But YouTube is. Sidenote: why I'm talking of YouTube so much, I can't say. Guess it's just one of my favorites. But interactivity, to me is more than clicking through a link or pausing a video. It's changing an outcome in a more substantial way.

In some ways, the class has increased my new media literacy, no doubt. This is especially surprising because, like I said, I thought I had a good grasp on what new media was and how I should understand it. I think the context of new media--where it current fits as a recent development in history, how it's made--is something I consider more now. I've never worked to create quality blog posts in the past. I've never tried to put together an engaging, interesting podcast before. As with many things I've done for the first time in life, it gives me a deeper understanding and appreciation for the form as a whole. Not only that, but I realize that, while it may not always be easy to produce quality work easily in new media forms, it is a highly accessible media for people who have the technology to produce it. And, the more accessibility and openness there is in new media, the more it falls under that "many-to-many" category.

So, while I am saying goodbye to my blog, I've recently found myself entering into a new form of new media we've touched on in class (and I believe will be discussing at length tomorrow): Twitter. Honestly, I feel like a sellout. Not because I was sure I'd never join. Not because I was one of the many who annoyingly (and at times loudly) spoke about not understanding the site's merit. But because I joined it for three dollars of free food. A website that allows you to order takeout recently sent me a message on Facebook stating that if I followed them on Twitter I'd get some free cash on their site. I bit. Hard.

I joined, tweeted for my cash, and thanks to some combination of boredom and procrastination began finding friends to tweet with. RichRod, the hockey team, Guster, they're all tweeting. This must be interactivity, in some sense. My favorite band posts a picture of their backstage food platter, I make a witty comment, and they even replied! I still can't say I totally understand the appeal of tweeting between regular people...but as long as otherwise inaccessible people are talking with me and Christopher Walken impersonators are making me laugh, I'm hopelessly sucked in. And in a way, I think I'm okay with that. I've found that I like new media interaction, whether it be social networking, entertainment, or something altogether different, being apart of the next new wave of modern media is exciting. Twitter certainly embodies the many to many aspect I've come to consider so important, and for that, I can't speak poorly of it. So, while I may not always understand everything about new media...sometimes the thrill of "surfing the web" and staying on top of what's new and different is reason enough to investigate...for a while...
...unless what Guster had for lunch gets old...

Call it New Media ADD, I guess.