How the internet is changing practices and spaces

In my week 2 blog, my dad shared his experience of watching television from his childhood. In his time all the family, friends and people from the town would gather and sit in the open area at someone’s home who had a TV to watch the television. In 1960’s it was a form of social gathering to visit someone’s home to watch television.

The introduction of the internet into the everyday family household has changed the way that many of the spaces within the house are used and in turn how technology is used. The overall communication methods with each other have also changed due to the involvement of internet and other form of technology. Through the internet all of the family members are entwined together where they become 24/7 available and have to opportunity to connect with each other even being outside the house.

It has become too important to have internet access wherever we are, no matter we are at home, shopping or at Starbucks for revision. It is so interesting to look at people’s reaction/responses when they are not able to access the internet, almost as if their important body part has cut off. My dad told me his latest experience that the other day he forgot to bring his phone along with him to his work, and on the way he’s usually used to reading news and scrolling through Facebook and Twitter, however on that day he felt vulnerable and isolated. These days’ building connections are so important that phones have taken over everyone’s time because of easy mobile internet which can be used anytime and any day.

Nowadays not only are we using internet for connecting with each other, but we are also using it to change the way that take in traditional form of media. There are variety of entertainments offered through the internet. So overall traditional television has declined (Crupi, 2015). Growing use of internet also lead down the path of an increased use of data being used. There is growth in downloads – quality and speed of the connections differs on where you are living and the quality of the wires and their connection.

Like in the past it started off with television bringing different families together not only the family members of the same house but everyone else in the neighbourhood. However, with the advance of technology, audiences in the families are delocalised and are separated to watch anything anytime anywhere. By the means of internet, media space allows groups of people to interact together, they do not need to be at the same place at the same time for this to happen. A particular “TV show” audience can leave a comment or have discussion in the internet/cyber space. These audiences, are able to interact more efficiently no matter they are at the same place and time or not than in those days’ traditional television audiences who could only express their opinions on TV magazines or in newspapers for interaction.

What are your thoughts on this new media space? Do you think the audiences are drifting from real interaction to mobile internet interaction with their families?