J.D. Applen’s Old Media, New Media, and Knowledge explores the transformation from (old) media to (new) media. Apple compares and contrasts print and digital. The point is that print is a controlled flow of information, and readings can be read throughout. However, digital has multiple flows of information, often through hyperlinks, multimedia elements, and interactive design. The book considers the impact of new media on education, professional communication, and everyday knowledge sharing. Applen emphasizes that digital media does not replace old media but reshapes how we create, distribute, and interpret information. And I agree 100% because what we have today had to start off somewhere; transitioning takes time.
Although we had text to now have digital, we had to evolve multiple factors to introduce an idea. A conversation that I had just yesterday with a friend was about phonebook. The new generation won’t know anything about that. Now, they can do a quick Google search. This is the transitioning we will experience, with physical books being uploaded and downloaded. These changes sparked up a conversation about funding for public libraries as well. Everything being easily available online makes it hard to keep people around. However, they have implemented and adapted the system to keep people interested. But the change can’t be made for bookstores when they run off funding from the people, unlike libraries being funded by state grants.
This shift challenges traditional rhetorical models and requires new ways of constructing and sharing knowledge. Digital media isn’t always better, though. If I have no Wi-Fi or my device dies, I can’t access anything. A physical book, however, remains available regardless of time, location, or power sources. While digital media offers convenience, print provides reliability. In the end, personal preference determines which what works best format works best for different situations.
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