The Influence Of Internet On The Meaning And Value Of Attention

Weiming Xu Prof. Valerie A. Tasiran Eng. 100 sec LO DD MM YYYY The Influence Of Internet On The Meaning And Value Of Attention Human beings continue to embrace new technological innovations with internet applications topping the list. Unlike in the previous centuries, sharing of information has become an easy task with multiple internet platforms necessitating this advancement. Popular platforms that have reached global scale include Facebook, Google (YouTube), Twitter thus controlling information received online and Spotify, Apple and Amazon that have gained traction distributing music. In both these cases, the internet has been the driving force behind their successes and promoting positive and other times, negative influence on humans. The Internet is full of both true and false claims with false exaggerated claims thriving since they are the best attention seekers and internet companies fail in their regulation. By promoting advertisements and a profiteering culture, internet companies continue to exert pressure on the use of attention to generate meaning and value. Similar-minded people use the internet platforms to promote their agendas even resorting to paying for ads to claim a piece of the importance of the monetized attention. Information sharing using the internet platforms has contributed to a considerable shift in the meaning and significance of attention bringing both positive and negative impact on the audience and users. Traditional media prided itself in its ability to control information and content shared to its audience before the emergence of the internet-backed platforms. Extreme editing and vetting activities were always applied before releasing information, whether on radio, TV or newspapers with the costly ramification of any miscalculation spelled out. Such outcomes would include loss of advertisements or even boycotting that would result to loss of revenue. That sphere around the digital media platforms has drastically changed. Management and control have become increasingly tricky unlike before. Tufekci questions “whose throat do you squeeze when anyone can set up a Twitter account in seconds, and when smartphone-wielding members of the public record almost any event?”. While traditional media is conservative in the content published, takes considerable planning time before broadcasting and publishing and is also expensive, the internet has embraced simplicity and minimal effort to create content, broadcast and share with other people at minimal cost. By just a click of a button, simple messages created could receive a global audience via internet platforms. Green notes that “twenty years ago if you wanted to buy the music made by a known abuser at a store, you would have risked some hot, focused shame. Streaming, meanwhile, with its blend of radio dial and kitchen faucet, removes shame from the equation.”Publishing content online has been simplified by the use of internet. While traditional media would make careful considerations before publishing content generated by controversial artists and other personalities, the same rules do not apply for internet-backed platforms. While music associated with controversial musicians in the past would be accessed with extreme difficulty and sometimes shame, internet streaming goes around societal expectations towards such musicians and the music lovers can access their content at will and with minimum effort if any. Critical information is obtained online with minimal authorization by the online platforms while rogue and potentially dangerous artists continue to hit the airwaves sponsored by internet platforms without any redress to their victims. The power of internet over the traditional media cannot be understated in influencing the attention of the audience regarding the content generated and published. The concept of engagement has been distorted by the digital media disrupting a critical media role that seeks to foster healthy, reasonable and knowledge-based societal discussions for the betterment of the society. The approach is unlike the traditional media that emphasizes more on quality, and editing before publishing. Here, the concept of engagement applies when the audience has an emotional commitment with the media platform for the content generated. Greene observes alienating an artist from their work is next to impossible. For music, exposing oneself to certain music means allowing a level of interaction and ...