Creativity

While some argue that there are more detriments than benefits to this idea of new media, one of the premiere examples of a benefit is the creativity that has spawned from it. We find creativity embedded in nearly all facets of new media, but the one I want to focus on is in the music industry. In an English class I had taken a few semesters ago, we discussed in great detail the drawbacks of mashup music created by anyone at a computer. That I won't elaborate on, but instead discuss why new media allows for this free flowing creativity.
     
Some say music is "dying", and some say it's getting worse. Personally, I don't think it's changed one bit. Similarly to the transition from old media to new media, one in which the shift is simply a natural progression, this idea of mashup music created at home is simply the next phase in a logical process. The internet has wildly broadened the spectrum of what's possible. No longer do we need to know how to sing or play an instrument to make great (debatable) music. With a full featured personal computer, we can mix and match songs that we enjoy and instantly make them available to thousands of people. In the article "The New Math of Mashups", the author makes an extraordinarily accurate point (in my opinion): "Armed with free time and the right software, people are rifling through the lesser songs of pop music and, in frustration, choosing to make some of them as good as the great ones.". Basically the author is saying that through the eyes (and ears) of the world's music listeners, we can sort of alter the music into a form that's potentially appealing to everyone . 


Another component of creativity generated by new media is the idea of feedback. "Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers", we gain insight as to how Twitter actually got to the point where it is today. While many people think that companies and their executives come up with all of the innovative ideas, it's actually quite the opposite. The article mentions that it's actually the consumer or end-user who suggests most of the ideas. For instance, the @ function and the # function on twitter were user generated, and consequently two of Twitters' iconic trademarks.


The main idea is that while new media could possible have it's own drawbacks, this idea of creativity that has spawned from the embracing of new media far outweighs the detriments in my opinion.