The Concept Of Public Sphere And Inclusion Of New Media Impacting Human Lives

The Concept of Public Sphere and Its Relevance Today

The Concept Of Public Sphere And Inclusion Of New Media Impacting Human Lives

According to Collin & Halverson (2018), technology has penetrated successfully in all aspects of life. However, the concept of public sphere and its relevance in the current scenario is becoming more complicated. Modern media and communications technology are dominated by the Information Communications Technology Industry which suggests that there is a change of state in the way people perceive mass media. Today, mass media is utilized for multiple spheres of life which has been the greatest source for gathering information on any given topic. However, there can be potential issues like commercialization, media ownership, commodification and changes in technology which restricts the free flow ideas, information, and rational thinking among masses. Even when people are dependent on the cyber world for every other reason, it is important to assess that effect of the dependency on the freedom of the masses. According to Holub (2013), public sphere refers to the social areas where people come together to freely discuss on various matters and identify the issues in the society and influence political discussions. Currently, the public debate is majorly conducted on mass media specially on social media sites, academic publications and articles. His opinion emphasized the fact that social media has made people more passive and less participative in the traditional concept of public sphere shifting their focus to entertainment and commercialization.

According to McKee (2005), Public sphere is considered as a forum where people can express their ideas freely, give opinions which is embedded on different levels of the society. Today, the use of mass media and especially social media has been an interactive platform for people to share their opinions and discuss them with other people on those platforms. People are actively taking the benefits of mass media to receive effective results, starting from individuals to organizations. As opined by Antony & Thomas (2010), the combination of media culture along with ethos and new technology is transforming the people now perceive public spaces which is on the verge of getting obsolete. The need for going digital and keeping pace with the technological advancements has become extremely important. However, the shift from traditional mass media to commercialism of mass media bringing in the consumerist culture (Flett, 2015). The issue emerged to be availability of filtered form of crude information that lacked critical opinion from people also the facts are not presented properly. According to the identifier of the concept of public sphere, Habermas stated that people have stopped focusing on the facts and understand information only that is being fed to them. The way news is conveyed to the general public is often adulterated which is currently known as viral content which focuses less on the facts be presented. The nature of communication environment is changing that has made public sphere an obsolete concept. Media must facilitate a debate for the public to discuss on it and critique on different topics. Mass media is supposed to involve public opinion in their true nature but now a days information is often falsified that stresses on the importance of democracy in the free society.

Impact of New Media and Technology on Public Sphere

Benefits and Issues with inclusion of New Media 

As suggested by Moghimi, et. al. (2016), today people highly dependent on virtual medium and it has become the need for creating virtual communities. The most important question here lies in the fact that the role of public sphere has become insignificant leading to lack of public debate over other mass media. Virtual communities can possibly break in with the role of reviving public debate among the masses. However, it is also important to analyze the importance of virtual communities as the survivor of public debates or a simple distraction in the modern changing world. Nowadays people have limited their conversations to social media rather than face to face communication. People are still finding a way to understand the importance of new technologies and cyberspace in their life. This has resulted in lack of knowledge of new technologies creating a gap and a disadvantageous point for online mode of communication. For instance, people who are involved with use of social media have not brought any considerable changes in the democratic issues in many parts of different countries.

On the contrary, the inclusion of social media in the lives of people can be seen as a positive impact due to its benefits such as connecting people from all over the world and getting hold of information. Thompson (1995) suggests that the importance of social media and electronic media, where both are performing separate tasks. Social media actively engages people whereas electronic media attract the attention of the public by publishing and communicating the viewpoints and opinions of the public. Whether it is electronic media or social media, that people are involved and engaged with something which provides them with information and be in touch with the world. While some want to debate about particular topics and agendas happening in the world, some only want to be gain information on what is happening in the world. This involvement of the public can someday revive the concept of public sphere and debate about important matters. However, the participation depends on the people and their urge to be involved, take necessary measures that can bring relevant changes in the society. The concept of having a public debate requires the attention, knowledge the attitude of reasoning so that it can bring significant changes in the society. Therefore, mass media can be supportive in enlightening and informing people true and reliable information, but it is the responsibility of the general public to facilitate their opinions to foster debate in the open society.

Consumerism and Commodification of Mass Media and Its Implications for Public Sphere

In the era of digitalization, the way world communicates and interacts is transforming with each passing day. As suggested by Jenkins, Ford & Green (2013), networking has become so important that presence of number of social networking platforms is increasing which means that the concept of public sphere will also enhance. The concept of public sphere can also be rephrased in a manner where it will suggest that people participate in public debates to exchange their opinions, share ideas on a common topic and create judgement on the overall topic of the debate without any bias. As people are getting more passive due to the presence of social media, it shows the signs of a consumerist culture.  According to Speck & Hasselkuss (2015), Consumerist culture refers to attribute of a society of consumers which suggests that people are more involved in identifying new connections and information rather than full and long-lasting connection with others. It is a generation where people hurry about everything in order to reinvent oneself over endurance. The lack of permanent connections has resulted in temporary communities and focusing more on individualism. This sense of urgency is because of changing trends in terms of fashion, purchasing electronics, clothing or hairstyles. The dark side of consumerist culture is that it disables the past and makes things obsolete. Even when they are some positive aspects of the consumerist culture, the drawback lies in making some experiences and things obsolete.

As suggested by Kozinets, Patterson & Ashman (2016), networking has become extremely popular because people highly depend on the cyberspace. Evidence shows that close communications life family connections, long distance friends and relationships have narrowed down as people prefer being on the virtual medium rather than be physically present to initiate conversation. The cyberspace has various positive sides associated to it, but it is making people more construed to only particular things. The world has become smaller space due to the prevalence of social media. Although it has connected people, but it also has weekend the ties of a public sphere.

Commoditization refers to the process of offering goods and services distinguishing from the competitors. Commoditization basically allows consumers to make their purchase decisions solely upon the price of the product. Marketers use this concept to compete with its rivals by selling commoditized goods that includes different types of offers and perks for consumers. People purchase goods and services on the basis of their needs, preferences, and social and economic order. This is termed as consumerism which forms a base for consumers to make well informed purchase decisions. On the other hand, concepts of consumerism and commoditization has become a threat for existence of public spheres. The concept of consumerism allows consumers to support decision making which has raised the skepticism that corporations are falsifying the needs and demands of consumers and also invading their privacy in order to advertise their products. Today, media content has turned into commodities and public discussions are hampered over electronic media. Consequently, electronic media is also becoming insignificant in the recent times as it is merely changing the perception and beliefs of the public.

Role of Social Media in Reviving Public Sphere

Today, consumers have plethora of choices to select from and modern democracy works on this concept that expressing their will because they have choices. The social structure of the society is changing which has impacted the political systems. The lack of balance between the state and civil society has resulted in thin chances of collaborating democracy and active public sphere with mass media. As suggested by Lumby (1999), it is important to know that a public sphere not only a hub to exchange ideas, but it is a culture that needs to spread among masses so that the follow and generate socio cultural interaction.

The role of social media in the 21st century has been seen both positively and negatively. In the early 1990s, the internet was commercialized which had a great impact on human lives and society. As suggested by Deuze (2007), the use of internet was limited to exports and scientists but now internet is an indispensable part of the current generation. This has allowed people to revamp the concept of public sphere with the use of social media. The most popular social media application is Facebook which was founded by Mark Zuckerberg in the year 2004. Facebook does not support any political agenda nor promote any political views. This social media platform has been a part of millions of people around the globe connecting them, exchanging information and exploring different parts of the world with the click of a button. The use of new media platforms like Facebook has given a new hope for public spheres. Facebook has multiple host of applications that helps in gaining public opinion through its pages, events and groups created. These applications are considered to connect people on the same platform having similar interests and beliefs regardless of their geographical locations. These conversations can be regarding anything starting from discussing about personalities, giving viewpoints on products or services and supporting a cause. The popularity of Facebook has allowed it to bring people together for social causes and raise their concerns on specific topics like elections, global warming and economic condition of nations.

Twitter is also one of the most popular social media platforms that has a become a popular newswire. This microblogging service allows people to send messages in form of tweets the discuss about several issues like politics and economy. People consider it to be a great source of news about different topics from around the globe.

Conclusion 

The concept of public sphere has been ages old which is associated with different other theories like commoditization and consumerism. The emergence of electronic media has a great impact on the public sphere that has made the public more passive about different matters. Researchers agree that the inclusion of new media and internet connects the world at a whole new level it also lacks physical appearances. It is suggested that physical appearances can sometimes probe the issues, look deeper into the problem and identify the relevant solutions which is sometimes not possible in the virtual medium. Therefore, the concept of public cannot be completely made obsolete, but it can be embraced if digitalization is used effectively.

References

Antony, M. G., & Thomas, R. J. (2010). ‘This is citizen journalism at its finest’: YouTube and the public sphere in the Oscar Grant shooting incident. New Media & Society, 12(8), 1280-1296.

Collins, A., & Halverson, R. (2018). Rethinking education in the age of technology: The digital revolution and schooling in America. Teachers College Press.

Deuze, M. (2007). Creative industries, convergence culture, and media work. Media work, 45-83.

Flett, G. V. (2015). Visual technologies within a consumerist culture. Journal of Contemporary Ministry, (1), 30-45.

Holub, R. C. (2013). Jurgen Habermas: Critic in the public sphere. 3^rd ed. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Jenkins, H., Ford, S., & Green, J. (2013). What constitutes meaningful participation? In Spreadable media: Creating value and meaning in a networked culture (pp. 153-194).

Kozinets, R., Patterson, A., & Ashman, R. (2016). Networks of desire: How technology increases our passion to consume. Journal of Consumer Research, 43(5), 659-682.

Lumby, C. (1999) ‘Popular Politics’, in Gotcha: Life in a Tabloid World, St Leonards: Allen & Unwin, pp.1-26.

McKee, A. (2005). ‘Introduction’, in The Public Sphere: An Introduction, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.1-16.

Moghimi, M., Stone, R., Rotshtein, P., & Cooke, N. (2016). Influencing human affective responses to dynamic virtual environments. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 25(2), 81-107.

Speck, M., & Hasselkuss, M. (2015). Sufficiency in social practice: searching potentials for sufficient behavior in a consumerist culture. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 11(2), 14-32.

Thompson, J. (1995) ‘The Self as a Symbolic Project’, in The Media and Modernity: A Social Theory of the Media, Cambridge: Polity, pp.207-219.