Cell Phones as Mass Media - Essay Example

The first printed book which was dated was named “Diamond Sutra”, printed in China, around 868 AD.  Although there exists evidence that books were printed even before that stated date.

Mass media refers to the transfer of knowledge and information to an unlimited mass audience. Phones or cell phones may not usually be considered as a mass medium; this is because telephones are the device meant for only two way communication between two or more two people. Previously there have been only six categories of mass media; that is, Print, Recordings, Cinemas, Radio, Television and the Internet. Now a new category has been introduced in the mass media, which are cell phones. Cell phones are now being considered as the seventh mass media channel; also called digital media. 

Cell phones are the only mass media that are always carried by the user. They also provide nearly 100% accuracy regarding the audience and that every content that has ever passed through the device could be traced back; whether it is calls, messages, or any other media content such as movies, videos, or music.

In ancient times the Church was the sole source of information for the people. The Church had complete power over the minds of the citizens and was very powerful. They were the ones responsible to disintegrate the information in whatever form and style that suits them. After Gutenberg invented the metal movable type, books became widely available. They were then the source of knowledge and information. People started relying on them more than the primordial means of communication. Literacy increased and so did the consumption of information. Books, newspapers, magazines and pamphlets became the first source of mass media communications.

Recordings became the second mass media. Analogue recordings were introduced in the 1800s. The music industry evolved new concepts in records. The 1960s saw the first innovation in the form of open-reel audio tapes; then came the C-cassettes and music cartridges in the 1970s and later in the 1990s the MP3 files were the new digital storage medium for music. The records were not only limited to music storage but also provided storage for videos and movies. In the 1970s, movies started appearing in video cassettes. The later recording also expanded to include categories such as computer programs, video games and TV shows.  Due to these advancements, the music industry also evolved to include pop music, besides the orchestra.

Cinemas were introduced in the 1910s as the third mass media channel. Watching a movie in cinemas is an exhilarating experience for many.  Movies were the first mass media that involved moving images and pictures. The visual effect they created was unmatched by any other mass media. At first, movies were thought of as means that could diminish the value of books. But this was not the case.  Some of the best sellers were converted into movies, while in other cases the best of the Hollywood movies were written in print. Not only books and novels, but comics were also made into super-hit films, such as Superman, Batman, and Spiderman etc.

 The radio became the next mass media. With the invention of the radio, came a concept of broadcast schedule and audience were required to listen to the shows when they were aired, and not just as they wished; as was the case in all the previous mass media. It became the channel for commercial communication and brought its audience a wide range consisting of news, information, dramas, music, debate etc. Radio first brought the concept of breaking news; disseminating news and information as it is happening. Radios were sustained by advertising and licensing fees or sometimes both.

After a radio, came television; which tried to combine the efforts of both the radio (i.e. sound) and cinema (i.e. moving images). Television immediately dominated the whole household and captured the most audience compared to all the other means of communication. After the emergence of MTV (Music Television), artists found that TV was a good source for promotions of their music videos and albums. Television introduced cable, satellite and then digital television. Nowadays there is an ample number of channels that gives the audience maximum choice in terms of deciding what they want to watch.

The 1990s brought with it the beginning of a new era of mass media that was to be called the internet, or the World Wide Web (www.). This media not only combined all the previous media but also introduced new concepts of interactive options and search. Internet provided humans with the facilities of being a social animal. It provided grounds to search blog and interact with others around the globe. Internet readily demands the participation of the user as well as can be termed as “hot media”.

When cinemas could not destroy the value of books, and the internet has not completely overtaken newspapers and magazines, similarly cell phones also cannot undermine the value of the internet.