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INTRODUCTION
It is agreeable to contend that the internet as a communication media has improved the connectivity of persons, hence the displacement of other media such as television and radio This is more considerate of the fact that internet as compared to its counterparts; television and radio, generates more involvement (Robinson & Martin, 2009) and (Dimmick, Yan & Zhan, 2004). One of the most identifiable facets alienating the internet from being utterly passive focuses on involving its users, in numerous ways. Such involvements are in form of interactions, information access as well as efficiency (Okazaki & Hiros, 2009). More so, most of activities offered by television and radios can be accessed easily from the internet through its differentiated features. Interactions are identified inform of connectivity ability among individuals especially peers. These interactions are however facilitated by availability of social sites such as FaceBook, MySpace and many others.
Involvement advantage of the internet is still evident in important activities such as communication, accessibility of information for personal gain as well as academic empowerment
(Robinson, 2011). On another perspective, the internet engages a large number of audiences throughout the world, as compared with the past scenario.
This paper aims at evaluating and discussing the extent of internet displacing television and radios. To enhance more understanding on the issue, the paper will focus on the strengths of internet against the passive media. This will offer clear insight of how internet has displaced televisions and radio in communication. Therefore, it is debatable and agreeable that the internet has taken over hence displacing the passive forms of communication in respect to television and radios.
DISCUSSION
Internet has displaced the existing media construed as passive due to its role in engaging the users in reference to variety of roles (Leung, 2007) and (Dimmick & Yan & Zhan, 2004). These roles enhance activities of the users with more ease as they can contribute to communication of information. More so, consideration is based on the areas of internet usage as a communication method. The internet engages the users in varied ways which fails in television and radio (Okazaki & Hiros, 2009).
Interactivity and users involvement
The role of media is to facilitate interactions from one source to another and vice versa. Robinson and Martin (2009) acknowledge that, the television and radio are interactive, but, they fail in one aspect that the internet facilitates more, interactivity.
Development of relationships
The internet enhances the development of relationships through interactivity facilitated by its usage (Lin, 2004). This is because the user has the authority in taking control of what they prefer (Dimmick, Yan & Zhan, 2004). In education the students and their professors’ relationships are enhanced through timely communication. This is facilitated in terms of projects and assignments where the students and their professors communicate in timely sequences, on matters related to academics. For instance, the student may require information or directions based on a particular area in academics which can further be facilitated through online communication and feedback. Therefore, the internet creates a student –professor relationships based on academic work.
In business communication, information is relayed immediately when required with enhancements of feature such as video conferencing facilitating such interactions. It generates sharing of ideas from one location to another with immediate feedback (Lin, 2004). This however fosters timely decisions making especially in multinational companies. On the other hand, business promoting products or services the internet offers a credible environment to foster relationships with consumers, for many businesses. Internet credibility is further realized for the business where the consumer shares their views with the organization, hence feedback obtained is utilized to enhance consumer – business relationship, which lacks in case of television and radios. Television and radio have been linked with dictating to the consumer in their choice of preferences. In her study, (Lin, 2004) highlights that, the internet enables consumer to retailer communication and vice versa, in reference to commodities. This is further facilitated through advertising in the internet inform of blogs and Ads, which are available in varied websites. Lin (2004) adds that through internet communications in advertising as well as buying, majority of retail businesses especially in fashion industry and others, realize major returns. Therefore, consumers in this age are geared towards more involving modes of products and services promotion (Okazaki & Hiros, 2009) and acquisition (Lin, 2004) with delegation of what to do as a rule out.
Development of relationships is further facilitated through the internet prompting more social connectivity among varied groups (Leung, 2007) and development of mutual understandings (Dimmick, Yan & Zhan, 2004). Additionally, Leung (2007) also notes that, since the internet enhances communication relationships are maintained, for example through instance messaging as well as webcast enabled communications (Lin, 2004). Relationships are further maintained by continuous involvement of two or more parties even in distant locations, through the internet.
Social connectivity among peers
Relationships are enhanced in peer circles as communication is enabled with no limitation to time and engagement (Leung, 2007). This however is a positive fact of internet against passive modes of communication. Additionally, this factor can be aligned to the availability of features enhancing communications in social sites such as FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace and many more. In addition, the social connectivity enhance user own preference in sharing of information such as pictures, music, downloading activities and many more, with specification of the intended viewers (Dimmick, Yan & Zhan, 2004). User own preferences are facilitated in form of creating their own accounts’ information as seen in social sites.
The interaction enhances more companionship for peers as they relate well in consistency. More so, physical communication is enhanced via social sites communication such as get together and reunions are set and communicated. Such information require faster communication method with ability to reach a mass number of people, hence the suitability of internet enabled social connections. Robinson and Martin (2009) states that internet has probed contradictions regarding its effectiveness in facilitating physical communications. More so, there are deemed aspects of internet connectivity diminishing physical interaction. On the other hand, (Robinson & Martin, 2009) and (Okazaki & Hiros, 2009) strongly indicate that the internet creates a sense of curiosity towards mutually interrelated individuals especially when separated by occupational and other factors. This is agreeable as people separated through varied aspects such as occupations, create or relay information on mutually recognized events via the social sites, hence facilitating consistent physical communications.
Freedom emanates from the internet as compared to television and radio (Dimmick, Yan & Zhan, 2004). Initially, television and radio offered and still offer programmed services to the users hence limiting selection and choice in terms of preference. Even in aspects related to social interactivity, the programs selected fall within the directives of the both passive media respective management. According to (Lin, 2004) and (Robinson &Martin, 2009), the internet breaks the monopolistic aspects evident in television and radio, through involvement of users. This is also implied by (Leung, 2007) as flexibility factor of the internet, distinctively differentiated from television and radio, through freedom of engagement, freedom of accessing information, freedom of expression and many more.
Leung (2007) affirms that the involvement factors of the internet in social and engaging activities, assists individuals escape stressful occurrences which could affect them psychologically. This is facilitated through connecting to diverse social sites or informational websites hence diverting to more involving and engaging activities. Therefore, the idea of acquiring and developing relationships through the internet distinguishes the internet from other media.
Diversity of features
The internet has features that are different as well as diverse with varied usage (Okazaki & Hiros, 2009). It is widely known that the internet itself is a diverse media with more dynamic advancements emerging as time advances (Lin, 2004). The internet probes a displacement threat to passive media since most features facilitated by television as well as radio, can be easily accessed from the internet. Such features include news from passive media being accessed from the internet. More so, information is accesses irrespective of the time it was relayed as opposed to passive media. This means that data stored in the internet enables uses to retrieve it through internet search engines such as Google, Yahoo and many others. Music is also related to the three media; television, radio and internet. However, the displacement factor occurs whereby, through the internet, users can access any category of music they prefer, at individual own pace and preference. In comparison to television and radio, the user no limited authority to selection of music preferred and also in videos availability in the internet via YouTube.
Lin (2004) notes that, the major area where internet is liable to displace passive communication methods, focuses on similarity in functional features. This means that activities that individuals require from televisions are readily available in the internet with easy access. Therefore, in comparison to the passive media, these features engage the users to feel as part of what is going on in the world, rather than the traditional way centered on viewing only. Internet users can access information immediately, from, and about any location in the world. For instance, information on varied situations occurrences, such as calamities and weather changes prompting acquisition of information and travelling decisions making respectively. In addition, (Leung, 2007) contends that if a new media tends to facilitate more engagement of its users, displacement is the resultant factor to the existing media. This factor is based on internet as a provider of multi faceted features with differentiated elements to satisfy preferences of its users (Dimmick, Yan & Zhan, 2004).
The internet has differentiated roles in relation to retrieval of information (Robinson & Martin, 2009). With reference to television and radios, the internet offers a credible way of obtaining information from the past with ease (Robinson, 2011). For instance, details of certain information or activities are clearly stated for the user, coupled with easier access. Further, the information available is categorized in ways that enhance the user to access once entered in the search engine. In addition, information relayed in other media in most cases occurs occasionally, hence facilitating the use of the internet to locate such information with easier understanding at user’s own pace.
Accessibility
Internet accessibility levels are high with comparison to passive media. This means that, unlike other communication methods, the internet can be accessed from variety of spaces as well as from varied locations (Okazaki & Hiros, 2009).For instance, areas such as cybercafés, learning institutions libraries, from personal enables gadgets such as laptops, cell phones and many more. Individuals are also, enabled to internet accessibility from home due to the diversified of portable technologies (Robinson & Martin, 2009) such as cell phones, laptops and many others. Learning institutions offer internet for students to access relevant information and also enhance the student to student, professor to student and professor to professor communication channels. In addition, communication of educational events and learning programs are facilitated by accessibility of internet throughout the globe.
Furthermore, the internet has generated positivity in perception as compared to the passive media (Dimmick, Yan & Zhan, 2004). Meaning, the internet is mostly considered as educational tool from other passive media (Robinson & Martin, 2009). Knowledge and information sharing has improved especially in academics as internet also offers online publication as well as educational programs. Most parents and guardians alike have been conferred to the notion of television and radio, being of negative influence to children. This is due to the fact that the internet engages users in many forms of activities especially education as well as creativity seen in features such as online games, access to information and many others.
In accessing information the internet offers varied languages according to different countries. Individuals can access information in the language they fully understand hence the discriminatory factor as evident in radio and television, lack in the internet. Still on accessibility factor, the internet has become an aspect for organizations to develop a competitive edge especially to the young consumers and other specific market segments.
CONCLUSION
Internet as communication media has displacing as well as dominating factor on passive media such as television and radios. This is because the activities and features that are offered by the internet are also found in these passive media. As a result the providers of services in passive form retaliated to integrating internet through enhancing availability of their information. However, the difference portrayed in accessibility can be associated to efficiency as well as effectiveness which internet portrays.
In addition, other areas that have emerged to favor internet usage focus on aspects of interaction, enabling educational factors and many more. Lastly, due to the technological advancement as time advances, the internet will determine the fate of the passive media. This is due to the diversification of many features available and yet different from passive media. Therefore, the test of time is the major factor behind the displacement of television and radios in communication.
Though televisions and radios are still preferred in a different way to varied individuals, the internet is widely used within a given specific day. However, this factor is debatable for further investigation of internet displacement towards passive communication media. Hence forth, it is agreeable that the internet is reigning in the communication sector.
REFERENCES
Dimmick, J., Yan, C., & Zhan, L. (2004). Competition between the Internet and Traditional News Media: The Gratification-Opportunities Niche Dimension. Journal of Media Economics, 17(1), 19-33. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Leung, L. (2007). Stressful Life Events, Motives for Internet Use, and Social Support among Digital Kids. Cyber Psychology & Behavior, 10(2), 204-214. doi:10.1089/cpb.2006.9967
Lin, C. A. (2004). Webcasting Adoption: Technology Fluidity, User Innovativeness, and Media Substitution. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 48(3), 446-465. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
Okazaki, S., & Hirose, M. (2009). Effects of displacement–reinforcement between traditional media, PC internet and mobile internet. International Journal of Advertising, 28(1), 77- 104. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Robinson, J., & Martin, S. (2009). IT and Activity Displacement: Behavioral Evidence from the U.S. General Social Survey (GSS). Social Indicators Research, 91(2), 115-139. doi:10.1007/s11205-008-9285-9
Robinson, J. (2011). IT, TV and Time Displacement: What Alexander Szalai Anticipated but Couldn’t Know. Social Indicators Research, 101(2), 193-206. doi:10.1007/s11205-010- 9653-0
