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Alice’s Multimedia Family

At the beginning of this appendix, we talked about teenager Alice and the many types of mass and mediated communication that she and her family use in a single day, much of it at the same time. Consider Alice’s media experiences in light of what you’ve learned in this appendix.

  • Alice is experiencing media convergence. She combines traditional forms of mass media—television and books—with more interactive computer technology as she streams her favorite shows on the Internet and comments on fan blogs. Traditional media are still prominent, but these media interact with her use of texting and social networking. Even her “family time” with her brother is connected to media (video games and television), as is her schoolwork.
  • Because of the different forms of media that Alice has access to, she can be very selective about what she uses and why. She is not likely to bother with content that she doesn’t like or want. Thus, media content creators (filmmakers, television producers, and so on) must be sure to include messages that appeal to her and others in her demographic group.
  • Alice uses Facebook not only to make connections with her peers but also to contribute her own comments and feelings about cultural phenomena, such as the Hunger Games trilogy and the actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt. This cultural bonding may build social capital among her network of friends.