Introduction and Goals

Write an introductory post on your blog. Introduce yourself and write about your answer to our digital media class discussion.

Children are being denied the right to a bright future -- which is why I am in this class. The planet is dying and children are being denied education, the two most important parts of securing a productive and fulfilling future. Living in the digital age brings with it new challenges: How can we engage audiences when distractions are everywhere? How can crucial content regarding the right to a future (or any social issue) be brought to our audience's attention? How can we get people to genuinely connect with victims through the Internet? The Internet and digital media allow us to present our content in ways never before seen, but also present a host of new challenges. I hope to find solutions in this class.

All of that is to answer the unasked question of why I am in the class, and helps to introduce myself, in a way. I am a senior studying math and philosophy with minors in English and international relations. I am on a pre-law track and hope to eventually enroll in law school. However, upon graduation in May, I will be moving to Memphis, TN, to teach at an underserved urban school for four years. This is directly related to the concern outlined above. During those four years I also hope to create engaging writing across a variety of platforms to draw attention to this issue, which I then hope to work with more deeply in law school.

Anyways, I think that sufficiently introduces who I am. I also enjoy reading, writing, camping, rock climbing, cooking...

Hence we come to the other question: What do we need to know to write in a digital age? I think I can best answer this question in the context of the issue I outlined above, a right to a bright future. Reaching a popular audience for this issue in a digital age requires a number of skills and a wide knowledge base.

First, this kind of writing requires basic digital literacy, as mentioned in class. This used to be a skill that was simply helpful. but to effectively communicate today, a writer must be able to use word processors, communicate via email, save and organize files appropriately, and so on.

We must also need to know how to effectively design a digital piece in order to make the text clear and engaging. Most web pages and other digital media feature some multimedia aspects, whether it be text, images, audio, or video. Effective writing in the digital age will know when to use each medium and how to effectively implement them.

One final thing would be how to engage audiences that live fast-paced lives. Media consumers expect soundbites, short videos, and easily accessible (and shareable) text. One example of this kind of adaptation is videos featuring prominent captions for people who want to consume that kind of media on-the-go without the need for headphones.

All of these features are unique to the digital age. Thankfully, these new problems can be identified easily. The solutions are surely more challenging, but with the rise of technology, innovations are made everyday.