The Internet as a type of media and the latest social phenomenon

ИНТЕРНЕТ КАК ВИД МЕДИА И ПОСЛЕДНЕЕ СОЦИАЛЬНОЕ ЯВЛЕНИЕ

Каплий Марина Алексеевна

студент, Белгородский государственный национальный исследовательский университет, РФ, г. Белгород

Шемаева Елена Викторовна

научный руководитель, доцент кафедры иностранных языков, Белгородский государственный национальный исследовательский университет, РФ, г. Белгород

What is the Internet as a social phenomenon?

Today our society is distinguished by highly developed technologies and the presence of the global Internet, which is an advanced means of communication using various multimedia resources.

At the initial stage of development, the Internet was intended for highly specialized IT professionals. But even today, the mention of the Internet evokes in us associations not only with IT specialists, but also with the social sphere. The World Wide Web has become a publicly available means of communication. The Internet has occupied almost all spheres of public life of society and it is obvious that the social demand for the worldwide network was extremely high. As the earth is inhabited by millions of people, so the Internet has millions of different computers with open access to the global network. Interactions on the Internet have led to the creation of a huge number of «electronic worlds», the subjects of which are real people who organize groups and communities in it.

The Internet is a global phenomenon, so people from different countries of the world can be present on foreign sites and forums without any special obstacles, have the opportunity to follow their communication and become part of the Internet society. All this leads to the spread of ideas and creativity of certain individuals in other countries of the world and affects the Internet culture.

As in real life, in the global Internet, each individual receives his own status, which will be determined depending on the user's popularity in the network. For example, it may depend on the number of views of his publications or ratings from other users. Online statuses can also be prescribed and purchased. In various social communities on the Internet, their own methods are created in order to improve their status.

In social networks and on the Internet in general, as in any other societies, a culture of its own can be formed, in which it will be possible to single out all the peculiarities of culture, such as language, customs and traditions. As a rule, communication on the Internet is characterized by the simplification of the language and the introduction of abbreviations into it. Such changes lead to the emergence of subcultures with their own peculiarities of the language on the network. Since the communication of users on the Internet takes place with the help of text, it will be necessary to express emotions and their attitude using various emoticons, images or hyperlinks.

Thus, the global Internet is a kind of social system that has a number of its inherent functions, the main one of which is the process of socialization, where individuals can receive reliable knowledge and interact with other people, just like in real life.

What is the Internet as a type of media?

Mass media or mass media are distribution channels (radio, television, newspapers) through which people get news. The media is a kind of window into the world that brings information about events in different countries to every home.

Sociology of media is a branch of sociology that studies the media as a sociocultural phenomenon. In sociology, as in science, mass media is viewed from the point of view of functioning, distribution and ways of informing the audience.

The influence of the media on a person is usually described by contrasting the everyday and how it is presented by the media. In fact, the media in their activities are trying to blur the lines between the existing reality and the reality that they present. Today, the media not only illuminate and inform the masses, but also construct the reality that surrounds them.

Another important characteristic of the media is the status with which they give information. It is also worth noting that the media are engaged not only in informing the masses, but also in structuring existing data. It is for this reason that the media can act as completely independent sources and shape their own reality, with their own stereotypes and attitudes.

The development of new communication technologies has revolutionized the field of traditional media and led to the emergence of a new type of mass media – Internet media.

First, you need to understand the concept of Internet media and find out the similarities and differences with traditional media.

Internet media are sites or author's projects with a relatively large audience of readers, the content of which is constantly updated and refers to a socially significant journalistic product. This definition fits almost every network resource. However, the Internet is more likely to be seen as a platform through which other types of media can disseminate information. Therefore, one should not assume that the entire Internet is media. This is a multifaceted communication channel through which the audience learns about current events.

Types of Internet media are classified according to several criteria. First of all, there are two large groups:

1. Network options for traditional media options.

2. Independent Internet resources.

Below are the most popular domestic examples of online media:

1. RIA News.
2. Information agency «ITAR-TASS».
3. Online newspaper «Dni.Ru».

The main similarity between these media is their main function. The function of information content, which consists in meeting the needs of the population in informing about events.

Internet news differs from traditional media in some properties: direction of communication, target tasks, multimedia, interactivity, practicality, quick response, the ability to select information.

The Internet is one of the key aspects of modern society. The World Wide Web has a huge impact on a person's life, because for him it is the main means of communication with the world around him. Today, the Internet performs not only the function of communication, but also the function of mass information, which made it possible to single out a separate group called Internet media. In the 21st century, the overwhelming majority of people prefer Internet media resources to their traditional counterparts. After all, information on the Web is multimedia and always relevant.