The world of digital media through the eyes of a rookie

0 Responses

My first week as an intern in summary was filled with mild confusion and fascination. The confusion I felt was probably on par with the confusion felt by those who I told I was doing an internship at a digital communication agency. “So…uh…what does that involve?” were common phrases I heard over the months leading up to my internship. Or alternatively people would just say “right…cool” and display an expression similar to that of a beauty queen at a physics convention.

For many, I think the perception they had was that I would be sitting behind a computer screen entering ones and zeros into a program. However, that was far from the case.

The first wall…

I came across my first challenge within minutes of my arrival to the office… outlook email. Okay I guess it is not that scary, but for someone who has never used it before the amount of buttons and functions was enough to reconsider my assumption that I was technically savvy. Another inadequacy I felt was when writing up a draft of a social media company. Social media websites have multiplied in the past few years and keeping up with them can be difficult. Content platforms are constantly changing and some being made redundant. I think it is fair to say that Tom is no longer on MySpace.

And another thing, I don’t know about anyone else but I am sick of updating ITunes and checking the box to confirm I have read their updated terms and conditions. For all I know they could be deducting millions from my credit card.

Sharing is not caring

One surprising discovery I learned when attending a social media workshop was how volatile some industry forums can be. I already knew Twitter and other social media platforms were well known for their capacity to murder people’s reputations but I had no idea these sorts of things happened within professional industry websites.

The point was raised during the workshop about how people often defame other companies and individuals online but may one day want to work for that particular individual or employer. For all you know they could be your next client or business partner, heck, they might even play golf with your boss on weekends.

So what happens if you do have a stab at a competitor or a particular individual? You could always delete the post, but experiences with other social media platforms show how that really makes no difference. Information is often saved onto particular websites despite the delete option, and all it takes is screenshot > save > send (or alternatively share) by a fellow co-worker and there goes your next promotion.

 

 

 

Technology at the hands of the user

On my third day I went along to navigation testing for a new health website where many different people were tested including pharmacists, general practitioners and your average Joe. Across all the different people there was one clear part of the website they all feel they needed, and that was a search button.

People want quick information where they can find what they want in a few clicks. Which is perfectly reasonable, however I do wonder what we are missing when all we want is quick information. Gone are the days where people would spend hours trawling though information in order to find the right kind. The internet and in particular Google has changed this making all the information you need at your fingertips. This particular “Google it” way of thinking has meant that many company websites have changed in order to accommodate a search button.

A moment to reflect

Behind the initial shock of emails and the realisation that social media is unpredictable at the best of times, I found the digital world quite interesting.  It is a constantly changing environment filled with the potential to change the way people interact with companies and individuals. So, in an industry with so much innovation and change I am sure to be kept intrigued and fascinated by digital communication.