Editing Digital media (section)

==Impact==

=== The digital revolution ===
[[File:Motorola flip phone, closed.jpg|thumb|Motorola phones in their first generation of production]]
{{See also|Digital Revolution}}
Since the 1960s, computing power and storage capacity have increased exponentially, largely as a result of [[MOSFET scaling]] which enables [[MOS transistor]] [[transistor count|counts]] to increase at a rapid pace predicted by [[Moore's law]].<ref name="Motoyoshi">{{cite journal |last1=Motoyoshi |first1=M. |s2cid=29105721 |title=Through-Silicon Via (TSV) |journal=Proceedings of the IEEE |date=2009 |volume=97 |issue=1 |pages=43–48 |doi=10.1109/JPROC.2008.2007462 |issn=0018-9219}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Tortoise of Transistors Wins the Race - CHM Revolution |url=https://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/digital-logic/12/279 |website=[[Computer History Museum]] |access-date=22 July 2019 |archive-date=10 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200310142421/https://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/digital-logic/12/279 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Transistors Keep Moore's Law Alive |url=https://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1334068 |access-date=18 July 2019 |work=[[EETimes]] |date=12 December 2018 |archive-date=24 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190924091622/https://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Personal computer]]s and [[smartphone]]s put the ability to access, modify, store and share digital media in the hands of billions of people. Many electronic devices, from [[digital camera]]s to [[unmanned aerial vehicle|drone]]s have the ability to create, transmit and view digital media. Combined with the [[World Wide Web]] and the [[Internet]], digital media has transformed 21st century society in a way that is frequently compared to the cultural, economic and social impact of the [[printing press]].<ref name=infoage /><ref name=aclib>{{cite news|last=Bazillion|first=Richard|title=Academic libraries in the digital revolution|url=http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eqm0119.pdf|access-date=31 March 2014|newspaper=Educause Quarterly|date=2001|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130503055833/http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EQM0119.pdf|archive-date=3 May 2013}}</ref> The change has been so rapid and so widespread that it has launched an economic transition from an industrial economy to an information-based economy, creating a new period in human history known as the [[Information Age]] or the [[digital revolution]].<ref name=infoage />

The transition has created some uncertainty about definitions. Digital media, [[new media]], [[multimedia]], and similar terms all have a relationship to both the engineering innovations and cultural impact of digital media.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Lauer |first=Claire |title=Contending with Terms: "Multimodal" and "Multimedia" in the Academic and Public Spheres |journal=Computers and Composition |date=2009 |volume=26 |issue=4 |pages=225–239 |url=http://dmp.osu.edu/dmac/supmaterials/lauer.pdf |doi=10.1016/j.compcom.2009.09.001 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327001010/http://dmp.osu.edu/dmac/supmaterials/lauer.pdf |archive-date=2014-03-27 |citeseerx=10.1.1.457.673 }}</ref>  The blending of digital media with other media, and with cultural and social factors, is sometimes known as new media or "the new media."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://digitalyouth.ischool.berkeley.edu/files/report/digitalyouth-WhitePaper.pdf |last=Ito |first=Mizuko |title=Living and learning with the new media: summary of findings from the digital youth project |date=November 2008 |access-date=April 27, 2022 |display-authors=etal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081127101442/http://digitalyouth.ischool.berkeley.edu/files/report/digitalyouth-WhitePaper.pdf |archive-date=November 27, 2008}}</ref> Similarly, digital media seems to demand a new set of communications skills, called [[transliteracy]], [[media literacy]], or [[digital literacy]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Digital literacy definition|url=http://connect.ala.org/node/181197|publisher=ALA Connect|access-date=30 March 2014|date=14 September 2012|archive-date=3 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140303062752/http://connect.ala.org/node/181197|url-status=live}}</ref> These skills include not only the ability to read and write—traditional [[literacy]]—but the ability to navigate the Internet, evaluate sources, and create digital content.<ref>{{cite web|title=What is digital literacy?|url=http://digitalliteracy.cornell.edu/welcome/dpl0000.html|work=Cornell University Digital Literacy Resource|publisher=Cornell University|access-date=30 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100626082655/http://digitalliteracy.cornell.edu/welcome/dpl0000.html|archive-date=26 June 2010}}</ref> The idea that we are moving toward a fully digital, paperless society is accompanied by the fear that we may soon—or currently—be facing a [[digital dark age]], in which older media are no longer accessible on modern devices or using modern methods of scholarship.<ref name="darkage"/> Digital media has a significant, wide-ranging and complex effect on society and culture.<ref name=infoage />

A senior engineer at [[Motorola]] named Martin Cooper was the first person to make a phone call on April 3, 1973. He decided the first phone call should be to a rival telecommunications company saying "I'm speaking via a mobile phone".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.knowyourmobile.com/phones/the-history-of-mobile-phones-from-1973-to-2008-the-handsets-that-made-it-all-happen-d58/|title=History of Mobile Phones (1973–2008): The Cellphone Game-Changers!|date=2020-04-15|website=Know Your Mobile|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-04-19|archive-date=2020-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200320161909/https://www.knowyourmobile.com/phones/the-history-of-mobile-phones-from-1973-to-2008-the-handsets-that-made-it-all-happen-d58/|url-status=live}}</ref> Ten years later, Motorola released the [[Motorola DynaTAC]], the first commercially available mobile phone. In the early 1990s Nokia released the [[Nokia 1011]], the first mass-produced mobile phone.<ref name=":0" /> The number of smartphone users has increased dramatically, as has the commercial landscape. While [[Android (operating system)|Android]] and [[iOS]] both dominate the smartphone market. A study By [[Gartner]] found that in 2016 about 88% of the worldwide smartphones were Android while iOS had a market share of about 12%.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web|url=https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2017/02/current-trends-future-prospects-mobile-app-market/|title=Current Trends And Future Prospects Of The Mobile App Market|date=2017-02-20|website=Smashing Magazine|language=en|access-date=2020-04-19|archive-date=2020-08-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804201639/https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2017/02/current-trends-future-prospects-mobile-app-market/|url-status=live}}</ref> About 85% of the mobile market revenue came from mobile games.<ref name=":12"/>

The impact of the digital revolution can also be assessed by exploring the amount of worldwide mobile smart device users there are. This can be split into 2 categories; smart phone users and smart tablet users. Worldwide there are currently 2.32 billion [[smartphone]] users across the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/330695/number-of-smartphone-users-worldwide/|title=Number of smartphone users worldwide 2014-2020 {{!}} Statista|website=Statista|language=en|access-date=2017-05-12|archive-date=2017-06-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626212405/https://www.statista.com/statistics/330695/number-of-smartphone-users-worldwide/|url-status=live}}</ref> This figure is to exceed 2.87 billion by 2020. Smart tablet users reached a total of 1 billion in 2015, 15% of the world's population.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Tablet-Users-Surpass-1-Billion-Worldwide-2015/1011806|title=Tablet Users to Surpass 1 Billion Worldwide in 2015 - eMarketer|website=www.emarketer.com|language=en|access-date=2017-05-12|archive-date=2016-10-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027125417/http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Tablet-Users-Surpass-1-Billion-Worldwide-2015/1011806|url-status=live}}</ref>

The statistics evidence the impact of digital media communications today. What is also of relevance is the fact that the number of smart device users is rising rapidly yet the amount of functional uses increase daily. A smartphone or tablet can be used for hundreds of daily needs. There are currently over 1 million apps on the Apple App store.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/10/22/4866302/apple-announces-1-million-apps-in-the-app-store|title=Apple announces 1 million apps in the App Store, more than 1 billion songs played on iTunes radio|date=2013-10-22|website=The Verge|access-date=2017-05-12|archive-date=2017-05-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170512171633/https://www.theverge.com/2013/10/22/4866302/apple-announces-1-million-apps-in-the-app-store|url-status=live}}</ref> These are all opportunities for [[digital marketing]] efforts. A smartphone user is impacted with digital advertising every second they open their Apple or Android device. This further evidences the digital revolution and the impact of revolution.<ref>{{cite book |last=jaehyun |first=Lee |date=2013-02-25 |title=뉴미디어 이론|trans-title=New Media Theory |language=KOREAN |location=KOREA |publisher=Communication Books |isbn=978-89-6680-847-2|quote=We experience virtuality and reality through new media. We experience media, content everywhere. Still, the media is a device that disciplines our sensory patterns, body organs, and cognitive processes. P107}}</ref> This has resulted in a total of 13 billion dollars being paid out to the various app developers over the years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/10/22/4866302/apple-announces-1-million-apps-in-the-app-store|title=Apple announces 1 million apps in the App Store, more than 1 billion songs played on iTunes radio|last=Ingraham|first=Nathan|date=2013-10-22|website=The Verge|language=en|access-date=2020-04-19|archive-date=2017-05-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170512171633/https://www.theverge.com/2013/10/22/4866302/apple-announces-1-million-apps-in-the-app-store|url-status=live}}</ref> This growth has fueled the development of millions of software applications. Most of these apps are able to generate income via in app advertising.<ref name=":12"/> Gross revenue for 2020 is projected to be about $189 million.<ref name=":12" />

===Disruption in industry===
Compared with [[print media]], the [[mass media]], and other analog technologies, digital media are easy to copy, store, share and modify. This quality of digital media has led to significant changes in many industries, especially journalism, publishing, education, entertainment, and the music business. The overall effect of these changes is so far-reaching that it is difficult to quantify. For example, in movie-making, the transition from analog [[film]] cameras to digital cameras is nearly complete. The transition has economic benefits to Hollywood, making distribution easier and making it possible to add high-quality digital effects to films.<ref>{{cite news|last=Cusumano|first=Catherine|title=Changeover in film technology spells end for age of analog|url=http://www.browndailyherald.com/2013/03/18/changeover-in-film-technology-spells-end-for-age-of-analog/|access-date=31 March 2014|newspaper=Brown Daily Herald|date=18 March 2013|archive-date=31 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331192918/http://www.browndailyherald.com/2013/03/18/changeover-in-film-technology-spells-end-for-age-of-analog/|url-status=live}}</ref> At the same time, it has affected the analog special effects, stunt, and animation industries in Hollywood.<ref name=switch>{{cite news|last=Carter|first=Beth|title=Side by side takes digital vs. analog debate to the movies|url=https://www.wired.com/2012/04/side-by-side/|access-date=31 March 2014|newspaper=Wired|date=26 April 2012|archive-date=12 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140412044257/http://www.wired.com/2012/04/side-by-side/|url-status=live}}</ref>  It has imposed painful costs on small movie theaters, some of which did not or will not survive the transition to digital.<ref>{{cite news|last=McCracken |first=Erin |title=Last reel: Movie industry's switch to digital hits theaters -- especially small ones -- in the wallet |url=http://www.ydr.com/ci_23139035/last-reel-movie-industrys-switch-digital-hits-theaters |access-date=29 March 2014 |newspaper=York Daily Record |date=5 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407050448/http://www.ydr.com/ci_23139035/last-reel-movie-industrys-switch-digital-hits-theaters |archive-date=7 April 2014 }}</ref> The effect of digital media on other media industries is similarly sweeping and complex.<ref name=switch />

Between 2000 and 2015, the print newspaper advertising revenue has fallen from $60 billion to a nearly $20 billion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/11/the-print-apocalypse-and-how-to-survive-it/506429/|title=The Print Apocalypse of American Newspapers|last=Thompson|first=Derek|date=2016-11-03|website=The Atlantic|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-19|archive-date=2020-04-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415070130/https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/11/the-print-apocalypse-and-how-to-survive-it/506429/|url-status=live}}</ref> Even one of the most popular days for papers, Sunday, has seen a 9% circulation decrease the lowest since 1945.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/06/05/time-inc-spinoff-reflects-a-troubled-magazine-business/|title=Time Inc. spinoff reflects a troubled magazine business|website=Pew Research Center|date=5 June 2014 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-14|archive-date=2020-09-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927115705/https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/06/05/time-inc-spinoff-reflects-a-troubled-magazine-business/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In journalism, digital media and [[citizen journalism]] have led to the loss of thousands of jobs in print media and the bankruptcy of many major newspapers.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kirchhoff|first=Suzanne M.|title=The U.S. newspaper industry in transition|url=http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40700.pdf|publisher=Congressional Research Service|access-date=29 March 2014|date=9 September 2010|archive-date=27 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127124320/http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40700.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> But the rise of [[digital journalism]] has also created thousands of new jobs and specializations.<ref>{{cite news|last=Zara|first=Christopher|title=Job growth in digital journalism is bigger than anyone knows|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/job-growth-digital-journalism-bigger-anyone-knows-799109|access-date=29 March 2014|newspaper=International Business Times|date=2 October 2012|archive-date=7 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407055751/http://www.ibtimes.com/job-growth-digital-journalism-bigger-anyone-knows-799109|url-status=live}}</ref> [[E-book]]s and [[self-publishing]] are changing the book industry, and [[digital textbook]]s and other media-inclusive curricula are changing primary and secondary education.<ref>{{cite web|title=Publishing in the digital era|url=http://www.bain.com/Images/BB_Publishing_in_the_digital_era_4_11.pdf|publisher=Bain & Company|access-date=29 March 2014|year=2011|archive-date=11 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140211015803/http://www.bain.com/Images/BB_Publishing_in_the_digital_era_4_11.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="policy">{{cite news|last=Toppo|first=Greg|title=Obama wants schools to speed digital transition|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2012-01-31/schools-e-textbooks/52907492/1|access-date=17 March 2014|newspaper=USA Today|date=31 January 2012|archive-date=18 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318014433/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2012-01-31/schools-e-textbooks/52907492/1|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In academia, digital media has led to a new form of scholarship, also called [[digital scholarship]], making [[open access]] and [[open science]] possible thanks to the low cost of distribution. New fields of study have grown, such as [[digital humanities]] and [[digital history]]. It has changed the way libraries are used and their role in society.<ref name="aclib" /> Every major media, communications and academic endeavor is facing a period of transition and uncertainty related to digital media.

Often time the magazine or publisher have a Digital edition which can be referred to an electronic formatted version identical to the print version.<ref name=":22"/> There is a huge benefit to the publisher and cost, as half of traditional publishers' costs come from production, including raw materials, technical processing, and distribution.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=van der Burg|first1=Miriam|last2=Van den Bulck|first2=Hilde|date=2017-04-03|title=Why are traditional newspaper publishers still surviving in the digital era? The impact of long-term trends on the Flemish newspaper industry's financing, 1990–2014|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/16522354.2017.1290024|journal=Journal of Media Business Studies|volume=14|issue=2|pages=82–115|doi=10.1080/16522354.2017.1290024|s2cid=219296760 |issn=1652-2354}}</ref> 
[[File:FT Magazine.Print .Ads .png|thumb|Decline of print ads over the years of 2008 US economic problem]]
Since 2004, there has been a decrease in newspaper industry employment, with only about 40,000 people working in the workforce currently.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.journalism.org/fact-sheet/newspapers/|title=Trends and Facts on Newspapers {{!}} State of the News Media|website=Pew Research Center's Journalism Project|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-19|archive-date=2020-04-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418194703/https://www.journalism.org/fact-sheet/newspapers/|url-status=live}}</ref> Alliance of Audited Media & Publishers information during the 2008 recession, over 10% of print sales are diminished for certain magazines, with a hardship coming from only 75% of the sales advertisements as before.<ref name=":22"/> However, in 2018, major newspapers advertising revenue was 35% from digital ads.<ref name=":3" />

In contrast, mobile versions of newspapers and magazines came in second with a huge growth of 135%. The New York Times has noted a 47% year of year rise in their digital subscriptions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/06/01/circulation-and-revenue-fall-for-newspaper-industry/|title=Circulation, revenue fall for US newspapers overall despite gains for some|website=Pew Research Center|date=June 2017 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-19|archive-date=2020-04-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417051233/https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/06/01/circulation-and-revenue-fall-for-newspaper-industry/|url-status=live}}</ref> 43% of adults get news often from news websites or social media, compared with 49% for television. [[Pew Research Center|Pew Research]] also asked respondents if they got news from a streaming device on their TV – 9% of U.S. adults said that they do so often.<ref name=":22" />

===Individual as content creator===
{{see also|Social impact of YouTube}}
[[File:Canon EOS M Blogger Event 02 cropped.jpg|thumb|Average camera of a YouTube blogger, a Canon EOS]]

Digital media has also allowed individuals to be much more active in [[content creation]].<ref name="pew-new">{{cite web|last=Horrigan|first=John|title=A Typology of Information and Communication Technology Users|url=http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2007/A-Typology-of-Information-and-Communication-Technology-Users/Summary-of-Findings.aspx|publisher=Pew Internet and American Life Study|date=May 2007|access-date=2014-03-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112191018/http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2007/A-Typology-of-Information-and-Communication-Technology-Users/Summary-of-Findings.aspx|archive-date=2014-01-12|url-status=dead}}</ref> Anyone with access to computers and the Internet can participate in [[social media]] and contribute their own writing, art, videos, photography and commentary to the Internet, as well as conduct business online. The dramatic reduction in the costs required to create and share content have led to a democratization of content creation as well as the creation of new types of content, like [[blog]]s, [[Internet meme|memes]], and [[video essay]]s. Some of these activities have also been labelled [[citizen journalism]]. This spike in user-created content is due to the development of the internet as well as the way in which users interact with media today. As more users join and use social media sites, the relevance of content creation increases.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Brake |first=David R. |date=2014-04-01 |title=Are We All Online Content Creators Now? Web 2.0 and Digital Divides* |url=https://doi.org/10.1111/jcc4.12042 |journal=Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication |volume=19 |issue=3 |pages=591–609 |doi=10.1111/jcc4.12042 |s2cid=35491 |issn=1083-6101}}</ref> The release of technologies such mobile devices allow for easier and quicker access to all things media.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Pavlik|first1=John|last2=McIntosh|first2=Shawn|title=Converging Media|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-934230-3|pages=237–239|edition=Fourth|year=2014}}</ref> Many media creation tools that were once available to only a few are now free and easy to use. The cost of devices that can access the Internet is steadily falling, and personal ownership of multiple digital devices is now becoming the standard. These elements have significantly affected political participation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ypp.dmlcentral.net/sites/all/files/publications/YPP_Survey_Report_FULL.pdf |last=Cohen |first=Cathy J. |author2=Joseph Kahne |title=Participatory politics: new media and youth political action |date=2012 |publisher=Youth & Participatory Politics |access-date=April 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407033117/http://ypp.dmlcentral.net/sites/all/files/publications/YPP_Survey_Report_FULL.pdf |archive-date=7 April 2015}}</ref> Digital media is seen by many scholars as having a role in [[Arab Spring]], and crackdowns on the use of digital and social media by embattled governments are increasingly common.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kelley|first=Peter|title=Philip Howard's new book explores digital media role in Arab Spring|url=http://www.washington.edu/news/2013/06/13/philip-howards-new-book-explores-digital-media-role-in-arab-spring/|access-date=30 March 2014|newspaper=University of Washington|date=13 June 2013|archive-date=26 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326123003/http://www.washington.edu/news/2013/06/13/philip-howards-new-book-explores-digital-media-role-in-arab-spring/|url-status=live}}</ref> Many governments restrict access to digital media in some way, either to prevent [[obscenity]] or in a broader form of political [[censorship]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Rininsland|first=Andrew|title=Internet censorship listed: how does each country compare?|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/datablog/2012/apr/16/internet-censorship-country-list|access-date=30 March 2014|newspaper=The Guardian|date=16 April 2012|archive-date=7 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407051055/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/datablog/2012/apr/16/internet-censorship-country-list|url-status=live}}</ref>

Over the years [[YouTube]] has grown to become a website with user generated media. This content is oftentimes not mediated by any company or agency, leading to a wide array of personalities and opinions online. Over the years, YouTube and other platforms have also shown their monetary gains. In 2020, the top 10 highest earning YouTube content creators each generated over 15 million dollars.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Berg |first=Madeline |title=The Highest-Paid YouTube Stars Of 2020 |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2020/12/18/the-highest-paid-youtube-stars-of-2020/ |access-date=2022-03-18 |website=Forbes |language=en |archive-date=2020-12-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225081104/https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2020/12/18/the-highest-paid-youtube-stars-of-2020/?sh=5fb39e126e50 |url-status=live }}</ref> Many of these YouTube profiles over the years have a multi camera set up as we would see on TV. Many of these creators also creating their own digital companies as their personalities grow.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} Personal devices have also seen an increase over the years. Over 1.5 billion users of tablets exist in this world right now and that is expected to slowly grow <ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Tablet-Users-Surpass-1-Billion-Worldwide-2015/1011806|title=Tablet Users to Surpass 1 Billion Worldwide in 2015 - eMarketer|website=www.emarketer.com|language=en|access-date=2020-04-19|archive-date=2020-04-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419081815/https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Tablet-Users-Surpass-1-Billion-Worldwide-2015/1011806|url-status=live}}</ref> About 20% of people in the world regularly watch their content using tablets in 2018<ref name=":4" />

[[User-generated content]] raises issues of privacy, credibility, civility and compensation for cultural, intellectual and artistic contributions. The spread of digital media, and the wide range of [[literacy]] and communications skills necessary to use it effectively, have deepened the [[digital divide]] between those who have access to digital media and those who do not.<ref>{{cite news|last=Crawford|first=Susan P.|title=Internet access and the new digital divide|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/opinion/sunday/internet-access-and-the-new-divide.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|access-date=30 March 2014|newspaper=The New York Times|date=3 December 2011|archive-date=10 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410150147/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/opinion/sunday/internet-access-and-the-new-divide.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|url-status=live}}</ref>

The rising of digital media has made the consumer's audio collection more precise and personalized. It is no longer necessary to purchase an entire album if the consumer is ultimately interested in only a few audio files.

===Web-only news===
{{See also|Web television|Streaming television}}
[[File:Philips remote control with a Netflix button, Finsterwolde (2019) 04.jpg|thumb|US Philips TV Controller with built in Netflix Streaming button]]
The rise of streaming services has led to a decrease of cable TV services to about 59%, while streaming services are growing at around 29%, and 9% are still users of the digital antenna.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/09/13/about-6-in-10-young-adults-in-u-s-primarily-use-online-streaming-to-watch-tv/|title=61% of young adults in U.S. watch mainly streaming TV|website=Pew Research Center|date=13 September 2017 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-22|archive-date=2020-03-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328110616/https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/09/13/about-6-in-10-young-adults-in-u-s-primarily-use-online-streaming-to-watch-tv/|url-status=live}}</ref> TV Controllers now incorporate designated buttons for streaming platforms.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.roku.com/|title=Roku|last=Roku|website=Roku|language=en|access-date=2020-04-22|archive-date=2022-05-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521121549/https://www.roku.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> Users are spending an average of 1:55 with digital video each day, and only 1:44 on social networks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://contently.com/2015/07/06/the-explosive-growth-of-online-video-in-5-charts/|title=The Explosive Growth of Online Video, in 5 Charts|date=2015-07-06|website=Contently|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-22|archive-date=2020-04-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200409033713/https://contently.com/2015/07/06/the-explosive-growth-of-online-video-in-5-charts/|url-status=live}}</ref> 6 out of 10 people report viewing their television shows and news via a streaming service.<ref name=":02" /> Platforms such as [[Netflix]] have gained attraction due to their adorability, accessibility, and for its original content.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://digital.hbs.edu/platform-digit/submission/netflix-the-rise-of-a-new-online-streaming-platform-universe/|title=Netflix: the rise of a new online streaming platform universe – Digital Innovation and Transformation|website=digital.hbs.edu|access-date=2020-04-22|archive-date=2020-04-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402013200/https://digital.hbs.edu/platform-digit/submission/netflix-the-rise-of-a-new-online-streaming-platform-universe/|url-status=live}}</ref> Companies such as Netflix have even bought previously cancelled shows such as ''[[Designated Survivor (TV series)|Designated Survivor]]'', ''[[Lucifer (TV series)|Lucifer]]'', and ''[[Arrested Development]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/one-day-at-a-time-canceled-tv-shows-switched-networks/|title=TV Shows That Found New Homes After Cancellation (Photos)|date=2019-07-01|website=TheWrap|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-22|archive-date=2020-04-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429073931/https://www.thewrap.com/one-day-at-a-time-canceled-tv-shows-switched-networks/|url-status=live}}</ref> As the internet becomes more and more prevalent, more companies are beginning to distribute content through internet only means. Indeed, young people today are increasingly likely to use TikTok over Google, television or newspapers for their news.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-05 |title=Is TikTok about to replace Google as the top search engine? |url=https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/02/05/gen-z-is-using-tiktok-as-a-search-engine-is-this-the-end-of-google |access-date=2024-02-06 |website=euronews |language=en}}</ref> With the loss of viewers, there is a loss of revenue but not as bad as what would be expected.

As of 2024 there has also been a wave of those considered too controversial by main-stream media moving over to online platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) to keep spreading their messages. One instance is Tucker Carlson leaving Fox News due to his controversial opinions and moving over to X.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Levine |first=Sam |date=2023-04-25 |title=Tucker Carlson leaves Fox News – reportedly fired by Rupert Murdoch |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/apr/24/tucker-carlson-leaving-fox-news |access-date=2024-02-06 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> This has sparked debate surrounding topics such as free speech and hate speech.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Otten |first1=Tori |last2=Thakker |first2=Prem |last3=Otten |first3=Tori |last4=Otten |first4=Tori |last5=Thakker |first5=Prem |last6=Thakker |first6=Prem |last7=Otten |first7=Tori |last8=Otten |first8=Tori |last9=Otten |first9=Tori |date=2022-11-01 |title=The 10 Most Fascist Things Tucker Carlson Said on Air |url=https://newrepublic.com/post/172149/10-fascist-things-tucker-carlson-said-air |access-date=2024-02-06 |magazine=The New Republic |issn=0028-6583}}</ref>

===Copyright challenges===
{{See also|Open data|Open access|Open source}}

Digital media<ref>{{cite journal|first=Ann Marie|last=Sullivan|title=Cultural Heritage & New Media: A Future for the Past|volume=15|issue=3|journal=J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L.|pages=604–646|year=2016|url=https://repository.jmls.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1392&context=ripl|access-date=2018-04-30|archive-date=2020-04-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200405095657/https://repository.jmls.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1392&context=ripl|url-status=live}}</ref> encompasses numerical networks of interactive systems that link databases, allowing users to navigate from one bit of content or webpage to another. Because of this ease, digital media poses several challenges to the current [[copyright]] and [[intellectual property]] laws.<ref>{{cite web|title=Copyright: an overview|url=http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/guide/copyright-an-overview|publisher=Jisc Digital Media|access-date=30 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327104300/http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/guide/copyright-an-overview|archive-date=27 March 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> The ease of creating, modifying, and sharing digital media can influence copyright enforcement challenging and many copyright laws are widely seen as outdated.<ref>{{cite news|last=Barnett|first=Emma|title=Outdated copyright laws hinder growth says Government|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8519420/Outdated-copyright-laws-hinder-growth-says-Government.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8519420/Outdated-copyright-laws-hinder-growth-says-Government.html |archive-date=2022-01-12 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=30 March 2014|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=18 May 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Brunet|first=Maël|title=Outdated copyright laws must adapt to the new digital age|url=http://www.policyreview.eu/outdated-copyright-laws-must-adapt-to-the-new-digital-age/|access-date=30 March 2014|newspaper=Policy Review|date=March 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219023349/http://www.policyreview.eu/outdated-copyright-laws-must-adapt-to-the-new-digital-age/|archive-date=19 February 2015}}</ref> Under current copyright law, common [[Internet meme]]s are generally illegal to share in many countries.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kloc|first=Joe|title=Outdated copyright law makes memes illegal in Australia|url=http://www.dailydot.com/politics/australia-copyright-memes-illegal/|access-date=30 March 2014|newspaper=Daily Dot|date=12 November 2013|archive-date=9 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209130741/http://www.dailydot.com/politics/australia-copyright-memes-illegal/|url-status=live}}</ref> Legal rights can be unclear for many common Internet activities. These include posting pictures from someone else's social media account, writing [[fanfiction]], or covering and/or using popular songs in content such as YouTube videos. During the last decade, the concepts of fair use and copyright have been applied to different types of online media.

Copyright challenges are spreading to all parts of digital media. Content creators on platforms such as YouTube follow guidelines set by copyright, IP laws, and the platform's copyright requirements. If these guidelines are not followed, the content may get demonetized, deleted, or sued.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Alexander|first=Julia|date=2019-04-05|title=The golden age of YouTube is over|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/5/18287318/youtube-logan-paul-pewdiepie-demonetization-adpocalypse-premium-influencers-creators|access-date=2020-04-27|website=The Verge|language=en|archive-date=2021-05-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523165559/https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/5/18287318/youtube-logan-paul-pewdiepie-demonetization-adpocalypse-premium-influencers-creators|url-status=live}}</ref> The situation can also occur when creators accidentally use audio tracks or background scenes that are under copyright.<ref name=":1" /> To avoid or resolve some of these issues, content creators can voluntarily adopt [[Open license|open]], or [[copyleft]] licenses or they can release their work to the [[public domain]]. By doing this, creators are giving up certain legal rights regarding their content. [[Fair use]] is a doctrine of the [[US Copyright Law]] that allows limited use of copyrighted materials without the need to obtain permission. There are four factors that make up fair use. The first, Purpose, refers to what the content is being used for. The second factor is what copyrighted content is being used. If the content is non-fiction, it is more likely to fall under fair use than if the content is fiction. The third factor is how much of the copyrighted content is in use. Small amounts of copyrighted content are more likely to be considered fair. The last factor is, whether the use of copyrighted content earns money or affect the value of the content.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fair Use {{!}} Digital Media Law Project|url=http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/fair-use|access-date=2021-11-01|website=www.dmlp.org|archive-date=2021-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007065617/http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/fair-use|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Wikipedia]] uses some of the most common open licenses, [[Creative Commons]] licenses, and the [[GNU Free Documentation License]]. Open licenses are one aspect of a broad [[open content]] movement that advocates for the reduction or removal of copyright restrictions from software, data, and other digital media.<ref>{{cite news|last=Trotter|first=Andrew|date=17 October 2008|title=The open-content movement|newspaper=Digital Directions|url=http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2008/10/20/02wiki.h02.html|access-date=30 March 2014|archive-date=7 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407045326/http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2008/10/20/02wiki.h02.html|url-status=live}}</ref> To facilitate the collection and consumption of such licensing information and availability status, tools like the [[Creative Commons]] Search engine are used mostly for web images, and [[Unpaywall]], or used for [[scholarly communication]].

Additional [[software]] has been developed to restrict access to digital media. [[Digital rights management]] (DRM) is used to lock material. This allows users to apply the media content to specific cases. DRM allows movie producers to rent at a lower price. This restricts the movie rental license length, rather than only selling the movie at full price. Additionally, DRM can prevent unauthorized modification or sharing of media. 
[[File:Youtube copyright claim.png|thumb|YouTube Copyright Claim Takedown]]
Digital media copyright protection technologies fall under intellectual property protection technology. This is because a series of computer technologies protect the digital content being created and transmitted.<ref name=":13">{{Cite book|last1=Chen|first1=Yixin|last2=Hu|first2=Xi|last3=Xiao|first3=Feng|title=Data Processing Techniques and Applications for Cyber-Physical Systems (DPTA 2019) |chapter=Digital Media Copyright Protection Technology in the Age of All Media |date=2020|editor-last=Huang|editor-first=Chuanchao|editor2-last=Chan|editor2-first=Yu-Wei|editor3-last=Yen|editor3-first=Neil|chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-15-1468-5_99|series=Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing|volume=1088|language=en|location=Singapore|publisher=Springer|pages=843–850|doi=10.1007/978-981-15-1468-5_99|isbn=978-981-15-1468-5|s2cid=211080740|access-date=2021-11-21|archive-date=2022-04-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407015618/https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-15-1468-5_99|url-status=live}}</ref> ''The [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act]]'' (DMCA) provides safety to intermediaries that host user content, such as YouTube, from being held liable for copyright infringement so long as they meet all required conditions. The most notable of which is the "[[notice and take down]]" policy.<ref name=":03">{{Cite journal|last1=Kaye|first1=D. Bondy Valdovinos|last2=Gray|first2=Joanne E.|date=2021-07-01|title=Copyright Gossip: Exploring Copyright Opinions, Theories, and Strategies on YouTube|journal=Social Media + Society|language=en|volume=7|issue=3|pages=20563051211036940|doi=10.1177/20563051211036940|s2cid=238732750|issn=2056-3051|doi-access=free}}</ref> The policy requires online intermediaries to remove and/or disable access to the content in question when there are court orders and/or allegations of illegal use of the content on their site. As a result, YouTube has and continues to develop more policies and standards that go far past what the DMCA requires. YouTube has also created an algorithm which continuously scans their cite to make sure all content follows all policies.<ref name=":03" />

One digital media platform known to have copyright concerns is the short video-sharing app [[TikTok]]. TikTok is a social media app that allows users to share short videos up to one minute in length, using a variety of visual effects and audio.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Herrman |first1=John |title=How TikTok Is Rewriting The World |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/10/style/what-is-tik-tok.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |date=10 March 2019 |access-date=17 October 2021 |archive-date=10 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190310143718/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/10/style/what-is-tik-tok.html |url-status=live }}</ref>  According to [[Loyola University Chicago School of Law|Loyola University]]'s Chicago School of Law, around 50% of the music used on TikTok is unlicensed.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bayley |first1=Lydia |title=TikTok: A Copyright Time Bomb |url=http://blogs.luc.edu/ipbytes/2021/03/29/tiktok-a-copyright-time-bomb/ |website=luc.edu |date=29 March 2021 |publisher=Loyola University's Chicago School of Law |access-date=17 October 2021 |archive-date=17 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017172103/http://blogs.luc.edu/ipbytes/2021/03/29/tiktok-a-copyright-time-bomb/ |url-status=live }}</ref> TikTok has several music licensing agreements with various artists and labels, creating a library of fair and legal use of music.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gardoce |first1=Rowan |title=The Legal Side Of TikTok: Music, Copyright and Ownership |url=https://sprintlaw.com.au/tiktok-copyright-issues/ |website=sprintlaw.com.au |date=12 August 2021 |publisher=Sprint Law |access-date=17 October 2021 |archive-date=17 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017172103/https://sprintlaw.com.au/tiktok-copyright-issues/ |url-status=live }}</ref> However, this does not cover all content for its users. A user could still commit a copyright violation on TikTok. One example is, accidentally having music playing on a stereo in the background or recording a laptop screen playing a song.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gleason |first1=Ann Potter |title=Copyright Owners' Love/Hate Relationship With TikTok and Instagram Raises Legal Issues |url=https://www.natlawreview.com/article/copyright-owners-lovehate-relationship-tiktok-and-instagram-raises-legal-issues |website=natlawreview.com |publisher=National Law Review |access-date=17 October 2021 |archive-date=17 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017172112/https://www.natlawreview.com/article/copyright-owners-lovehate-relationship-tiktok-and-instagram-raises-legal-issues |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Online magazine]]s or digital magazines are one of the largest targets for copyright issues. According to the [[Audit Bureau of Circulations]] report from March 2011, the definition of this medium is when a digital magazine involves the distribution of magazine content by electronic means; it may be a replica.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite conference|last1=Santos Silva|first1=Dora|conference=ELPUB - 16th International Conference on Electronic Publishing|book-title=Social Shaping of Digital Publishing: Exploring the Interplay Between Culture and Technology|editor-last=Baptista|editor-first=A.A.|date=June 14{{ndash}}15, 2012|location=Guimarães, Portugal|url=http://elpub.scix.net/data/works/att/109_elpub2012.content.pdf|title=The Future of Digital Magazine Publishing|access-date=21 November 2014|display-editors=etal|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123133735/http://elpub.scix.net/data/works/att/109_elpub2012.content.pdf|archive-date=23 November 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> This definition can be considered outdated now that PDF replicas of print magazines are no longer common practice. These days digital magazines refer to magazines specifically created to be interactive digital platforms such as the internet, mobile phones, private networks, iPad, or other devices.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> The barriers to digital magazine distribution are thus decreasing. However, these platforms are also broadening the scope of where digital magazines can be published;<ref>{{cite web|last1=Jones|first1=Ryan|title=Are Digital Magazines Dead|url=https://www.wired.com/2014/10/are-digital-magazines-dead/|website=WWW.wired.com|access-date=21 November 2014|archive-date=4 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141204094417/http://www.wired.com/2014/10/are-digital-magazines-dead/|url-status=live}}</ref> smartphones are an example. Thanks to the improvements in tablets and other personal electronic devices, [[digital magazines]] have become much more readable and enticing through the use of graphic art.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Pavlik|first1=John|last2=Mclntosh|first2=Shawn|title=Converging Media|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-934230-3|page=89|edition=fourth|year=2014}}</ref> The evolution of online magazines began to focus on becoming more of a social media and entertainment platform.

[[Online piracy]] has become one of the larger issues that have occurred concerning digital media copyright. The [[Online piracy|piracy]] of digital media, such as film and television, directly impacts the copyright party (the owner of the copyright). This action can impact the "health" of the digital media industry. Piracy directly breaks the laws and morals of copyright.<ref name=":13" /> Along with piracy, digital media has contributed to the ability to spread false information or [[fake news]]. Due to the widespread use of digital media, fake news can receive more notoriety. This notoriety enhances the negative effects fake news creates. As a result, people's health and well-being can directly be affected.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=de Oliveira|first1=Danilo Vicente Batista|last2=Albuquerque|first2=Ulysses Paulino|date=2021-08-28|title=Cultural Evolution and Digital Media: Diffusion of Fake News About COVID-19 on Twitter|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s42979-021-00836-w|journal=SN Computer Science|language=en|volume=2|issue=6|pages=430|doi=10.1007/s42979-021-00836-w|issn=2661-8907|pmc=8397611|pmid=34485922}}</ref>