The Rise of New Media: A Benefit or a Threat to Traditional Media-Based Society?

Abstract

It is widely acknowledged that the development of new media has imposed a significant influence on the traditional-media-based society, but how? This paper focuses on the multi-dimensional impact of the rise of new media on the modern society which is based on traditional media. This work is investigated from four different directions: reduced public's trust in the media, acceleration of the spread of fake news, increase in political polarization and anti-government attributes of media responses, and the replacement of traditional media in commercial promotion. The research supports each viewpoint with specific social examples and comes to the conclusion that people's opinions are more easily controlled by the media. Finally, this paper calls for more research on how people could maintain their independence of thought in the face of new media and use new media to benefit mankind.