Creativity

            It is undeniable that digitalization and the existence of the many forms of new media contributes to and fosters the creativity of users. With the many different types of new media that exists today, users are provided with the means of expressing their unique ideas, or even creating their own works, with the medium that is the internet. In addition, there are millions of internet users with different opinions, and perspectives, so when users place their ideas and works, whether it be a webpage, a blog post, a video, a drawing, or even a comment, their ideas are given visibility and they may receive helpful feedback, including valuable criticism, by others. For example, Twitter has become one of the most popular social networking websites today but this is also due to the fact that the founders had accepted and used the ideas given to them by their users when Twitter had only began as a startup company. In the article, "Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers," the writer states, "But it was a learning process for the company. The founders did not like several user-generated Twitter features at first, but accepted them once they saw that others were adopting them, Mr. Williams said. When people started referring to Twitter posts as 'tweets,' Twitter resisted until a few months ago, when it applied for a trademark on the term." It can be said that the founders of Twitter had acknowledged and utilized the feedback of users in order to create the successful website that it is today. By recognizing that the internet is a hub for creativity generated by the endless number of users, we may see that new media promotes creative expression by providing users with a tool to work with and feedback for growth.

Citation:

Miller, Claire Cain. "Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers." The New York Times. The New York Times, 25 Oct. 2009. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.