The most important question to be asked is what digital revolution is anyway.
The Digital Revolution refers to the advancement of technology from analogue electronic and mechanical devices to the digital technology available today. The era started to during the 1980s and is ongoing. The Digital Revolution also marks the beginning of the Information Era. The Digital Revolution is sometimes also called the Third Industrial Revolution.
The development and advancement of digital technologies started with one fundamental idea: The Internet. The first origins of the internet go back to the 1950s and 1960s.
In the 1950s, computers were used exclusively for military and scientific purposes ("calculating machines"). It was not until the 1960s that there was a change in perspective, when computers were increasingly understood as a means of communication. In these years the first online communities ("communities") were formed. One example of this is PLUTO, an online community that was developed at the University of Illinois in the early 1960s as a platform for computer-based learning.
In 1965, electronic mail, or e-mail for short, was invented. The computer became a familiar machine and by the end of 1980, being able to use one became a necessity for many jobs. The first cellphone was also introduced during this decade.
By 1992, the World Wide Web had been introduced, and by 1996 the Internet became a normal part of most business operations. By the late 1990s, the Internet became a part of everyday life for almost half of the American population.
In the 2000s the Digital Revolution had begun to spread all over the developing world; mobile phones were commonly seen, the number of Internet users continued to grow, and the television started to transition from using analog to digital signals.
In 2010 and beyond the Internet makes up more than 25 percent of the world's population. Mobile communication has also become very important, as nearly 70 percent of the world's population owns a mobile phone. The connection between Internet websites and mobile gadgets has become a standard in communication.
It is predicted that by 2015, the innovation of tablet computers will far surpass personal computers with the use of the Internet and the promise of cloud computing services. This will allow users to consume media and use business applications on their mobile devices, applications that would would otherwise be too much for such devices to handle.
Finally, I would like to outline a few advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages:
+ The digital production of media is usually easier and cheaper than with analog means: music production and composition on the computer are often easier and cheaper than in an analog recording studio, digital cameras no longer require film development, blogs, YouTube channels and websites can be operated much more easily than Print media and television channels.
+ The diffusion of Internet content is reaching almost the entire planet, while paintings, books, newspapers and magazines are less likely to reach poor regions and households. Information, education, art and culture can quickly reach the entire world.
+ Information on the Internet is not only constantly available, but can also be updated regularly without having to reprint it.
Disadvantages:
- In addition to professionals, beginners are increasingly creating and distributing content in the digital age. This means there is more choice, but also a significant increase in poor quality content.
- One reason for the less in-depth online articles is the more difficult financing of digital media: Very few Internet users want to pay for a service and instead look for free alternatives, digital pirated copies are easier to generate, advertising income on the Internet is significantly lower than in print media, and media consumption is lower ephemeral and superficial
- Due to the oversupply of content, consumers often take their chance to quickly skip to other offers.