Are You Paying for Digital Freedom with Personal Privacy?

In my opinion, it would be seemingly ignorant to close our eyes to the attractiveness of one word, in particular: free. In a day and age where cost of living is rising and jobs in the media field are paying less, even journalists themselves are attracted to lower costs. The online medium of news coverage and media distribution is most often free, meaning users with access to internet can consume content without paying a cent. According to the article "Priced to Sell" by The New Yorker,"The cost of the building blocks of all electronic activity—storage, processing, and bandwidth—has fallen so far that it is now approaching zero." Therefore online resources have a competitive cost advantage in their ability to attract an audience. Yes, there are numerous individuals who enjoy holding a newspaper in their hand. But, in the future, these users may choose to forgo such a convenience in an attempt to save money. 

In the article by Wired, I was initially shocked by the "free" scenarios presented such as free movie and subway tickets. The new digital age has created an atmosphere of abundance where companies can use alternate (digital) resources to bring down costs. I do believe this will affect traditional media as it has affected the traditional model of economics. The historical view of economics was based on supply and demand, also known as scarcity. This can be compared to a newspaper, in which only certain topics and subjects can be covered. However, there is no limit on the Web as to the resources available. Similarly, online news sources have the ability to provide not only a cheaper, but also more complex, informative platform for users. 

While researching the evolution of digital media, I found this article about a media CEO who realizes the economic growth of the digital age. However, he has a unique perspective, in that he also realizes the grave dangers of delving into the digital society head-first. Check it out here: Evolve Media's President on the Future of Digital Media: Facebook Will "Own You".