For some time now, the world as we know it, has been undergoing irreversible changes. But with mainstream media & telecom racing towards 100% digitalization, things are quite clearly, coming to a head. In the words of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, the world is being divided into 2 categories - 'Digital Immigrants' and 'Digital Natives'.

New Media Format
Digital media has redefined how we access content, be it news or entertainment. It is clear that the consumer will call the shots, not the publisher/broadcaster. The silent, technology-led revolution has created an electronic network of consumers. Consumers who create their own content menus, and even content. Playing, sharing & networking in communities of interest. Consumers who also play the role of citizen reporters/vigilantes, so adeptly personified by bloggers!

For example, take the recently-launched 'youth' channel Current TV which is attempting to redefine progamming by using segments of just 3 & 10 minutes; segments which are separated (not interrupted) by podcasts. Current TV is a venture of ex U.S. V.P. Al Gore and claims to define the broadcasting content format for today's youth.

Carnegie Corporation's recently released report on media consumption (author: Merrill Brown) makes it clear that the future course of news is being altered by technology-savvy (young) people who are neither wedded to traditional news outlets and nor do they access news in traditional ways.

Natives & Immigrants
Today's young generation is growing up with electronics. Naturally, they thrive in the digital world. And Cell phones, iPods, Instant Messaging, SMS, MMS, Web, Video Ggames, Pocket PCs, Videocams and other tools of the digital age are their tools & playthings.

What is important is that today's generation is not just an incremental change from the previous. (Incremental changes include changes in clothes, body adornments, lingo & style - and are routine for generational transitions.) The arrival & rapid dissemination of digital technology in the last decade has made very basic changes in the environment. The resultant digital environment is ubiquitous. And the younger generation's regular interaction with it has made them think & process information in a fundamentally different way. So different that it will change their thinking pattern drastically from the previous generation.

If today's generation are the 'Digital Natives', what does that make the rest of us? Those of us who were not born into the digital world but have, at some point in our lives, become fascinated by or forced to adopt many aspects of the new technology may be called Digital Immigrants.

As Digital Immigrants, we must learn to adapt to the changing environment, but will retain our "original accent" - our foot in the past, so to speak. Like turning to the Internet second for information rather than first. Or more like the phone call : "Did you get my email?"

Digital Natives will naturally see Digital Immigrants as accented, unintelligible, not quite used to the fast pace of information exchange! Because the Natives are used to receiving information & responding really fast. Routinely indulging in parallel processing and multi-tasking. And preferring graphics over text. Natives prefer random access (like hyper text). And function best when networked. They thrive on instant gratification, frequent rewards and prefer games to "serious" work.

The Four C's
Oh My News is a digital newspaper from Korea. An outstanding example of consumer generated medium which has over 26,000 "citizen reporters" contributing to the newspaper. Any citizen can be a reporter. And analysis is left to the readers, i.e. readers judge the truth for themselves. And by the way, Oh My News is reportedly Korea's 3rd largest newspaper!

Digital technology enables us to engage our audiences through the 4Cs - Commerce, Culture, Community and Connectivity. Good, relevant content coupled with a sigificant population of interest (community), along with a genuine business enterprise (commerce) can take advantage of the superlative connectivity to create powerful business & marketing tools. Something quite different from today's 'interruptive' style of marketing communications!

Moreover, superior connectivity can enable easy identification of social networks & prolific connectors - the key distribution points to viral contagion & shared messages. Media content will no longer be constructed in the traditional manner. "Evolving Personalised Information Construct" (EPIC) could be the new format.

Marketers need to acknowledge the current paradigm shift and answer the new questions: what is content? who owns it? who controls distribution?

The Four C
It is clear that the Digital Immigrant must become a Digital Native. But this may not be easy. Rupert Murdoch, speaking recently to the American Association of Newspaper Editors had this to say : "What is happening right before us is a revolution in the way young people are accessing news. They want control over their media, instead of being controlled by it. They want to question, probe, offer a different angle.... where 4 out of every 5 Americans in 1964 read a newspaper every day, today only half do. Among just younger readers, the numbers are even less. (Ultimately), we may never become true Digital Natives, but we can & must begin to assimilate to the new culture & way of thinking. This is a monumental, once-in-a-generation opportunity."