What is the New Media Age you may be thinking? Well trusty ole Wikipedia describes New Media as “a term meant to encompass the emergence of digital, computerized, or networked information and communication technologies”. This includes everything from iPhones to Facebook, Kindles to Twitter and beyond. The problem with a term like “new media” is that its slippery. Though we may have a definition for it and the word New Media Age may have 2900 global searches a month doesn’t mean the everyday blogger or business person knows what to do with this strange new category.

Well… I’m in the same boat as you, it took me days of research to put together what I think is a lay man’s guide to New media and now I am here to give you your New Media Survival Guide. You may disagree with my choices, you may think I’m crazy or too young to offer advice… well you can save your criticisms for the comment box! I think it takes a young person often times to really understand the strange, often changing and convoluted world of social & new media… So brace yourself fellow New media newbies for the ultimate (at least for me!) survival guide for the new media age.

1. Its not too late to get on the Facebook band wagon. If you are the rare person who does not have a Facebook fan page for your business, or at least a personal one for yourself then save some face right now, run over to the social media giant and sign up! If you want some awesome advice to set up a fan page for your business or brand go to Smart Passive Income’s video on the topic… but regardless what else you do to ensure your survival in the upon us new & social media revolution be on Facebook!

2. Get an iPhone. Okay, so I’m biased. I love my iPhone, hate my service, but love the amazing abilities the iPhone unlocks for the new media novice and expert alike. I can keep “in touch” like never before. Here is just a quick list of apps for maximum new media optimization.

• FourSquare: Check in wherever you go be it restaurants, clubs, bookstores, gas stations etc. It sends out a message to people throughout your social media platforms of your where-a-bouts and you can connect with a lot of other movers (and possibly shakers) in the real & online world. That or you can use it to get a stalker.
• Facebook: links you to your facebook page, which you should have made by now.
• Tweetie 2: allows you to update to Twitter tweets, pictures & links with ease. Feed your social media addiction and call me when you need a twittervention.
• Emergency Radio: an app that lets you listen to emergency radio signals, this can be helpful and interesting.
• Free Wi-Fi Locator: because who doesn’t need more free wi-fi in their life?
• News Fuse: keep your new media self updated with the news of the world, its mostly depressing though, that or just freaking infuriating like the balloon boy saga.

3. Create a blog. Whether you like to garden tomatoes or are a stock analyst, someone, somewhere wants to here what you have to say.

4. Keep up with the high tech inventions & news on TechCrunch.com.

5. Did I say be on Twitter? Be on Twitter & put a Twitter retweet button (i use tweetmeme) on your blog so others can tweet your fascinating posts.

Remember the New Media age is built on information & communication technologies… a trend that is exploding all over the world. Be it social media platforms, amazing technological advances in the realm of computing & cellular communication or the simple fact that you can find programs for cell phones that locate exactly where in the world all of your contacts are.

There’s a growing lack of privacy in our new media age and it seems as though that isn’t going to turn around anytime soon. So embrace it, be cautious of it & pass your survival guide know how on to your friends!

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