The subject which called media ecology refers to the use of ecological viewpoints and methods to explore and reveal the relationship between man and media, society, and nature and the nature and laws of development and change. As a new and independent subject, media ecology is the crystallization of ecological wisdom of human beings in dealing with the interrelationships of “human-media-society-natural systems”. It not only reflects the long process of human understanding of media ecological phenomena and media ecological laws, but also reflects the gradual accumulation and systematic transformation of human media ecological experience and media ecological knowledge.
From the perspective of media ecology, the Internet, as a new media, has a significant impact on the entire media ecosystem. The biggest difference between the Internet and the past media is that its audience has the dual identity of receiving information and disseminating information instantly. It can be said that the influence of audience behavior on the media ecosystem in online communication is broader and greater than before.
1. The special status and role of online audiences
In the past mass communication process, the audience is the end and destination of information. However, in the new media of the Internet, the original “audience” no longer passively accepts and interprets information but can also become a disseminator of information while receiving information.
Joseph Klapper puts forward in the “Effects of Mass Communication”: “Mass communication generally cannot be a necessary and sufficient reason to produce audience effects but is more likely to be affected by various factors and influences and act through these factors and influences.” In the traditional mass communication process, the disseminator of information and the receiver of information are at both ends, the disseminator (media) is the center of the communication activity, and the audience is at the passive receiving end. The development of network communication has completely subverted the traditional single transmission-reception relationship. Network users are no longer passively at the receiving end of communication activities, but can actively search for the information they need, and can actively communicate with the communicator. Interactive, but also can easily become a disseminator of information.
Some audiences even questioned the content of the media, and re-reported the incidents through investigations, and became reporters for the special media of the Internet, and they themselves are also called “audiences”. Therefore, the Internet audience, netizens, is not only the recipient of information, but also the publisher of the information, both the consumer of the content and the producer of the content. This phenomenon is not only a challenge to the existing media, but also a booster for strengthening public opinion supervision and increasing social transparency.
In modern society, the participation of netizens’ opinions is ubiquitous, and even in many cases, some typical incidents that have not been exposed by the media are the disclosures and reports of netizens. If the past media was the ear, nose, and mouthpiece of society, then the online audience as a special audience has deepened and strengthened this role of the media. It seems that every detailed social issue cannot escape the sight of this special group of “reporters”. The influence of Internet public opinion on the real society is self-evident. Understanding the behavioral characteristics of online audiences and guiding the development of online public opinion in a positive direction is of great significance to maintaining the ecological balance of media.
Whether this dual identity of the online audience is the progress of the media or a crisis, academic circles have received mixed reviews. The positive factor lies in: the audience’s role change reflects the openness of the current media and the progress of information dissemination. This enables the media to interact with the audience to the greatest extent, thus ensuring the freedom of public opinion and the rights of the audience. At the same time, this interaction between the media and its audiences has also played a role in strengthening public opinion supervision and promoting social harmony, for example, netizens played a very important role in exposing the corruption of government officials.
On the other hand, it ensures the efficiency and breadth of information dissemination, and strengthens world communication. In the report of Corona virus in the UK, The unremitting efforts of NHS medical staff and the love and respect of netizens touching people’s heart.
And the negative factors of this dual identity have also caused controversy: if the information is not carefully investigated and screened by the gatekeeper, some harmful or false information will flow into the society and cause bad effects.
2.Analysis of the status quo of netizens
As an online audience, it generally has the following basic characteristics: autonomy; initiative; virtuality; individuality. The behaviors on the Internet generally include: browsing news; communication; pastime and entertainment; self-expression; access to services.
Internet audiences generally have the following psychological characteristics: 1 Anonymous psychology. This is the most significant feature of netizens. This anonymity allows people to get rid of the constraints of identity and status on the Internet, show their unknown and suppressed side, and meet the needs of self-realization and role-playing. 2 Self-actualization. This is a higher level of human basic needs. Many people who cannot meet this need in real life turn to the Internet. In the illusory world of the Internet, people often do not need to make too much effort to easily realize themselves to a certain extent. This kind of fleeting sense of happiness, happiness, and self-fulfillment is easier to obtain online than in the real world. This is why some people can’t help themselves if they are addicted to the Internet. 3 Entertainment psychology. The Internet has changed the form of culture and entertainment to some extent. The interactive, virtual, and multimedia communication characteristics of the Internet make netizens seek relaxation.
Conclusion
The Internet is a double-edged sword, and the behavior of online audiences is also dual. On the one hand, the existence of online audiences can promote the development of society in an ideal direction, but it will also bring some negative effects to society. It is necessary to try to transform the unfavorable side of online audiences or netizens through research on online audiences, and promote their contributions to the progress of real society. In a sense, online audiences have played a role in supervision and promotion of social development. At the same time, netizens obtain corresponding network identities and network class affiliation in the network society by participating in various social affairs in the network society. This virtual belonging will also affect their value and behavior orientation in the real society to a certain extent. Thus flowing from one class to another. Netizens are more and more involved in social affairs, which plays a positive role in promoting the process of building a harmonious society and improving the efficiency of problem solving.
Bibliography
Joseph Klapper, Mass communication efffect，1960
Zhijun He，Understanding of Media Ecology[J], Journal of Nanhua University 2014
Ma Jing, From the perspective of media ecology, the dual identiries of online audiences[J] World News 2015
