Creativity

New media is an excellent way to encourage and enhance creativity. These technologies encourage children to bring out their hidden artistic selves and express themselves in ways they had never been able to before. Neuroscience research has proved that all children are born with innate creativity abilities and as they grow up some of them keep their creativity active while others unconsciously let it just stay still. Everyone has the potential for revolutionary creativity and new media allows people to realize their potential in every person's unique manifestation of his or her creative abilities. Technology allows us to keep creativity intact and flowing. The school system has actually contributed to the deterioration of creativity of children. Certain subjects and skills are prioritized over others to prepare students for the real world. This limits the opportunities they have to express themselves in a creative fashion and use critical thinking and intellectual creativity. Technology can be used to help enhance people's creativity. For example, blogs are an excellent way for the development of creative thinking and writing. They provide freedom to students to post whatever they want and comment and share each other's material. People can openly write on topics that intrigue them and give them idea without having to worry about grades. Blogging makes people feel responsible for their own thoughts and ideas and it encourages creativity. New media fosters creativity because it combines the old and the new. Creating mashups is a way in which new media really encourages creativity to be brought out. The article Disney Tolerates a Rap Parody of it's Critters, But Why? discusses how YouTube users can make videos of Disney characters such as Simba, Bambi, and Winnie the Pooh and edit them together with rap videos. These videos take new popular songs and old popular Disney characters to create something completely new and innovative. This brings more attention to the popular song while simultaneously bringing attention to these old characters. This is such a fun and creative way to get kids to use their imagination in a way that was never possible before. Clearly, technology has transformed the human experience. There is so much knowledge accessible because of technology. Whether through social media or web video conferences it is easier for people to meet and collaborate than ever before and this allows for creativity between people to blend. New media has provided the opportunity for people to come together and share their ideas and encourage one another to be creative and come up with new things.

References:

Disney Tolerates a Rap Parody of Its Critters. But Why? The New York Times, September 24, 2007; available at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/24/business/media/24crank.html


http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2014/01/27/how-technology-enhances-creativity/#79048c1483b1