It’s an obscuring of identities. Digital media and its analog sibling are forever confused within the public. Individuals deem these ideas to be the same, not really caring about their differences (or what they truly represent). There is, it’s assumed, no distinction between them. They are instead interchangeable, with their individual terms tossed about without concern.
This is not true.
Digital media and analog media are two very specific forms; and they do not represent each other. They are instead unique. We should be aware of this to fully appreciate what these concepts provide and how they affect daily life.
Understand this:
Digital Media. Explained simply, this is any form of content (music, films, documents, graphics and more) that can be transferred through the online world. It is composed of binary codes — with the data converted to files that can be read easily by a computer. The numbers are processed, translated and then relayed back to the individual. All formats are compressed to ensure no excess of memory is claimed by the exchanges; and the sources are virtual.
Analog Media. This notion differs considerably from its digital counterpart. Analog media is the procedure of copying information onto an alternative source through a continual wave motion. This is best exemplified by CDs. The content is not shaped into numbers. It is instead simply echoed onto another medium. It is the most common form of transference and has been in the public consciousness since the invention of the gramophone in 1877. It does not rely on binary systems.
These formats are separate ideals; their purposes are estranged. Information is changed radically when offered to these notions and we must recognize this. Technology has too many demands to suffer from inadequate descriptions — and these fields are distinguished from each other and deserve to be noted. They’re precise forms of securing data. Their similarities are weak and their differences are many. Learn them.