Decentering

The term decentering is a way to understand the ever-evolving world around us and make judgements on that world using all relevant viewpoints and angles. It's essential meaning is to understand the social and psychological aspects and understand that there is a plethora of ways to view and consume media. As the world evolves, the outcry for transparency within our governing systems has increased as more citizens have access to more information due to the rise of the internet. With globalization due to world communication barriers being lifted by new media, distinctions between cultures are diminishing. This increase in awareness may have an adverse effect on monopolies shielding their procedures and hoarding power. The western hemisphere’s powers may be reduced due to decentralization, however decentralizing media and other forms of information can open new avenues for divergent viewpoints to be considered.

One of best examples of decentering that has been in the news since the beginning of the 21st century. Through the development of broadband capabilities, many people are downloading music and movies. The Recording Industry Association of America has mad ea campaign to stop this piracy through copyright laws. The courts are currently favoring the RIAA in their decisions. On April 27, 2005, 725 copyright infringement lawsuits against 725 illegal file sharers were issued. [1]

References Lister, Martin, Jon Dovey, Seth Giddings, Ian Grant and Kieran Kelly. New Media: a critical introduction. New York: Routledge, 2003.