Introduction
Interviews can be viewed as the method of collecting information of interest or general facts about the participants and as a category. Interview as a category is a broader concept and involves detailed work with the data collected throughout the interviewing process. It implies conversation analysis, which requires both recording and a thorough examination of what has been said. The interview’s objectives include assembling data from the answers or statements of the participants to respond to the designed questions or obtain new interesting facts (Emans, 2019). Consequently, it is crucial to construct the interview questions and the flow of the process in a proper way that will present rich information and keep future readers engaged. Interviews also represent an inherent part of digital media, because, in the modern world, they are often conducted online. Hence, digital media provides unique opportunities to collect and share information.
The modern age of digital media brings new elements in each field of life, including political, social, and commercial. The conducted research revealed are different characteristics of the content design influence, including the effects of various kinds of digital media on several aspects of social life. Curiously, content creation has a substantial impact on personal and public life and, thus, represents a significant issue. Moreover, content creation plays an essential role in social media and education, while visual and verbal communication are integral to the function of digital content. Another vital topic is the way individuals view the new digital era, its influence on businesses, and what position it has among societies. Thus, the research topic is the influence of digital media on various spheres of life on the example of conducting online interviews.
Literature Review
Digital Media Influence on Individuals
The impact of diverse digital content is claimed to be unpredictable and can have different implications in one’s life. According to McFarlane (2010), “it is difficult to theorize the possible variants in the interplay of learner, task, and media… the impact on the actors, outcomes, or processes” (p.150). Thus, besides influencing individuals as learners, digital media raises numerous issues that might have consequences in personal life and relationships with others.
Technology affects the way people perceive the world, the communities, interactions with others, and life, in general (Baym, 2015). At the same time, the digital era provides various possibilities to exchange information, deliver knowledge, and share. For instance, media advancements give an opportunity to communicate in large groups, search for curious facts, and listen to the stories of others within the fields of interest (Baym, 2015). Therefore, digital content opens up new horizons for the individuals, and those involved in the information creation have alternative ways of reaching the audience, analyzing their preferences and desires.
Digital Content & Education
The use of content creation is widely discussed and applied in the educational process. Apart from new possibilities, created by modern technology and valued as a positive gain, there is still a problem with the media’s content and its proper selection. An article Virtual Education Panacea or Pandora’s Box talks about students being surrounded by various information from different sources and levels of reliability, which leads to the change in teachers’ roles. Gomersall (2012) argues that the teacher’s purpose is not only to supply information for the student but more to navigate and give them the right knowledge. In such a way, there is a slight shift in the education field, where teachers are inherent throughout the journey of filtering out available information.
It is also interesting how media is used in learning settings and serves as a great instrument to acquire new skills and gain new insights. Stephenson provides an inspiring example of the use of media production in the school environment. It is a case study where the students were asked to create a short documentary on the issue of junk food consumption, viewing it “through a critical lens” (Stephenson, 2012, p. 110). Hence, making the use of digital content in education a new way to explore different perspectives in a learning process.
Digital Technology and Business
It is possible to argue that the development of digital technology became one of the reasons for the growth and the concept of content creation being used in corporate settings. According to Atay and D’Silva (2019), “mediated texts circulate globally and hybridize local, national, and global cultures” (p. 1). From a similar point of view, digital communication is contributing to the way a social order is set, which can be observed through the example of the interaction concept created by computers.
The creation of digital content establishes the mode of operation of modern society, with its cultural communication and growth. For instance, the book Mediated Intercultural Communication in a Digital Age was designed by authors who were communicating with the help of social media. It emphasizes the advantages of technology and the possibilities they provide. Digital media is transforming the way people collaborate, and it makes intercultural communication more available.
Research Overview
The new stage in the development of digital technologies allows an individual to explore the world, connect with it, develop commercial activities, and utilize those as a source of knowledge. Moreover, it can also serve as a tool to create an identity, and gain a certain level of control over the world, due to the substantial impact that digital media has on individuals, their reactions, emotions, and character formation. This new outlook in the area of content creation opens up new possibilities, which may consider not only commercial and political, aspects but, reflecting on all of them, turn towards its thoughtful perspectives.
Digital content creates a foundation for individuals who apply their passion and intentions with the media’s help. The individuals chosen for the interview were social media influencers and content creators because they are the ones who could give an insight into the inner world of digital media. The online environment allows shaping one’s interests and preferences and introduces them to the world through the content that they have created, giving people the first impression of them. The conducted study focused on analyzing two representatives of the media sphere and assessing the usefulness of interviews and the ability to carry them out with the help of technology. However, the existing research gap is the difference between holding online discussions versus face-to-face and the limited time of the participants.
Methods
Interviews with two influential figures in the sphere of media were chosen as the method to conduct the study. Interviews represent effective instruments in qualitative research, and obtaining the required data through this tool can generate a bigger picture and provide more insights into the analyzed issue.
Participants
Both Participant 1 and Participant 2 hold significant positions in the media industry. Person-based interviews were chosen as a means of withdrawing information and learning about the participants. Hence, Participant 1 is a content creator and advertising director, and Participant 2 is a successful social media influencer. Those individuals were selected based on their roles in digital media. Both participants have connected their lives to modern advancements and have already created their opinions about the field. Participant 1 and Participant 2 thought to have different things to share with the audience, including some tips, or the challenges of their experienced paths due to their experience.
Materials
The interviews with those two representatives were conducted through popular social media applications FaceTime and WhatsApp.
Design & Procedure
As mentioned earlier, the study was conducted with the help of person-based interviews through popular applications, which helped to communicate with the participant openly. The primary way of collecting information was taking notes based on the contributors’ answers. Besides, the questions for the interview were crafted in advance to have a structured process. Another critical aspect of the dialogue’s nature is a close analysis of the individuals and asking intriguing questions.
Results
The Use of the Interviews to Create Information
Both interviews had a personal nature, aiming to build a discussion efficiently and discover curious individual factors or events that might have had an impact on where the interviewees find themselves now. As shown in the transcript, the conversation touched upon a whole range of topics, including the success story background and the description of the work process. This kind of interview does not strive to acquire hard defining information but aims to form the image of the interviewee in the eyes of the reader. Thus, this type of activity and further sharing of the findings can provide additional knowledge to those who study this information, and they can create a more precise perception about those involved in media.
Achieving Personal Approach in the Interview
One can notice that it was possible to achieve a more personal approach with Participant 1, where the story was covered more carefully based on his answers. For instance, Participant 1 mentioned that he started to draw a lot when he was in high school, which created the foundation for the beginning of his career, explaining the study. Moreover, Participant 1 talked about this past, education, and childhood friends, which also provided thought-provoking insights.
The results obtained during the interview with Participant 2, a well-known content creator, were impressive. The communication with this participant was more professional and less personal, which made the dialogue more productive and briefer at the same time. The interview started with a friendly gesture from Participant 2, who said that in her spare time, she would not mind helping those looking to become entrepreneurs or looking to be professionals in their work. This seemingly minor aspect charged the further flow of the interview with the right emotional tone.
The Significance of Suggestive Questions
Although the interviews did not take much time, all of the planned questions were answered. Besides, all the actions during the dialogues were according to the laid-out plan, which made it possible to analyze the results precisely. However, sometimes it is practical to stray from the initial points because some answers can generate new ideas, and it is fine to ask unplanned questions. Suggestive thoughts can help the participants feel more relaxed and can create a stronger bond between the interviewer and the contributors. Following the progress of the conversation and asking questions based on the reactions and emotions of the interviewee can create the aspects that might be close to the readers. It can also be useful to implement those inquiries in the middle of the dialogue.
It can be noticed in the interviews conducted with two participants of the study. In the middle of the conversation with Participant 1, the question about directing a video for Beyoncé was asked. Beyoncé is a very well-known singer, which can raise interest in the readers and keep them continuing to read. In Participant’s 2 interviews, the middle part was dedicated to honesty in advertising, and she raised curious points about how she is honest with her subscribers. It can also positively influence the readers and enhance their interest because every individual seeks fairness.
Discussion
As mentioned above, both interviews utilized a personal approach in obtaining information and creating an image of the participants. It is possible to state that this type of discussion represents a communication process that helps the examiner to get to know the chosen individual better. Consequently, it is crucial to design the questions and ask them in a manner that will help to get the truth and raise real emotions. In such a way, trying to learn things about the interviewee’s educational background or exciting stories from the past can be advantageous, and it helps the readers to have a sufficient picture of this person. For example, in the case of Participant 2 interview, it was found out that she used to work in finance. It was interesting to learn how she got there and what exactly motivated Participant 2 to abandon a career in finance in favor of content creation. With the help of this information, the reader can feel a personal connection, warm touch, and have an informative interview.
It is critical to mention that the produced results reflect the significance of the digital media’s influence on one’s personality because of the way the participants were talking about their activities. Moreover, the findings can serve educational purposes and be a foundation for new achievements for the readers, which was revealed in the literature review. The fact that the interviews were conducted via social media applications implies the effect that modern technology has on the ways to collect the necessary information. The literature review section mentioned the book that was designed by authors communicating via digital platforms. The undertaken activity with the interviews one more time proves the efficiency that can be achieved via advancements in the modern world.
Conclusion
A critical breakdown of the results allowed highlighting another essential point from the interview. It is crucial to get readers’ attention for a few minutes, but in an hour or two, the reader’s attention can be lost. Therefore, if the interview’s beginning is gripping, there is a risk that the reader will get bored by the middle. It is critical to use powerful and more exciting questions in the middle of the interview to avoid this. In such a way, those who are going through the presented materials can restore their interest in the dialogue and can continue listening after hearing some exciting facts. Moreover, integrating the most curious points in the middle of the conversation can attract readers’ attention and provide some useful information.
Another significant point worth mentioning is stressing the significance of digital media in different spheres of everyday life. Those who connect their career to content creation or other activities in social platforms substantially transform their lifestyles and their perception of the world. It is crucial to remember to distinguish between false content and accurate information and have the courage to follow one’s heart and find one’s real aspiration and passion. The sphere of media provides numerous opportunities for individuals to find themselves and create the desired image. At the same time, in the case of interviews, the fact that they were held online can have potential limitations, including an inability to observe the body language or utilize the surprise factor. Thus, one of the areas that are interesting to discover is the scope of the difference between an offline interview and a messenger interview.
References
Atay, A., & M. U. D’Silva. (2019). New directions in multicultural communication. In A. Atay & M. U. D’Silva (Eds.), Mediated intercultural communication in a digital age (pp. 1-6). Routledge.
Baym, N. (2015). Personal connections in the digital age (2nd ed.). Polity Press.
Emans, B. (2019). Interviewing: Theory, techniques, and training. Routledge.
Gomersall, B. (2012). Virtual education – panacea or Pandora’s box. In R. Earnshaw & J. Vince (Eds.), Digital content creation (pp. 92-107). Springer Science & Business Media.
McFarlane, A. (2010). Digital creativity: Editing versus cheating and how you learn the difference. In K. Drotner & K. C. Schrøder (Eds.), Digital content creation: Perceptions, practices, & perspectives (pp. 147-166). Peter Lang.
Stephenson, I. (2012). Buffy, an SL development environment. In R. Earnshaw & J. Vince (Eds.), Digital content creation (pp. 108-116). Springer Science & Business Media.