Digital Content
Digital Content is anything that is digital data. This means digital content is anything like music, videos, pictures, documents, and eBooks. With the internet being part of our daily lives, digital content has only increased in line with internet usage. If you use the internet, you have been looking at digital content. Whether you read/watch the news or even go on Facebook, it is all digital content. This also ties into how there is paid digital content and free digital content. An example of paid digital content is software like Microsoft Office or iTunes. An example of free digital content is Google Maps. Three important things about digital content are data representation, data storage, and Coding language.
Digital Data Representation
Data representation is essential for digital content because it determines how and what you see or hear. Since data representation refers to the form in which data is stored, processed, and transmitted, it’s crucial to how digital content functions. Smartphones, for example, store their data in formats that can be operated by electronic circuitry. Digital devices represent digital data using the binary number system. Binary digits/bits are only a 0 or a 1; they do not go to 2. This is because it is easier for digital devices to calculate only using 0s and 1s. Character data, a.k.a. text, is the letters, numbers, and symbols not used in calculations. There are many different types of code used to represent text. This makes sense since there is digital text everywhere on the internet. Digital audio is also represented in binary format so that digital devices can use them.
Storage
Data storage is another crucial point of digital content because it cannot be represented if data isn’t stored correctly. All data stored by digital devices are stored as bits. Bytes are a group of 8 bits. Storage is expressed in bytes, while transmission speed is expressed in bits. An example of bytes is you can buy a phone with 32-gigabyte storage. While an example of bits is, you are downloading a game at ten megabits per second. With data storage comes the option to compress the data. Data compression is anything that recodes data to make it have fewer bits, also known as “zipping.” There are two types of data compression: lossy and lossless. Lossy compression is when some of the original data is lost; if it is uncompressed, it will not be the same. Lossless compression is where data is compressed and can be returned to the original state.
Coding language is mandatory for digital content and website design agencies. It is how your digital device knows you are listening, watching, or reading digital content. Any digital numeric data is represented with binary, which your device will understand the code. It also allows the machines to do advanced calculations faster than most humans. There are many codes for representing text. Such as Unicode, UTF-8, and ASCII. Which all operate differently from each other. Your device can still understand the coding languages even with the many text codes. Since digital text is everywhere, coding language is necessary to know how to format it. Therefore, Coding language is critical. If you understand it, you can create things using it.
Digital content is gaining popularity daily because more people use the internet daily. Currently, the average salary for a digital content specialist is $55,554(indeed.com) or $64,260(salary.com). Digital content will always continue growing along with the internet. Just as Facebook has become immensee, digital content has grown with it. It is also huge because people have something that they want to create or share. Video websites such as YouTube also gain a lot of popularity daily. Music apps are getting more listeners each day. Rather than the traditional paperback book, many choose to buy a book on their digital devices for their convenience. Digital content is more convenient when it comes to watching your favorite show. If you miss the time that episode airs, you must wait or record it. If you watch it online, it is there on demand.
The future of digital content is booming. Digital content will only continue to grow and grow. It is estimated that 70% of the population will have smartphones by 2020!
Access to Digital Content
This means 70% of the population will have access to digital content. Even the other 30% who do not have a smartphone can still access it via a computer or laptop. Digital content will continue long into the future. It is because it is ever-changing. You can continually improve it, just like the person who made the first computer probably never dreamt of what we have now. Even top-notch digital devices directly could be obsolete in only a year, if not sooner. Digital content will be further developed in the future by those who have something that they want to create.
Search Engines
With the influx of overwhelming content, search engine vendors must stay ahead in organizing it. Especially while SEO agencies, online marketers, and SEO experts try to up the game in ranking websites higher with a range of hacks. But over time, more natural data organization will be placed, especially with AI becoming the norm.
Take Away on Data
Data representation is essential because it will not be seeable or hearable if misrepresented. Data storage is needed for the data to be represented in the first place. The coding languages are required to produce the fantastic stuff digital devices can do. This is why these three things are the most essential pieces of knowledge on digital content. From Facebook to YouTube, each person has a preference for digital content. Digital content will only continue to improve and grow, especially as content marketers push out vast amounts of information. And now, with ChatGPT here to stay, it will continue to explode and become more refined.
