In the context of Manovich’s “Principles of New Media,” the principle of variability is particularly worthy to discuss. Variability, as defined by Manovich, involves a new media object’s inclination to give rise to a multitude of fairly unique versions although they all originate or have some fundamental association to the primary source (36). For example, of the specific examples that showcase this principle, hypermedia demonstrates variability at its core. On the world wide web, it is just as simple to link a YouTube music video as it is to link a gif of a meme; there exists the endless possibilities in which the user can gain access to. Thinking back on all of my internet browsing experiences thus far, I now realize how the simple act of clicking a link to get to the destination that I want to be involves carefully thought-out decisions. It all depends on what the specific hyperlink is assembled to direct the user to—at a particular time and for a specific purpose. In essence, hypermedia interconnects multimedia components in one fluid platform while modularity—a principle that exists next to variability—still makes it feasible for the components to maintain their individual separate qualities.

This notion of maintaining individual qualities, even while being part of a more complex entity, also extends to the broader context of social reality. As Manovich indicates, “every citizen can construct her own custom lifestyle and “select” her ideology from a…number of choices” (42). For the most part, an average person has the capacity to decide what he or she wants to do at his or her own discrepancy. The concept of a society all abiding to one conforming decision is likely to be unheard of, at this present moment in time. Online shopping, for example, provides the user with a vast abundance of choices to pick and choose from, and using analytics, these websites track every movement to best tailor the sites all according to the user. Evidently, variability is essential to the progress and future of new media. It will undeniably shape how new media is received, on a technical level, but it will also shape how people respond to the constant changes happening before them.