The term new media refers to any interactive digital media.
Examples of new media include the internet, computer games, VCDs and DVDs. Examples of traditional media are all non-electronic non-digital media such as TV ads, books, magazines and billboards. Note though that ezines, eBooks, and even electronic billboards can be considered new media.
Since the term new media refers to all interactive digital media, and since newer and better “new” media are cropping up every day, eventually today’s “new” media will cease to be new.
Most things will eventually go digital. The new media of today will probably me the traditional media of tomorrow.
That said, new media can then generally be defined as newer conventions for representing, accessing, and promotion information. This definition will probably serve better in the future if and when technology finds a new way for us to access, use, and pass information. For example, in the future, biological computational systems might replace today’s digital computers.
Examples of uses of new media today include formation of virtual social communities, as educational tools, as research tools (including everything from biophysics to simple surveys), marketing and advertising channels.