The evolution of computer technology has visibly affected most aspects of our lives; it is perhaps one of the most fascinating mediums to be adapted for a creative purpose.  
Is technology changing art? In an interview posted on Curiosity.com on Sept 26th 2011, John Maeda, president of the Rhode Island School of Design answers saying:

“I think that computers and the advancedness of computers hasn't changed art very much. It's enabled more to happen. Again, that counts a bit more. Better resolution, longer lengths, more color variety, but all in all it's the same thing. It's what experience can I deliver to you that is provocative, that can change how you think. How can I, the art piece, change your relationship -- not to me, but to something else or to the world? That question has nothing to do with technology at all. I would say that if it wasn't for the computer, my art wouldn't be known because my art is so linked to it. It's how it's defined. I made art with the computer, writing computer programs. I made things that could morph and change and if it wasn't for the Internet maybe a thousand people would know about it. Or like when I walk into MOMA, and that work I made as I sat on the second floor of my flat in Tokyo on a small ironing board with my Macintosh and between my legs I'm typing or whatever. Sat with a fan because it's very hot in Japan, the little piece of code I made is living in a museum now. I find that very odd, interesting, very fortunate, very lucky.”

On the other side Bruce Wands, explains that digital technologies have had, and continue to have, a profound effect on contemporary art and culture. Contemporary artists are using the Internet as a new art museum, and adopting digital tools and techniques as part of their creative process.
This is probably one of the most interesting passages of Wands’ theory. New technologies are not used by contemporary artists only for the distribution and advertisement of their work, but in the creative process. I stand with him when he underlines that the impact of internet and social media which allow for the creation and exchange of user-generated content and provide a structure for people to get organized, exchange and collaborate is just part of the technological effect in art. The computer had enabled artists to create works, new types of work, never before possible: intricate images that could not be created by hand; sculptures formed in three-dimensional databases rather than in stone or metal; interactive installations that involve internet participation from around the globe, and virtual worlds within which artificial life forms live and die. The art experience extends now to homes, cybercafés and any public or private space where there is an Internet access or a local area network.

I can see at least 3 important fields where the evolution of new technology impacted art. The first is visual art in general: modern technology has transformed traditional art forms such as painting, sculpting and drawing, allowing artists to utilize digital technologies in the production of their pieces. The second is the digital consumption of art, since technology has also impacted the way that art is consumed.  From the visual arts to music, technology has allowed art to become mobile and instantly accessible around the world, providing greater exposure for today’s artists and paying homage to artists of the past. And finally the third is art history appreciation: the availability of art in digital form provides greater access for students and lifelong learners to study and experience art from the vast and varying time periods throughout history.

My question at this point of my research is can digital art ever achieve the same prestige status as traditional art? These issues in the realm of digital technology equally affect both the artists and the viewers. Regardless of the medium an artist decides to use, the true value lies in how we define art.