Digital media & technology
Lecture 1: Introduction to digital media & technology
Introduction to digital media & technologies (Delfanti, A. & Arvidsson, A. (2019))
Digital media & technology
- Digital media are integral to everyday life (work, socializing, entertainment)
- Understanding requires analysis of social, cultural, and political contexts
- Social sciences aim to understand the relation between technology and society
o How do they influence each other?
o How do they co-evolve?
The digital environment
- Digital media are highly pervasive (eg computers, smartphones etc)
o Taking it for granted (only realizing when it’s absent)
- Mediatization: increasing presence of media in all aspects of life
o “The increasing temporal, spatial, and social spread of mediated
communication”
- Digital condition: a state in which computer networks have become “the key
infrastructure for virtually all aspects of life”
- Digital tech is reshaping how we produce, distribute, and consume information
- This challenges traditional of democracy, work, and power
New and old media
- Initially, NEW MEDIA referred to ICTs based on digital code, distinguishing them
from “old media” (tv, radio, newspapers) à late 20th century
- This concept soon became problematic
o Digital media are not “new” anymore
o Linear evolution where new media are better than old media
- Remediation: often, new media do not replace old media; instead, they re-work
or change them into a diZerent format (eg e-readers transformed physical books
into e-books)
- Identity crisis and domestication:
o New media often face uncertainty and contested meaning upon
introduction
o Over time, they become normalized and integrated into daily life
(“domestication”)
- Zombie media: media technologies that were “dead”, are brought back to life with
new meanings (eg vinyl records, polaroid camera)
1
,Digital media
- To understand the broader societal impact of digital media, we need to go beyond
the technical aspects of digital media
- Important features:
o Convergent, hypertextual, distributed, pervasive, algorithmic, asymmetric,
and both ephemeral and permanent
1. Convergent
o Digital media merge diZerent content types (text, audio, visual) onto single
platforms
o Devices like computers and smartphones serve multiple functions (tv,
radio, calculator etc)
§ “Universal machines”
o Media production and consumption no longer require distinct hardware
2. Hypertextual
o Hypertext is texts that contain links (hyperlinks) to other content, enabling
easy access and navigation between them
o Hypertexts on the web allow for a customizable, non-linear reading
experience (<-> traditional books)
o Users can jump between various types of content (eg text, video) within a
single platform
3. Distributed
o Traditional mass media are centralized and unidirectional (eg news
company)
o Digital media follow a distributed model, with thousands of
interconnected nodes (information on servers)
o With user-generated content on social media, users now also create
content
o Horizontal communication via media platforms
4. Pervasive
o Mobile technologies allow people to access and post information at any
time and from any location
o Thus, they allow real-time, location-based interactions and
communication
o Ability to modify and extend our social networks
o Tool to strengthen social ties
2
, 5. Algorithmic
o Most digital technologies are based on algorithms
o Data from our behaviors and interactions (“datafication”) are analyzed
and then used to make choices (eg on what to show us)
o However, they are not “neutral” nor “objective”
o Many algorithms are powered by machine learning, where people
contribute to training these algorithms (eg ChatGPT)
6. Asymmetric
o Digital media are dominated by a few large corporations (uneven
distribution of power)
o Users do not have access to the information these corporations collect
o Digital media are black boxes that hide the underlying operations
o Digital media can be used for mass surveillance (social and political
control)
7. Ephemeral or permanent?
o DiZerent media have diZerent durations and persistence (eg paper book)
o Usually, digital media storage are short-lived
o Digital software is often updated and evolving, making long-term data
preservation challenging
o HOWEVER: digital messages and chats can still be stored for years (so
careful with what you share)
QUIZ QUESTION: which of the following best describes the concept of “convergent” in
digital media?
a) Digital media are produced by a small group of core hubs and transmitted to a
large audience
b) DiZerent types of content (eg text, audio, video) are accessible on a single
platform, such as a computer or smartphone
c) Digital media are always permanent and cannot be erased or modified once
posted
d) Algorithms in digital media are completely neutral and objective unaZected by
human influence
Digital infrastructures
- Digital media are built on global networks of interconnected nodes, not
centralized hubs
3
, - Digital media & the internet is:
o A redundant system: the ability to send information through multiple
pathways (eg in case of disruption, alternative route)
o An open system: anyone with access to a telephone can access it (unlike
tv channels or newspapers, which are “closed”)
- Digital media infrastructures consist of four layers:
o Physical (hardware): the cables, satellites, servers, antennas etc
o Logical (software): the software for websites, social media etc
o Content: information that is produced and exchanged within digital media
o Legal: laws and policies about functioning of digital networks and the
behavior of their users
Technology & society
- Technological determinism: this views technology as an independent force that
shapes society, influencing social interactions, economic structures, and
cultural norms
- Social construction of technology: this argues that societal values, needs, and
choices influence the development and meaning of technology, shaping its form
and function
- Co-evolution of technology and society: this suggests that technology and
society mutually influence each other in a continuous process, leading to the
evolution of both
A day in the life with digital media (Ytre-Arne, B. (2023))
Introduction
- The chapter explores how media is integrated into the routine structure of an
ordinary day, from morning to night
- Focuses on how digital media, especially smartphones, transform daily
navigation and routines
- Conducted interviews with 50 diverse Norwegian respondents
- Investigates the tension between digital connection and disconnection in
everyday life
Meaningful and mundane
- Media use if often taken for granted, with its true value realized only in its
absence
- Berelson’s 1945 study highlighted how people missed the ritual comfort and
social connection provided by newspapers during a strike
- Similar patterns observed in modern studies (70 years later)
- People perform ritualistic media checks to confirm the world’s order before
moving on with their day (“approximately informed and occasionally monitorial”)
4
Lecture 1: Introduction to digital media & technology
Introduction to digital media & technologies (Delfanti, A. & Arvidsson, A. (2019))
Digital media & technology
- Digital media are integral to everyday life (work, socializing, entertainment)
- Understanding requires analysis of social, cultural, and political contexts
- Social sciences aim to understand the relation between technology and society
o How do they influence each other?
o How do they co-evolve?
The digital environment
- Digital media are highly pervasive (eg computers, smartphones etc)
o Taking it for granted (only realizing when it’s absent)
- Mediatization: increasing presence of media in all aspects of life
o “The increasing temporal, spatial, and social spread of mediated
communication”
- Digital condition: a state in which computer networks have become “the key
infrastructure for virtually all aspects of life”
- Digital tech is reshaping how we produce, distribute, and consume information
- This challenges traditional of democracy, work, and power
New and old media
- Initially, NEW MEDIA referred to ICTs based on digital code, distinguishing them
from “old media” (tv, radio, newspapers) à late 20th century
- This concept soon became problematic
o Digital media are not “new” anymore
o Linear evolution where new media are better than old media
- Remediation: often, new media do not replace old media; instead, they re-work
or change them into a diZerent format (eg e-readers transformed physical books
into e-books)
- Identity crisis and domestication:
o New media often face uncertainty and contested meaning upon
introduction
o Over time, they become normalized and integrated into daily life
(“domestication”)
- Zombie media: media technologies that were “dead”, are brought back to life with
new meanings (eg vinyl records, polaroid camera)
1
,Digital media
- To understand the broader societal impact of digital media, we need to go beyond
the technical aspects of digital media
- Important features:
o Convergent, hypertextual, distributed, pervasive, algorithmic, asymmetric,
and both ephemeral and permanent
1. Convergent
o Digital media merge diZerent content types (text, audio, visual) onto single
platforms
o Devices like computers and smartphones serve multiple functions (tv,
radio, calculator etc)
§ “Universal machines”
o Media production and consumption no longer require distinct hardware
2. Hypertextual
o Hypertext is texts that contain links (hyperlinks) to other content, enabling
easy access and navigation between them
o Hypertexts on the web allow for a customizable, non-linear reading
experience (<-> traditional books)
o Users can jump between various types of content (eg text, video) within a
single platform
3. Distributed
o Traditional mass media are centralized and unidirectional (eg news
company)
o Digital media follow a distributed model, with thousands of
interconnected nodes (information on servers)
o With user-generated content on social media, users now also create
content
o Horizontal communication via media platforms
4. Pervasive
o Mobile technologies allow people to access and post information at any
time and from any location
o Thus, they allow real-time, location-based interactions and
communication
o Ability to modify and extend our social networks
o Tool to strengthen social ties
2
, 5. Algorithmic
o Most digital technologies are based on algorithms
o Data from our behaviors and interactions (“datafication”) are analyzed
and then used to make choices (eg on what to show us)
o However, they are not “neutral” nor “objective”
o Many algorithms are powered by machine learning, where people
contribute to training these algorithms (eg ChatGPT)
6. Asymmetric
o Digital media are dominated by a few large corporations (uneven
distribution of power)
o Users do not have access to the information these corporations collect
o Digital media are black boxes that hide the underlying operations
o Digital media can be used for mass surveillance (social and political
control)
7. Ephemeral or permanent?
o DiZerent media have diZerent durations and persistence (eg paper book)
o Usually, digital media storage are short-lived
o Digital software is often updated and evolving, making long-term data
preservation challenging
o HOWEVER: digital messages and chats can still be stored for years (so
careful with what you share)
QUIZ QUESTION: which of the following best describes the concept of “convergent” in
digital media?
a) Digital media are produced by a small group of core hubs and transmitted to a
large audience
b) DiZerent types of content (eg text, audio, video) are accessible on a single
platform, such as a computer or smartphone
c) Digital media are always permanent and cannot be erased or modified once
posted
d) Algorithms in digital media are completely neutral and objective unaZected by
human influence
Digital infrastructures
- Digital media are built on global networks of interconnected nodes, not
centralized hubs
3
, - Digital media & the internet is:
o A redundant system: the ability to send information through multiple
pathways (eg in case of disruption, alternative route)
o An open system: anyone with access to a telephone can access it (unlike
tv channels or newspapers, which are “closed”)
- Digital media infrastructures consist of four layers:
o Physical (hardware): the cables, satellites, servers, antennas etc
o Logical (software): the software for websites, social media etc
o Content: information that is produced and exchanged within digital media
o Legal: laws and policies about functioning of digital networks and the
behavior of their users
Technology & society
- Technological determinism: this views technology as an independent force that
shapes society, influencing social interactions, economic structures, and
cultural norms
- Social construction of technology: this argues that societal values, needs, and
choices influence the development and meaning of technology, shaping its form
and function
- Co-evolution of technology and society: this suggests that technology and
society mutually influence each other in a continuous process, leading to the
evolution of both
A day in the life with digital media (Ytre-Arne, B. (2023))
Introduction
- The chapter explores how media is integrated into the routine structure of an
ordinary day, from morning to night
- Focuses on how digital media, especially smartphones, transform daily
navigation and routines
- Conducted interviews with 50 diverse Norwegian respondents
- Investigates the tension between digital connection and disconnection in
everyday life
Meaningful and mundane
- Media use if often taken for granted, with its true value realized only in its
absence
- Berelson’s 1945 study highlighted how people missed the ritual comfort and
social connection provided by newspapers during a strike
- Similar patterns observed in modern studies (70 years later)
- People perform ritualistic media checks to confirm the world’s order before
moving on with their day (“approximately informed and occasionally monitorial”)
4
