"Media ecology theory is the study of media, technology, and communication and how they affect human environments."
The study of media as environments that shape human perception, behavior, and culture.
Marshall McLuhan: The man who introduced the concept of media ecology and developed the theory of media as extensions of human senses.
Technological determinism: The belief that technology shapes society and culture, rather than the other way around.
Media effects: The impact of media on society, including how media shapes people's attitudes, beliefs and behaviors.
Symbolic interactionism: The study of how people use symbols (such as language, images and sounds) to create meaning and communicate with each other.
Medium theory: The exploration of the unique properties of different media (e.g. print, television, digital) and how they affect the way we perceive and process information.
Hot and cool media: The idea that different media can be classified as either "hot" (highly engaging and demanding) or "cool" (less intense and more open to interpretation).
Global media: The study of media in a global context, including issues such as cultural imperialism, media convergence, and the impact of digital media on traditional forms of communication.
Media literacy: The ability to critically evaluate and analyze media messages, including the ability to read media texts, interpret media messages, and understand the production and distribution of media content.
Political economy of media: The study of the relationship between media ownership and control, political power, and the production and distribution of media content.
Cultural studies: The examination of culture and cultural practices, including the study of media as a cultural artifact and its role in shaping cultural identities and practices.
Postmodernism: An intellectual movement characterized by skepticism about grand narratives, the questioning of authority and power, and the blurring of boundaries between different cultural practices and media.
Semiotics: The study of the meanings and interpretations of signs, symbols and other forms of communication.
Cyberculture: The study of the impact of digital technologies and the Internet on culture, including issues of privacy, identity, and social networking.
Network theory: The study of complex networks and their behavior, including the ways in which media and communication networks operate and evolve.
Ecocriticism: The study of the relationship between human culture and the natural environment, including the impact of media and technology on ecosystems and the sustainable use of resources.
Technological determinism: This theory posits that technology is the driving force behind societal and cultural change. It suggests that technological advances shape and influence human behavior, rather than the other way around.
Media effects: This approach focuses on the ways in which media influences attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs among individuals and society as a whole. Researchers often investigate the potential negative impacts of media, such as media violence or negative body image.
Symbolic interactionism: This perspective recognizes that media are a socially constructed phenomenon and that people actively interpret and create meaning from media. It emphasizes the ways in which media shapes and influences social interactions and relationships.
Cultural studies: This interdisciplinary approach investigates the role of media in shaping cultural values, beliefs, and practices. It examines how media reflect and reinforce dominant ideologies, as well as how marginalized groups use media to challenge and resist dominant cultural discourses.
Political economy: This approach examines the political and economic structures that influence media production, distribution, and consumption. It highlights issues such as media ownership, corporate monopolies, and the impact of advertising on media content.
Ecological systems theory: This theory emphasizes the interconnectedness of media and the broader social and environmental systems in which they operate. It considers how media consumption and production are influenced by factors such as physical environments, cultural norms, and technological innovations.
Postmodernism: This theoretical perspective challenges the idea of a single, objective reality and instead emphasizes the ways in which media construct and shape multiple, conflicting realities. It highlights the role of media in producing and challenging dominant cultural narratives.
"The theoretical concepts were proposed by Marshall McLuhan in 1964."
"The term media ecology was first formally introduced by Neil Postman in 1968."
"Neil Postman states, 'if in biology a 'medium' is something in which a bacterial culture grows (as in a Petri dish), in media ecology, the medium is 'a technology within which a [human] culture grows.'"
"Media ecology looks into the matter of how media of communication affect human perception, understanding, feeling, and value; and how our interaction with media facilitates or impedes our chances of survival."
"The word ecology implies the study of environments: their structure, content, and impact on people."
"Media ecology argues that media act as extensions of the human senses in each era, and communication technology is the primary cause of social change."
"The medium chosen to relay a message is just as important (if not more so) than the message itself."
"McLuhan proposed that media influence the progression of society, and that significant periods of time and growth can be categorized by the rise of a specific technology during that period."
"Scholars have compared media broadly to a system of infrastructure that connect the nature and culture of a society with media ecology being the study of 'traffic' between the two."
"The study of media, technology, and communication and how they affect human environments."
"The theoretical concepts were proposed in 1964."
"The term media ecology was first formally introduced by Neil Postman."
"'If in biology a 'medium' is something in which a bacterial culture grows [as in a Petri dish], in media ecology, the medium is 'a technology within which a [human] culture grows.'"
"Media ecology looks into the matter of how media of communication affect human perception, understanding, feeling, and value; and how our interaction with media facilitates or impedes our chances of survival."
"The study of environments: their structure, content, and impact on people."
"Media act as extensions of the human senses in each era, and communication technology is the primary cause of social change."
"The medium chosen to relay a message is just as important (if not more so) than the message itself."
"Media influence the progression of society, and significant periods of growth can be categorized by the rise of a specific technology during that period."
"Media is compared broadly to a system of infrastructure that connects the nature and culture of a society, with media ecology being the study of 'traffic' between the two."