On media

Media

We can define media (or a medium, in the singular) as a means by which information transmits (i.e. communication). One famous cultural theorist once equated a medium to its content. In some cases, a medium can act as content, as in the case of vinyl records decorating a wall, no longer serving the purpose of storing audio data for the sake of playing it back. However, in most cases, a medium merely holds content (a "bound holding").

Media as a container of content

Yet, we can find some advocates of media who proclaim that a medium "leans left" or "leans right". (We can substitute "lean left" and "lean right" with any diametrically opposed terms.) Currently, as of writing, one may say that a data network "leans right" merely because most of its recent content "leans right". However, the medium in question does not necessarily have to "lean right" if enough "content creators" decide to make it "lean left", the medium can once again "lean left". Still, calling a medium (when used as a container of content) something other than a container of content sounds fallacious at best. A medium primarily acts as a potentiality of any type of content. One should then see the medium as simply a container.

Media typologies

We could categorize or classify objects based on mediums because a work can either fall under one medium or another:

• performance ("[living] sculpture" + "its positions in time")
• sculpture ("three-dimensional conveyance of an idea")
• moving image ("image" + "its positions in time" + [optional] sound)
• image ("two-dimensional conveyance of an idea")
• text ("one-dimensional conveyance of an idea")
• sound ("non-dimensional conveyance of an idea")

The highest resolution usually takes precedence when classifying a medium. A "performance" could contain lower-resolution objects such as images and text but the medium would still fall under the classification of a "performance". A meme containing both an image and text would land in the "image" pile.

If we think about life, it really does just constitute a performance: the world whole as just a stage, simply with three-dimensional objects having positions in time!

We could also sub-divide each into the following:

• asynchronous (where the sender and receiver can engage whenever each becomes willing)
  • used for any level of urgency
    • e.g. message boards, text messages, e-mails, letter mails
• synchronous (where the sender and receiver have to engage at the same time)
  • used only to escalate utmost urgent matters
    • e.g. in-person meetings, video-conferencing, telephone calls, smoke signals

Media literacy

With the above, we should realize that part and parcel of media literacy rests on having a "dimensional perception" for the mediums. We should become familiar with which dimension a medium falls under and act accordingly. If we "read the room", we would not pick the wrong medium to convey our ideas. Such etiquette has lacked in a realm plagued by media illiteracy!

We all have experienced variations of the following:

• A group video phone call (synchronous moving image)
  • ...where an e-mail (asynchronous text) would have sufficed
• A person-to-person meeting (synchronous performance)
  • ...that only needed a phone call (synchronous sound)
• A phone call (synchronous sound)
  • ...where a text message (asynchronous text) would have done the job

One must therefore have dimensionality and synchronicity hard-coded in their minds when deciding upon which medium to use. Otherwise, some parties will find it simply an irritation.

Rules of thumb for usage of media

• low-dimensional and asynchronous mediums for business
  • i.e. dissemination of instructions, procedures, announcements, hands-on explanations, "important" information
  • e.g. e-mails, static websites
• high-dimensional and synchronous mediums for pleasure
  • i.e. parties, celebrations, jokes, personal location updates, discoveries, recommendations, "nice to know but not essential" information
  • e.g. chats, informal video calls

Summary

• A medium (plural: media) as
  • a means of communication
  • a container of content
• Media types ("dimensions") may include complex content, or simple sight and/or sound
• Media usage ("synchronicity") may include asynchronous or synchronous
• Media literacy involves knowing both the dimension and synchronicity