Issues of Interactive Digital Media

Running head: ISSUES OF INTERACTIVE DIGITAL MEDIA
Issues of Interactive Digital Media
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1ISSUES OF INTERACTIVE DIGITAL MEDIA
As opined by Thorpe (2017), an important trend which is being seen within the
framework of the contemporary world is the emergence as well as the widespread usage of
different kinds of interactive digital media platforms or tools. Rice et al. (2016) are of the
viewpoint that the different kinds of interactive digital media platforms have been
instrumental in uniting people from different parts of the world regardless of the nations or
the socio-cultural background to which they belong. Some of the most important interactive
digital media platforms are social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and
others and also the different kinds of video games, apps and others wherein the users have the
opportunity to interact with each other (Huda et al. 2017). In this regard, it needs to be
mentioned that there are various benefits that the effective usage of interactive media
platforms offers to the users like connectivity, an escape from the harsh realities of their lives,
a means to spend their leisure time in an entertaining manner (Montgomery 2015). However,
at the same time it is seen that there are various social and cultural issues the usage of
different kinds of interactive digital media platforms entail with itself like changes in the
lifestyle of the people, online bullying, cultural transformation and others. This essay will
explore the social and culture issues which are associated with the usage of interactive media
platforms through the specific lens of the utopian and dystopian perspectives.
As per an estimate the usage of different kinds of social media platforms is expected
to increase to 3.02 billion individuals by the year 2021, which accounts for more than one-
third of the entire present world population (Jenkins, Ford and Green 2018). In addition to
this, the individuals in the present times have also shown a higher propensity towards the
usage of different kinds of other interactive media platforms like the video games, apps and
others wherein they have the opportunity to interact with the other users of the same app or
game (De Ridder 2015). Vickers, Field and Melakoski (2015) are of the viewpoint that the
extensive usage of different kinds of interactive digital media platforms have created a kind

2ISSUES OF INTERACTIVE DIGITAL MEDIA
of a parallel universe or global village wherein individuals from almost all parts of the world
have the opportunity with the people of their choice without even having to reveal their real
identities. As opined by Blake (2016), this had opened up new windows of opportunities for
the individuals because of the fact that they no longer have to merely rely on their close
friends or family for interaction or spending their time in an entertaining manner. More
importantly, Tomitsch et al. (2015) have articulated the viewpoint that the individuals also
have to opportunity to learn new things from their online friends and this as a matter of fact
had expanded the knowledge base of the present-day individuals. Another important benefit
offered by the usage of interactive digital media is the fact that the individuals have
developed cultural competency which in turn is likely to help them through the entire span of
their life. However, there are various negative aspects associated with the excessive usage of
the same as well for example the creation of a virtual world had separated the individuals
from their real lives, it had enhanced the amount of mental problems like depression, anxiety
and others faced by the individuals, the cases of online bullying are on the rise and others
(Penney 2017). An analysis of the topic under discussion here from the utopian and dystopian
perspectives is likely to reveal insightful information regarding the social and cultural issues
of interactive digital media usage among the individuals.
Goggin, Martin and Dwyer (2015) have articulated the viewpoint that the notion of
‘utopia’ is a very ancient one and its etymology can be traced back to the Ancient Greek Age
with the original meaning of the word being “no place”. However, the concept of ‘utopia’
gained popularity with the famous book of Thomas Moore named “Utopia” (1551) (Lord
2015). In the concerned work, Moore describes Utopia as an idea state wherein all the needs
or the requirements of the individuals are being fulfilled and the net result of this is that they
are being able to lead a happy as well as a fruitful life (Isaac 2015). This is perhaps one of the
major reasons why the term ‘utopia’ is generally associated in the present age with an ‘ideal

3ISSUES OF INTERACTIVE DIGITAL MEDIA
state’ or for that matter as a ‘state wherein the individuals are being able to benefit
significantly from the current state of affairs’ (Featherstone 2017). An analysis of the usage
of the different kinds of interactive digital media platforms on the basis of the perspective of
utopia would thus focus on the positive aspects or the benefits that the usage of the concerned
platforms offers to the users.
Casemajor et al. (2015) have articulated the viewpoint that one of the most important
utopian aspects of the usage of the different kinds of interactive digital media platforms is the
fact that it offers the opportunity to the individuals to spend their leisure time in a fruitful
manner. For example, the individuals have the opportunity to inculcate fruitful relationship
with the individuals from the different parts of the world. This in turn had enabled these
individuals to gain insight about the things which are going on in the other parts of the world
and also to gain an insight about the culture of the diverse people (Gündüz 2017). This is
important because of the fact that on the one hand this had significantly enhanced the
knowledge base of the present-day individuals and on the other hand had made by culturally
tolerant as well. Another important aspect of this is the fact that it had broadened the friend
circle of the contemporary individuals which in turn had significantly lessened the amount of
boredom as well as the destructive activities that the individuals used to pursue in the earlier
times (O’Mara and Harris 2016). McFarland and Ployhart (2015) are of the viewpoint that the
usage of different kinds of interactive digital media platforms had helped in the creation of an
ideal state wherein the world is not being segregated by different territorial boundaries or
cultures or ethnicities and people are free to interact with each on the basis of their
preferences. Thus, it can be said that through the usage of the different kinds of interactive
digital media platforms the individuals are being able to use their leisure time in a
constructive manner and also the amount of loneliness or mental problems faced by them had