Life After New Media: Mediation as a Vital Process

Abstract

In Life after New Media: Mediation as a Vital Process, the authors advocate for understanding media not merely as distinct objects but as dynamic processes of mediation integral to life itself. They challenge traditional binaries in media theory, such as technological determinism versus social constructivism, arguing that these frameworks obscure the inherently hybrid nature of media and technology. By shifting focus from specific devices (smartphones, tablets) to the broader processes of mediation, they emphasize how media are always already embedded within society, co-producing and enacting it rather than merely representing it. This perspective underscores the entanglement between events and their mediated forms, suggesting that both emerge through performative interactions. The book explores how these vital processes encompass economic, social, cultural, psychological, and technical dimensions, yet resist reduction to any single component. Ultimately, Kember and Zylinska propose a rethinking of media as generative forces capable of introducing new potentials for life and events, challenging conventional boundaries between human and technological spheres.

(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)