Media evolution and ‘epi-technic’ digital media: Media as cultural selection mechanisms

Mogens Olesen

Media evolution and ‘epi-technic’ digital media: Media as cultural selection mechanisms

Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics

Abstract

The explosive development of new digital media technologies is often described as a media evolution but hardly ever is the concept of ‘media evolution’ taken at face value. This article takes up that challenge by combining cultural evolution theories with medium theory. The article argues that biological selection mechanisms can provide an inroad into a new kind of historical and structural understanding of the relation between human culture and our technologies. In specific, human history is seen as a cultural evolution in which media technologies are the selection mechanisms.

Original language	Danish
Journal	Explorations in Media Ecology
Volume	14
Issue number	1/2
Pages (from-to)	141-160
ISSN	1539-7785
Publication status	Published - 2016

Keywords

Faculty of Humanities

Cite this

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title = "Media evolution and {\textquoteleft}epi-technic{\textquoteright} digital media: Media as cultural selection mechanisms",

abstract = "The explosive development of new digital media technologies is often described as a media evolution but hardly ever is the concept of {\textquoteleft}media evolution{\textquoteright} taken at face value. This article takes up that challenge by combining cultural evolution theories with medium theory. The article argues that biological selection mechanisms can provide an inroad into a new kind of historical and structural understanding of the relation between human culture and our technologies. In specific, human history is seen as a cultural evolution in which media technologies are the selection mechanisms. ",

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KW - Det Humanistiske Fakultet

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KW - media environments

KW - memetics

KW - medium theory

KW - Digital Media

KW - cultural evolution

KW - epigenetics

M3 - Tidsskriftartikel

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JO - Explorations in Media Ecology

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