Master/Slave Complex

The discussion of whether we are masters or slaves to new media is a multi-faceted debate. While we initially created new media, they have grown significantly since their development due to user interactions. These interactions create a sort of sentience to new media.

Originally, new media was created as a miracle communication form. We could interact with people we hadn't even met from around the world in near real time scenarios if we chose. People had never dreamed of needing new media, but it is clear that we are very much dependent upon them today. They have quite literally revolutionized our way of life. It was this turning point, that turned us from the master/creators, into the slaves.

New media have developed into seemingly sentient forms. This sentience is fed by the conglomerated intelligence of all users. We inherently care for our media that we're involved with because it allows us to garner relationships with our fellow users. Humans are social beings and these feelings of attachment transfer to the media that promote them.

This connectivity also pulls on our social instincts to respond to people we otherwise might never have talked to again. How many people on Facebook for instance are you actually friends with? The language of these media are designed to tap our social consciousness. It is this pull that has caused research to start exploring the addiction aspect of new media. People join on to make connections, but then become beholden to social pressures to continually participate. Their continued participation then perpetuates the cycle of pressure on someone else. It's this cycle that forms the sentient aspect of new media, and makes us slaves.