Interactive Exhibits
Perhaps the earliest forms of interactive media are exhibits at museums and fairs that allow users to touch a button to make something happen. These were arguably introduced at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London's Hyde Park that demonstrated industrial machines to visitors.Telephones
Technically speaking, telephones are media and they are interactive as they allow for two-way communication.Radio Shows
Radio shows that allow listeners to call in to participate in some way can be viewed as an old form of interactive media.Application Software
Software designed as a tool for users such as a photo editing suite.Mobile Apps
Application software for mobile devices such as a weather app.Video Games
Entertaining and engaging software that may resemble a digital world.Virtual Reality
Immersive digital experiences that make users feel as if they are exploring a world that is a digital construct or is a digital twin of physical reality.Pervasive Games
Games that mix virtual and physical environments.Interactive Video
Video and television with interactive features such as streaming video that audiences help to create.Publications
Publications such as websites that allow users to navigate, communicate and participate.Forums
Online communities where people have discussions as a series of posts. Resembles an early forum of social media.Social Media
Digital communities that allow media to be created and shared.Messaging & Chat
All forms of digital messaging and chat are interactive. This includes email.Livestreaming
Livestreaming is media that allows anyone to broadcast live from anywhere. These typically have a built in chat feature that allow the audience to participate.Art
Interactive art that involves the observer.Advertising
Digital, outdoor and in-store advertising that features interactive elements such as a digital poster that reacts to people who are in its proximity.Theme Parks
Theme park attractions that allow for some level of participation such as blasting lasers at targets for points.Concerts
A musician who calls for audience participation at a concert such as singing a verse.Cinema
Interactive cinema that allows audiences to play a role in the film. In theory, movies could be game-like whereby you make choices, participate and use your skills to change outcomes.Overview
Interactive media includes any communication or information environment that allows users to participate in any way.
Discussion
The term interactive media can be viewed as a 1990s buzzword that was used a great deal during that time. This began with the emergence of interactive CD-ROMs in the early 1990s that resembled websites with multimedia pages that allowed users to click on things such as images to explore further. The use of the term is also greatly associated with the commercialization of the internet in the mid-1990s. At the time, clicking on links to explore information was a new experience for most people.| Summary: Interactive Media | ||
Type | ||
Definition | Media that responds to user input. | |
Related Concepts | ||
