Emerging media: a transdisciplinary synthesis

ABSTRACT

This study aims to shed light on the conceptual implications of emerging media or emergent media from a transdisciplinary perspective. Drawing on the philosophical thoughts of complex dynamic systems and emergentism, this study reviews the literature across various disciplines bearing on emerging media and illustrates the value of invoking the concept to understand the fast-evolving communication technologies. Emerging media is defined as complex dynamic systems that are constituted through and in communication practices, suggestive of both materiality and sociality, and characterized by emergent processes. By emphasizing a conceptualization of media as dynamic, emergent, relational, and situated systems, this study calls for empirical studies of emerging media employing a transdisciplinary approach.

KEYWORDS:

• Emerging media
• new media
• complex dynamic systems
• emergence
• transdisciplinary

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).