In the meantime, my perception of the power of new media was being shaped by the articles I regularly came across in old media. You may have seen a few of these stories; they tend to sport headlines like: “Facebook bullying victim commits suicide”, “Second Life virtual affair provokes real life divorce”, and “Sexting trend turns teens into child pornographers”. The picture being painted isn’t an encouraging one.

And yet the truth is, despite the reported downsides, interactive media also offer enormously exciting opportunities for people to connect and engage in beautiful and transformative ways – ways that old media can’t even approach.

Glossy magazines and TV broadcasts, for instance, are expensive to make and so have typically been accessible to a relatively small group of wealthy producers. Not surprisingly, they have tended to privilege their own voices and perspectives – which have largely been white, affluent, able-bodied, heterosexual, and male. Because most depend on advertisers, the content they disseminate is often influenced by commercial considerations (will this program interest affluent viewers? will this feature help sell cosmetics and cars?) In addition, the need to attract large audiences often translates into material that appeals to the lowest common denominator, and fails to challenge or enlighten in any meaningful way.