No This isn’t a thesis I have no references its complete conjecture, observation and opinion.
The rise of technology and its acceptance by the mainstream has had huge social implications. I grew up in an world that predated digital cameras, media was something that you consumed there was limited opportunity and practically none to distribute it (there wasn’t even much choice in what media you got too consume) In the last 20+ years not only have we have gone from this to a practically infinite choice of media but now almost everyone has the tools to create their own content. Huge numbers of people do in one way or another people take photos and can straight away share them with their friends, people are posting thoughts and ideas on the social networking site , uploading video to sites like vimeo and youtube, writing blogs twittering posting on forums and editing Wiki’s (my son was writing Wiki entries hints for his favourite game at 8years old) people are growing up not only capable of creating content but expecting to be involved. Electronic games are an incredibly new form of entertainment but the games industry is already as big as the movie industry, people are no longer content to just sit and consume it is no longer the only choice they want to participate they expect to be able to add their voice at some level they understand what it is like to create and they want to be part of it. This is where I feel interactive art or art using game technologies is just starting to bubble, like their media people will want to participate with their art film has been embraced by the Art communities and I think games will also find their place the changing attitudes and expectations of the populous will ensure these new artforms will be a very powerful and relevant way to communicate ideas.
So not only will technology play a large part in delivering these new ideas but this transformation has all come about by the empowerment that technology has given us. It is incredibly easy to create a film and have a potential audience of 100′s of millions of viewers to get you vision out to that many people would have once been impossible and to get close would take a massive team and a huge budget. Now I’m by no means suggesting that most of what people are creating is good but what it does mean is people are thinking about creating slowly shifting to see the world through the eyes of a creator and my hope is this will bring more attention and and a greater understanding of the importance of the arts.
Yes I love technology, yes it has caused countless problems, but what if we can use it to enhance creative thinking in the world.