Understanding Digital Media: Technopolitics and the Extended Subject

The book Understanding Digital Media by F. Vander Valk offers a political theory of digital media that explores the ways in which media infiltrate, influence, and construct political decisions and the biological, cognitive, and social information environments in which these decisions are made. It challenges standard liberal theories of power and political action and proposes an approach in which the political subject is theorized as a series of extended social, biological, and technological continuities. It also addresses the question of whether digital technical systems are more akin to language or to action and traces information flows across several boundaries to understand how a particular confluence of information, technology, language, and practice results in an emerging technopolitics.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 01 January 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Two generations after the arrival of the internet and similar technical systems, and one generation after the introduction of the system of protocols that constitute the World Wide Web, we are clearly still struggling to understand the impact of the yet-young digital revolution. As digital technology encourages new modes of thought, speech, and action, it also changes the contours of subjectivity along with the horizon of possibility open to political actors, both individually and collectively. In fields such as political theory, political communication, and media studies, there remain substantial gaps in our collective understanding of how the internet, and digital technology more broadly, affects political life as such.

Understanding Digital Media fills this void by offering a political theory of digital media. F. Vander Valk argues that standard liberal theories of power and political action fail to account for significant aspects of the new media environment; a working political theory of the media must begin by exploring the ways in which media infiltrate, influence, and construct not just political decisions, but the very biological, cognitive, and social information environments in which these decisions are made. In developing this argument, Vander Valk puts forward an approach in which the political subject is theorized as a series of extended social, biological, and technological continuities rather than as a discrete and stable entity embedded within a conceptually distinct social context. After introducing the idea of the extended subject, Vander Valk turns to the emerging fields of the philosophy of engineering and software studies to address the question of whether digital technical systems are more akin to language or to action. This extension of political theory is significant because it challenges the traditional notion of the political subject as a rational, autonomous agent and instead recognizes the role of media in shaping the very foundations of political life.

One of the key insights of Vander Valk's approach is that the political subject is not a fixed entity but is constantly shaped by the media and other social forces. This means that political actors are not simply passive recipients of media messages but are active participants in the construction of meaning and the shaping of political reality. Vander Valk argues that this process of meaning-making is not limited to the political sphere but is also central to the functioning of society as a whole.

To illustrate this point, Vander Valk examines the role of media in shaping public opinion and political behavior. He argues that the media play a crucial role in shaping public opinion by providing a platform for the expression of diverse perspectives and by framing political issues in a particular way. For example, the media can play a role in promoting a particular political ideology or in shaping public opinion on a particular issue. However, Vander Valk also notes that the media can also be used to manipulate public opinion and to promote political agendas.

In addition to shaping public opinion, the media also play a crucial role in shaping political behavior. Vander Valk argues that the media can influence political behavior by providing a platform for the expression of political ideas and by providing a means for political actors to communicate with their constituents. For example, the media can be used to promote a particular political candidate or to mobilize public support for a particular political cause. However, Vander Valk also notes that the media can also be used to manipulate political behavior by providing a platform for the expression of hate speech or by promoting political violence.

Another important aspect of Vander Valk's approach is his emphasis on the role of media in constructing social reality. He argues that the media play a crucial role in constructing social reality by providing a platform for the expression of diverse perspectives and by shaping the way that people perceive the world. For example, the media can play a role in promoting a particular social ideology or in shaping public opinion on a particular issue. However, Vander Valk also notes that the media can also be used to manipulate social reality by providing a platform for the expression of hate speech or by promoting political violence.

In conclusion, F. Vander Valk's approach to the political theory of digital media offers a valuable contribution to our understanding of the impact of the digital revolution on political life. By recognizing the role of media in shaping the very foundations of political life, Vander Valk challenges the traditional notion of the political subject as a rational, autonomous agent and instead recognizes the role of media in shaping the very foundations of political life. Vander Valk's approach is significant because it challenges the traditional notion of the political subject as a rational, autonomous agent and instead recognizes the role of media in shaping the very foundations of political life.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781138900042