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Copied from [Media ecology], Editing for academic project. Edits by Hencatalan

Mobility and modality
Various scholars have examined media ecology theory from different perspectives to gain a better understanding of this theory in the 21st century. Sternberg used the yin/yang metaphor as their interpretation of the theory, while Julia Hildebrand and John Dimmick, among others, introduce modality as a path to expand the media ecology theor y. Contributing to a modern rhetoric for contextualizing media ecology in the era of the internet, social media, and technological advancements.

Hildebrand extends the concept of 'mediated mobilities', introduced by Emily Keightley and Anna Reading, to illustrate the similarities between the fields of media ecology and mobility research and propose a "Modal Medium Theory" as a combination of both studies. Both fields place an emphasis on the materiality and the structure that make up the environments media is accessed through. In the modern era, this includes not only the physical machines used for communication, but also the virtual environments messages are sent through and how they affect the quality of the message sent. They also explore the relations between an entity that is sent, the medium used for delivery, and how that medium can influence the environment. Entity can refer not only to subjects, but also objects, information, or situations that are shared. She looks into the article by Lance Strate as a basis for her case. In 1999, Lance Strate states media ecology theory is " the study of media environments, the idea that technology and techniques, modes of information and codes of communication play a leading role in human affairs ". Hildebrand explained that Strate's concept of media ecology extends beyond the study of information and communication technology to include technology in a broader sense. This includes materiality and mobility of media environments, interconnecting Media Ecology with Mobility Processes. Hildebrand points out that, "[e]nvironments are created and shaped by different media and modes and the physical, virtual, and mental processes and travels they generate".

Similar to media ecology, mobilities research discusses a "flow" that shapes the environment, and creates contact zones. Dimmick furthers this explanation with the concept of interstices as the intersection of communication environments and issues of mobility. He quotes two scholars, Hemment and Caronia, to contextualize his new word. Hemment argues that mobile technologies create a place out of space and time, a kind of "nonspace" or "nonplace" considering they are independent from the variables of space and time. Caronia notes that such technologies extend media to creating empty space and places.

Education

Transmedia Storytelling in Education as A Practice of Media Ecology

Further expanding Media Ecology Theory into modern-day communication. Anna A. Novikova analyzes recent transmedia storytelling strategies used in education through the perspective of media ecology. In "Transmedia Storytelling in Education as a Practice of Media Ecology", Novikova highlights how advancements in technology and world events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have increased the need for media literacy and technological skills in adapting educational processes. She suggests that McLuhan's concepts are reflected in how transmedial storytelling helps audiences broaden their worldviews and accepted norms. Transmedial stories developed from the input of an author and the input of students creates an environment based on connections among participants in the communication process, the participants' involvement and the conceptualization of traditional values, and the creation of new values. Novikova suggests the transmedia environment is an extension of McLuhan's statement "the medium is the message" and the New Media Era. She acknowledges challenges this education strategy faces, such as the risk of presenting students with too much information reducing retention and meaning by possibly presenting the information out of context.

Research

Cultural Convergence through Media Ecology

In 2009, Octavio Islas published an article titled "La Convergencia Cultural a través de la ecología de medios", with the English translation being, "Cultural Convergence through Media Ecology." The goal of the article was to analyze the effects of cultural convergence across digital technologies, in anticipation of a new transmedia ecology. He primarily focuses on the generational group known as "digital natives", which refers to children and young people born after 1988. These individuals have grown alongside technology, gaining a fundamental understanding of digital technologies that allow them to adapt across multiple media platforms.

The Convergence concept that Islas employs refers to the "flow of content across multiple media platforms, cooperation between multiple media industries, and the migratory behavior of media audiences". The shift in the methods of media companies in response to the cultural consumption of media is known as Cultural Convergence. Specifically it refers to the shift of recipients from being solely consumers of conventional media to adopting the role of "prosumer", a fusion of "producer" and "consumer". Prosumers actively communicate, producing information, and seek information across multiple media platforms. Islas suggests that this helps develop their ability to process large amounts of information at a significantly faster rate than previous generations. This is supported by the increase in individuals with the ability to multitask simultaneously, a challenge that traditional educational systems have struggled to adapt to. According to Islas, strategies such as mobile, on-demand education through cellphones or other mobile devices respond to the needs of digital natives. These strategies reflect a cultural and media ecology that differs from previous generations and is evidence of a new development in society.

News Consumption in a changing media ecology: An MESM-study on mobile news

Applying the established concepts of Media Ecology, Samson Struckmann and Veronika Karnowski analyze how situational characteristics influence the choice of communication device for news consumption. The rapid emergence of online media and mobile devices with network connectivity has created a new avenue for news media consumption. This shift in the media ecology has transformed news consumption across the population by removing limitations that previously anchored media access to physical locations ,such as radios, newspapers, and, more recently, desktop computers. Therefore, Struckmann and Karnowski explore the factors influencing an individual's choice of communication device for news consumption to determine the driving forces behind this change.

They discovered that the decision to use a specific communication device is primarily determined by locational characteristics, such as the place and time of use, the availability of radio and television, and internet access via a PC/notebook. The level of intimacy with the social environment is the next factor that influences which device is utilized. The communication device used may differ when in the presence of strangers compared to being alone or with familiar people. Traditional devices such as radio and television are predominantly reserved for situations like car rides or an evening at home, with printed newspapers experiencing the most significant decline in use since the adoption of mobile devices. The work performed by Struckmann and Veronika supports research conducted by other communication scholars and provides further evidence of a changing media ecology, reinforcing the use of the Media Ecology Theory in academic studies.