ABSTRACT

There truly has been a “rise of the machines.” The presence of media in people’s everyday lives is growing exponentially. The last century introduced radio and television. The last 25 years have seen the emergence of the Internet and interactive video games. Even more recent was the advent of mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets, which are not yet ten years old. The accessibility of media continues to intensify: As we write, sales of wristwatch devices able to receive text, images, and video are swiftly coming to market. Today one can engage rich multimedia content on demand throughout the day almost anywhere one is.