Aaba Charaf-dine

New Media and Social Transformation

Charafaaba@gmail.com

Postmodern Virtualities

At the beginning of his article, Mark Poster elaborated on the history of

communication and how it was developed throughout time. He believes because of new
media such as internet and virtual realities we are having now multiple realities that are
available now ever than before. He also thinks that new communications have helped humans
to live a better life, in a better society. Unlike communication in the past, particularly Middle
Ages which was based on trust and maybe traveling with stranger for many days only to
exchange written documents. Now it is possible for people to share contents and information
without meeting each other. In the late 1980, it was not possible to send a high quality image
instantly, few years later, people could send and receive limitless amount of images and texts.
Eventually digital encoding of sound, text and image was finally achieved. Due to the fiber-
optic lines replacing copper wire. Poster has also talked about the high speed traffic
superhighway and its role in increased information flow.

Technology has gone under a crazy evolution just in few recent years, this helped us
a great deal but it also affected and conditioned how we communicate. It is indeed as Poster
describes it a “dangerous term since it suggests that reality may be multiple or take many
forms (538).”

Poster introduces us to the term “virtual reality” and how this kind of realities makes
us see what is actually there as the same as what has been transform to make us believe that
we are inside that reality created. Because of this technology, people would create whatever
reality they want. Poster stresses on the idea that virtual realities take us “inside” alternative
worlds for instance Virtuix is a 360 degree experience where you can jump, run and walk.
As well as communicate with others. Therefore identity and representation of the self can be
reformed, as Poser emphasizes “reality, a simulation practice is set in place which alters
forever the conditions under which the identity of the self is formed” (539).