The prediction, in brief:

In the next century, growing numbers of Americans will work and play in artificial environments that only exist, in the truest sense, as bytes stored in computer memory. The explosion of computer-based interactive media seems destined to sweep away (at least in its familiar form) the decidedly non-interactive medium that has dominated the latter half of this century: television.

Predictor: Dery, Mark

Prediction, in context:

In a 1993 article carried by the Essential Media network site, Mark Dery, an American media commentator, writes:”In the next century, growing numbers of Americans will work and play in artificial environments that only exist, in the truest sense, as bytes stored in computer memory. The explosion of computer-based interactive media seems destined to sweep away (at least in its familiar form) the decidedly non-interactive medium that has dominated the latter half of this century: television. Much of this media may one day be connected to a high-capacity, high-speed fiber optic network of ‘information superhighways’ linking as many homes as are currently serviced by the telephone network.”

Biography:

Mark Dery was the author of “Flame Wars: The Discourse of Cyberculture” (Duke University Press, 1995). His writings on fringe culture, technology, mass media, and the arts appeared in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Wired, 21.C, Mondo 2000, Elle, Interview, New York and The Village Voice. (Author/Editor/Journalist.)

Date of prediction: January 1, 1993

Topic of prediction: Community/Culture

Subtopic: Virtual Communities

Name of publication: Essential Media Features

Title, headline, chapter name: Culture Jamming: Hacking, Slashing and Sniping in the Empire of Signs

Quote Type: Direct quote

Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.essentialmedia.com/Shop/Dery.html

This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney