Mediainteraktion

Mediainteraktion is the study and practice of how media products invite and respond to user actions, turning passive reception into active participation. It encompasses design strategies, technologies, and organizational models that enable bidirectional communication between producers and audiences. The concept covers interactive formats, platforms, and interfaces that allow users to influence content, navigate narratives, or contribute content themselves. It also includes how data about user interactions is collected and analyzed to adapt content and improve engagement.

Key dimensions include interactivity (control over content and branching choices), participation (co-creation, user-generated content), personalization (customized content flows), and multimodality (text, video, audio, graphics, AR/VR). Platforms range from web-based environments to mobile apps, streaming services, social networks, and immersive installations.

Examples include interactive journalism with clickable storylines, choose-your-path video experiences, live streams with audience polls and chat, gamified advertisements, and educational applications that adapt to a learner’s progress.

Mediainteraktion affects author–audience relations, production workflows, and metrics for success such as engagement time and depth of interaction. It raises design and ethical considerations, including accessibility, privacy, consent, and the risk of manipulation or misinformation. Researchers study how mediainteraktion shapes attention, memory, and social dynamics across platforms.

See also: interactive media, user experience, participatory culture, transmedia storytelling, audience engagement, media sociology.