Asst. Prof. Rabiya Saltik, Associate Head of the Department of Radio, Television, and Cinema at the Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA) of Istanbul Gelişim University (İGU), answered our questions about new media and human relationships:
How would you define your field of study based on your theses, publications, and other works?
I would broadly define my work as focusing on new media technologies and their effects on human life. In an environment where new media technologies are constantly diversifying and experiences are beginning to transform, discussing current practices and their impact on individuals and society is becoming increasingly important. In both my theses and completed scientific research, I have had the opportunity to address topics such as cyberpsychology related to new media technologies, collective and cultural memory in digital environments, postmodern subjective experiences in virtual spaces, and the forms of divisive and exclusionary discourses in cyberspace, among many other issues.
How do you interpret the effects of social media use on university students?
Social media's impact on university students can be discussed from both positive and negative perspectives. For staying up-to-date and informed, social media offers a faster medium than conventional media. Many university students, who are known to follow conventional media less, use social media to obtain information. This can sometimes provide valuable updates on current events or delve into specific areas of interest or expertise. Conventional media often has limited coverage of personal interests, whereas social media can offer directly experiential videos showing how to make a film or vlogs detailing nuances in a favorite director's work. However, despite these benefits, social media also takes away many things from university students. We are exposed to highly personalized screen experiences, and our feeds, shaped by our interests, confine us to a repetitive loop. We end up reading the same content, laughing at the same things, or learning similar information as others with similar interests. Thus, while we may feel immersed in an ocean of information, we are actually swimming in a confined pool. Additionally, students accustomed to the fast-changing, visually dominant nature of these platforms struggle with longer, uninterrupted classes, face serious concentration issues, and often avoid reading recommended books. When they need to learn something, they turn to search engines or AI models that provide quick information. We can say that, when considering the pros and cons, the negatives outweigh the positives.
What do you think is the effect of the vast amount of content on digital platforms on viewers?
With digital platforms, our viewing experiences have reached a new level. While viewers on conventional media could spread out a season of a show over months, digital platforms allow them to binge-watch an entire season in one night. This binge-watching behavior can become akin to an eating disorder, dominating the viewer's experience. These platforms also support this viewing disorder by recommending content based on your preferences or previously enjoyed genres, leading to what can be described as "fast-foodization" of viewing experiences. We often hear people say, "I didn't like it, but I finished the series." As a result, there is a continuous need to update content to meet demand, leading to increasingly careless scripts and poorly made stories produced quickly and cheaply. This results in a production ideology that caters to the consumption society.
How do you foresee the future of new media?
The future of new media will likely revolve around artificial intelligence (AI). The invention of the internet initiated a revolutionary process in communication, and similarly, AI represents another revolution. It is not an exaggeration to say that AI will become a central topic across all fields, from science to art, employment needs to interpersonal relationships, politics to marketing.
Beyond digitalization, new media tools, social media, etc., how do you think AI will affect these areas?
We are moving towards a societal framework where AI will impact all areas, from science and art to job employment and emotional relationships. In an AI society, the role of humans will definitely change, and every field will have to redefine itself according to AI. For instance, films made entirely by AI will become commonplace, and we might see deceased Hollywood actors as leading roles in entirely AI-created productions. Many such examples can be provided. However, it is important to note that an AI society cannot be defined as one where humans are no longer needed. In that societal framework, the most competent individuals will be those who can effectively use AI within their fields. Therefore, we need to focus on the concept of AI literacy from today.
