For several years now, I've had the dubious distinction of trying to explain to people what it means to be a media psychologist. The trick is to get the definition out before their eyes roll back in their heads. A larger problem, though, is that my definition of media psychology fits better with the term 'transmedia multipsychology,' which admittedly sounds a little silly. Why does it matter how we define things? Because definitions create the field of play Media psychology has to address the convergence of technologies, the messaging process, the blurring of boundaries between roles of producers, consumers, and distributors. All of these create psychological shifts at individual, organizational, and national levels in a world because our basic assumptions about communication and interaction with everything is continually changing. Definitions, like cognitive maps, define our view and in doing so, limit our vision for innovative problem-solving and inquiry unless we take steps … [Read more...]