Interactive media a type of Collaborative media refers to media that allows for active participation by the recipient hence interactivity. Traditional information theory would describe interactive media as those media that establish two-way communication. It;lthn media theory interactive media are discussed along their cultural implications. The field of Human Computer Interaction deals with aspects of interactivity and design in digital media. Other areas that deal with interactive media are new media art interactive advertising and video game production.
While much traditional analog electronic media and print media qualifies as interactive media the term is sometimes misunderstood as exclusive to digital media. The significant increase in possibilities for interactivity brought by the internet boosted the availability of digital interactive media. Still e.g. language in face-to-face communication would formally belong to the category of interactive media.
Interactive media are often designed by information designers. As all media they rely on communication. In the case of e.g. computer games this is visual acoustic and haptic communication between the user and the game. In Mobile telephony the communication happens between two people and is purely acoustic at the first glance. Yet according to media theory the cultural implications of the medium have to be taken into account. Thus aspects like constant availability customization of the mobile phone and Short Message Service are also part of the interactive medium called Mobile telephony. Media restrain from being translated to technological entities.
Terminology
Any form of interface between the end user/ audience and the medium may be considered interactive. Interactive media is not limited to electronic media or digital media. Board games pop-up books gamebooks flip books and constellation wheels are all examples of printed interactive media. Books with a simple table of contents or index may be considered interactive due to the non-linear control mechanism in the medium but are usually considered non-interactive since the majority of the user experience is non-interactive sequential reading.
