How successful are current 'interactive' technologies in realising the promises of interactivity?

The television, internet and DVD are all media technologies which are considered ‘interactive’ in contemporary society. Many people find them alluring as they seemingly offer more than just the one-way channel of communication typical of traditional media. They are considered ‘interactive’ in the sense that they allow navigation – giving the user greater control over the order in which onscreen events unfold – and also in that they imply a two-way communication between the consumer and producer. This essay however argues that such media technologies do not offer ‘a two-way communication’ by any means, but merely an illusion or ‘sense’ of participation. In fact, the notion itself is one which is exploited by producers within the industry to attract consumers, often giving viewers the false impression that they are in fact determining the progression and outcome of onscreen events. This heightened sense of interactivity, in television in particular, not only highlight...