Digital Media as a New Means of Mediation (Part One)

The article begins the cycle “Digital media as a new means of mediation”. “Digitalization” is interpreted as a challenge to contemporary psychology in general and cultural-historical theory in particular. The results of a theoretical and methodological analysis of the possibilities of regarding digital media as a new phenomenon, combining components of a sign and of a tool, are presented. Possible directions of research on various aspects of applying digital media in the framework of the cultural-historical concept are discussed. It is argued, that perceiving digital media as a new means of mediation opens a wide range of possibilities for investigating development of higher mental functions in digital society. One of the further steps of research consists in demonstrating, how traditional types of activity (e.g. reading, writing, play and communication) are transformed in digital contexts and what effects it can have on such functions as attention, memory, will and thinking.

1. Azimov E. G., Schukin А. N. Novyi slovar’ metodicheskih terminov i ponyatij (teoriya i praktika obucheniya yazykam) [A new dictionary of methodological terms and concepts (theory and practice of teaching languages)]. Moscow: IKAR Publishing House, 2009. 448 p.
2. Veresov N.N. Kul’turno-instoricheskaya psykhologiya L.S. Vygotskogo: trudnaya rabota ponimaniya [Cultural-historical psychology by L.S. Vygotsky: difficult work of understanding]. Novoye literaturnoye obozrenie [New literary review], 2007, no. 3. URL: https://magazines.gorky.media/ nlo/2007/3/kulturno-istoricheskaya-psihologiya-l-s-vygotskogo-trudnaya-rabota-ponimaniya.html (Accessed: 30.09.2019).
3. Voropaev M.V. Vospitanie v virtual’nyh sredah [Upbringing in virtual reality]. Mudrik А.V. (ed.). Мoscow: МGPU, 2010. 277 p.
4. Voiskounsky A.E. Internet — novaya oblast’ issledovaniy v psichologicheskoi nauke [The Internet as a new realm of psychological science]. Uchenye zapiski kafedry obschey psykhologii MGU [Scientific notes of the department of general psychology of Moscow State University]. Moscow: Smysl, 2002, Issue 1. 82—101 pp.
5. Voiskounsky A.E. Psikhologiya i Internet [Psycology and the Internet]. Moscow: Acropol’, 2010. 439 p.
6. Vygotsky L.S. Sobranie sochineniy: v 6 t. T. 1. Voprosy teorii i istorii psihologii [Collected works: in 6 vol. T. 1. Questions of theory and history of psychology]. Luriya А.R., Yaroshevskiy M.G. (ed.). Moscow: Pedagogika, 1982. 488 p.
7. Vygotsky L.S. Sobranie sochineniy: v 6 t. T. 3. Problemy razvitiya psihiki [Problems of development of the psyco]. Matyushkin A.M. (ed.). Мoscow, Pedagogika, 1983. 368 p.
8. Knizhichenko A.S., Kochetkova O.V. Izmenenie informacii v IS. Sravnitel’nyy analiz mer informacii, predlagaemyy raznymi uchenymi [Change of information in IP. Comparative analysis of measures of information proposed by different scientists]. Devyataya Mezhdunarodnaya studencheskaya nauchnaya konferenciya «Studencheskiy nauchnyy forum» [Ninth International Student Scientific Conference “Student Scientific Forum”]. URL: <a href=”https:// scienceforum.ru/2017/article/2017037354”>https:// scienceforum.ru/2017/article/2017037354</a> (Accessed: 27.09.2019 ).
9. Lysak I.V., Belov D.P. Vliyanie informacionno-kommunikacionnyh tehnologiy na osobennosti kognitivnyh processov [Influence of information and communication technologies on the features of cognitive processes]. Izvestiya UFU. Tehnicheskie nauki [Technical science], 2013, no. 5, pp. 256—264.
10. McLuhan M. Galaktika Gutenberga. Stanovlenie cheloveka pechatayuschego [The Gutenberg Galaxy: the making of typographic man]. Moscow: Academic Project, Gaudeamus, 2013. 495 p.
11. Otradnova O.V. Chelovek v usloviyah izmenyayuscheysya real’nosti [A person in changing reality]. Molodoy uchenyy [Young scientist], 2013, no. 10, pp. 647—650.
12. Rubtsova O.V. Cifrovye tehnologii kak novoe sredstvo oposredovaniya. [Digital technologies as a new means of mediation]. Mezhdunarodnyy simpozium “L.S. Vygotskiy i sovremennoe detstvo”. Sbornik tezisov. Otvetstvennyy redaktor K.N. Polivanova [International symposium “LS Vygotsky and contemporary childhood”. Collection of abstracts. Executive Editor K.N. Polivanova], 2017, pp. 85—86.
13. Soldatova G.U. Cifrovaya socializaciya v kul’turno-istoricheskoy paradigme: izmenyayuschiysya rebenok v izmenyayuschemsya mire [Digital socialization in the cultural-historical paradigm: a changing child in a changing world]. Social’naya psychologiya i obschestvo [Social psychology and society], 2018. Vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 71—80. doi:10.17759/ sps.2018090308
14. Tikhomirov O.K. L.S. Vygotsky i sovremennaya psihologiya. [L.S. Vygotsky and contemporary psychology]. Nauchnoye tvorchestvo L.S. Vygotskogo i sovremennaya psikhologiya. Tezisy dokladov Vsesoyuzn. Konferencii [L.S. Vygotsky’s scientific creativity and modern psychology. Theses of reports of the All-Union. Conferences], Мoscow, 1981, pp. 151—154.
15. Tikhomirov O.K. Informacionnyy vek i teoriya L.S. Vygotskogo [Information age and the theory by L.S. Vygotsky]. Psyhologicheskiy zhurnal [Psychological Journal], 1993, no.1.
16. Baudrillard J. Simulacres et Simulation. Galilée, 1981. 240 p.
17. Bühl A. Die virtuelle Gesellschaft: Okonomie, Politik und Kultur im Zeichen des Cyberspace, Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag, 1997. 400 p.
18. Blumberg F.C., Brooks P.J. (eds.), Cognitive development in digital contexts. Academic Press, 2017. 370 p.
19. Dafermos M. Rethinking cultural-historical theory. Routledge, 2018. 309 p.
20. Floridi L. The fourth revolution: How the infosphere is reshaping human reality. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014. 264 p.
21. Giesecke, M. The media revolution at the beginning in the modern era and its historical significance. Universitas. A quaterly German review of the Arts and Sciences, 1990, no. 32 (3), pp. 219—227.
22. Giesecke M. Von den Mythen der Buchkultur zu den Visionen der Informationsgesellschaft. Trendforschungen zur kulturellen Medienökologie. Frankfurt a.M.: Suhrkamp, 2002. 458 p.
23. Milgram P. and Kishino A. F. Taxonomy of mixed reality visual displays. IEICE Transactions on information and systems, 1994, no. E77-D (12), pp. 1321—1329.
24. Oxford handbook of cyberpshychology. Attrill- Smith A. (eds.). Oxford University Press, 2018. 784 p. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198812746.001.0001
25. Rubtsova O.V., Ulanova N.S. Digital filmmaking as a means for the development of reflection: a case-study of a disabled university student. Global youth in digital trajectories. London, 2017, pp. 53—68.
26. Rückriem G. Digital technology and mediation — a challenge to activity theory. Kul’turno-istoricheskaya psikhologiya [Cultural-Historical Psychology], 2010, no. 4, pp. 30—38.
27. Rückriem G., Ang-Stein C., Erdmann J.W. Understanding media revolution — how digitalization is to be considered. Tätigkeitstheorie: E-journal for activity theoretical research in Germany, 2011, no. 3, pp. 77—100.
28. Weiser M. The сomputer for the 21st century. Scientific American, 1991, no. 265, pp. 94—104.