“Societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the media by which men communicate than by the content of the communication.” — Marshall McLuhan

In the past 50 years we’ve moved from large format broadcasting to micro-casting: targeted, short bursts of information, tailored to the commercial motives of the broadcaster and curated to the so-called needs of the consuming public. As scientists begin to study the effects of these new media on our cognitive and neurological processes, I find myself concerned with society’s weakening ability and motivation to stay properly informed of the goings on in the various public spheres in which it is made up.

Every culture, however, has a sub-culture: a movement counter to the overwhelming tides of what is considered popular or the norm. In the decade leading up to present day, for example, we have seen a strengthened “slow food” movement, working against the mass food production and distribution of the agribusiness industry. As future generations are faced with both an increasingly facile media as well as a decreased physical ability to consume the “long form,” how will those looking to stay knowledgeable about their world 50 years from now consume information?

Longformers 2062 considers the tools that might be used by this counter culture as it tries to take on these challenges in the name of a well informed public.

Part of my final thesis at Massachusetts College of Art & Design’s Dynamic Media Institute.