Digital Aesthetics, Postmodernism, and Digital Ethics

Creeber (p.23) argues that digital aesthetics as one singular, unfragmented entity does not exist. Instead we are  told to think of aesthetics within a given context, and that each context has it's own properties. While we may know there is no consistent aesthetic amongst the entire digital domain, as elements of New Media they all follow Manovich's second principle of modularity,

"Manovich's principle of Modularity insists that the parts (of the digital domain) remain distinct from any larger whole into which they might be assembled."
(Creeber, p.28)

Meaning that any and all digital aesthetics can, but don't necessarily have to be, subject to the consequent properties. As Manovich states them (p.18-p.34), they are Automation, Variability, and Transcoding. While these properties enable New Media to engage the consumer to engage on new and exciting levels, they also can serve to further the digital divide between privileged users and regular users.

As Henry Jenkins says, "[c]orporations - and even individuals within corporate media - still exert greater power than any individual consumer or even aggregate of consumers." (2006, 3). With the power to automate production with limitless varying potential, censor or tailor make modular elements, and ultimately if done right have media embedded into our developing culture - is the celebration of postmodernism and New Media as engines driving consumer empowerment at the behest of "participation" justified?

"[W]hile modern societies were characteristically societies of discipline and post-modern societies of control, digital society is characterized by protocols, the invisible but ubiquitous codes which simultaneously enable and constrain what can and cannot be done in a given system, such as the Internet or indeed a given computer."
(Creeber, p.26)

It's arguable that the modularity, scale, and general obscurity of the composition of the digital domain and it's aesthetics, make it one of the most potent tools for controlling consumers. Take for example China, where strict censorship laws severely restrict the set of modules an individual could use to build or contribute to a New Media object.

These real world conditions give credence to the idea of a set of digital ethics, and give rise to many questions. The main question being, is participatory culture maintained to promote ideological values under the illusion of choice?



Bibliography
Creeber, G. (2009) DIGITAL THEORY: Theorizing New Media & Cubitt, D. (2009) Case Study: Digital Aesthetics in Ed. Creeber, G. & Royston, M. (2009) Digital Cultures: Understanding New Media; Maidenstone, Open University Press

Manovich, L. (2001). The language of new media. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

JENKINS, Henry (2006). Convergence Culture: where old and new media collide. New York; London, New York University Press.