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Interactive media refers to media of communication that allow for active participation by the recipient, hence interactivity. Traditional information theory would describe interactive media as those media that establish two-way communication. In media theory, interactive media are discussed along their cultural implications. The field of Human Computer Interaction deals with aspects of interactivity and design of in digital media. Other areas that deal with interactive media are new media art, interactive advertising and video game production.

While some traditional (non-digital) mass media would qualify for interactive media the term is usually only applied to digital media. The significant increase in possibilities for interactivity (especially over vast distances) 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 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 (player) 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.

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.

• World Wide Web
• Internet forums
• Computer games
• Online games
• Video games
• Interactive television
• Mobile telephony
• E-Mail
• E-Commerce
• Short Message Service
• electronic literature
• Some developments in pervasive computing

• Coactive media
• Information theory
• Interactive advertising
• Mass media
• Media theory
• Multimedia
• New media art
• Soundrangers - Sound for interactive media.
• User-generated content
• Accordent Technologies

• Bill Buxton: The three mirrors of interaction