By David Yu
Interactivity has been integrated with technology so much that it changes the way we live and act. From the introduction of television, to the pixilated beginnings of video games, interactivity has gone through changes until even socializing can be through the means of technology.
As many have stated before, the three guiding principles of interactivity are light, medium, and heavy. These three states of interactivity are used to describe how much an object acts upon another and the amount of engagement involved.
Light is characterized by a type of interaction that uses the least amount of brain activity possible, and requires the least decision making. It in essence is simply reception. A prime example of this is vegetating and listening to music, passively accepting the audio information. Medium on the other hand is television, which engages with the senses an adds to the experiences mentioned in audio. Heavy interaction on the other hand is extremely engaged contact that gives the user a definite reaction to their actions, a prime example of which would be a computer, where pressing a key or moving the mouse results in the control and change of the experience. Sensory decisions as well as mental planning demonstrate how much interaction is involved in a computer program.
Given all three of these states of interaction, we can see how attention can be divided or even taken away depending on what is being presented in the interaction.
It is important to differentiate between stimulation and interactivity. Television, unless you are flipping channels is not interactive. Pressing a key or moving a mouse is an example of low level interactivity. Choose your own adventure online story is an example of medium level interactivity. The user impacts the outcome but the choices are predetermined. High level interaction occurs when the user has the power to make meaningful changes. A video game that allowed players to change the rules would be an example of high level interactivity.