Media shapes reality—but who shapes media? Humans are the first medium; every story, symbol, and system shapes who we are. This course examines the nature of media, its co-evolution with cultural systems, its role in power, and its influence on our future. From ancient myths to AI-generated worlds, we will explore how media define humanity and expand (or limit) what is possible.

Course Overview

If humans are the first medium, every story, symbol, and system rewires us—constitutions, scriptures, and memes alike are program updates to human. This course examines media as an active force that shapes perception, distributes power, and scripts the future. We will investigate its nature, its entanglement with consciousness, and its capacity to redraw reality, tracing how media from ancient myths to AI-generated worlds define humanity and set the boundaries of the possible. Media theory is not observation; it is intervention. You are expected to engage fully with readings, discussions, and projects as live parts of a shared system; contribute to culture by creating work that did not exist before; think critically and act deliberately by testing frameworks, questioning assumptions, and tracking consequences; and work the loop—readings, assignments, rubrics, and mood tracking feeding and depending on each other. By the end of this course, you will be able to analyze media as both a tool for thought and a cultural system; trace its co-evolution with consciousness, power, and possibility; apply theoretical frameworks to current and emerging media forms; and create media artifacts that actively intervene in cultural narratives.