Background
Rushkoff accelerating from Princeton University in 1983.8 He confused to Los Angeles and completed a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from the California Institute of the Arts.9 Later he took up a post-graduate acquaintance from the American Blur Institute.10 He is currently a PhD applicant at Utrecht University's Fresh Media Program, autograph a argument on fresh media literacies.11
Rushkoff emerged in the aboriginal 1990s as alive affiliate of the cyberpunk movement, developing friendships and collaborations with bodies including Timothy Leary, RU Sirius, Paul Krassner, Robert Anton Wilson, Ralph Abraham, Terence McKenna, Genesis P-Orridge, Richard Metzger, Grant Morrison, Mark Pesce, Erik Davis, and added writers, artists and philosophers absorbed in the circle of technology, association and culture.121314
As his books became added accustomed (his aboriginal book on cyberculture, Cyberia, was canceled by its aboriginal publisher, Bantam, in 1992 because editors feared the Internet would be "over" by the aboriginal appointed advertisement date in Fall 1993 - it was eventually arise in 1994 15), and his concepts of the "media virus"16 and "social contagion" became boilerplate ideas, Rushkoff was arrive to bear commentaries on National Accessible Radio's All Things Considered,17 and to accomplish documentaries for the PBS alternation Frontline.18
Rushkoff was awarded the Marshall McLuhan Award by the Media Ecology Association for his book Coercion, and again arrive to become a affiliate and eventually sit on the lath of admiral of that organization.19 This affiliated him both in spirit and amalgamation with the Media Ecologists, a assiduity of what is accepted as the Toronto School of media theorists including Marshall McLuhan, Walter Ong, and Neil Postman.
As a result, Rushkoff was arrive to participate in government and industry as a adviser - which usually consisted of a distinct address or appearance, and led to abundant alarm amid his readership. His associations ranged from the United Nations Commission on World Ability and the US Department of State to Sony Corporation and TCI.
Simultaneously, Rushkoff connected to advance his accord with counterculture figures, accommodating with Genesis P-Orridge as a keyboardist for Psychic TV, and accustomed with basic music for the anthology Hell is Invisible Heaven is Her/e.20 Rushkoff accomplished classes in media approach and in media abolishment for the Fresh York University's Interactive Telecommunications Program,21 alternate in activist pranks with the Yes Men 22 and eToy,23 contributed to abundant books and documentaries on psychedelics, and batten or appeared at abounding contest sponsored by counterculture administrator Disinformation.24
edit Influences
References to media ecologist and Toronto School of Communication architect Marshall McLuhan arise throughout Rushkoff’s assignment as a focus on media over content, the furnishings of media on accepted ability and the akin at which bodies participate back arresting media.25 Rushkoff’s colleagues in The Toronto School accommodate Neil Postman and Lance Strate. Rushkoff formed with both Robert Anton Wilson 26 and Timothy Leary on developing abstract systems to explain consciousness, its alternation with technology, and amusing change of the animal species, and references both consistently in his work. Leary, forth with John Barlow and Terrence McKenna characterized the mid-90s as techno-utopian, and saw the accelerated dispatch of culture, arising media and the absolved advance of technology as absolutely positive.27 Rushkoff's own dizzying activity for cyberculture was choleric by the dotcom boom, back the non-profit appearance of the Internet was rapidly overtaken by corporations and adventure capital. Rushkoff generally cites two contest in accurate - the day Netscape became a accessible aggregation in 1995,28 and the day AOL bought TimeWarner in 2000 1 - as cardinal moments in his compassionate of the armament at assignment in the change of fresh media. He spent several years exploring Judaism as a album for media literacy, activity so far as to broadcast a book agreeable Jews to restore the adoration to its "open source" roots.29 He founded a movement for accelerating Judaism alleged Reboot, but after larboard back he acquainted its funders had become added anxious with business and publicity of Judaism than its absolute advance and evolution.25 Disillusioned by the abortion of the accessible antecedent archetypal to claiming accepted and institutional hierarchies from adoration to finance, he became a aide of Mark Crispin Miller and Naomi Klein, actualization with them at Smith College 30 as able-bodied as in abundant documentaries aspersing the corporatization of accessible amplitude and consciousness.31 He has committed himself best afresh to the issues of media literacy,32 participatory government, and the development of bounded and commutual currencies.33 He wrote a book and blur alleged Life Inc.,34 which traces the development of corporatism and centralized bill from the Renaissance to today, and hosts a radio appearance alleged MediaSquat on WFMU, anxious with accomplishment business and ability from accumulated domination.35
edit Awards and appointments
Douglas Rushkoff has served on the Lath of Admiral of the Media Ecology Association,36 The Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics,37 and is a founding affiliate of Technorealism,38 as able-bodied as of the Advisory Lath of The National Association for Media Articulacy Education,32 MeetUp.com 39 and HyperWords 40
He is the champ of the aboriginal Neil Postman Award for Career Achievement in Accessible Intellectual Activity, accustomed by the Media Ecology Association, in 2004.41
