Teoria zrównania mediów a ekologia mediów – wstępna analiza punktów stycznych, różnic i możliwych zbieżności metateoretycznych

Tomasz Płonkowski

doi:10.21697/kmt.2025.64.16

Published: 2025-12-30

Vol. 4 No. 64 (2025)

The Media Equation and Media Ecology: a Preliminary Analysis of Points of Convergence, Divergence, and Possible Metatheoretical Alignments

Tomasz Płonkowski

Kultura Media Teologia

Section: Varia

https://doi.org/10.21697/kmt.2025.64.16

Abstract

This article compares two concepts within the field of communication studies: media ecology and the media equation theory. Its aim is to identify selected similarities and differences between the two approaches and to outline possible directions for theoretical dialogue. Media ecology represents a macro-analytical perspective that focuses on the historical and cultural impact of communication technologies on the development of civilization. It is grounded primarily in qualitative and historical analyses, which means that its claims are seldom subjected to empirical verification. The media equation theory, rooted in psychology, adopts a micro-level perspective and posits that people unconsciously respond to media in ways similar to their responses to real people and places; this

concept has been extensively developed through experimental research. The author argues that, despite their differences, certain points of convergence can be identified between the two approaches. In particular, the analytical tools of the media equation theory may potentially prove useful in testing selected assumptions of media ecology, especially in areas where the latter lacks empirical grounding. Combining macro- and micro-analytical perspectives may contribute to renewing selected claims of media ecology and broadening the scope of research on the impact of technology on human life. Although both theories have been subject to criticism, they emphasize the significant influence of media on human behaviour and perception and may complement one another, offering a more comprehensive account of communication processes.

Keywords:

media ecology, media equation theory, Marshall McLuhan, Byron Reeves and Clifford Nass, communication theory, media influence, experimental research, historical research, anthropotrophic evolution of media, theoretical meta-analysis, communication technology, macro-analysis, theory revitalization

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Płonkowski, Tomasz. “The Media Equation and Media Ecology: A Preliminary Analysis of Points of Convergence, Divergence, and Possible Metatheoretical Alignments”. Kultura Media Teologia, vol. 4, no. 64, Dec. 2025, pp. 267–285, doi:10.21697/kmt.2025.64.16.

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Tomasz Płonkowski

t.plonkowski@uksw.edu.pl
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2239-1984

Affiliation:

Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw Poland

Bio Statement (e.g., department and rank)

Tomasz Jan Płonkowski (PhD) – a sociology graduate from the University of Warsaw. He earned his doctorate from the Faculty of Journalism and Political Science at the University of Warsaw (his thesis focused on the concept of social responsibility of journalists), where he was employed as an assistant professor and lecturer. Since 2016, he has taught media studies at the Institute of Media Education and Journalism at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University (UKSW), and since 2017 as an assistant professor and lecturer. He is the author of one book and dozens of chapters in books and academic journals. He has published extensively on media determinism and media ecology, and has also focused on media scandals. His research interests include media culture, public opinion, and its study.