Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Douglas Rushkoff, one of the most engaging and popular commentators on the impact of media and technology on society, will speak at UNCW’s Kenan Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 25. The lecture, “Digital Nation: Living and Learning on the Virtual Frontier,” will be followed by a question and answer session and a book signing.  Rushkoff’s lecture is co-sponsored by UNCW Student Media and is the second of UNCW’s Leadership Lecture Series.

A leading thinker and writer on the digital revolution, Douglas Rushkoff is an author, teacher and documentarian who focuses on the ways people, cultures and institutions create, share and influence each other’s values. He sees “media” as the landscape where this interaction takes place and “literacy” as the ability to participate consciously in it.

Within a single generation, digital media and the World Wide Web have transformed virtually every aspect of modern culture, from the way we learn and work to the ways in which we socialize and even conduct war. In his talk, Rushkoff explores what it means to be human in a 21st-century digital world and to understand the implications of living in a world consumed by technology and the impact that this constant connectivity may have on future generations.

The originator of terms and ideas from “viral media” to “social currency,” Rushkoff is the author of 10 books on new media and popular culture, including Coercion, Media Virus, Playing the Future and Cyberia, the first book on cyber culture. His works have been translated into over 30 languages. In late 2010 he’ll release his newest book, Program or Be Programmed.

He reaches millions of people each week with his commentaries on NPR’s All Things Considered and CBS Sunday Morning, his internationally syndicated cyberculture column for the New York Times Syndicate, and his popular ‘blogs’ on www.rushkoff.com. His articles have appeared in GQ, Esquire, Silicon Alley Reporter and TIME Magazine. He is a regularly scheduled guest on TV programs including NBC Nightly News, Real Time With Bill Maher and Larry King Live.

His PBS Frontline documentary, “Digital Nation: Life on the Virtual Frontier,” explores the use of technology at home, school, work and in the military, examining the pros and cons of multitasking, immersion in virtual worlds and even remote warfare. UNCW Presents will screen “Digital Nation” Sunday, October 24, at 7:00 p.m. in UNCW’s Lumina Theater, in the Fisher Student Center. The screening is free and open to the public.

Rushkoff received national acclaim as the correspondent  for the PBS Frontline documentaries, The Merchants of Cool, The Persuaders and Digital Nation. He is advisor to the United Nations Commission on World Culture  and is a professor of media at New York University and The New School. His keen insights into industries from telecommunications to entertainment have made him a sought-after consultant to companies, including Sony, TCI, advertising agencies and other Fortune 500 companies.

BOX OFFICE AND TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets to the lecture are $9 for the public and free to UNCW students, faculty and staff.  Seating is reserved. For tickets, call Kenan Box Office at 910.962.3500.  Box office hours are 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Friday, or purchase online at www.etix.com.

ABOUT UNCW LEADERSHIP LECTURES SERIES

The Leadership Lecture Series serves as a forum for intellectual inquiry and discussion offering the campus and community opportunities to discuss and explore the political, cultural and economic trends and issues that shape and affect our communities today.  By inviting a speaker to the campus, the university does not endorse any particular position.  Expect to be enlightened, challenged and inspired. 

OTHER SERIES SPEAKERS (All lectures are at 7:00 p.m. in Kenan Auditorium.)

Monday, Feb. 14

Temple Grandin, renowned author and animal scientist

“Thinking in Pictures: and Other Reports from My Life with Autism”

Monday, Mar. 21

Michael Sandel, Harvard professor and political philosopher

“Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?”