| The rapid development and popularization of Internet, not only redefine the media and society in the global scope, but also redefine the way people live and communicate with its advantages of crossing time and space, openness, popularity, interactive, anonymous and technical low threshold, causing the rise and fall of social dominant media. In that way, Internet becomes the social leading media gradually. It also changes social media environment, having a significant and far-reaching impact on social culture which is born and evoluted in it. Internet has broken traditional media communication which is dominated by the elite, reconstructing social power structure, culture structure and social identity and sense of people; moreover, with the evolution of Internet communication forms, Internet will have more far-reaching influence. However, on the one hand, people enjoy the high-efficient, convenience and happiness of self-value realization, becoming more dependent on Internet; on the other hand, people are also puzzled by various problems in Internet communication. The social problems caused by Internet communication and the digital life it created both attract people’s attention. As a result, the way to analyze profound changes of human society brought by Internet and the complex relationship of people and Internet, to explore the form and evolution mechanism of Internet communication, to seek strategy to play a better role of Internet, have become an important task of constructing harmonious relationship between people and media.This thesis combines quantitative research and qualitative research methods together, regarding "isomorphism" as a metaphor to explain the evolution mechanism of Internet communication and complex relationship between human and Internet. Firstly, it deeply analyzes and interprets media ecology and revealing the profound connotation of media ecology in the comparative analysis with other media theory, and innovatively interprets media ecology in technology, culture, human needs and media system in four areas proposition.Secondly, it depends on media theory but not limited to it and fully draws on the results of other media studies. It also analyzes many cultural phenomenon from the four dimensions of technology, culture, human needs and media system in a technical cultural history perspective, and explains the relationship between technology, culture, human needs and media system and Internet communication evolution mechanism, pointing out that the Internet communication evolution process is also the process of Internet isomorphic with people. Media ecology considers media as environment and an extension of human body. Human invented Internet and Internet extends human’s nervous system, then it becomes an important part of human’s living environment and also a detector perceiving social changes, changing the way of people live and communicate, reconstructing people’s lifestyle. At the same time, Internet is evolving in people’s communication and use. People continue to modify Internet in order to make it more and more suitable for the needs of people. Technology, culture, human needs and media system constitute the power of Internet Communication, they promote each other, restrict mutually, and become inseparable one for digital life.The first chapter mainly puts Internet communication forms in the human history of media communication, and analyzes the characteristics and significance of human language media communication, writing media communication, print media communication, electronic media communication. It explains the generation and development of International and domestic Internet, and makes a comparison of the development of Chinese and American Internet, proposes historical stages of the development of Internet from the perspective of communication. It divides Internet communication forms into two categories of synchronic communication and successive communication. Then makes a relevance analysis on their evolutionary history, social impact and practical significance respectively. It draws a conclusion that Internet is a qualitative leap in human history. Human invented Internet, Internet changes human society, and then human keeps shaping the future of Internet in Internet communication.The second chapter first puts technology research in the history view of macroscopic inspection, makes an analysis of technology view of media ecology points out that many previous studies that put a label of "hard technological determinism" to media ecology is the misreading of media ecology technology view, points out that the media ecology technology view is a harmonious technology cultural view. According to the technological view of media ecology, it combines Internet communication phenomenon and specific cases, studying on the mechanism of how technology works as a direct power of the evolution of Internet communication forms. It analyzes the changes that Internet technology makes to communication environment from the aspects of the shape of Internet technology, the development of communication time and space, reconstruction of several scenes of communication. It explains the way that Internet technology influences communication environment in the aspects of how Internet technology influences on individual behavior models and the reconstruction of social organization. Then pointing out that the essence of Internet communication is the development and regression of human communication ways. Internet is becoming the dominant media, its technical characteristics will determine the characteristics of society. Therefore, technology is the direct cause of Internet communication forms evolution, technology creates new patterns of communication, expanding people’s communication space, changing human communication situation, restructuring production modes of human culture and social organization.The third chapter explains the influence that culture has on the evolution of Internet communication forms. Cultural studies are the key content of media ecology. In the comparative analysis of media cultural view of Frankfurt School, culture views of Birminghan School and cultural views of Gerbner explained the cultural view of media ecology:the symbiosis theory of culture and technology. Media ecology takes technology as the symbol of cultural division, culture determines the speed and the direction of technology diffusion to a great extent, people continuously create a new cultural form in the media communication. Technology and culture are like the two sides of a coin, they live harmoniously and shape mutually in the process of social development. It also explains how the culture influences on Internet communication in the aspects of the view that culture is considered as the logical starting point and final result, the way culture modifies on symbol environment of Internet communication, the way culture modifies on the evolving direction of Internet communication forms. It considers Internet as a form of technology in the three aspects of the way Internet reshapes the culture productive way of Internet communication, reconstruction of Internet communication on cultural identity and reconstruction of Internet communication on culture forms. Moreover, it analyzes the cultural landscape of the world-famous "Gangnam style". The challenges that postmodern culture poses to traditional elite are reshaping the forms of social culture. Culture means a conveyor belt to the development of technology, sometimes it accelerates the development and sometimes the effect is reversed.The fourth chapter points out that need is the crucial force of Internet communication forms. Through analyzing needs hierarchy theory of the psychologist Maslow and "uses and gratifications theory" of the communication expert Katz, it points out that the important value and limitations of these theories. Elaboration about need is rarely discussed by media ecology. Few people mention it in academia. This is why media ecology is blamed. People often regard it as the opinion of technology determinism.In fact that was not the case. Using many scholars’writings about media ecology, this paper illustrates need views of media ecology and points out that need is the power of technology and social development in the research of media ecology and satisfaction of human needs is the ultimate goal of media development. Just these thoughts are not stated more fully than its technology and ideas of culture research. Need is the fundamental driving force of Internet technology development and the power of Internet communication forms evolution. It decides the humanization trend of Internet communication forms evolution. People push for the evolution of communication forms in the process of "uses and gratifications" of Internet communication.The fifth chapter states that system is the the control power of Internet communication forms evolution. In the history of development of world media, media system development and reform have been always accompanied with the media development. Based on the analysis of all kinds of media system in the history, it illustrates the system view of media ecology. System research is also relatively weak in media ecology. Academia also seldom comments on the system views of media ecology. Actually, media ecology about the ideas of the system is an implicit topic without scrutiny which is often submerged in the classical statements about technology and culture. From limited writings, we still can see the value, hope and criticism of media ecology to system control. It is hoped to shape the good order but to maintain the vitality of the new media by the way that system modifies technology development direction. Media ecology thinks that media system is operation rules of medium environment which always works together with technology to promote the development of the society. Building institutional system which can adapt to media technology development is the premise of realizing the medium humanization development. Combining with institutional changes of Internet development process, this chapter discusses competition process between evolution of Internet communication forms and system from three aspects:compliance and arrogation of Internet communication to system, restriction and lack of system to Internet communication, chaotic phenomena of Internet communication promoting institutional innovation.The conclusion part considers “isomorphisâ€m as a metaphor ifrstly, revealing thetrend and process of the symbiosis of people and Internet: human invented Internetbased on their needs and I’nternet extends humans nervous system. It is changed andimproved in human communication. Meanwhile, Internet also changes the way peoplelive. The evolution of Internet communication forms are the isomorphism of peopleand Internet, and they both become harmonious digital community. Secondly，according to the four laws of media evolution of Mcluhan, the compensatory theory ofmedia evolution of Levinson and humanistic trend theory, it explains the mechanismthat technology, culture, human needs and media system make on Internetcommunication forms evolution. It also point out the trend that Internet will becomemore and more humanistic, and human will become more and more dependent onInternet. Therefore, it proposes the mode of Internet communication forms evolution.Thirdly, the evolution of Internet communication forms is not a automaticallycompleted process. The chaotic phenomena of Internet communication should bemanaged in the aspects of technology, culture, human needs and media system.Building a reasonable mechanism that factors work out together is the key point offorming communication order and improving the relationship between human andInternet. |
