Digital Generations and the Need for More Interdisciplinary Media Research

Media studies and research face numerous challenges worthy of attention from the research plans of media colleges and researchers in this field. Among these challenges are issues related to understanding the variables influencing media audiences and platforms, who are also referred to as users of these media, especially in the digital age, and the associated introduction of concepts such as digital generations and the digital human.
These indicators underscore the need for media colleges in Egypt to allocate greater attention within their research agendas to studying the social and psychological characteristics of digital generations, as well as their relationship with both traditional and digital media, including social media platforms. Moreover, it is important to examine the specific characteristics of each generation to avoid relying solely on foreign research findings or partial studies conducted by individual researchers in media colleges as part of their master’s or doctoral theses or promotion-related research.
There is a pressing need for interdisciplinary collaborative research in cooperation with other disciplines such as psychology and sociology, given their close relevance to this topic, so that we can understand audiences or users and interact with them in a scientifically informed manner.
It is equally important to focus on future-oriented studies that provide insights into anticipated developments, at least in the short and medium term. This is particularly crucial as we witness rapid and continuous advancements in the use of artificial intelligence technologies and applications globally, including within the media sector.
Furthermore, longitudinal evolutionary studies should be prioritized for comparative analysis and identifying aspects of change and progress. I also advocate for increased attention to experimental and quasi-experimental research within a clear framework of the scientific data we aim to achieve in this field.