This panel explores the theoretical understanding of the concept of interactivity and addresses the opportunities and challenges brought about by interactive media. How can we define interactive media? Under which conditions does increased interactivity prove most beneficial? What are the constraints and resistances faced by the consumers and producers of interactive media? Through a critical examination of various emerging technologies, this panel aims to answer the question -- Have we reached Gladwell’s (2000) tipping point? Moderator: Gregory Newton, Ohio University Panelists: L. Meghan Peirce, West Chester University of Pennsylvania; CyberHealthcare and the Participating Patient: Physician Attitudes on Increased Interactivity Skye Cooley, Mississippi State University; Amy H. Jones, The University of West Alabama; A Forgotten Tweet: Somalia and the Failures of Social Media Tang Tang, University of Akron; Structuring Interactive User Flow: Constraints or Opportunities Raluca Cozma, Iowa State University; Jumping on the Social Media Bandwagon: Foreign Correspondents’ Use of Twitter
