Michael Abata

Following the July 1 release of Minions: The Rise of Gru, hordes of (mostly) teenage boys have documented themselves online as they orchestrate viewing events at movie theaters in their finest 8th grade graduation garb.The groups show themselves pulling up to their local movie theaters in full suits, dress shirts, and sometimes sunglasses, and... See more

New media technologies are rapidly emerging. Looking back on the past few decades of media, it’s clear that the content that catches hold plays a foundational role in sculpting how we live and think and interact. As the technologies with which we create and communicate change, cultural transmission will change in tandem.

Much of VR and AR today center around gaming and entertainment. But we also see immersive experiences emerging that teach empathy.

A USPS study found that “62% of millennials tend to read through the advertising mail they receive, rather than discarding it without reading. Given growing data-privacy concerns, clutter in online advertising, and demand for brand authenticity, some marketers we spoke to said the best way to reach younger consumers could be through some good ol’... See more

Last week, Niantic (the makers of Pokémon GO) announced Lightship, a developer platform for localized augmented reality. AR will transform how we communicate. Virtual reality, for its part, also continues to pick up speed. It’s been overhyped for a decade, but I expect we’ll look back and realize the hype was deserved all along; it just came too... See more