A few weeks ago, I wrote about the differences between digital and analog through the subgenre of analog horror. Much like other technologies, analog horror encompasses both digital and analog qualities to be most effective to the viewer.
I want to revisit the example of horror as a genre. The genre is intertwined with digital rhetoric. Personally, I am too terrified to consume anything scary. However, I am still fascinated by the stories it’s capable of telling. I am able to consume horror stories more easily when they’re told to me orally. That way, I don’t have to face the visuals and sounds that accompany it.
The Development of Digital Rhetoric
The rules of rhetoric will never change. Rhetoric has different purposes such as to persuade, to inform, or to entertain. The only thing that does change is how we present our rhetoric, especially in an ever-changing digital world. With digital rhetoric, it’s constantly changing because of how fast our technology advances.
Horror is like that too. From old folk tales used to warn children not to wander the forest, to literature pondering the unknown, to video games where players must battle grotesque creatures. The medium changes, but the purpose of the genre remains the same.
Horror creators find creative ways to incorporate more digital attributes to scare viewers. There is analog horror which manages to find an imaginative twist to old tech, or video games that have unique sound design that better emulates subtle whispers flying past your ears. Even simple photography can turn eerie with the way cameras develop these days.
Comparing the development of digital rhetoric to horror helps me somewhat understand what Eyman writes. Digital rhetoric isn’t just rhetoric but on the Internet, the same way horror isn’t just freaky one-and-done jumpscares. Both have an all-encompassing definition, using various features like visuals, gestural, and musical to further its own agenda.
Leave a Reply