Technologically Mediated Storytelling: Challenges and Possibilities

Technologically Mediated Storytelling: Challenges and Possibilities

 Pamila Nema, Roopa Shinde

     Shri Vaishnav Institute of Social Sciences Humanities and Arts, SVVV, Indore

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51244/IJRSI.2025.120600140

Received: 06 June 2025; Accepted: 10 June 2025; Published: 16 July 2025

ABSTRACT

The field of storytelling, and the ways in which stories are told, experienced and shared, has been radically transformed by technology. From the directions of interactive fiction, to the ways immersive experiences of stories can be created using virtual and augmented reality (VR/ AR) devices, to the use of social media, the landscape of storytelling is transforming through technology. This paper will discuss the journey of storytelling into the digital age and look specifically at how technology allows us to create new forms and expressions of storytelling. Interactive fiction changes the notion of authorship and reader agency, as it provides a game-like experience where the reader/user has narratorial agency with their choices influencing the outcome of the story. VR and AR transport our audience into an unfamiliar immersive environment, allowing a deeper level of emotional and psychological engagement. Additionally, social media (like Instagram, TikTok and Twitter) has become the new community storytelling space where audiences can follow real-time serial expressions of storytelling. This study uses research literature, case studies, and existing practices in the field of digital storytelling to show how technology has expanded storytelling capabilities and redefined the role of the creator and audience in the storytelling process. The implications from this study, demonstrate that technology is more than a space in which to tell stories, it is an active collaborator in designing contemporary narratives.

Keywords: interactive fiction, storytelling, virtual reality, social media, digital narratives

INTRODUCTION

Telling stories has always been an important part of humanity. People have shared and communicated stories through oral traditions, written texts, film, and television, and how those stories were told has changed with each new technological advancement. In the 21^st century, advancements in technology have produced new forms of narratives. Digital technology provides new opportunities for increasingly interactive, immersive, and personalized storytelling that blur the lines of what was previously considered “narratives.” This article will discuss how interactive fiction, immersive experiences (through VR/AR), and serialized storytelling on social media sites are changing the way stories are created and told and the relationship between the storyteller and audience. Technology and the Evolution of Storytelling – Interactive Fiction, Immersive Experiences, and Social Media Serialization

INTERACTIVE FICTION

Nonlinear Narratives and Reader Agency

Interactive fiction (IF) is a digital immersive narrative, meaning users experience their story with some agency. IF is different than traditional linear narratives found in novels or short stories because users experience their story by selecting options that affect (in some cases) the story’s trajectory and outcome. While IF has historical ties to early text-based games such as “Zork” and “Adventure”, IF has evolved substantially and is developed now on platforms such as Twine and ChoiceScript (Montfort 112).

Interactive fiction undermines traditional concepts of authorship and readership because the reading audience has some degree of agency over the story they are experiencing. As Marie-Laure Ryan explains, “the more interactivity and navigation the text offers, the more the readers can be considered a co-author with the author” (Ryan 85). This sense that the reader is co-author is empowering and can heighten the emotional relationship that is available to readers, as well as, promote fuller immersion in the fictional text. IF is often used in education and therapy since reader agency provides an opportunity for realistic real-life decision-making and promotes empathy.

The interactive fiction genre has been adopted by mainstream media as seen in Netflix’s “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch”. The interactive film approach creates a branching narrative, making it possible for viewers to select a protagonist’s actions. The interactive fiction film model is similar to the mechanics of video games and invites the viewer-name into the participatory experience, instead of a purely passive experience.

Immersive Storytelling Through VR and AR

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are improving storytelling in remarkable ways. These forms of media can create highly realistic environments and experiences while using multiple senses for users feeling they are in the story. Janet H. Murray explains immersive media gives users “a powerful illusion of presence” that traditional media cannot provide (Murray 53)

It is important to note that VR storytelling can occur as 360-degree video or as fully immersive interactive environments. The project “Wolves in the Walls”, which is a rethinking of the Neil Gaiman book, serves as an example of VR storytelling that brings users into the world of the story and allows them to participate in the action and events. AR often functions with the real world by adding digital experiences on top of our normal experiences (think Pokémon GO, or specific Snapchat filters). While AR is fun and entertaining, it can also be used in educational and journalistic environments. The New York Times has experimented with AR to help bring digital news stories to life in spatially aware ways ( Robert).

 These ways of using technology can provide empathy for story tellers by having users become parts of the story by taking on the roles or experiencing parts of major life events. The VR film “Clouds over Sidra” created by the United Nations places the viewer in the role of a Syrian refugee, and through this prospective helps the viewer understand what humanitarian crises are really like.

Serialized Storytelling on Social Media

Social media has provided a rich opportunity for creators working with serialized narratives. In a way completely different from conceptualizing traditional forms that require a centralized medium (books, TV shows, etc.), social media enables distributed, real-time narrative construction. Social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok allow for serialized stories via threads, reels, and short-form videos.For example, Adam Ellis’s horror Twitter thread series “Dear David” (2017), which was conveyed in a multi-layered narrative of tweets, images and videos, created high levels of suspense over some months. The story engaged its audience via comments, retweets, and speculation, turning passive readers into active participants. TikTok creators have begun creating serialized fictional narratives in episodic form, in conjunction with the social media platform’s specific visual and audio offerings.

Creating serialized social media stories usually lends itself to a sense of immediacy and intimacy. As noted by Crystal Abidin (2021), “these platforms encourage” always-on narratives that mix everyday life and fiction (Abidin 93). The distinction between creator and audience blurs, allowing creator audience interaction to affect pacing and story direction with real-time feedback.

The Role of Technology as Co-Creator

Technology not only distributes stories, but it also has the power to become a co-creator. The narratives we see today are increasingly being aided by algorithms, data analytics, and AI. Several platforms, such as Netflix and YouTube, will now take your watch data and use it to help create new content. Machine-assisted stories using AI tools such as ChatGPT, might someday be fully collaborative with machines.

Additionally, the platforms for community storytelling have become affordable and accessible due to engines such as Unity and Unreal, meanwhile also allowing creators to build interactive stories and worlds with little or no programming experience. These engines democratize storytelling in a way that has empowered independent creators and a range of voices. A notion that Jenkins expresses best, participatory culture “shifts the focus of literacy from individual expression to community involvement” (Jenkins 4). Technology allows communities to collaboratively create, remix, and build onward from stories in ways that have never been done before.

Challenges and Ethical Considerations

While there are many possibilities, it is important to recognize and understand the challenges of technologically mediated storytelling. The possibilities for authorship, copyright, and data privacy are more complicated in interactive and participatory forms of media. Additionally, the immersive property of VR can draw the line between what is real and imaginary, opening a range of ethical implications that include questions of psychological “effects” and how to regulate types of content.

Access to technology is not equally available. Digital storytelling tools are becoming more ubiquitous, but internet access and ownership of devices is not equal and can cause a digital divide. Societal inequalities will have to be addressed if there are ever any hopes for truly inclusive storytelling to take place.

The difficulties of technology enhanced storytelling with the possible solutions are as follows:

Fragmentation of Narrative

Digital platforms often require stories to be told in fragmented formats—social media posts, hyperlinks, or interactive modules. This can disrupt the natural flow of the narrative and break emotional continuity. In some instances, and for some audiences, the narrative fragmentation can impede an audiences ability to follow along or connect emotionally with the story. To combat this issue, creators will want to think about using modular story structures and use basic schematic transition markers between modules or segments. Consistently rolling out a story as an episodic series with an overarching thematic thread can offer some coherence and engagement in spite of fragmentation. In other instances stories with a more traditional flow can include schematic indicators that signal where the audience is in the structure of the story, such as maps, chapters or episodes.

Short Attention Spans and Information Overload

In today’s digital world, audiences are often multitasking, resulting in shorter attention spans and decreased concentration. These tendencies mean that users may disengage quickly or only superficially consume stories. Storytellers can respond to audiences’ short attention spans by using engaging hooks at the beginning of the narrative to draw audiences in and pique their curiosity. Additionally, by sharing stories as micro-narratives, or short but equally impactful episodes and optimizing stories on mobile platforms, stories can achieve heightened user engagement and retention.

Diminishing Authorial Control

In interactive storytelling forms, such as video games or participatory media, the control can shift from the author to the audience and can alter or undermine the original authorial message. Once users identify the potential to direct or affect the outcomes of the story, there is a chance that that the original themes or tone may be lost. To preserve the author’s creative spirit and assert control, narrative constraints can be made, and branching narratives, that are still an expression of the message can be constructed. It is also best practice to embed a central theme, motifs, and symbols throughout all story paths to create consistency no matter how the user decides to direct the story.

Access and Literacy of Technology

Users do not have the same access to sophisticated technologies or the digital literacy needed to engage in complex storytelling spaces. This digital divide can prevent specific audiences from experiencing a technological mediated narrative. As storytellers, we mitigate the risk of exclusion by designing platforms that forgo digital barriers and engaging with a variety of users, devices, and internet speeds. By inviting inclusivity into our stories’ design with accessibility features like captions, screen readers, and minimal complexity, we ensure wider audiences engage with stories.

Ethical and Privacy Issues

The shift toward data-driven and more immersive storytelling using emerging technologies like virtual reality and artificial intelligence raises a number of ethical issues; particularly surveillance, emotional manipulation, and user consent. These issues need to be handled delicately. We expect storytellers to adopt transparent data practices and make sure that their users are fully informed of how their data will be used. Scenarios like emotional disclaimers before intense content, opt-in options, and user autonomy will help storytellers stay on-track ethically.

Rapid Technological Change

There are so many new developments in making and telling stories digitally that the pace may overtake the tools or platforms and projects may go metaphorically “dark” with lost or inaccessible. While it is out of the creator’s control sometimes, we suggest that creators utilize platform-neutral technologies and open formats that are more likely to keep usable for long periods of time. As the form of the story is not static and must adapt to current times and audiences, it can be hoped that regular updates, archiving, and a flexible approach to storytelling, will ensure the digital narrative of the future.

Technological Emphasis versus Emotional Bond

In all storytelling mediums, there is a concern that a stronger emphasis on technology can lead to a disconnect with the emotional and character components – especially with new or, less experienced designers, where the visual or interactive design odeling takes over (to the detriment of the story). The goal is to use technology only to enhance the core emotional experience that shapes the story – not to supplant it. If a story has strong characters, realistic dialogue, andengaging ideas or themes, the audience will have emotional connection. Visual design that embraces minimalism and interactivity focused on intent can enhance the emotional relationship by not overwhelming or distracting the audience with unnecessary complexity.

CONCLUSION

Technology has had a major impact on storytelling by providing new ways of storytelling that are interactive, immersive, integrated into social context. From interactive fiction that gives agency to readers, to VR experiences that enhance empathy, and finally to occasional serialized or episodic content that allows an audience to engage in real-time, storytelling is now dynamic, and interactive and fluid. With continued technological advancements storytelling will keep changing and evolving.  The change will not only be in the medium and platforms, but in the relationship between human and machine or artificial intelligence. In summary, creating stories in mediated contexts is a whole new world; it is crucial for storytellers as creators to adapt it as responsibly as possible; while leading with innovation but being responsible. Emerging platforms are tools for creators. The elements of narrative on the other hand, no matter the platform, remain necessary. Narrative craft occurs on a continuum with empathy, connection and meaning being as relevant in storytelling today as they have ever been. The success of storytelling in the future depends on how we balance technological opportunities with human sensibility, so that stories are more than seen or heard; stories remain a lived experience that engages with our feelings, and is memorable.

REFERENCES

1. Abidin, Crystal. Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame Online. Emerald Publishing, 2018.
2. Jenkins, Henry. Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century. MIT Press, 2009.
3. Montfort, Nick. Twisty Little Passages: An Approach to Interactive Fiction. MIT Press, 2005.
4. Murray, Janet H. Hamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace. MIT Press, 1997.
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