It reduces content to a fixed sequence of pixels. The image's form, a mere pattern of light and sound, only appears to lie within the monitor's nearly flat surface. There is literally no there there. Instead, video is happily turning the metaphor inside out. Gary Hill's solo show makes a particularly intriguing exit from the information superhighway.
Nobody can drive in New York City anyhow.
The information metaphor never really worked for society either. Consider what really happens as new media for consumers replace books. They can be carried to the beach or to bed, but at a price. Their constraints make them more obviously physical objects than ever. They depend on fewer, more costly outlets owned by larger corporations.