In media studies, interpassivity is the phenomenon whereby a piece of art or technology seems to act on the audience or user's behalf; it is the opposite of interactivity.
Robert Pfaller has developed this theory since 1996,[7] accounting for diverse cultural phenomena where delegation of consumption and enjoyment stands central, answering questions such as "Why do people record TV programmes instead of watching them?"
Pfaller, a professor of philosophy at the University of Art and Design Linz, elaborated the theory of interpassivity within the fields of cultural studies and psychoanalysis.[8][better source needed].
Juha Suoranta and Tere Vadén, working on the basis of Pfaller's and Zizek's insights, stress interpassivity's potential of changing "into its negative when illusory interactivity produces passivity".
In the book, he goes on to use Disney/Pixar's 2008 film WALL-E, where Earth is a garbage-strewn wasteland due to ecocide, caused by rampant consumerism, corporate greed, and environmental neglect,[12] as his prime example.