Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man in 1962. It is an absolutely fascinating read, though convoluted at times. You may know that McLuhan coined a lot of well known phrases, such as "The medium is the message" and "global village." But his theories are amazing and prescient. Some of what he writes is all over the map and I don't agree with all of it. But he predicted with uncanny accuracy that with the information explosion due to hit later in the 20th century, our society would not really experience pluralism. Quite the contrary. At the time, he wrote about how the medium of television was affecting us. His general thesis was that the effect of a medium itself -- the environment it creates -- is far more vast than the content of any particular program on it. His verdict: we were actually undergoing an implosion of the Western society. In other words, television was causing us to regress, to return to tribalism and divisions as opposed to becoming a more cohesive and open society. Consider also how the internet is affecting thought processes -- causing a loss of clarity with all the noise and scatter that accompanies the technology. Well, McLuhan seemed to foresee that. He warned that newer communications technologies would only further expedite the implosion. I'm certain this was very counter-intuitive when he wrote the book. After all, what could seem more mind-opening than having more avenues of expression that would come with more avenues of information? And more people chiming in? My personal conclusion is this: Well, it depends on how aware we are of how media plays on our minds. Are we more open to reason and logic, or have people become more emotional? And it also depends on who controls the media. We as individuals who believe in self-governance? Or power elites directing a media that drive us more into a collective mindset? Part II tomorrow . . . (Book cover above is the MIT Press 30th Anniversary Edition)
Comments