Marshall McLuhan's Understanding Media
In his groundbreaking work, Understanding Media, Marshall McLuhan posits that technologies in the “electric age” rendered it impossible for the individual to remain “aloof” anymore . Over the course of the late 19th to early 20th centuries, while an increasing presence of electric machines in daily life irrefutably signaled our nation’s arrival into the electric age, society’s “central nervous system [was] technologically extended to involve [each individual] in the whole of mankind,” McLuhan states (20). Previously disconnected, isolated individuals and groups suddenly became compressed, involved in each others’ lives, and unified into a network. As opposed to the preceding mechanical age, this was an age that sought “wholeness”-- an aspiration that McLuhan refers to as a “natural adjunct of electric technology” (21). McLuhan believes that great progress was made in the electric age; that wholeness was sought and worked towards eagerly.
However, at the turn of the century, three individuals—the philosopher, historian, and writer Henry Adams, the author Henry James, and the escape artist Harry Houdini—seemed to believe society was falling short of the goals that McLuhan claims it held. To these artists, the dreams of making everything seem attainable and everyone reachable were unrealistic; complete global unification, involvement, and wholeness served as a foil for disintegrating interpersonal relations. These American artists saw technology not so much as a device that brings individuals together, but rather as a means of escaping each other, individual social lives, as well as the constraints of the natural world.
The Autobiography of Henry Adams, first printed privately in 19...
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... not yield wholeness, grant individual freedom, and give Americans the infinite mobility they dream of. On the contrary, technology may cause separation, destruction, and confinement.
The question of whether future technologies will unite individuals peacefully or destroy civilizations ruthlessly is just as relevant, if not in fact more pressing today, at the turn of the 21st century, with a global presence of weapons of mass destruction haunting America, than it was at the turn of the 20th century. Based on his law of acceleration and increased danger, Adams might be surprised that America withstood two world wars and even entered the 21st century. But since we have, there is reason to hope that individuals and fellow nations may continue to defy Adams’ fears; that we may continue to “jump” headfirst into the future, and in doing so, eventually make progress.
Movies and literature alike have often served to villainize technology. These topics survive and persist, perhaps because we are morbidly fascinated with our own predicted downfall. Many people will admit to being concerned, as cummings is in "of all the blessings which to man," that the world will one day be run by machines. This potential future governing force is "without a heart" and "couldn't use a mind," and that may scare humans most of all (25, 28).
It seems since that dawn of the era of man we have always been in competition with one another. We have fought countless wars over every issue imaginable, with many great civilizations being founded and destroyed by war. Though with each new conflict comes newer and better technology. Technology is what drives civilizations forward, but it can also lead to its downfall. It is fascinating see how much technology has evolved over history, and how we have incorporated these innovations into newer technology. In past century technology has seen its greatest leap forward. This is in large part due to the two major World Wars that plagued the early part of the 20th century. (Koch p.122)
Modern society is advancing at an alarming rate and the electronics we cherish the most could mean the end to a thriving intellectual community. According to Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World, science and entertainment push society closer and closer to the conditions of the world state while family brings out the humanistic qualities in people.
“Do we have a choice going forward in our responses to major existential challenges, or does our human nature foretell the outcomes? We do have a choice but my question is if ultimately human nature will win the battle between choice and nature? No matter the choice history will always continue to repeat itself. George Santayana d. said" Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat It." - The Life of Reason Vol.1. Our main challenge is teaching our youth that looking to the future is great but looking into our past is even more important. Climate changes, over use of land and a decrease in resources aren’t anything knew but the way our societies have adapted to react to these changes is what differs. As technology advances so do our approach on handling these existential challenges but with evolution there is always a tradeoff. Those tradeoffs are our choices, we are choosing to sacrifice the lesser for the greater but it’s in our human nature to ignore the signs that there is a problem. We are so dependent on modern technology that we refuse to believe that it could cause any real problems but that’s where we are wrong.
Technology has become an essential part of everyday life in the 21st century. Ask any North American ten year old what an iPad is, and they can probably not only answer the question, but spout off a list of its features and apps. More and more, society is becoming attached to its electronics. Technology’s integration into daily life has many benefits. Technology makes life better and easier through convenient accessibility to knowledge and information, and the way social media connects people from across the world. But too often, technology becomes a barrier between a person, and their ability to connect with others without a screen. Written over sixty years ago, Ray Bradbury’s science fiction short story “The Veldt” already recognizes the
As time goes on, society continues to develop new technology and new ideas. However, these advances may, in a distant future, overtake our sense of humanity. Whether it be technology or an extreme idea that does it, humans will bring about their own destruction.
As stated in the beginning of this essay, the downfall of humanity is held within its ingenuity, its creativity, and its innovability, to bring to light the threat that technology can impose if use for the worst reasons, and if humanity keeps using it to destroy other humans, its salvation will be sealed away from reach along with any hope of mankind surviving for the years to
Technology began skyrocketing, which lead to a drastic shift in citizen’s daily lives therefore causing a new American Dream to form. Before the Contemporary Period Americans did not have all the luxuries that are used today; such as Internet, cell phones, and televisions. With the use of this new form of communication news and ideas were spreading fast. Social norms and politics began to change dramatically. As shown on the technology timeline within the past fifty years America experienced a rapid growth of technology that has never been seen before, only 50 years ago on January 1, 1950 the first remote control was invented. This remote was not wireless, but as only 60 years had past Americans now have smart phones, smart TVs and wireless internet that is available almost anywhere (Science and Technology). Americans have had to adapt to th...
In the essay "Our future selves," by Eric Schmitz and Jared Cohen, the authors focus solely on how technology has had an optimistic impact on our lives and society. Similarly, the more technology advances are available the more effectivities, productive, and creative an individual will become. Therefore, making an individual feel more connected and equal. However, in his essay "The Loneliness of the Interconnected," Charles Seife introduces and proposes an opposing view. Seife believes that the more technology offers us the more isolated we become towards our surrounding. Due to the abusive use of technology we have become isolated to reality, to opposing views but most of all towards verbal communication. Thus, although theses two essays demonstrate
It's hard to assign an irrefutable definition to the world nowadays - given its remarkably unfathomable state. The American Dream, the information revolution, two world wars, pornography, third world countries' independence and other benchmarks define the timeline of the 20th century (the near past). However, where has this left us today? Indeed the world exhibits an extremely ambiguous era that may be a prelude to a wholly different future than its past – far or near. Most significant in our present is the emergence of exponentially growing technology with unlimited abilities – simultaneously promising and foreboding - which has created a gap between the agenda of the minority that holds such technological powers and the majority's ordinary activity; it accounted for a circumference of negligence of the present's underlying powers and the future's potential ones.
America is being overrun by a silent plague. No matter where you go, what you do, or who you are; you will find a horrendous fiend who victimizes every teenager and family no matter the social class! Who is this evil nemesis who preys on the living? To find the answer to this question, you may need to look no further than your purse or pocket. I am addressing, not only cellular devices, but all forms of media throughout the United States. Media, another term for mass communication, has been spreading like the plague thanks to new twenty-first century technology and outlets. Though media has existed for quite some time, it was never fully recognized as a possible conundrum until technology made indulgence in mass media nearly effortless. Many people have their own opinions on the matter, so it was only a matter of time before the topic became controversial! Though media has its advantages, teenagers who overuse and abuse the international medium maybe subjected to a significant amount of distraction, could face educational consequences, and can become a victim of cyber bullies, mobile threats, and additional technological dangers.
Aldous Huxley, a renowned English writer, once said “Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards.” The advancements that we have made in the recent years are astronomical. However, people of the present time are becoming increasingly dependent on technology and adversely influenced by the portrayal of the media. Initially media and technology were designed to facilitate a person’s life but as generations pass, it has become a liability rather than an asset.
A dependence on technology will not create a utopian society. Relying on technology for everything can create disruption of people’s bonds and love towards family members, disruption in people’s emotions and feelings and disruption to people physically.
Rather than walking, we have cars to help us get to places quicker. Rather than talking with people face-to-face, we call on a telephone. New technology places value on doing things quicker and easier. McLuhan also believed that what changes people is the technology itself, not the content. In Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, he proposed that we focus on the way each medium changes cultures and traditions and reshapes social life, rather than the content. He describes the content of the medium as a “juicy piece of meat carried by the burglar to distract the watchdog of the mind.” (McLuhan 32). To him, focusing on the medium was important because he believed that different types of media changes the balance of our sense. We start isolating and highlighting different senses. For example, print technology highlights the visual aspect of the media, but isolates sound. However, electronic media, such as television, allows us to see and hear, and therefore, reconnects senses that have been isolated by previous media (e.g., print and radio). McLuhan expands on the effects of electronic media in War and Peach in the Global Village, arguing that electronic creates a “global village.” Because electronic media allows people
Rosen, senior editor if New Atlantis, on her essay published in Wilson Quarterly in autumn 2009 “In the Beginning Was the Word,” points out how digital technology, especially in communication and entertainment, affects negatively on our lives socially and cognitively. She believes that although technology might appear as sign of our progress as humans, it is withdrawing us from the core literature. Rosen explains th...