Mcluhan seems to be as discontent with the ‘content’ of media as I myself often am. I’m surprised by how much I enjoyed this article because the first page seemed as if the entire reading was going to be bland.
One of main idea Mcluhan presents in the article, “The Medium Is the Message” is that technologies or media doesn’t change human activity, but instead it, “shapes and controls the scale and form of human association and action” (p. 203). He provides many examples, such as types of transportation, what an electric light is used for, or even modes of communication. I definitely agree with his explanations because today the internet hasn’t changed that people meet and communicate with one another, but instead the internet has changed how people may meet, how often they communicate (especially given the mileage between party members), and they way we communicate (f2f versus cyber-interactions).
The main point I think Mcluhan was trying to communicate throughout this article involves the affects media has on human thoughts and actions. He explains that because the general public is used to standards, uniformity, and continuous habits, people find themselves in situations where they are unable to adapt to a given situation because he/she is stuck in the usual or old ways that always used to work. I’m pleased he mentioned the cultural insensitivity of IQ testing and the fact that it doesn’t actually measure intelligence, but instead how well a person understands the culture that the test writers/graders belong to. The most interesting aspect of this point pertains to the subconscious effects media has on people; he explains that media doesn’t alter our opinions, but instead “alter sense ratios or patterns of perception” (p. 207), which I also believe is true because I sometimes am oblivious to the fact that I purchased a more expense product simply due to the brand name.
~T
Wow Tornn, really good write up. You honestly clarified a lot of the points that were being made by McLuhan better than I was able to in my head. I felt as if as soon as I understood what was being communicated, McLuhan would put it another way, and then another, and then another (you get the idea), but I knew he was making valid points that I agreed with. I seriously read through this a few times to the point where it only became more jumbled for me. I think you put it really well when mentioning that the internet hasn't changed peoples need to meet and communicate, but the way in which we go about it. I also appreciate you including the bit about IQ testing which was a strong point made by McLuhan .
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