Media Education: Marshall McLuhan

     In education it is very important to understand not just how technology works but how it affects us personally, culturally, and economically.  Marshall McLuhan was a technological sociologist, and to many a bit of a prophet.  The insights he made in the 1950’s through the 1970’s completely changed the way we looked at media and its effects on our culture.  In 1967 he published a book called The Medium is the Message: An Inventory of Effects (1).  McLuhan is well known for his cryptic yet philosophical sayings, but what did he really mean by the medium is the message and do his ideas still resonate today?

     In order to understand and appreciate McLuhan we must look at him within the historical context in which he existed.  He did not grow up in a time with the internet.  Rather he grew up with the telephone, radio, and the advent of television.  Through these earlier technologies he was able to recognize not just how fast they were going to change, but how they were going to change us.

     So what is the meaning behind the media is the message? In order to break down this statement I would like to compare it to Green’s model (operational, cultural, and critical).  First, operationally with the shift from print material to video content our senses have also shifted from visual, to auditory and kinesthetic (1). Reading is a purely visual activity.  You actively use your eyes to scan and understand the content.  Although video intuitively seems to be visual, McLuhan argues that the visual sense is much more passive then with print.  Instead you are more involved hearing the content and feeling like you are part of it.  This shift in the senses is also causing a shift from the left analytical hemisphere of the brain to the right creative hemisphere of the brain (1).

     The next comparison to Green’s model is cultural.  McLuhan calls this the “Global Village” (1) and has written several books on this topic.  Technology is breaking down boarders and bringing us closer together.  Through the telephone, radio, and television, McLuhan was able to understand how we can now communicate instantly, be brought right to the action, and have information transferred at the speed of light.  With the internet this is truer than ever.  Privacy is going away at an alarming rate.  Franklin Roosevelt was able to get to become President without people knowing he had polio.  Now a politician’s image and charisma on television is of the utmost importance (1).  Religious, political, and personal views are shared regularly via social media.  The Global Village is growing bigger every day.

     Critically speaking McLuhan does not seem to like where technology is taking us.  He much prefers a traditional life, but he does see the importance of understanding these technologies, because like it or not they are here to stay (1).  It is more important than ever to understand the consequences of our actions.  Being drawn so close to each other the effects of our actions are being felt and criticized by the masses.  Our global community must find ways of working together or else we will destroy ourselves.

     We are all responsible for our own actions and understanding the media’s effects.  After all the media is merely a reflection of ourselves.  It is not our ability to shape technology that is important, it is our ability to understand how technology is shaping us.  This is what Marshall McLuhan meant by the medium is the message, and this is why we must take responsibility for ourselves and for our society by creating a better and more effective educational system.

Reference

(1) McLuhan, M. & Wolfe, T. (2013). Marshall McLuhan Speaks. Centennial 2011. Retrieved from http://marshallmcluhanspeaks.com