Media Technologies in Society

Marshall McLuhan is a Canadian media scholar, philosopher and theorist. In 1964, McLuhan developed the Technological Determinism Theory. He concluded that media technologies affect the way human beings think and relate to each other and the world around them (Rosenberry & Vicker, 2017, p.134). He also says that media is an extension of man, which means that media aids in communicating and obtaining information. According to Communication Theory, "Technological determinism is a reductionist theory that aims to provide a causative link between technology and a society’s nature."

Marshall McLuhan // Photo Credit: The Vim Blog

“We shape our tools and they in turn shape us.” - MARSHALL MCLUHAN

McLuhan theorized that throughout history, as technology changed, so did the social organization of society. What started as the tribal paradigm, which consisted of oral communication and communal relationships, then graduated to the print paradigm, which allowed communication to be recorded and preserved and changed communication to no longer needing to be face-to-face. This then lead us to the electronic paradigm, which allowed people to experience communication at any place at any time. Basically, with the help of the evolution of technology, people were now able to communicate easier and faster (Rosenberry & Vicker, 2017, p.134-136).

An idea called "the global village" was coined by McLuhan, which was an idea that media allows people to communicate with others from all over the world, without having to travel. People were able to see and hear what was going on in other countries just by watching programs on the television, thus creating a global village (Rosenberry & Vicker, 2017, p.136).

Marshall McLuhan // Photo Credit: Big Think

I want to discuss the strengths and limitations that I've concluded regarding McLuhan's Technological Determinism Theory:

Strengths

Although McLuhan passed in 1980, his idea of the electronic paradigm, which was 30 years before the invention of the World Wide Web, did in fact change society the way he said it would. McLuhan accurately predicted the evolution of technology would bring us to the electronic era of communication, and it ultimately did change the way people receive and present communication.

Another strength that I believe the theory upholds is that the different media technologies only change the way people think, but does not change the message itself. It has been said that, "...the idea that certain media technologies can be more important in framing how the public thinks than the content or context they hold." This is a strength because the message can stay the same no matter how it is communicated - whether it's through word of mouth, print, or electronic. This means it can be accessed by anyone no matter what type of media technologies they have access to or have adapted into their society.

The third strength upheld by McLuhan's theory is that information is now easily accessible. With each media technology advancement, information can now be documented now and accessed later. For example, in the tribal paradigm, information had to be told chronologically and verbally. In the print paradigm, information could be recorded by hand and be accessed at a later time. And with the electronic paradigm, information can be accessed wherever, whenever, and by whomever has access to it.

Limitations

As I mentioned earlier, the evolution of technology has brought us to where we are today. We have the World Wide Web where we have easy access to any information we want to know, when we want to know it. We are able to communicate with others wherever they may be, without verbally speaking a single word. This limits the amount of face-to-face interactions we have, and ultimately halts personal communication. We rely on technology too much and no longer need human interaction.

Additionally, what's next? What comes after electronic communication in the progression of this theory? This theory explained how we got to this point, but doesn't provide evidence or guidance on how the evolution of media technologies will evolve our communication styles. I cannot foresee any further developments of the way we communicate, but I look forward to being proven wrong.

Lastly, implementation of technology in a society is a choice. There are many societies that choose not to communicate through technology (i.e. The Amish culture). Because people have the choice to use/not use technology, we cannot assume that everyone will use it, and can't accurately predict the evolution and adaptation of these media technologies across all cultures.

Marshall McLuhan // Photo Credit: University of Toronto

With each media technology advancement, we see a progression in society; Tasks become easier, and information travels further and faster. A quote that I read that resonated with me and accurately depicts my thoughts on this theory is, "Our conventional response to all media, namely that it is how they are used that counts." I truly believe that Marshall McLuhan was ahead of his time. In my opinion, his theory accurately explains how media technology advances have shaped society and have helped push our culture towards a brighter and more connected future.